Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/439,463 filed on Feb. 4, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to candles and candle wicks and particularly to candle wicks comprising one or more or an array of shapes and/or designs, organic or geometric. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Candles are known to take a variety of forms including freestanding units, those contained in vessels or containers, and taper-type candles. The present invention relates to any and all-types of candles comprising the aforesaid wicks. 
         [0004]    Candles are used for a variety of purposes including illumination, mood enhancement, diffusion of fragrance, decoration, and so on. 
         [0005]    The wick of a candle is instrumental in providing the desired amount of light and is also instrumental in controlling the burning speed and efficiency of the candle. The wick of a candle provides the flame of the candle with fuel from the body of the candle. Wicks are made in a variety of shapes and sizes and are made out of a variety of materials. Considerations in selecting a wick for a candle include size, shape including diameter, stiffness, fire resistance, tethering, material, and the material of the candle body. These considerations affect the speed and consistency with which the wick and candle will burn. Conventional wicks take on a tall, narrow shape similar to rope or string. Rope-like wicks are often manufactured in a cylindrical or rectangular shape and vary by diameter, density and material. Those wicks are generally plaited (i.e. flat braided), square braided, or tubular braided. Conventional wicks are placed along or near the central, vertical axis of the candle body with the candle wax surrounding the wick. 
         [0006]    The candle body is the fuel of the candle and can also contain fragrance that is released as the candle burns. A candle body can be made from a wide variety of materials or a combination thereof. Candle bodies can also contain colorants or other objects for fragrance and/or aesthetic purposes and can be shaped in an almost limitless array of shapes and sizes. 
         [0007]    Containers are used for liquid or gel type candles. Additionally, containers can be used for solid wax type candles for decoration and/or to slow the burning of the candle itself. Containers can be used as the vessel into which the candle is formed or provided after the candle is formed. 
         [0008]    Wick tabs, also called stands, are conventionally used to secure the wick to the candle body and may additionally secure the wick and candle to a container. 
         [0009]    Conventional candles contain a single wick. In these candles, the cross-sectional surface area of the wick is much smaller than the cross-sectional surface area of the candle itself. The conventional candle thus suffers from the problem of failing to provide sufficient heat so that the candle body burns evenly. Particularly, in candles contained in a container or vessel, the melt pool fails to reach the edge of the container. Larger candles and irregularly shaped candles with single wicks also suffer from this problem. 
         [0010]    Further, conventional candles are limited because the flame created takes on the shape of the wick. Thus, the flame exists as a single point, and no aesthetic designs, shapes, or patterns can be created with the flame itself. The conventional wick, despite the use of rectangular, circular, or even a hollow wick, creates only a single point of light. A further drawback of the conventional candle is that the horizontal cross-sectional area of the wick is small compared to the horizontal cross-sectional area of the candle body. 
         [0011]    Typical candles occasionally use multiple wicks, evenly placed throughout the candle body. Larger or irregularly shaped candles are often provided with these multiple wicks distributed in the candle body to provide sufficient heat for the candle wax to liquefy and burn. However, even these types of candles suffer from the same problems as discussed above because of the placement and use of multiple, conventional wicks in larger and irregularly shaped candles. Multiple wick use in a candle further suffers from the drawback that the melt pool created by each burning wick does not conform to the shape of the candle or the candle&#39;s container. The total cross-sectional area of the multiple wicks is still relatively small compared to the cross-sectional area of the candle, even when multiple wicks are used. Because of these deficiencies in the use of multiple conventional wicks, larger or irregularly shaped candles typically burn unevenly. Even these candles are limited in their aesthetic possibilities, as the flame shapes created by the multiple wicks appear simply as multiple points of light. 
         [0012]    As shown, there exists a long felt and much sought after need for more effective methods of providing a wick for a candle for both functional and aesthetic uses. There is therefore a lot of room for improvement, both functionally and aesthetically in the candle wick industry to remedy inherent deficiencies in conventional candles and their wicks. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    In accordance with that above, there is now provided in one embodiment of the present invention a novel and superior candle comprising a candle body and a wick placed in the candle body so that the wick forms a shape in the candle body wherein a layout of the wick creates a flame corresponding to the layout of the wick when lit. 
         [0014]    More particularly, in other embodiments of the invention, the shape created by the wick may create a shape at the top surface of the candle or top surface of the wick that is a closed or open shape, geometric or organic. The shape created may also be a pattern. 
         [0015]    In another embodiment of the invention, a closed shape created by the wick has wax from the candle body disposed both inside the closed shape and surrounding the outside of the closed shape when viewed from the top of the candle. 
