Tealight Cup Base Bulges for Stable Burning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tealight cups designed for horizontal use often experience premature extinguishing when tilted due to uneven surfaces, as the melted flammable mass concentrates at the lowest point, leading to loss of contact with the wick and inefficient burning.
Innovation Solution
A tealight cup design featuring a flat central base with bulges around it, connected by radial grooves, which maintains a higher liquid level and prevents concentration of flammable mass at the lowest point, ensuring consistent burning even when inclined.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tealight cup has a flat base without bulges, then the manufacturing is simple, but the melted flammable mass concentrates at the lowest point when inclined, causing loss of contact with the wick and premature extinguishing
Solution Approach 1:
The base is segmented into multiple functional zones: a flat central area for wick positioning, radial grooves for guiding flammable mass flow, and bulges for volume distribution. This segmentation allows the base to maintain simplicity in manufacturing while achieving reliable burning through functional differentiation of its components.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the base are given different properties: the central area remains flat for stable wick contact, while bulges are created at specific locations to distribute flammable mass. This local differentiation ensures that each area performs its specific function optimally, maintaining burning stability without requiring complete base redesign.
2Productivity
If the cup base is designed with deep grooves to guide flammable mass, then the flow guidance is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating deep grooves throughout the entire base, the invention uses shallow radial grooves that extend only partially from the outer edge toward the center. This partial action is sufficient to guide flammable mass flow while avoiding the manufacturing complexity and material consumption associated with deep, comprehensive groove systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove depth is optimized to a specific parameter range (shallow, about 5% of total cup height) rather than being deep. This parameter change maintains the flow guidance function while significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and material usage compared to deeper groove designs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cup is designed for horizontal use only, then the structure can be simple, but it cannot maintain stable burning when positioned on uneven surfaces or at angles
Solution Approach 1:
The flat central area creates an equipotential zone where the wick is always positioned at a consistent height relative to the flammable mass, regardless of the cup's inclination. This ensures stable burning conditions are maintained across different positions and orientations without requiring complex adjustable mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds vertical dimensionality to the base through bulges, transforming a two-dimensional flat base into a three-dimensional structure. This dimensional change allows the base to accommodate flammable mass distribution in inclined positions while maintaining a simple overall geometry that does not significantly increase manufacturing complexity.
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 design ensures efficient use of flammable mass and maintains a stable wick contact, preventing early extinguishing and prolonging burn time by distributing the melted mass evenly across the central area, regardless of the cup's orientation.
Implementation Method 1
The bulges are positioned around the flat central area circumferentially along a common circumference and have a total volume equal to at least 10% of the volume of the part of the cup from the base to the height (h) of the bulges
Implementation Method 2
The radial grooves serve to guide the flammable mass from the outer edge of the base to the central depression where a wick is secured
Data Source
AI summary
A tealight cup comprising a side wall (120-720) and a base (110-710) with a flat central area (111-711) and at least two bulges (150-750) positioned around the flat central area (111-711) and having a height (h) of at least 10% of the height (H) of the side wall. The bulges (150-750) are positioned around the flat central area (111-711) circumferentially along a common circumference and have a total volume equal to at least 10% of the volume of the part of the cup from the base (110-710) to the height (h) of the bulges (150-750).