Simmer plate dispenser for volatile active materials

Details Simmer plate dispenser for volatile active materials Simmer plate dispenser for volatile active materials

2000-12-20

2004-08-24

McKane, Elizabeth (Department: 1744)

Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser

For deodorizing of, or chemical purification of, or...

Including means adding material into environmental gas

C431S291000, C431S292000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06780382

ABSTRACT:

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to means to provide a novel fuel burning apparatus, specifically a dispensing means, e.g. a dispensing device to disperse volatile active materials, including such compositions as fragrances, air fresheners, deodorizers, odor eliminators, odor counteractants, insecticides, insect repellants, herbals, medicinal substances, disinfectants, sanitizers, mood enhancers, aroma therapy compositions, and the like, into the atmosphere. More specifically, the present invention comprises a dispenser for more effective volatilization of active materials.
2. Background Art
Ordinary candles comprise a vertical, self-supporting body or column of wax, with a substantially horizontal top and a central longitudinal wick which extends through and above the wax. The exposed portion of the wick above the solid wax is lighted by a flame, and the heat generated by the lighted wick melts a small volume of the wax at the top of the candle, proximate the wick, establishing a puddle or reservoir of molten wax to serve as fuel for the flame on the wick. The capillary attraction of the molten wax and the wick, which is generally a structure of closely related fibers, causes the molten wax to travel through the wick to the flame, by which it is consumed. As the wax is consumed in this manner, the body of wax diminishes and the top surface thereof progressively lowers. The upper portion of the wick, extending above the lowering wax, is generally consumed by the flame.
Also well known are such candles or lights as tea lights, in which a body of paraffin is located in a container having a wick centrally disposed. At the lower end of the wick is a wick holder or wick clip, which functions to retain the wick in its perpendicular position, even as the paraffin is melted and liquified by the heat of the flame. In most such candles, the wick is a cotton material saturated with the paraffin, and burns with the paraffin, thus being consumable. In such candles, or lights or warmers employing the same, the visible flame diminishes as the wick is consumed, the container becomes hazardously over-heated by the flame, and the unit is time-limited by the volume of paraffin and size of the wick initially present. Further, after consumption of all of the wax in the unit, the container and the wick holder remain to be disposed of by the consumer.
Similarly, liquid fuel lamps are known in which a wick is supported with one end suspended in a reservoir of liquid fuel, such as lamp oil. By capillary action, the liquid fuel rises through the wick to the upper end thereof, where it is subjected to consumption by a flame. As fuel is consumed by the flame, additional fuel rises through the wick by capillary action to feed and maintain the flame. Permanent, or non-consumable, wicks are most frequently employed for this type of lamp.
It is also known to add active materials, such as fragrances, air fresheners, deodorizers, odor eliminators, odor counteractants, insecticides, insect repellants, herbal and medicinal substances, disinfectants, sanitizers, mood enhancers, aroma therapy compositions, and the like, directly to the fuel, whether a solid candle wax, a gel, or a liquid lamp fuel, to provide for dispensing of such compositions into the atmosphere upon consumption of the fuel at the flame, in the case of a liquid fuel or lamp oil, or by evaporation from the puddle of fuel formed by the melting of the wax or gel at the top of a candle. It is also known to provide such materials, hereinafter referred to as “actives,” in a separate container which is heated by the flame, so as to cause their release to the atmosphere by evaporation, or to add such actives to a heated surface or to the surface of a melted pool of fuel to permit their evaporation, since release of actives by the flame of a lamp burning a liquid fuel is not highly efficient, due to consumption or breakdown of the active material in the flame. It is further known to employ wicks, which serve to bring the fuel to the flame, but are not themselves consumed by the flame.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,254,906, Petrulis discloses a candle perfumer having a perfumed wick retained in an annular reservoir. The heat from the flame of a centrally located burning candle is conducted by thin wires which pass through the flame to an evaporator plate upon which the perfumed wick is located, to release the perfume from the wick.
Kranc, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,775,006, teaches a vaporizing unit that fits around and is heated by the flame of a central candle wick. The inner wall of the unit provides a vertical flue for the gases of the candle flame, and conducts heat to a volatile material contained therein, to evaporate a perfume, insecticide, medicament or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,753, of Lee, discloses a wax burner comprising a vessel having a heat conducting metal heat sink surrounding and supporting a wick which projects upwardly, and has a heat conductive metal core means conducting heat into the heat sink, which acts as a wax melting surface. The wax burner may be fueled by paraffin wax or other suitable solid fuel, which may be added to the melting surface as required. The burner may constitute one or more burner units. In Lee, however, the fuel is neither supported or contained by the heat sink, which is configured much like a spool, with upper and lower flanges, or upper and lower flat, horizontal surfaces. The upper flange or upper surface acts as a melting rack, while the lower flange serves as a base for the heat sink, engaging the bottom surface of the burner vessel. Slots in the vertical surface of the heat sink provide means for the wax, melted by the heat sink, to flow from the exterior surface thereof to the internally located wick. Since the wick structure of the patent includes a metal core and a heat conductive metal sleeve about the wick, the wick structure is an integral portion of the heat sink of the burner assembly, and is non-consumable. This wick structure is indicated to require priming with wax prior to its first use. In use, solid wax is added to the melting rack, and replenished as necessary, or the entire vessel may be filled with wax. It is to be noted that the vessel itself is not used to conduct heat to the fuel, but only to contain it, and that a separate heat transfer system, i.e. the heat sink structure, which is independent of and distinct from the heat radiated by the flame itself, is utilized to achieve burning of the wax fuel. Even with this added heat transfer mechanism to assist in melting of the fuel, complete utilization of all of the fuel in the vessel is unlikely, even when the burner is permitted to burn to self-extinguishing, in view of the relative positioning of the lower flange and the wax conducting means of the heat sink (i.e. slots in the vertical surface thereof, above the lower flange).
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,713,256, Oesterle et al teach a votive candle having a wick extending downward in the bottom of the candle into a tapered central body projection, where said wick engages an adapter inserted into the cup for the votive. The adapter is provided with means to support the wick of the candle until the candle has completely burnt out, thereby leaving no wax or wick residue in the cup, enabling a new candle to be inserted into the cup without removal of the adapter. The adapter does not function to provide a more even or uniform burning of the candle, but to provide a proper positioning of the votive candle. When placed over the adapter, and the upwardly directed tube thereof, the flame on the wick comes into contact with a wicking material retained in the base of the tube, so as to ignite such wicking and assure that all of the melted wax is burned, thus leaving a clean cup containing no remains of the previous candle when a new candle is put in place. Moreover, the reference fails to disclose the dispensing of an active material to the atmosphere.
European Patent Application EP 1 054 054 A1, published Nov.

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