         [0016]    In another embodiment of the invention, the wick creates an open shape at the surface of the wick or candle and extends laterally throughout portions of the candle body. Thus, the wax surrounds the entire shape of the wick as seen from the top of the candle. 
         [0017]    The present invention may further comprise a container for the candle that is either easily separated from the candle itself, or a container into which the candle is formed. 
         [0018]    In other embodiments of the invention, the shape of the wick is concentric to the body of the candle and/or the container when viewed from the top of the candle. 
         [0019]    In yet still other embodiments, the shape of the wick throughout the height of the candle may be constant or may vary. 
         [0020]    Finally, in yet other embodiments, multiple shapes or a single shape may be created by multiple ribbon type wicks or a shape may be created using ribbon wicks in combination with conventional wicks. 
         [0021]    The typical wick has a narrow surface area at its ignition point, and thus, the flame of the candle is limited to a single point. In contrast, the present inventive ribbon wick is formed in the candle so that the top surface of the wick makes a shape in addition to the surface area of the wick itself. Therefore, the flame of the candle wick burns in the shape created at the top surface area of the wick based on the overall shape or pattern created by the placement of the wick. The shape created by the placement of the wick may be geometric, organic, closed, or open. The shape of the wick may be different from the shape of the candle body and container or may mimic the shape of the candle and/or container. 
         [0022]    A goal of the invention is furthered by creating shapes with the ribbon wick in each of these embodiments of the present invention because they provide a mechanism to evenly distribute heat at the burn surface of the candle, creating a more even burn for the wax of the candle. The shape of the wick also furthers a goal of the invention by creating pleasing shapes while burning. The present invention with its wide array of practical embodiments and applications will be more thoroughly described with reference to the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings and claims. 
         [0023]    The above and other aspects, features, and other advantages of the present application will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of a perspective view of a ribbon wick material prior to shaping for use in a candle. 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the ribbon wick in a closed shape in a container, prior to filling the container with wax. 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the ribbon wick of  FIG. 2  after filling the container with wax. 
           [0027]      FIGS. 4-8  are perspective views illustrating additional embodiments of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0028]    In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments of the invention. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. While the invention has been shown and described with respect to the particular embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims. The disclosure herein is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the invention is defined only by the appended claims and their full range of equivalents. 
         [0029]    Wicks of the present invention are composed of any conventional wick materials or combination thereof and may be made in any conventional manner. Thus, the wick of the present invention may be made from materials such as synthetic materials, cotton, paper, wood, other natural fibers, or any combination thereof. The wick may also contain lead, zinc, zinc alloy, tin, lead, or other materials to promote rigidity of the wick and/or burn performance. These types of materials may be included as a ‘core’ to the wick (i.e. formed in an interior portion of the wick material itself). Further, the candle wick of the present invention may be treated with a mordant or may be coated with wax or other materials to promote and to control the burn of the wick. The wick material of the present invention may take on virtually any size, diameter, and/or thickness as needed to create the desired amount of heat and the desired burn. Wick length (i.e. height) may be determined by the size of the candle and the wick may protrude slightly from the fill line or top surface of the wax to facilitate initial ignition of the candle. 
         [0030]    The wick may be woven in any conventional manner including, but not limited to plaited, square braided, or tubular braided. The wick may be manufactured by any weaving or cloth making machine such as, but not limited to, machines used to make ribbon, fabric, cloth, rope or other textiles. The wick may also be constructed by twisting, braiding, or knitting. 
         [0031]    As in the conventional art, the choice of the wick material&#39;s size and shape may be dictated in part by the wax and container in order to achieve the desired burn, including amount of fuel drawn by the wick, burn time of the candle, clean burning qualities, wick clogging, reduction of carbon heading (mushrooming), resist or promote wick bending while burning, even burn, smoking, clogging, curling, consistent burn rate, rate of wax consumption, wax melt point, environmental design of the candle (for example, indoor/outdoor use), composition of the candle body, or other considerations. 
         [0032]    The candle&#39;s body of the present invention may be made of any conventionally used material or combination of materials and by any conventional candle making process. For instance, the candle may be made from paraffin, beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, gel, tallow, spermaceti, polyethylene, or any other synthetic wax, mineral oil or other oil, or any other fuel in solid, liquid, gel or other form. The candle body may also be made of a blend of any of these types of materials or other materials. Additives such as fragrance oils, essential oils, aniline-based dye, other fragrance, color, insect-repellant, other additive, or a blend thereof may be included in or as part of the candle body. Other types of additives such as stones, figures, toys, beads, or any other decoration may also be included within or on the candle. 
         [0033]    The candle container may be in any shape, and made from any conventional material such as glass, crystal, wood, plastic, ceramic, metal, or other natural or synthetic material or combination thereof. 
