Decorative apparatus and method of manufacture

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6758575
  • Patent Number
    6,758,575
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, April 30, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 6, 2004
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • O'Shea; Sandra
    • Lee; Guiyoung
    Agents
    • Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer & Risley, LLP
Abstract
A decorative apparatus comprises a primary container defined by an upper portion and a lower portion. The primary container has an opening defined in the upper portion. A secondary container comprises a cap and a reservoir body extending therefrom. The secondary container is suspendedly disposed within the primary container such that the cap of the secondary container substantially corresponds to the opening of the primary container and the reservoir body of the secondary container extends toward the lower portion of the primary container. A reservoir access aperture is disposed in the cap. A method of manufacture is also provided.
Description




TECHNICAL FIELD




The present invention is generally related to a decorations and more particularly, is related to a decorative apparatus and method of manufacture.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Jars and containers of various configurations and colors are popular for decorating various settings and rooms in both commercial and residential venues. Theses decorative jars and containers are typically displayed either empty or containing a variety of items. Empty containers are typically displayed for their unique color, shape, or the like. Empty containers can also easily be used to support a candle in the opening of the jar or container to add an extra decorative element. Where the container is empty there is no need to keep the container closed and sealed.




Decorative jars and containers displayed with contents inside can contain a variety of items. One popular item to display inside a jar or container is food products, such as pasta, fruits, vegetables, herbs, combinations thereof, or the like. Where non-perishable, or essentially non-perishable, goods are used, such as, for example, pasta or dried herbs, it is not critical that the container remain closed and sealed shut. Therefore, a candle can be positioned in an opening of the container, as desired, without jeopardizing the contents therein.




Where perishable goods are disposed within the decorative container, including but not limited to fruits, vegetables, or the like, care must be taken to preserve the food products therein. As such, food products in these containers are often packed in a preservative, such as vinegar, or the like. It is also important that the container remain closed and sealed. An opening of the jar or container is typically sealed with a cork or some similar stopper. Such containers are often finished with a wax or plastic coating disposed over the cork and a portion of the decorative jar for aesthetic and functional purposes. Depending on the look desired, the container can be displayed with the seal removed from a portion or all of the cork or stopper and jar or the seal can be left intact.




Unlike with empty jars and containers containing non-perishable goods, it is difficult to incorporate a source of flame, such as a candle, or the like, with decorative jars and containers containing perishable items. A mere candle alone disposed in the opening in lieu of the cork or stopper can introduce air to the perishable products disposed within the jar and accelerate the decomposition process. It is also undesirable to pack the perishable products in oil or another flammable fluid into which a wick can be introduced, because oil does not sufficiently preserve the perishable goods. Additionally, the amount of fluid inside the jar decreases as the fluid is burned, thereby accelerating the decomposition process and creating undesirable visual appearances.




Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a decorative apparatus and method of manufacture. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the apparatus can be implemented as follows. A decorative apparatus comprises a primary container defined by an upper portion and a lower portion. The primary container has an opening defined in the upper portion. A secondary container comprises a cap and a reservoir body extending therefrom. The secondary container is suspendedly disposed within the primary container such that the secondary container is sealingly engaged to the opening of the primary container, and the reservoir body of the secondary container extends toward the lower portion of the primary container. A reservoir access aperture is disposed in the cap.




Preferred embodiments of the present invention can also be viewed as providing methods of manufacturing a decorative apparatus. In this regard, one embodiment of such a method, among others, can be broadly summarized by the following steps: providing a primary container having an upper portion with an opening and a lower portion; providing a secondary container having a cap and a reservoir body extending therefrom; and providing a reservoir access aperture disposed in the cap of the secondary container. The secondary container is configured to fit inside the primary container in a sealed and suspended manner.




Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.





FIG. 1

is a cutaway side perspective view of an unassembled preferred embodiment of a decorative apparatus of the present invention.





FIG. 2

is a cutaway side perspective view of the decorative apparatus illustrated in

FIG. 1

as assembled.





FIG. 2A

is a partial perspective view of the decorative apparatus illustrated in FIG.


2


.





FIG. 2B

is a side cross-section view of the decorative apparatus illustrated in FIG.


2


A.





FIG. 3

is a side perspective view of the secondary container of the decorative apparatus illustrated in FIG.


2


.





FIG. 3A

is a side cross-section view of the secondary container illustrated in FIG.


3


.





FIG. 4

is a side perspective view of another preferred embodiment of a secondary container.





FIG. 4A

is a side cross-section view of the secondary container illustrated in FIG.


