Abstract:
The invention pertains to an outdoor lamp with an adjustable wick. The fluid fuel is contained within a canister that is positioned within a conventional lamp holder. Within the cover of the lamp holder is a grooved rotating wheel that is in contact with the wick. A support shaft is connected to the rotating wheel and extends outside of the cover. Rotation of the shaft causes rotation of the wheel, whereby the wick is moved up and down to change the amount of the wick that is within the reservoir of the fluid fuel.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to the outdoor recreational and leisure industry and, in particular, to insecticide and decorative lamps with adjustable wicks for lighting and decorative purposes.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    With increasing frequency, people have returned to outdoor recreation, as they have done in former days. Outdoor activities, including barbecue parties, picnics, etc., have become ever more popular social activities.  
           [0003]    One problem is that there frequently can be a lack of sufficient lighting outdoors. This can be due to inclement weather or due to excessive tree cover which is blocking the lighting. Further, during twilight or evening hours, light is necessarily reduced. Other times, there may be an interest in lighting for ambience. Thus, there is a need for a simple and easy to use device for creating effect lighting or full lighting.  
           [0004]    Further, when torch lamps are used outdoors, they are typically not adjustable. Lamps on poles typically use screw on fuel canisters, thereby preventing adjustment of the flame. Thus, as the lighting changes, it is difficult to change the emitted light. The table lighting fixtures that do have adjustability are generally very complicated and expensive and are not easy to use. In such lamps, the fuel chamber is in the base of the lamp and must be refilled by pouring additional fuel trough the opening.  
           [0005]    There is currently no device known in the market, where there is both an adjustable wick and also a removable canister to facilitate adding fuel.  
           [0006]    Another problem with outdoor activities is that insects and bugs in general can be an annoying problem. This is especially true in the last afternoon and early evening. As the sun is setting, bugs and insects become an increasing problem.  
           [0007]    One of the ways that is known in the industry for partially eliminating the problem is to use insect lamps or candles. These are typically made of insect repellant materials, such as Citronella. When such candles burn, they emit an insecticide into the area in the vicinity of the candle. This serves to repel and to kill insects and bugs that come within the zone of the lamp. A problem with the insect lamps currently available is that they do not have an adjustable wick. Therefore, the wick and the flame cannot be adjusted and the candle can be used at only a certain level.  
           [0008]    So-called hurricane lamps with adjustable wicks are known, but they come as a self-contained unit and the reservoir within the lamp must be continually filled. Another disadvantage of these lamps is that they are made to sit on a flat surface, such as a table, and are not generally designed for use on top of a pole or other support outdoors.  
           [0009]    There are also outdoor lamps with built in canisters for fuel, but the wicks are not adjustable. In addition to the wicks not being adjustable, these lamps suffer from the disadvantage that they cannot be refilled once the fuel canister is emptied.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    Therefore, it is an object of the instant invention to provide an outdoor lamp with both an adjustable wick and a removable, replaceable fuel canister. By this means, the level of the wick and the flame can be adjusted to provide different levels of burning of the outdoor lamp.  
           [0011]    Another object is to provide an outdoor lamp, which can be fitted onto any canister of fluid fuel. By this means, when a fuel canister is emptied, the lamp mechanism can be lifted from the now empty canister and easily secured on top of a new canister with a full supply of fuel.  
           [0012]    The outdoor lamp of this invention includes a fluid fuel that is contained in any conventional container. The cover for the container includes a through opening for the wick. A grooved, rotating wheel is in contact with the wick. Rotation of the wheel necessarily causes movement of the wick up and down and thus permits adjustability of the illumination of the lamp. By a shaft, the grooved rotating wheel is connected with a screw on the outside of the cover. Thus, rotation of the screw causes rotation of the grooved wheel and thus movement of the wick to change the illumination level of the lamp.  
           [0013]    If Citronella or another appropriate fluid is used as the fluid liquid, then the outdoor lamp may also have an effect of dispensing insecticide into the ambient air.  
         BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the outdoor lamp with an adjustable wick that is the subject of this invention.  
           [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cover for the outdoor lamp and showing the mechanism for adjusting the wick.  
           [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a side, elevational view, partially in section, showing the outdoor lamp and the mechanism by which the wick is adjusted.  
           [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is an enlarged, elevational, cross-sectional view of the cover and showing the mechanism by which the wick is adjusted.  
           [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a bottom, plan view of the cover for the outdoor lamp with an adjustable wick.  
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]    The instant invention is designed to work with any fluid fuel, such as liquid paraffin, that may be used in a lamp. When an insecticide benefit is desired, Citronella or similar fluids may be used.  
         [0020]    In the preferred embodiment, the fluid fuel is contained in a conventional container  12 . The canister may be of any conventional size and shape and a standard plastic or metal bottle may be used for this purpose. As shown in the preferred embodiment, the canister is a typical round bottle with a flat bottom and a tubular shape. At its top end, the canister  12  has a neck  22  for connection with the outdoor lamp. The neck of the canister necessarily contains a through channel to permit passage of the wick  20  for contact with the fluid fuel within the canister.  
