This invention relates to the field of manufacturing candles and, more particularly, to a method of manufacturing candles with one of more imbedded images.
Paraffin waxes have been used to make candles for hundreds of years. Early candles were made by dipping a wick in molten paraffin ladled into molds. Upon cooling, the candle was ready for use. Additives were added to molten paraffin to color the wax, but many of the early additives interfered with the burning of the candle or caused toxic fumes, contaminating the air in which the candles burned. Subsequently, pigments of either mineral or organic origin were developed which did not interfere with candle burning or contaminate the air around the burning candle. With such discovery, it was not long before candle makers started decorating candles such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,817,225; 2,841,972; 4,096,299; and 6,450,802. Many different colors in a single candle provide more decorative patterns and is highly desirable. Dipping candles into a colored wax, then directly into another colored wax, and blowing on the surface of the candle as it comes out of the colored wax has been a traditional way of making decorative patterns on candles. However, this procedure causes the wax to blend and separate giving a marble like effect. This procedure contaminates one color with another, losing the original color in time and the color becomes muddied. Current techniques cannot produce candles that are free from the bleeding of one color layer into another. In addition, attempts have been made in the prior art to add pigmented waxes of one color over a pigmented wax of another color. However, this has previously proved unsatisfactory in that the outer pigmented layer sticks to the lower pigmented layer and therefore, cannot be cleanly peeled off.
A solution to these problems is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,752 to Weathersbee. This patent teaches a method of forming a candle with multiple peelable layers of wax. This patent does not show how an image would be inserted into a candle using these peelable layers.
What is needed is a method of forming a candle containing one or more images using peelable layers.
In one embodiment, a method of making a candle is disclosed including providing a candle core and adding a base layer of wax to the candle core. Next, an image area is cut out of the base layer large enough to contain an image and the base layer is peeled away from the candle core in the image area. An adhesion layer of wax is added to the candle core, and then an image (e.g., a printed image or a photograph) is installed onto the adhesion layer in the image area. A clear layer of wax is added to the candle core, also covering the image. An outer layer of wax is added to the candle core, also covering the image area then the image area is cut out of the outer layer and the outer layer is peeled away from the candle core in the image area.
In another embodiment, a candle with an embedded image is disclosed including a candle core. A base layer of wax covers the candle core in all areas except for an area where the image will go. An adhesion layer of wax covers the entire candle core including the area where the image (e.g., a printed image or a photograph) will go and the image is atop the adhesion layer of wax in the area where the image will go. A clear layer of wax covers the base layer of wax and the area over the image and an outer layer of wax covers the base layer of wax.
In another embodiment, a method of making a candle is disclosed including providing a candle core and adding a base layer of wax to the candle core. Next, an image area is cut out of the base layer large enough to contain an image and the base layer is peeled away from the candle core in the image area. Next an adhesion layer of wax is added to the candle core and the image area and an image (e.g., a printed image or a photograph) is installed in the image area and any air pockets are removed from beneath the image by rubbing. A clear layer of wax is added to the candle core, also covering the image and the clear layer of wax is rubbed only in the image area. An outer layer of wax is added to the candle core, also covering the image area then the image area is cut out of the outer layer and the outer layer is peeled away from the candle core in the image area.
The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures. Although a method for assisting in the ability to peel off layers of wax used in the present invention is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,752 to Wheathersbee, any known method of enabling such a peeling operation is anticipated and in some embodiments, substituted for the methods of U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,752. U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,752 to Wheathersbee is hereby included by reference.
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Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result.
It is believed that the system and method of the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.
This application is a non-provisional of co-pending provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/975,280, filed Sep. 26, 2007.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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60975280 | Sep 2007 | US |