4


.





FIG. 5

is a side perspective view of another preferred embodiment of a secondary container.





FIG. 5A

is a side cross-section view of the secondary container illustrated in FIG.


5


.





FIG. 6

is a side perspective view of another preferred embodiment of a secondary container.





FIG. 6A

is a side cross-section view of the secondary container illustrated in FIG.


6


.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS





FIG. 1

illustrates one preferred embodiment of an unassembled decorative apparatus


10


of the present invention, and

FIGS. 2-2B

show the apparatus


10


in an assembled arrangement. The decorative apparatus


10


comprises a primary container


12


and a secondary container


14


. The primary container


12


is defined by an upper portion


16


and a lower portion


18


. An opening


20


is defined in the upper portion


16


of the primary container


12


. The opening


20


provides access to an interior cavity


21


of the primary container


12


. The primary container


12


is configured to receive and contain various contents, such as a food product


22


, disposed therein. A preservative can also be disposed in the primary container


12


. Such products


22


can be disposed in the primary container


12


through the opening


20


. The primary container


12


can comprise any suitable shape or form and any suitable material, such as glass, plastic, or the like. Furthermore, although the primary container


12


is illustrated herein as comprising a freestanding bottle container having an essentially flat bottom disposed toward the lower portion


18


thereof, it should be understood that the primary container


12


can be freestanding or require a stand, support, or the like, to remain in a substantially stable position. It is preferable that the secondary container


14


is arranged and configured to be disposed within the primary container


12


in a suspended manner toward the upper portion


16


at the opening


20


, as shown.




The secondary container


14


comprises a cap


24


having a reservoir body


26


extending therefrom. A reservoir access aperture


28


is defined in the cap


24


, and a cork


15


is shown sealingly engaging the aperture


28


. The reservoir access aperture


28


provides access to an interior cavity


29


of the reservoir


26


. Various substances can be introduced into the reservoir


26


through the reservoir access aperture


28


, such as flammable fluid


30


.




The cap


24


can optionally comprise a lip


32


extending beyond a diameter defining the reservoir


26


. The optional lip


32


can be arranged and configured to engage a perimeter of the opening


20


of the primary container


12


. In this configuration, the secondary container


14


can be suspended within the primary container


12


by engagement of the lip


32


with the perimeter around the opening


20


such that the reservoir


26


extends into the primary container


12


toward the lower portion


18


thereof. The engagement can be secured with an adhesive


19


, as shown in

FIG. 2B

, which also continues down the reservoir body


26


to form a seal to prevent leakage from the interior cavity


21


.




The reservoir


26


can comprise any shape suitable for receiving and containing fluid therein. As illustrated in

FIGS. 3-4A

, the reservoir


26


can comprise, among others, a substantially elongated “test-tube shape” or, as illustrated in

FIGS. 5-6A

, a substantially “cup shape.” The elongated reservoir


26


can comprise a substantially constant diameter throughout (

FIGS. 3 and 5

) or variable diameters in the form of multiple sections of substantially constant diameters (FIG.


4


), or a substantially tapering diameter (FIG.


6


), among others. It is also useful, though not required in embodiments with a lip


32


, to construct the region below the cap


24


to be only slightly smaller than the opening


20


. Regardless of the shape, the reservoir


26


is preferably arranged and configured to receive and contain a fluid, such as flammable fluid


30


, and a wick


34


, therein.




The wick


34


can comprise any suitable natural or synthetic material and can be introduced into the reservoir


26


through the reservoir access aperture


28


. Preferably constructed of glass, plastic, or any suitable material, a wick support


37


is also shown with an upper portion of larger diameter than a lower portion to support the wick


34


as shown. The grommet


35


supports the upper enlarged portion of the wick support


37


as shown, but the grommet


35


can also be flipped to contain scented oil, or the like. Where more than one reservoir access aperture


28


is provided (FIGS.


5


and


6


), a wick


34


and support


37


can be introduced into the reservoir


26


through each reservoir access aperture


28


It is preferable that the wick


34


is disposed in the secondary container


14


such that a portion of the wick


34


extends therefrom while the remainder of the wick


34


extends into the reservoir


26


.




Referring more specifically to

FIGS. 4 and 4A

, the reservoir


26


′ comprises a larger diameter enlarged portion


36


toward the cap


24


′ and a smaller diameter decreased portion


38


opposing the cap


24


′. Upon disposal into a primary container (not shown) of this configuration of the secondary container


14


′, the enlarged portion


36


of the reservoir


26


′ can engage an interior of the primary container toward the upper portion


16


of the primary container in which the secondary container


14


′ is disposed. The decreased portion


38


displaces a smaller amount of food product


22


contained within the primary container.




