Jar Candle Lid Dome Heat Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Jar candles experience inefficient burn time due to 'tunneling' where the wax only melts as far as the initial burn, leading to suboptimal usage of the wax volume, and existing solutions like foil tents or double-cone candle shades do not fully address the issue of maximizing burn time and safety.
Innovation Solution
A uniquely designed dome-shaped lid for jar candles, open on both ends, made of single-ply mid-grade aluminum with a silicone ring for secure fit and flexible rim crescents for grip, captures heat to ensure even wax melting and includes a chimney for venting, while holes allow light emission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a jar candle is burned without a lid, then the flame can access sufficient oxygen for combustion, but the wax melts unevenly causing tunneling and reducing burn time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a lid as an intermediary component between the flame and the surrounding environment. The lid captures and redirects heat back onto the wax surface, mediating the thermal distribution to prevent tunneling while allowing controlled oxygen intake through its design features.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid changes the thermal parameters of the candle system by trapping heat and maintaining higher temperatures across the wax surface. This parameter change ensures uniform melting behavior and extends the duration of effective burning.
2Temperature
If a foil tent is used to cover the candle, then heat is reflected back to accelerate setting, but the structure is unstable and allows excessive flame exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite structure combining a rigid or semi-rigid lid body with a flexible silicone seal. This composite design provides both the heat retention properties needed for effective candle setting and the structural stability required for reliable operation, overcoming the limitations of foil-only solutions.
Solution Approach 2:
The silicone seal component utilizes flexible material properties to create a reliable seal between the lid and jar rim. This flexible element adapts to slight variations in jar dimensions while maintaining the enclosed environment necessary for heat retention and flame protection.
3Loss of time
If a double-cone candle shade is used, then set time is reduced, but the device complexity increases and safety enclosure is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a complex double-cone structure that extends upward, the patent inverts the approach by using a simple dome-shaped lid that sits directly on the jar opening. This inverted simplification achieves the same heat capture function with significantly reduced structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The dome-shaped lid utilizes a spherical curvature to efficiently capture and redirect heat back onto the candle surface. This simple geometric form provides effective heat retention without the structural complexity of multi-cone designs, while also offering better flame enclosure for safety.
4Temperature
If the lid is sealed completely, then heat is maximized for even burning, but oxygen supply is restricted affecting combustion
Solution Approach 1:
The lid incorporates porous or permeable features that allow controlled oxygen diffusion while maintaining effective heat retention. This porous design enables simultaneous achievement of high temperature concentration for even burning and sufficient oxygen supply for efficient combustion.
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 dome-shaped lid maximizes candle life by preventing tunneling, ensuring full wax burn and enhancing safety by enclosing the flame, thus providing extended burn time and improved usability.
Implementation Method 1
The foil reflects heat back to the candle
Implementation Method 2
capturing enough heat to prevent candle tunneling
Implementation Method 3
a hole at the top allows smoke and gas to escape
Implementation Method 4
A silicone ring at the base of the jar candle lid secures the lid to the jar
Implementation Method 5
flexible rim crescents for grip
Data Source
AI summary
An article of manufacture for maximizing burn time of a jar candle. The lid features a dome with a top opening and a bottom opening. In its best mode of use, the lid is positioned on top of a burning jar candle, with the bottom opening resting on the rim of the jar candle. The lid captures heat at the surface of the burning wax, assisting in a full burn of the wax to the perimeter of the jar. A plurality of rim crescents encircles the bottom opening, to seal the lid's grip on the jar and to handle the lid when the dome is hot. The rim crescents have multiple ridges with sequentially smaller diameters, for fitting candle jars of varying sizes. Venting is provided by a cylindrical chimney extending downward from the top opening, as well as a plurality of holes in the dome.