1. Field of Use
This invention relates to candle holders, and in particular to a candle holder primarily intended for use with a tea light or votive candle that is fully eversible to facilitate removal of accumulated wax in the bottom of the container. The invention also relates to a flexible candle holder in the bottom of which is provided a metal heat sink to prevent damage to the holder and to avoid marring surfaces upon which the holder is placed.
2. Description of Related Art
Votive candles are frequently used for atmospheric lighting and in religious ceremonies. A votive candle is typically placed directly on a support surface, and the candle is then lit. This results in wax dripping on the surface as the candle burns down, necessitating removal of the wax residue and cleaning of the surface. Another common problem is that as the candle burns down, the surface on which it rests can become scorched or discolored. Therefore, votive candles are often placed in a variety of candle holders which contain the wax as the candle burns down but still reveal light from the candle flame. Unfortunately, wax residue that collects in the bottom of the holder can be difficult to remove so that the holder can be reused. Furthermore, since some candle holders readily transmit heat, as the candle burns to the bottom of the container, heat from the flame can scorch or discolor the surface on which the candle holder is placed.
An improved votive candle holder is needed which contains the wax drippings that develop as the candle burns down, transmits light from the candle flame, does not scorch the surface upon which it rests as the candle burns low, is itself heat-resistant, reusable, and facilitates removal of wax residue in the bottom of the container after the candle has burned all the way down.
An eversible candle holder comprises a flexible generally cylindrical body capable of being manipulated between rest and everted configurations. The body has a base and sidewalls extending upwardly from the base. The base includes a central pedestal and a recessed annular perimeter portion surrounding the pedestal. An annular retaining groove surrounds and is formed in part from the sloped walls of the pedestal. A support collar is joined to the pedestal by an annual hinge section which permits the support collar to rotate with respect to the pedestal. An annular locking flange extends inwardly from the support collar and, with the hinge section, defines an inwardly facing recess.
A heat sink has a central portion, a skirt wall depending from the central portion, and a horizontal lip extending outwardly from the bottom edge of the skirt wall.
In the rest configuration the central portion of the heat sink is seated on the central pedestal of the base, the skirt wall is disposed in the annular retaining groove, and the heat sink's horizontal lip is retained in the recess. The locking flange overlaps and retains the lip in the recess so that the heat sink is secured to the base even when the holder is inverted.
In the everted configuration the locking flange is rotated outwardly and way from the pedestal about the annular hinge section which opens the recess to a width that is sufficient width to release the lip and enables removal of the heat sink from the base. With the holder's body fully everted, disposal of candle wax accumulated in the bottom of the holder is greatly facilitated.
An eversible candle holder according to the invention is referred to generally at 10 in
With reference now to
As seen in
The body 14 and heat sink 34 are shown as assembled in
The heat sink 34 has several advantages. First, it provides a stable, flat base upon which to place a candle in the holder. Second, as the candle burns low, the metal heat sink spreads the heat generated by the candle flame, thereby avoiding creation of a hot spot which could damage the bottom of the container. Third, the added thickness of the pedestal 24 relative to recessed perimeter portion 26 more effectively blocks transmission of heat thereby avoiding marring of the surface upon which the holder may be resting. Finally, the heat sink 34 draws heat away from the flame of a low-burning candle and into the surrounding skirt wall. The amount of heat transmitted to the skirt wall 40 and lip 46 at the periphery of the heat sink 34 is insufficient to damage the base 18, and in particular the structure of the retaining groove 32.
It is anticipated that the body of the holder will be manufactured from a suitable vinyl material that is not only heat resistant, but sufficiently flexible to allow the container to be completely everted, while being sturdy enough to maintain its shape when holding a candle.
With reference now to
However, from the partly everted configuration shown in
In ordinary usage, after a candle that has been placed in the holder has fully burned down, the sidewalls 16 of the candle holder can be turned inside out, as shown in
A completely eversible candle holder, as described above, thus has numerous advantages. The candle holder is completely eversible, thereby facilitating exposure of the bottom of the candle holder for ready removal of any accumulated wax in the holder resulting from a used candle. A removable protective heat sink can be locked in place in the base of the candle holder by securing the outwardly facing horizontal lip at the bottom of the skirt portion of the heat sink in the groove at the bottom of the base. The vinyl material used to make the body of the candle holder is not only flexible, but transparent, durable, and reusable for burning multiple candles. The heat sink in combination with the raised pedestal disperses heat generated by a low-burning flame thereby avoiding damage to the candle holder and preventing the surface upon which the candle holder is placed from being scorched or disfigured.
There have thus been described and illustrated certain preferred embodiments of an eversible candle holder according to the invention. Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/586,091, filed Jan. 12, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61586091 | Jan 2012 | US |