The reservoir


26


′ is topped with a cap


24


′. The cap


24


′ can include the optional lip


32


′, as well as one or a plurality of reservoir access apertures


28


disposed therein. The optional lip


32


′ can engage a perimeter around the opening


20


of the primary container


12


. Flammable fluid


30


can be introduced into the reservoir


26


′ through the reservoir access aperture


28


, as can a wick


34


. The wick


34


is preferably positioned such that a portion of the wick


34


extends outside of the secondary container


14


′ through the reservoir access aperture


28


while a portion of the wick


34


is disposed within the reservoir


26


′ and the flammable fluid


30


contained therein.




The grommet


35


can be disposed under the enlarged upper portion of the wick support


37


at the reservoir access aperture


28


. Where a plurality of reservoir access apertures


28


are disposed in the cap


24


′, and a plurality of wicks


34


are disposed, one in each of the reservoir access apertures


28


, a plurality of grommets


35


and wick supports


37


can be included, one of each of the plurality being disposed substantially adjacent each of the plurality of reservoir access apertures


28


. The grommet


35


can optionally be flipped over in a substantially concave shape, as discussed above, to receive and contain a fluid, such as a scented oil, or the like, therein.




Referring next to

FIGS. 5 and 5A

, the secondary container


14


″ comprises a “cup-shape” reservoir


26


″. The reservoir


26


″ is topped with a cap


24


″ comprising a lip


32


″ extending beyond a diameter defining the reservoir


26


″. A plurality of reservoir access apertures


28


are disposed therein.

FIG. 5

illustrates three reservoir access apertures


28


disposed therein, however, it should be understood that any desired number of reservoir access apertures


28


may be included. As illustrated in

FIG. 5

, the lip


32


″ can engage a perimeter around the opening


20


from which the reservoir


26


″ can be suspended within the primary container


12


. This embodiment of the secondary container


12


can further comprise flammable fluid


30


, a wick


34


, a wick support


37


, and a grommet


35


as disclosed above.




Referring next to

FIGS. 6 and 6A

, another embodiment of the secondary container


14


′″ is illustrated. In this embodiment, the secondary container


14


′″ comprises a substantially “cup-shape” and tapered reservoir


26


′″. The reservoir


26


′″ is topped with a cap


24


′″ having no lip


32


′″, or the like, extending beyond the diameter of the reservoir


26


′″. As illustrated, the cap


24


′″ comprises a pair of reservoir access apertures


28


disposed therein, however, it should be understood that any desired number of reservoir access apertures


28


can be included. In this configuration, the secondary container


14


′″ can be disposed within a primary container


12


at the opening


20


such that the sides of the reservoir


26


′″ engage an interior of the primary container


12


toward the upper portion


16


thereof in a wedging manner, thereby suspending the secondary container


14


′″ within the primary container


12


. As discussed above, the reservoir


26


′″ can receive and contain flammable fluid


30


therein. A wick


34


can be disposed in each of the pair of reservoir access apertures


28


such that a portion of the wick


34


extends out of the reservoir access aperture


28


while the remainder of the wick


34


extends into the reservoir


26


′″. A grommet


35


can be disposed under the enlarged upper portion of the wick support


37


at the reservoir access aperture


28


.




In each of the disclosed preferred embodiments, the flammable fluid


30


absorbed into the wick


34


can be ignited. Upon burning all of the flammable fluid


30


out of the reservoir


26


, the wick


34


can be removed, additional flammable fluid


30


can be introduced using funnel


33


into the reservoir


26


through the reservoir access aperture


28


, and the wick


34


, grommet


35


and wick support


37


, re-positioned.




Regardless of the shape or configuration of the secondary container


14


, the secondary container


14


can be disposed within the primary container


12


, preferably at the opening


20


, until the reservoir


26


is wedged therein, until the lip


32


engages a perimeter around the opening


20


, or a combination thereof. A coating seal


40


can be disposed on the decorative apparatus


10


, preferably toward the upper portion


16


of the primary container


12


and on the cap


32


of the secondary container


14


(FIG.


1


). In another embodiment, the seal


40


is disposed only on the primary container


12


toward the upper portion


16


(FIG.


2


). In yet another embodiment, the seal


40


is disposed on the primary container


12


toward the upper portion


16


and on a portion of the cap


32


of the secondary container


14


, revealing the reservoir access aperture


28


(FIG.


