Patent Application
20100112504
This disclosure relates to decorative lighting in general and, more specifically, to fuel cartridges for use in decorative lighting assemblies.
Lawn torches, table top torches, and other decorative torches are in high demand, both for aesthetic reasons as well as for utilitarian purposes such as lighting and dispersing scents and insect repellants. Decorative lighting assemblies may be provided without a fuel supply, in which case the user will need to provide fuel prior to using the lighting assembly. The fuel supply may become exhausted with use, in which case the customer will need to refill the lighting assembly.
Some decorative lighting assemblies provide a burner assembly with a removable top. This allows the customer access to the fuel reservoir or canister for refilling. However, refilling of the fuel canister can be one of the more negative aspects of using a decorative lighting assembly. The user is required to handle a burner, which may be covered in soot and have a fuel soaked and charred wick attached. The user must also handle volatile and odorous fuels. Furthermore, the fill opening may be quite small depending upon the lighting assembly, which leads to messy, and even dangerous, spills.
What is needed is a system and method for addressing the above and related issues.
The present invention disclosed and claimed herein, in one aspect thereof, comprises a method of manufacturing a decorative lamp oil cartridge burner assembly. The method includes providing a fuel canister having an opening for receiving fuel, providing a cap having a wick holder, and affixing a wick guide member to the cap. A wick is inserted through the guide member and into the wick holder. The guide member containing the wick is inserted into the fuel canister through the opening and the cap is affixed onto the opening in the fuel canister.
The method may also include filling the fuel canister with fuel prior to affixing the cap. In some embodiment, the cap is permanently affixed. The wick guide may be tubular, may be attached to the cap in a friction fit relationship.
In some embodiments, the wick is a doubled strand of woven wick with a doubled end inserted through the wick holder and two lose ends proximate a distal end of the wick guide. The wick may be fiberglass.
The fuel canister may be sufficiently transparent to allow visual examination of the fuel level therethrough. The canister may have an outer profile adapted to interfit with a burner assembly receptacle of a decorative lamp.
The present invention disclosed and claimed herein, in another aspect thereof, comprises an oil cartidge burner assembly. The assembly includes a fuel reservoir having an opening proximate a top thereof and containing a liquid fuel. A cap defines a wick opening and is attached to the opening of the fuel reservoir. A guide member attaches to the cap and extends into the fuel reservoir. A wick extends from inside the fuel reservoir to outside the fuel reservoir through the guide member and the wick opening.
In some embodiments, the wick terminates on a first end beyond the wick holder and terminates on a second end inside the fuel reservoir, beyond the guide member. The wick may be a doubled segment of wick material forming a loop on the first end and two lose pieces on the second end.
In some embodiments, the guide member is a tubular member attached to the cap via a friction fit.
The cap is double walled and attached to the fuel reservoir via the outer wall and attaches to the guide member via the inner wall.
Referring now to
A cap assembly 106 attaches to the neck 104 in the present embodiment. The cap assembly 106 defines a passage or opening serving as wick holder 108. It can be seen that the wick holder 108 is on a first end 110 of the cap assembly 106. A second end 112 of the cap assembly 106 is flared in the present embodiment, and sized to interfit with the neck 104 of the fuel reservoir 102.
The cap assembly 106 may be made from a metal or an alloy. In one embodiment, the cap assembly 106 will be made from tin plated steel. In the present embodiment, the wick holder 108, defined in the first end 110, comprises a hole in the first end 110. The wick holder 108 may be sized to accommodate the wick 116. In the present embodiment, the wick 116 comprises a doubled portion of a wicking cord or other material with a first looped end 118 protruding through the wick holder 108 and a second lose end 120 in the interior of the fuel reservoir 102 in contact with a fuel 122. The wick 116 may be woven or braided and may comprise cotton, polymers, fiberglass, or other polymers. Furthermore, some embodiments will provide a single segment of wick rather than the doubled segment shown.
A guide member 114 that attaches to the interior of the cap assembly 106 ensures that the second end 120 of the wick 118 is sufficiently deep in the fuel reservoir 102 to contact the fuel 122. As will be explained below, the guide member 114 may also be useful in manufacturing of the burner assembly 100.
The guide member 114 may comprise a segment of plastic pipe or tubing. In other embodiments, the guide member 114 is made from the same material as the cap assembly 106.
The liquid fuel 122 may be a mineral spirit, petroleum naptha, or a paraffin-based fuel. The fuel 122 may contain scented oils or other agents and may also contain insect repellant chemicals, citronella, or other useful substances.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The outer wall 204 attaches to the neck 104 of the fuel reservoir 102 in the preferred embodiment. This fitting may be a friction fit or an interference fit. In one embodiment, the neck 104 and the outer wall 204 will be threaded to provide for a threading engagement of the cap assembly 106 to the fuel reservoir 102. In another embodiment, the inner wall 202 will extend toward the outer wall 204 to the point where it comes in contact with the neck 104 of the fuel reservoir 102. In this manner, the inner and outer wall 204 will provide a friction fit seal on the neck 104.
Referring now to
Beginning at step 402, the cap is formed. The cap referred to may be the cap assembly 106. Moving to step 404, the guide member 114 will be attached to the cap assembly 106. At step 406, the wick will be inserted into the guide member 114. As previously described, in one embodiment, the wick will be a doubled strand of wicking material with the loop end 118 proceeding through the wick holder 108 defined by the first end 110 of the cap assembly 106. The loose end 120 of the wick 116 may protrude beyond the guide member 114.
Following insertion of the wick at step 406, the entire cap assembly 106, including the wick 116 and the guide member 114, can be inserted into the fuel reservoir 102. As previously described, the cap 106 will be affixed to the neck 104 of the fuel reservoir 102. Utilizing the guide member 114 to restrain and guide the wick 116 into the fuel reservoir 102, automated manufacturing of the burner assembly 100 may be aided. The guide member 114 prevents the wick 116 from interfering with the closure of the cap assembly 106 onto the fuel reservoir 102.
Referring now to
It will be appreciated that the burner assembly 100 will be compatible with many different types of torches, such as garden torches and table top torches. In one embodiment, it is contemplated that the burner assembly 100 will form a sealed unit such that when the fuel supply in the fuel reservoir 102 is exhausted, the user will discard the entire burner assembly 100 and replace it with a new, fully fueled burner assembly.
From the forgoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of the invention and, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, make various changes and modifications to adapt it to various usages.
Thus, the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and attain the ends and advantages mentioned above as well as those inherent therein. While presently preferred embodiments have been described for purposes of this disclosure, numerous changes and modifications will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Such changes and modifications are encompassed within the spirit of this invention as defined by the claims.
