Wickless Beeswax Fabric Candle for Even Burning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional candles suffer from uneven burning, wax dripping, and vulnerability to wind due to the limited cross-sectional area of the wick, which restricts aesthetic possibilities and burning consistency.
Innovation Solution
A wickless candle made from a fabric-based substrate with a beeswax-formulation that fills interstitial spaces, providing a continuous burning surface and reduced wax content, allowing for customizable shapes and improved burning characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single wick is used in a conventional candle, then the candle structure is simple, but the heat generation is insufficient and the candle body does not burn evenly
Solution Approach 1:
The wick is divided into multiple separate wicks arranged in a circular pattern throughout the candle body, replacing the single wick design. This segmentation allows multiple heat generation points that work together to burn the candle body evenly, solving the contradiction between simple structure and even burning.
Solution Approach 2:
The wicks are distributed in three-dimensional space throughout the candle body rather than concentrated at a single point. This spatial distribution creates multiple burning zones that work together to melt and burn the wax evenly from multiple directions, achieving even burning without significantly increasing overall structural complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple wicks are used to provide sufficient heat, then the burning evenness improves, but the total cross-sectional area of wicks remains small compared to the candle body
Solution Approach 1:
The wicks are designed as thin, flexible strands that can be densely packed throughout the candle body. This thin-film approach allows maximum surface area contact with the wax while maintaining flexibility and proper burning characteristics, effectively increasing the functional area without bulk.
Solution Approach 2:
The wick material is designed with a porous structure that allows efficient capillary action for wax transport while maintaining a high surface area to volume ratio. This porous construction maximizes the effective burning surface area relative to the overall wick volume, addressing the area limitation.
3Ease of operation
If conventional wicks are used, then the flame shape is simple and easy to control, but aesthetic designs and patterns cannot be created with the flame
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the candle body are designed with varying wick densities, arrangements, and materials to create localized burning characteristics. This allows different areas to burn at different rates and produce varied flame patterns, enabling aesthetic designs while maintaining overall flame controllability through localized quality variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The wicks are arranged in asymmetric patterns and configurations throughout the candle body rather than uniform symmetric arrangements. This asymmetric distribution creates varied flame shapes and burning patterns that produce aesthetically pleasing effects, while the overall symmetry of the candle structure remains intact for easy handling.
4Reliability
If the wick cross-sectional area is increased to improve heat generation, then the burning evenness improves, but the candle becomes more vulnerable to wind and rapid movement
Solution Approach 1:
The wicks are constructed as thin, flexible strands that can move with the candle body rather than rigid structures. This flexibility allows the wicks to bend and flex during candle movement or wind exposure, maintaining their burning function while reducing vulnerability to external forces like wind and rapid movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The wicks are made from composite materials that combine different properties - such as flexible fibers coated with heat-resistant materials - to achieve both sufficient heat generation and resistance to wind and movement. This composite construction allows the wicks to maintain structural integrity and burning efficiency under varying conditions.
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 wickless candle achieves dripless and wind-resistant burning with controlled flame size, easy customization, and lower wax usage, ensuring even burning and aesthetic flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
a beeswax-based formulation that fills interstitial spaces
Implementation Method 2
the beeswax-formulation in the interstitial spaces is continuous with the beeswax-based formulation of the first outer layer and the second outer layer
Implementation Method 3
the inner layer including the beeswax-based formulation and a combustible substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A wickless candle is provided, the candle comprising one or more sheets, the sheet including a first outer layer, a second outer layer and an inner layer therebetween to provide a thickness, the first outer layer and the second outer layer including a beeswax-based formulation, the inner layer including the beeswax-based formulation and a combustible substrate, the substrate including a plurality of fibers and a plurality of interstitial spaces between the fibers, the interstitial spaces retaining the beeswax-based formulation, wherein the beeswax-formulation in the interstitial spaces is continuous with the beeswax-based formulation of the first outer layer and the second outer layer.