2


A). Furthermore, portions of the seal


40


may be cut away in varying amounts upon assembly. The decorative apparatus


10


can optionally comprise a decorative accent


42


, such as rope, string, or raffia wrapped around the primary container


12


toward the upper portion


16


thereof.




It should be noted that the disclosed configurations of the secondary container


14


are merely various embodiments of the secondary container


14


and that the secondary container


14


is not limited to those embodiments. Rather, the secondary container


14


can comprise any suitable configuration. Furthermore, each of the illustrated configurations of reservoirs


26


can be paired with a cap


24


either having the optional lip


32


or without the optional lip


32


. It should also be noted that any of the configurations of the secondary container


14


can comprise any suitable number of reservoir access apertures


28


disposed therein. The secondary container


14


can comprise any suitable material, such as glass or plastic, and can be formed in any suitable method for working with such materials.




The preferred embodiment of the present invention also includes methods for manufacturing and assembling a decorative apparatus


10


. Referring first to

FIG. 1

, the primary container


12


and the secondary container


14


are provided as described above, and can be molded, glass blown, or the like, depending upon the materials from which they are formed. Desired contents, such as a food product


22


, can be disposed within the primary container


12


. The food product


22


is preferably disposed within the primary container


12


through the opening


20


. A preservative, such as vinegar, or the like, can also be disposed within the primary container


12


.




The secondary container


14


is disposed within the primary container


12


at the opening


20


thereof. The secondary container


14


is inserted into the opening


20


of the primary container


12


, such that the reservoir


26


extends toward the lower portion


18


of the primary container, until a portion of the reservoir


26


engages an interior portion of the secondary container


14


, a portion of the cap


24


, such as the optional lip


32


, engages a perimeter around the opening


20


, or a combination thereof.




An optional adhesive can be used to affix the secondary container


14


within the primary container


12


. As discussed above, the secondary container


14


can contact the primary container


12


at various contact points. It is preferable that the optional adhesive is disposed on at least one of the contact points to help secure the secondary container


14


in position in the primary container


12


.




In one method of manufacture, upon disposal of the food product


22


, optional preservative, and secondary container


14


into the interior cavity


21


of the primary container


12


, a flammable fluid


30


can then be introduced into the reservoir


26


of the secondary container


14


through the reservoir access aperture


28


, which is then plugged with a cork


15


. Other embodiments include introducing the flammable fluid


30


and cork


15


before the secondary container


14


is inserted into the primary container


12


. A seal


40


can be disposed around the upper portion


16


of the primary container


12


and over the cap


24


of the secondary container


14


by dipping same in wax, thus forming an additional seal for the interior cavity


21


. A wick


34


can be included with a grommet


35


, a funnel


33


, and a wick support


37


in a plastic bag


31


that is attached to the primary container


12


as shown in FIG.


1


.




During one method of assembly, after a customer purchases the unassembled decorative apparatus


10


of

FIG. 1

, the coating seal


40


can be removed from at least the reservoir access aperture


28


, exposing the cork


15


, which is removed. The funnel


33


, wick


34


, grommet


35


, and wick support


37


are removed from the accessory bag


31


, or the like, and assembled as shown in FIG.


2


B. The exposed portion of the wick


34


can then be ignited. In methods of manufacture, assembly and use, it should be noted that removal of the seal


40


can comprise removal of the seal in various manners. More specifically, the seal


40


can be removed from around the entire cap


24


and lip


32


of the secondary container


14


. In this configuration, the cap


24


as well as the optional lip


32


are exposed during use. In another configuration, the seal


40


is removed only from a portion of the cap


24


, as shown in FIG.


2


. In this configuration, a portion of the cap


24


and the optional lip


32


remains covered by the seal


40


, as well as the upper portion


16


of the primary container


12


. It should also be understood that the seal


40


can be removed completely from the secondary container


14


and the primary container


12


. The seal


40


can comprise wax, plastic, or the like.




It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present invention, particularly, any “preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of the invention without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the present invention and protected by the following claims.



