Candle Wick Holder Insert with Spacing Cavity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing candle designs lack sufficient safety against wax leakage and temperature transfer, restrict design options, and do not guarantee safety when used without a plate, leading to risks of wax dripping and fire spreading.

Innovation Solution

A candle with a wick holding insert featuring a fastening area and a spacer area that maintains a predetermined distance from the candle bottom, ensuring the wick is crimped in a positive manner, providing insulation and preventing wax leakage, with a design that allows for secure attachment to various holding devices without compromising aesthetic appeal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a flat metal plate is attached to the bottom of the candle, then the candle provides structural support, but it does not offer sufficient security against wax leakage and temperature transfer to adjacent areas

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety against wax leakage and temperature transferVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The base is divided into two functional zones: an inner recessed region that receives and contains the candle, and an outer annular region that provides structural support and catches wax leakage. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific safety function independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The inner recessed region acts as an intermediary containment structure between the candle and the outer base. It prevents direct contact between the flame/heat source and the outer base, thereby blocking temperature transfer to adjacent areas while also containing wax leakage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Duration of action of moving object

If the wick is allowed to burn down to the plate, then complete wax consumption is achieved, but safety is not guaranteed and wax can leak or fire can spread

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewax consumption completenessVSAvoidsafety against burning out and wax leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The inner recessed region is designed to prevent the wick from burning down to the outer base by creating a physical barrier. The recessed bottom surface is positioned above the outer base level, so even when the wick burns down, it cannot reach the outer base, thereby preventing fire spread and wax leakage in advance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The annular groove and outer annular region are designed beforehand to catch and contain any wax that might leak or any flame that might spread. This preparatory containment structure ensures that even if the candle burns down completely, safety is maintained.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Ease of operation

If a raised holder with spinous process is used, then the candle is elevated, but wax drips down in large quantities and poses a safety risk

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecandle elevationVSAvoidwax dripping
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The annular groove, which could be seen as a disadvantage for allowing wax to reach the base, is converted into a beneficial wax-catching feature. The groove collects and contains wax drips in the outer annular region, preventing them from spreading to adjacent areas while maintaining the elevated candle position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

4Reliability

If safety features are added to prevent wax leakage and fire spread, then reliability is improved, but design options and aesthetic effect are restricted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety against wax leakage and fire spreadVSAvoidaesthetic design freedom
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The base is designed with multi-functionality: the inner recessed region provides safety containment, the annular groove catches wax, the outer annular region provides structural support and additional containment, and the stepped configuration creates aesthetic visual interest. Each structural element serves both safety and design purposes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the base have different local qualities optimized for their specific functions: the inner recessed region has a smooth surface for candle stability, the annular groove has a containing geometry for wax collection, and the outer annular region has a broader surface for structural support and aesthetic presentation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution ensures the candle self-extinguishes, prevents wax leakage, and is universally usable with different holders, maintaining safety and aesthetic freedom, while the wick holder secures the wick against falling and the candle against tilting, effectively containing the flame and wax.

Implementation Method 1

the spacing area of the wick holding insert being formed with a cavity open towards the candle bottom with the wick being crimped in a positive manner in the attachment area

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal Insulation: Thermal Insulation

Implementation Method 2

the spacing area of the wick holding insert being formed with a cavity open towards the candle bottom

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhysical Containment: Physical Containment

Data Source

PatentEP1792971B1Candle and method for manufacturing a candle
Publication Date: 2012.08.29 RICHARD WENZEL
  • EP1792971B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1d
  • EP1792971B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1792971B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The candle includes wick area, which exhibits wick holder insert (51) with a fixation area for the wick (26) and with spacing region (53) for maintaining predetermined spacing to a base (9) of the candle, and a candle holding device exhibiting a retaining drift. The spacing region is formed with a cavity opened to the candle base. The retaining drift is introduced into the cavity, which is filled with a wax. The spacing region exhibits an area propagating towards the candle base. The wick holder insert is formed as a casing, which radially encloses the wick in longitudinal direction. The candle includes wick area, which exhibits wick holder insert (51) with a fixation area for the wick (26) and with spacing region (53) for maintaining predetermined spacing to a base (9) of the candle, and a candle holding device exhibiting a retaining drift. The spacing region is formed with a cavity opened to the candle base. The retaining drift is introduced into the cavity, which is filled with a wax. The spacing region exhibits an area propagating towards the candle base. The wick holder insert is formed as a casing, which radially encloses the wick in longitudinal direction. The wick holder insert is made of tinned copper formed in the fixation area and is made of plastic formed in the spacing region. The heat resistant material of the wick holder insert has specific heat conductivity of 0.2 W/km. The candle is provided with the base, ring-shaped recess, whose geometry corresponds with a sidewall of a holding device and which is formed in such a way that the candle is held in tilt-proof manner under the use conditions and a liquefied candle material (29) is held back by the holding device. The recess for using the wick, the wick holder insert and the sidewall, is pressed or cast or dipped. A surface coating is applied on the candle body by dipping process. The candle body is dipped with the recess/the recesses, and the recess/recesses brought into the candle body before the dipping process, is dimensioned in such a manner that the width of the recess/recesses results by the surface coating. Independent claims are included for: (1) a manufacturing process of a candle; and (2) a combination from a candle and a holder.