         [0034]    Flexible wick tabs or stands may also be used to support and anchor wicks to the bottom of the container or candle body. Further, a cap may be used on the outside of the wick tab for embodiments of the present invention such as floating candles. The wick tab and/or cap may also be used to secure and further support the shape formed by the wick. This provides added stability for the shape of the wick during the process of making the candle and promotes continued stability and support for the shape created by the wick in liquid or gel type candles. 
         [0035]    The candle itself may be formed by any conventional method such as filling, molding, dipping, or rolling. 
         [0036]    Turning now to  FIG. 1 , the figure provides an illustration of a bulk roll of material  100  from which the wicks may be constructed. Because the wick can be produced in a bulk role, the ultimate shape of the wick at its top surface may be formed, not by the raw or woven material itself, but by its final shape or placement in the candle. The roll of material  100  can be produced by virtually any weaving machine that may be used (but not necessarily) in the production of ribbon, fabric, cloth, rope, or string. 
         [0037]    Alternatively, an existing weaving machine may also be modified for this candle use, or the machine may be modified to create the final shape of the wick so as to not require any further shaping of the wick during the candle making process. For instance, the machine may be modified to create a ribbon-like wick that is preformed in a complex 3-D pattern or shape during the wick manufacturing so that the final shape of the wick appears as a shape in the top surface of the completed candle. The size of the weave and denier of the base fibers may also vary to suit the needs of the particular candle. 
         [0038]      FIG. 2  is a view of the ribbon wick in a closed shape in a container, prior to filling the container with wax. The wick  200  is placed inside a candle container  210 . Although not shown in this figure, the wick  200  can be shaped and fixed to the bottom of the container  220  with a wick tab or stand. As shown, the top surface (and any other horizontal cross-section) of the wick  200  takes the shape of a closed circle or ellipse. 
         [0039]      FIG. 3  displays wick  300  and container  310  after being filled with wax  320 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the wick  300  is formed in a closed shape resembling an ellipse. Wax  320  is both enclosed by and surrounds the wick  300 . The wick  300  protrudes from the top fill line of the wax  320  and extends throughout the body of the candle in a column-like form. In this embodiment, the wick  300  is concentric to both the candle body  320  and the container  310 . When lit, the flame takes on the ellipse shape at the top surface of the wick  300  made by the shape created by wick  300  in disposed in the wax  320 . The wick  300  in this figure mimics the shape of both the container  310  and the candle wax  320 . Although the central, vertical axis is not drawn in the figure, it can be seen that the wick  300  is disposed approximately halfway between the central, vertical axis and the container  310 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which the candle body  420  and wick  400  are not housed in a container. Thus, the candle is free-standing. 
         [0041]      FIG. 5  illustrates another embodiment of the invention, in which wick  500  is disposed in container  510  and wax  520 . The closed shape of this embodiment resembles a rectangle or square at the top surface of the wick. As shown, each side of the wick  500  is disposed approximately halfway between the center of the candle and the side of the container  510 . Wax  520  fills the interior of the shape created by the wick  500  and also surrounds the outside of the wick  500 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 6  illustrates yet another closed form shape of the wick of the present invention. In this figure, the wick  600  resembles a star at the top surface of wick  600  and extends vertically through the candle body  620  and container  610 . Although not shown in the figures, other embodiments featuring various closed forms at the top surface of the wick are possible. Embodiments include all other geometric and organic shapes created by the placement of the wick disposed in a candle of various sizes and shapes. Other contemplated embodiments include letters, numbers, or words spelled out by the wick. Still other embodiments include pictures such as flags, animals, and repeating patterns such as a honeycomb or other patterns. 
         [0043]      FIG. 7  illustrates an open form shape of the wick. In this figure, the wick  700  takes a line shape and extends in a plane throughout the vertical body of the candle  720  and container  710 . As shown in the figure, the wick  700  is disposed in the candle body  720  so as to extend along a majority of the length the candle body  720  at the candle&#39;s top surface. 
         [0044]      FIG. 8  illustrates another open form shape of the wick. In this figure, the wick  800  takes an organic “wiggly” shape and extends throughout the vertical body of the candle  820  and container  810 . 
         [0045]    While this invention has been described in connection with what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited in any way to the disclosed embodiments, Thus, the description above is merely set forth for illustrative purposes only. In fact, the array of shapes, patterns and forms of the wick are limited only by the bounds of one&#39;s imagination. The present inventive product is intended to cover an array of various modifications and equivalent arrangements, all of which are contemplated for inclusion within the scope and spirit of the disclosure and appended claims.

Technology Category: f