Claims
  • 1. A decorative apparatus, comprising:a primary container defined by an upper portion and a lower portion, said primary container having an opening defined by a perimeter disposed toward said upper portion; a secondary container having a cap and a reservoir body extending therefrom, said secondary container being scalingly engaged to and suspendedly disposed within said primary container, and said reservoir body of said secondary container extending toward said lower portion of said primary container, said secondary container defining a reservoir access aperture disposed in said cap; contents disposed within said primary container; and adhesive disposed between said primary container and said secondary container sealingly engaging said secondary container to said primary container and sealing said contents between said primary container and said secondary container; wherein said adhesive being adapted to seal said contents between said primary container and said secondary container in order to inhibit introduction of air to said contents, uninhibited introduction of which may result in decay or evaporation of said contents.
  • 2. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cap of said secondary container further comprises:a lip extending beyond a perimeter of said reservoir body; wherein at least a portion of said lip is ranged and configured to engage at least a portion of said perimeter of said opening of said primary container.
  • 3. The decorative apparatus of claim 2, wherein an upper portion of said reservoir body engages an interior portion of said upper portion of said primary container.
  • 4. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, wherein an upper portion of said reservoir body engages a portion of an interior of said upper portion of said primary container thereby suspending said secondary container within said primary container.
  • 5. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:a wick disposed in said secondary container extending within said reservoir, wherein a portion of said wick passes through said reservoir access aperture and extends out of said secondary container; and a flammable fluid disposed in said reservoir.
  • 6. The decorative apparatus of claim 5, further comprising;a grommet disposed on said cap substantially corresponding to said reservoir access aperture; wherein said grommet is arranged and configured to surround said wick at said reservoir access aperture.
  • 7. The decorative apparatus of claim 5, wherein said grommet is substantially concave such that liquid can be contained therein.
  • 8. The decorative apparatus of claim 7, wherein said liquid disposed in said grommet comprises a scented oil.
  • 9. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cap of said secondary container comprises a plurality of reservoir access apertures disposed through said cap.
  • 10. The decorative apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:a plurality of wicks; and a plurality of grommets; wherein each of said plurality of reservoir access apertures receives one of said plurality of wicks therein and each of said plurality of wicks receives one of said plurality of grommets therearound such that each of said plurality of grommets contacts a portion of said cap substantially adjacent said reservoir access aperture.
  • 11. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, wherein said secondary container comprises glass.
  • 12. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, wherein said secondary container comprises plastic.
  • 13. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, wherein:contents disposed within said primary container comprises a food article.
  • 14. The decorative apparatus of claim 13, wherein said contents comprise a food article.
  • 15. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:a preservative disposed within said primary container.
  • 16. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, wherein said primary container comprises glass.
  • 17. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, wherein said primary container comprises plastic.
  • 18. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:a seal disposed around an outer portion of said primary container toward said upper portion of said primary container and around said cap of said secondary container.
  • 19. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:a seal disposed around an outer portion of said primary container toward said upper portion of said primary container.
  • 20. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:a seal disposed around an outer portion of said primary container toward said upper portion of said primary container and on a portion of said secondary container.
  • 21. The decorative apparatus of claim 20, wherein said seal comprises wax.
  • 22. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:flammable fluid; a funnel arranged and configured to facilitate disposal of said flammable fluid into said reservoir of said secondary container through said reservoir access aperture; and a wick arranged and configured to be received through said reservoir access aperture into said reservoir; wherein said flammable fluid, said funnel and said wick accompany said decorative apparatus.
  • 23. The decorative apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cap and said reservoir of said secondary container cover said opening of said primary container thereby enclosing an interior cavity of said primary container.
  • 24. A method of manufacturing a decorative apparatus comprising:providing a primary container having an upper portion, a lower portion and an opening disposed toward said upper portion; providing a secondary container having a cap and a reservoir body extending therefrom; disposing contents within said primary container; disposing at least a portion of said secondary container within said primary container, said contents being disposed between said primary container and said secondary container; providing an adhesive disposed between said primary container and said secondary container seallingly engaging said secondary container to said primary container, said adhesive being adapted to seal said contents between said primary container and said secondary container in order to inhibit introduction of air to said contents, uninhibited introduction of which may result in decay or evaporation of said contents; and providing a reservoir access aperture disposed in said cap of said secondary container; wherein said secondary container is configured to be sealingly engaged to and suspendedly disposed within said primary container, and said reservoir body of said secondary container extending toward said lower portion of said primary container.
