Patent Application
20170328557
This disclosure is related to liquid fueled torches. More particularly, the invention relates to a tiki touch canister and complementary rotatable shroud to enable refilling the canister without the need of removing a lid or a wick.
Patio torches, commonly known as a tiki torch, are be used to provide lighting or decoration. They can also include citronella oil or other scented oil, some of which act as insect repellant.
A typical torch may include a refillable canister that accepts liquid fuel. The torch has a lid through which a wick extends. The torch is not usually filled when ignited and presents an undesirable mess when attempting to refill. The top of the canister containing the charred and often sooty wick must be removed. A funnel is commonly used to pour the flammable fuel into the canister.
There have been attempts to solve this problem, such as the device in U.S. Pat. No. 8,550,813 or DK 176195. These devices include a concave receptacle for receiving fuel and channeling the same into the canister. While these solutions provided a mechanism for refilling without removing the lid, they were not commercially accepted. Perhaps a flaw in their design was that they also permitted unwanted fluid, such as rain water, to enter the canister.
What is needed is a device for addressing the above and related problems. The instant invention overcomes these problems.
Is an object to improve torches.
A prayer update is to provide a refillable torch canister which does not require removal of a lid and provides for prevention of unwanted fluids entering the torch canister.
The invention of the present disclosure, in one embodiment thereof, a refillable torch canister, which includes a container having a bottom, a continuous upwardly extending sidewall connected at a lower portion to the bottom. Also, included is a top connected to an upper portion of the sidewall terminating in a threaded neck defining an opening, wherein the top includes a fill opening in a connecting surface between the threaded neck and sidewall. A cover is provided having a complementary formed threaded neck defining an opening to receive the threaded neck of the top and the cover including a fill opening which can be axially aligned with the fill opening of the top by threaded movement between the top and the cover to permit insertion of fuel there through, and which can be threadably moved so the fill openings are out of alignment precluding fluid to pass through. Another aspect of the invention is to provide a pre-filled fuel container having spout with a complementary configuration to be received within the fill openings.
Referring now to the drawings, a refillable torch canister of the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 10. The refillable torch canister 10 includes a container 12 having a bottom 14, a continuous upwardly extending sidewall 16 connected at a lower portion 18 to the bottom 14. The sidewall 16 can be generally cylindrical, by way of example, though other shapes are contemplated. The refillable torch canister 10 includes a top 20 connected to an upper portion 22 of the sidewall 16 terminating in a threaded neck 24 defining an opening 26. The top 20 includes a fill opening 28 in a connecting surface 30, which here is shown generally frustoconical interconnecting the threaded neck 24 and sidewall 16.
A cover 32 is also provided. The cover 32 includes a complementary formed threaded neck 34 and defining an opening 36 therethrough and which is of a size and configuration to threadably receive the threaded neck 24 of the top 20. The cover 32 can likewise include a frustoconical surface 38 including a fill opening 40 which when the cover 30 is connected to the container 12 can be axially aligned with the fill opening 28 of the top 20 by rotational (e.g., threaded) movement between the top 20 and the cover 32 to permit insertion of fuel there through thus providing a “fill” mode. Further relative rotation between the top 20 and cover 32 displaces the fill openings 28 and 40 out of alignment precluding fluid to pass through to provide a “non-fillable” mode.
A conventional wick 42 can be inserted through the openings 26 and 36. By virtue of the invention, the wick 42 is not required to be removed in order to refill the canister 12.
Additionally, a safety valve 44 can be optionally provided in the fill opening 28 which can be normally biased closed to prevent fuel which is contained in canister 12 from spilling out. The valve 44 can swing inwardly upon depressing the same.
The arrangement provided is less expensive, and easier for users and cleaner than with known torches and oil lamps and overcomes the deficiencies in the art. The torch 10 of the present disclosure may also be used in various settings. For example, table-top or a large lantern type torch assembly can be constructed using the torches of the present disclosure that are capable of providing even greater amount of light, heat, and/or insect repellant or other capabilities. The torches described herein can also be modified in size, shape and capacity based upon the needs of the user and are not themselves limited to a particular size, shape and capacity. The fill openings 28 and 40 can preferably be of a predetermined geometric shape, here shown oval, but can be of another geometric shape. Another aspect of the invention is to provide a pre-filled fuel container 46 having spout 48 with a complementary configuration to be received within the fill openings 28 and 40. This is illustrated in
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.
