Patent Publication Number: US-2009239180-A1

Title: Aerosol candle snuffer using non-flammable gas

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/937,208, filed Jun. 26, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated in full herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to devices for extinguishing candles, and more particularly to a candle snuffer that expels a puff of non-flammable gas against the candle flame to extinguish it. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Millions of candles are burned in homes, restaurants, places of worship and other places for a variety of purposes. These candles are often extinguished by blowing on the flame, but a person blowing out the candle has to take a deep breath and place their face close to the flame to blow it out with a quick puff. Often this act is too strong and forceful, and hot, liquefied molten wax is blown onto a surrounding surface, sometimes with a burning fragment of the wick—a cause of many home fires in the United States. 
     Some of the foregoing problems are solved by various candle snuffing devices that are known in the prior art for extinguishing the flames of candles without blowing on them. These typically comprise an inverted conical or bell-shaped housing carried on the end of a long handle, wherein the housing is simply placed over the flame to extinguish it. 
     Other candle snuffing devices that extinguish candle flames without blowing on them are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,267,581 and 6,305,928. The snuffer described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,581 also has an inverted conical housing carried at the distal end of a long handle, but the handle has a reservoir for container a quantity of water, and pump means in the handle is operative to discharge a mist of water into the conical housing to prevent the wick from smoking when the flame is extinguished. The snuffer described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,928 also has an elongate handle and a reservoir for containing a quantity of water, with a pump for discharging water against a candle flame to prevent the wick from smoking, but instead of the conical housing on the distal end of the handle as in the &#39;581 patent, this system has a pair of blocks pivoted together along one edge and means connected with the blocks to cause them to swing together against opposite sides of a candle flame to extinguish the flame. 
     All of the foregoing conventional candle snuffing devices are effective at extinguishing a candle flame, but must be placed over and into intimate contact with the end of the candle in order to extinguish the flame. As a result, molten wax from the candles tends to collect on the snuffing devices over a period of time, requiring them to be cleaned. Moreover, many people object to spraying water against a candle flame to extinguish it because of the potential risk of getting water on surrounding furniture and damaging it. 
     It would be desirable, therefore, to have a candle snuffing device that enables the flames of candles to be extinguished more easily and safely than is accomplished by blowing on them, that does not require the device to be brought into contact with the candle, and that does not spray water. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a candle snuffing device that does not require it to be brought into contact with the candle, and which does not require water to be sprayed. 
     The candle snuffing device of the invention comprises a container of non-flammable gas under pressure, with means for discharging a puff of the gas against a candle flame with sufficient force and volume to extinguish the flame but insufficient to scatter molten wax. More particularly, the candle snuffer of the invention comprises a non-flammable gas in an aerosol dispenser with a valve and directional actuator that helps aim the puff of gas at the candle flame. The user simply has to point the spout of the device at the base of the flame from a distance of about 2 inches and press the spray actuator for only a short puff. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the aerosol dispenser includes a metering means that limits the discharge of gas to a small volume or short puff each time the actuator is depressed, and a pressure reducing means that reduce the pressure of the discharged gas to a level that will not blow molten wax. The short, low pressure puff is adequate to extinguish the flame but will not blow the molten wax even if the gas is aimed directly at the molten wax. Additionally, the preferred embodiment includes a gas storage means in the container that stores a reserve supply of gas to replenish the gas as it is used. 
     More specifically, in a preferred embodiment the dispenser includes a valve assembly having a valve body, a valve stem, and a valve actuator. The metering means comprises a dip tube connected to the valve body, with a ball reciprocable in the dip tube between a stop at the lower end of the dip tube and a seat on the valve body at the upper end of the dip tube, the free volume of the dip tube between the stop and the seat determining the volume of gas discharged during a discharge cycle. The pressure reducing means comprises a series of progressively larger orifices in the valve assembly through which the gas flows as it is being discharged, including a body orifice, a stem orifice, and a terminal orifice. The gas storage means comprises a predetermined quantity of a gas adsorbing material, such as zeolite or activated carbon, that adsorbs and stores a quantity of the gas for subsequent release into the container as the pressure in the container drops below a predetermined level. 
     In an alternate embodiment of the invention the progressively larger orifices for reducing the discharge pressure are incorporated, but the metering means is omitted. 
     In another embodiment the metering means for achieving a metered discharge is incorporated, but the progressively larger orifices for reducing the discharge pressure are omitted 
     Any of the forms of the invention may or may not include the gas storage means for storing a reserve supply of gas. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing, as well as other objects and advantages of the invention, will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view in elevation, with parts shown in section, of a preferred embodiment of candle snuffer in accordance with the invention being used to extinguish the flame of a candle. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the valve assembly for controlling the discharge of the gas against a candle flame, with the valve shown in closed position. 
         FIG. 3  is a longitudinal sectional view of the valve assembly of  FIG. 2 , shown in its opened position with the valve actuator depressed. 
         FIG. 4  is a longitudinal sectional view similar to  FIG. 3 , showing an alternate embodiment that incorporates progressively larger orifices for reducing the discharge pressure but omits the metering means. 