  • 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:disposing said secondary container within said primary container; wherein a portion of said secondary container engages a portion of said primary container.
  • 26. The method of claim 25, wherein a portion of said cap of said secondary container engages a portion of said opening of said primary container.
  • 27. The method of claim 25, wherein a portion of said reservoir of said secondary container engages a portion of said primary container.
  • 28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:providing a wick arranged and configured to be received in said reservoir access aperture and extend into said reservoir; providing flammable fluid; providing a funnel for disposing said flammable fluid into said reservoir through said reservoir access aperture.
  • 29. The method of claim 25, wherein said step of disposing contents within said primary container comprises disposing of a food product in said primary container.
  • 30. The method of claim 29, wherein said step of providing contents in said primary container comprises providing a food article.
  • 31. The method of claim 24, further comprising:disposing flammable fluid in said reservoir of said secondary container.
  • 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:disposing a wick in said reservoir of said secondary container such that a portion of said wick extends from said reservoir access aperture; and disposing a grommet around said wick and substantially adjacent said reservoir access aperture.
  • 33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:sealing said secondary container and said primary container with a seal such that a portion of said secondary container is substantially fixed within said primary container.
  • 34. The method of claim 33, wherein said sealing comprising applying wax to a portion of said primary container and at least a portion of said secondary container.
  • 35. The method of claim 33, further comprising:removing said seal from a portion of said secondary container.
  • 36. The method of claim 25, further comprising:removing said seal from all of said secondary container.
  • 37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:removing said seal from a portion of said secondary container.
  • 38. The method of claim 35, further comprising:removing said seal from said secondary container and said primary container.
  • 39. The method of claim 35, further comprising:igniting said flammable fluid absorbed by a portion of said wick extending outside of said secondary container through said reservoir access aperture.
  • 40. A decorative apparatus, comprising:a primary container defined by an upper portion and a lower portion, said primary container having an opening disposed toward said upper portion; and a secondary container having a cap and a reservoir body extending therefrom, said secondary container being disposed within said primary container such that said cap of said secondary container substantially corresponds to said opening of said primary container and said reservoir body extends therefrom toward said lower portion of said primary container in a suspended manner; a reservoir access aperture disposed in said cap and accessible from outside said primary container; a decorative article disposed between said primary container and said secondary container; and adhesive fixing said primary container to said secondary container thereby sealing said decorative article therebetween and sealing ambient air away from said decorative article.
  • 41. The decorative apparatus of claim 40, further comprising:a flammable fluid disposed within said reservoir body; a wick disposed within said reservoir body and submerged at least partially in said flammable fluid having a portion of said wick extending outside of said secondary container through said reservoir access aperture; a grommet disposed around said wick and contacting said cap at said reservoir access aperture.
  • 42. The decorative apparatus of claim 40, wherein said decorative article comprises food.
  • 43. The decorative apparatus of claim 42, wherein said decorative article further comprises a preservative.
  • 44. A secondary container for a decorative apparatus, comprising:a cap; a reservoir extending from said cap, said reservoir being arranged and configured to receive and contain a flammable fluid therein and a wick; and a reservoir access aperture disposed in said cap, said reservoir access aperture being arranged and configured to provide access to said reservoir; and wherein said wick is disposed in said secondary container extending within said reservoir wherein a portion of said wick passes through said reservoir access aperture extending out of said secondary container; a flammable fluid disposed in said reservoir; and a grommet being substantially concave disposed on said cap substantially corresponding to said reservoir access aperture to support said wick, said concave portion of said grommet having scented oil disposed therein; wherein said secondary container having an opening is arranged and configured to be disposed within a primary container having an opening in a substantially suspended and sealed maimer such that said cap is disposed toward said opening and said reservoir extends therefrom.
  • 45. The decorative apparatus of claim 44, wherein scented oil is disposed in said concave portion of said grommet.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Number Name Date Kind
3063278 Van Tubergen Nov 1962 A
3614417 Sanford Oct 1971 A
4511952 Vanbragt Apr 1985 A
4728286 Olsen Mar 1988 A
4875852 Ferren Oct 1989 A
5012393 Knipe et al. Apr 1991 A
5086380 Hedner, Jr. Feb 1992 A
5654022 Sayre Aug 1997 A
6290914 LeJeune et al. Sep 2001 B1
6511314 Johnson Jan 2003 B2
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
2299159 Sep 1996 GB
Non-Patent Literature Citations (4)
Entry
www.aftosa.com, AFTOSA Pottery & Craft Supplies, “Glass Wick Holder,” 1 page, printed Apr. 2, 2002.
www.nationalartcraft.com, National Artcraft Co., “Glass Lamp Oil Insert,” 3 pages, printed Apr. 2, 2002.
www.AFTOSA BISQUE, “Candle Lamp Kit,” 1 page, printed Apr. 25, 2002.
www.aftosa.com, AFTOSA BISQUE, “Electric & Candle Lamps,” 2 pages, printed Jun. 19, 2002.