         [0021]    As is typical of most outdoor lamps, there is a lamp holder  14  in which the canister  12  of fuel is contained. As contemplated in the preferred embodiment, the lamp holder  14  may be a truncated cone with an angled tubular body. It has a closed bottom  24  and is supported by a pole  16 . In alternate embodiments, a standard outdoor pole may be used and embedded in the ground, and have a receptacle at its upper end for securement and positioning of the canister.  
         [0022]    In the illustrated embodiment, as is known in the industry, the pole  16  may be secured to the bottom  24  of the lamp holder  14  in any conventional manner. In one version, the pole may have a threaded end that is inserted into a threaded socket on the bottom  24  of the lamp holder. Any other conventional means for attaching the pole may be used.  
         [0023]    At any appropriate location the pole  16  is inserted into the ground in any suitable manner. In many cases, the end of the pole may be profiled, so as to facilitate insertion into the ground. In some cases, it may be desirable to install the bottom of the pole in a permanent holder within the ground, such as a concrete or cement foundation. Other times, the bottom of the pole may be secured in a weighted stand for stability, but which can be moved from location to location.  
         [0024]    The interior of the lamp pole  14  is shaped and configured to hold any desired canister of fluid fuel. The top  26  of the lamp holder  14  is open for easy removal and replacement of the canister of fluid fuel. A cover  18  is provided to secure the canister within the lamp holder.  
         [0025]    The cover may be secured to a lamp holder in any conventional manner. As shown in the preferred embodiment, the cover  18  includes a flange  28  around its lower section. This engages with the top  26  of the lamp holder  14  to hold the cover securely on the lamp holder. In other embodiments, it may be desirable for both surfaces to be threaded, so that the cover can be “screwed onto” the lamp holder, as a conventional lid is secured to a bottle. In some embodiments, it will be desirable for the canister to sit within the lamp holder and to not be secured in any manner to the cover.  
         [0026]    In the preferred embodiment, however, the canister is secured to the lamp holder in order to provide a better connection between the wick and the fluid fuel. For this purpose, there is a stem  30  that is provided on the inside of the lamp cover  18  and which has a through channel which is continuous with an opening in the neck  32  on the top surface of the cover. The wick  20  is positioned within the central channel of the neck  32  and stem  30  and extends upward and outward from the top of the canister and its other end engages the fluid fuel within the canister.  
         [0027]    As desired, any type of protective globe may be used to surround the wick, so as to provide a lamp effect.  
         [0028]    The stem  30  has an elongate slot  34  that runs along its length. Support plates  36  are secured to the stem and extend in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the stem. Locating holes  38  are placed in the support plates. Supported within the support plates is a shaft  40 , which extends through the locating holes and is supported by both support plates. One end of the shaft extends through the cover and an enlarged head  42  is made integral with it. Located on the shaft between the support plates and in alignment with the slot  34  is a rotating, grooved wheel  44 . The wheel is secured on the shaft, so as to be capable of rotation as the shaft is rotated.  
         [0029]    The user of the device can rotate the enlarged head  42  of the shaft, which is on the outer end of the cover. In some embodiments, the enlarged head may be knurled, so as to facilitate this process. Rotation can be in either a clockwise or a counter clockwise direction, depending on whether it is intended to extend the wick or to reduce it.  
         [0030]    Necessarily, rotation of the head and the shaft causes rotation of the grooved wheel. As the wheel is aligned with the slot in the stem, some portion of the wheel passes through to the interior of the stem and securely comes in contact with the wick. As the grooved wheel is rotated, its teeth come into contact with the wick and thereby cause up and down movement of the wick.  
         [0031]    In cases where an insecticide lamp is desired, a fluid insecticide may be used as the fluid fuel. In most cases, the preferred fluid insecticide is Citronella, which is commonly used in the industry as an insecticide.  
         [0032]    Citronella is a tropical grass that is the primary source of Citronella Oil. Citronella Oils are yellowish oils and are commonly used as insect repellants. It is well known in the industry that by inserting a wick into Citronella Oil, a lamp can be created. By this means, the Citronella Oil “burns,” and is permeated into the atmosphere. This increases the insecticide effect of the Citronella Oil over a much wider area.  
         [0033]    Rotation of the head of the shaft in a counter clockwise direction causes vertical movement of the wick in the opposite direction, so that a lesser portion of the wick is immersed within the fluid fuel. As is known in the industry, when a greater portion of the wick is contained within the fluid, the flame burns more brightly. By this means, the wick and the flame can be adjusted to an appropriate level.  
         [0034]    The invention is described in detail with reference to a particular embodiment, but it should be understood that other various modifications can be effected and still be within the spirit and scope of the invention.