Combustion – Candle – e.g. – taper – etc. – Having structure additional to wax and wick
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-29
2004-04-06
Basichas, Alfred (Department: 3749)
Combustion
Candle, e.g., taper, etc.
Having structure additional to wax and wick
C431S291000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06716026
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to the field of decorative candleholders and display devices; particularly, to a device for conveniently and interchangeably displaying articles within a decorative candleholder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Over the years, various attempts have been made to combine the warmth and atmosphere of candle lighting with artwork displays. Candlelight is richer in red, yellow, and orange colors than most incandescent light, and imparts a warm and flickering illumination that enhances various forms of art.
In some embodiments, candles have been used to backlight translucent art images. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 1,660,760 to Murphy, wherein a thin layer of religious imagery or inscriptions is made on the wall of a candle containing holder. As the candle tends to burn downward, increasing amounts of devotional imagery or inscription are revealed through a translucent or semi-transparent outer layer.
In a later version of a similar concept, a translucent layer overlaid upon an inner layer adjacent to a flame gives an image the appearance of movement as the candle layer burns downward, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,729 to Frazier, Jr. Further refinements include a reflective layer behind the source of illumination so as to project an image, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,333 to Kwiatkowski. This concept, that of the candle light passing through a display material from behind, was adapted to shine light through a plurality of gelatinous structures in the wall of the candle holding device by Freeman, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,512. Attempts have been made to combine other three-dimensional art displays with integral candles. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,278 to Young, et al., in which a sealed translucent shell contains glass beads and surround an inner candle. The light of the candle is transmitted through the sealed translucent layer and provides pleasing reflections when refracted through the beads within the enclosure. The disadvantage of this system, as with many of the others noted above, is that the display is limited to those pre-elected in the manufacture of the device, which cannot be altered by the end user.
A different type of embodiment acts to place a flat, two-dimensional image on the outside of a candle holding device, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,783 to Nevin, et al., where unlike the above mentioned embodiments, the artistic effect comes from the light shining on the outside of a display, rather than through a display. In the '783 patent, a thin, two-dimensional card is placed in an outside layer surrounding a candleholder. Such a display suffers from the disadvantages of firstly being limited to two-dimensional displays, and secondarily, to being limited as to the types of artwork that might be displayed, being apparently limited to those cards prepared and marketed by the inventors, or at least those which precisely fit the space intended in both height and thickness. A variation on this theme is that of providing cloisonné art displays on the outside candleholder, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,756, in which a fixed outer display may be applied to various containers, including a candleholder.
Other attempts to combine art display with candles include those in which a candle illuminates an external art object in proximity to a candle, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,527 to Adams, et al. In the '527 patent, a candleholder illuminates an adjacent angelic device. This invention is limited in that the only art which may be combined with the candle is that provided by the inventors as part of the device.
Many persons are actively pursuing artistic creation in such textured, or three-dimensional art as needlework, dried flowers, seashells, or similar three-dimensional objects. They seek to combine their own artistic creations in displays along with the traditional lighting afforded by candles, but present candle-lit display devices have not allowed for this. An optimal solution is a candleholder that is adaptable to a plurality of candle shapes and sizes, allows for display of three-dimensional objects of varying shapes and thickness, allows for the artist or person arranging the display to easily interchange the artwork, without removing the candle and while keeping the artwork protected from dust and other elements while it is on display. The candleholder needs to be rugged, yet inexpensive and easy to manufacture. The instant invention addresses many of the shortcomings of the prior art and allows for all the heretofore unavailable benefits.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
In its most general configuration, the present invention advances the state of the art with a variety of new capabilities and overcomes many of the shortcomings of prior devices in new and novel ways. In its most general sense, the present invention overcomes the shortcomings and limitations of the prior art in any of a number of generally effective configurations.
In one of the many preferable configurations, the decorative candleholder and display incorporates, among other elements, a display, a display article, a cap, and a base. The decorative candleholder and display apparatus is adapted to secure a candle, having a flame, and display a plurality of items in an internal cavity.
The display has an inner wall and an outer wall. The inner wall has an inner wall bottom edge, an inner wall top edge, and an inner wall periphery. Similarly, the outer wall has an outer wall bottom edge and an outer wall top edge. The inner wall is located within the outer wall thereby defining a display region therebetween. A three-dimensional display article may be inserted into the display region. Display regions of varying sizes may be formed by varying the dimensions of the inner wall and the outer wall. Various sizes of display regions accommodate a wide range of display articles including relatively thin articles such as photos, drawings, or needlework, or relatively thick articles such as dried flowers, seashells, quilting, and other three-dimensional articles.
The configuration of the inner wall and the outer wall may vary. For example, the walls may be circular, triangular, square, rectangular, or any polygon. Additionally, the inner wall and outer wall do not need to be the same shape.
A cap releasably engages the outer wall top edge and the inner wall top edge thereby enclosing the display region at the top edge of the walls, and a base that engages the outer wall bottom edge and the inner wall bottom edge thereby enclosing the display region at the bottom of the walls. The base may include a rotational mount allowing the decorative candleholder and display to rotate 360 degrees facilitating viewing of the entire display. Similarly, the interface between the outer and inner wall bottom edges and the base may incorporate rotational interface allowing the display to rotate 360 degrees while the base, and therefore the candle, remains stationary.
In one of many variations of the present invention, the cap further extends across the periphery of the inner wall thereby forming an integral cap and candleholder. The integral cap and candleholder may extend across the periphery of the inner wall at any point between the inner wall top edge and the inner wall bottom edge accommodating candles of varying heights.
Alternatively, the decorative candleholder and display may include a height adjustment system to raise and lower a candle support. Raising and lowering the candle support allows the elevation of the candle and the flame to be adjusted. The candle support has a support periphery that lies within the inner wall periphery.
In one variation, the height adjustment system may include a telescoping post attached to the candle support at a distal end and attached to the base at a proximal end. The telescoping post may include any number of variations. In one such variation the telescoping post includes two threadedly engagable sections wherein the height of the candle support is adjusted by threading a male threaded section into a female threaded section. In this
Basichas Alfred
Dawsey David J.
Gallagher Michael J.
Gallagher and Dawsey Co. LP
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