         FIG. 5  is a longitudinal sectional view similar to  FIG. 3 , showing another embodiment that incorporates the metering means but omits the progressively larger orifices. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     A preferred embodiment of aerosol device according to the invention is indicated generally at  10  in  FIG. 1 , shown directing a puff of non-flammable gas  11  against the flame F of a candle C to extinguish the flame. The device comprises a container  12  made of metal, plastic, glass or other suitable material, and in the particular embodiment disclosed herein has a valve cup  13  affixed to the upper end thereof. A valve assembly  14  is affixed to the cup, with a directional valve actuator  15  attached to the valve to operate it. A dip tube  16  is attached to the valve body, and comprises a part of a metering means that discharges only a predetermined quantity of the gas in any discharge cycle. The metering means includes a ball  17  that is free to reciprocate up and down in the dip tube, with a stop such as a pin  18  or other means, such as inwardly formed dimples or the like, at a desired location in the tube to limit downward movement of the ball in the tube. When the valve actuator is depressed, pressurized gas flows up the dip tube, carrying the ball with it. At its upper limit of travel, the ball seats against a seat  19  on the lower end of the valve assembly. The volume of the dip tube between the pin  18  and the seat  19  determines the volume of gas that will be discharged in a single cycle when the valve actuator is depressed and held down. 
     As seen best in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the valve assembly  14  comprises a valve body  20  having a reduced diameter tubular lower end portion  21  with the seat  19  on its lower end, and a larger diameter tubular upper end portion  22  with a castellated upper end  23  crimped into the valve cup  13 . A body orifice  24  is formed in the valve body between the upper and lower end portions, and the dip tube  16  is received on the end of the lower end portion  21 . 
     If desired, radially extending webs  25  can be formed in the valve body at the lower end of the upper portion to serve as a seat for a spring as described hereinafter. 
     A valve stem  30  has a lower end reciprocable in the tubular upper portion of the valve body  20 , and a tubular upper end portion  31  extending through the valve cup, with the actuator  15  attached to it. A spring  32  is engaged on the lower end of the valve stem and acts between the valve stem and valve body to urge the valve stem in an upward direction. At least one stem orifice  35  extends through the side of the valve stem at the lower end of the tubular upper end, and a sealing gasket  36  secured between the valve cup  13  and the upper end of the valve body  20  in surrounding relationship to the valve stem normally closes the stem orifice when the actuator  15  is not depressed, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     A terminal orifice  40  is formed in the actuator  15 , and a discharge spout  41  leads to the exterior of the actuator. If desired, an elongate discharge spout  41 ′ may be affixed to the actuator, as indicated in dot-and-dash lines. 
     In accordance with the invention, the body orifice  24 , valve stem orifice  35 , and terminal orifice  40  are progressively larger toward the outlet so that as the gas leaves the container it undergoes expansion and the pressure is reduced to a level that will not scatter the molten wax as the device is used to blow out a candle flame. In a specific construction the body orifice  24  has a diameter of from 0.010 to 0.013 inch; the stem orifice  35  has a diameter of 0.013 to 0.018 inch; the terminal orifice  40  has a diameter of 0.10 inch; and the discharge spout  41  has a diameter of 0.24 inch. Using a diameter of 0.010 inch for the body orifice and 0.013 inch for the stem orifice, the area of the stem orifice thus is 1.7 times the area of the body orifice; the area of the terminal orifice is 59 times the area of the stem orifice; and the area of the discharge spout is about 5.8 times the area of the terminal orifice. Stated differently, the area of the stem orifice is 1.7 times the area of the body orifice; the area of the terminal orifice is 100 times the area of the body orifice; and the area of the discharge spout is 572 times the area of the body orifice. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to these specific orifice sizes, and other sizes could be used so long as the approximate relative size relationships given are maintained. 
       FIG. 3  shows the valve actuator  15  and valve stem  30  depressed, and the arrows indicate the flow path of gas from the container and through the sequentially larger orifices. A “puff” of discharged gas sufficient to extinguish a candle flame typically is from about ¼ to about 1 second in duration. 
     The non-flammable gas can comprise carbon dioxide or nitrogen or other suitable gas for extinguishing the flame. With reference again to  FIG. 1 , a gas adsorbing and storage material  50  may be placed in the container to adsorb and store a reserve supply of the non-flammable gas. The material may comprise zeolite or activated carbon or other suitable material, and may be incorporated in a pouch, all as disclosed in applicant&#39;s prior issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,185,786, the disclosure of which is incorporated in full herein by reference. 
     An alternate embodiment of the invention is indicated generally at  10 A in  FIG. 4 , wherein like parts are indicated by like reference characters. This form of the invention incorporates the progressively larger orifices  24 ,  35  and  40  as in the  FIG. 3  embodiment, but the metering ball  17  is omitted from valve stem  16 ′. Thus, the pressure of the discharged gas is reduced as in the first embodiment but flow will continue as long as the actuator is depressed and a supply of gas remains in the container. To use this form of the invention the actuator should be depressed only for an instant to discharge a short puff of gas. The gas storage means  50  may be incorporated in this form of the invention, or omitted. 
     Another embodiment is indicated generally at  10 B in  FIG. 5 , wherein like parts are indicated by like reference characters. This form of the invention incorporates the metering means, i.e. the ball  17  in dip tube  16 , but does not have the pressure-reducing progressively larger orifices in the valve body  20 ′, valve stem  30 ′ and valve actuator  15 ′. Instead, the body orifice  24 ′, stem orifice  45 , and terminal orifice  40 ′ may be conventionally sized, although in a preferred construction the stem orifice  45  is relatively large, with a diameter on the order of about 0.040 inch. The gas storage means  50  may be incorporated in this form of the invention, or omitted. 
     While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail herein, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.