CANDLE DRIP GUARD

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Ser. No. 60/765,049 filed Feb. 3, 2006 and is herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to drip guards for candles, and more particularly relates to generally cone-shaped drip guards made of foil, paper or other flexible sheet materials.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Candlelight has been widely used for a number of purposes, including special occasions. In some events, candles are held by hand. However, people holding the candles often experience uneasiness and even discomfort due to overflow of the melted candle wax. In addition, when it is breezy, the candles must often be shielded by hand to prevent potential extinguishing of the flame, which can cause injury from the flame.

Currently, a circular disc of thick paper with a serrated hole that accommodates the candle is used as a drip protector. However, such flat paper discs are not sufficient to prevent dripping of the melted candle wax over the outer edge or through the serrated gaps onto the holder's hand. Also, they do not prevent blowing out of the candle flame, e.g., on a windy day.

Another type of candle holder currently in use comprises a rigid plastic cup with either a cone-shaped lower handle in which the bottom of the candle is seated, or a central hole through which the body of the candle is inserted. Such rigid candle holders are relatively expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, large numbers of such holders can be bulky and heavy, making them difficult to transport, store and use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a drip protector for use with a candle. In one embodiment of the invention, a drip guard is made of a flexible material, such as aluminum foil, which is cut into a fan shape. The drip guard is formed into a cone shape with by bending the fan shape radially. An opening is provided in the bottom of the cone. The opening has slits that allow a candle to pass through the opening while the candle is snugly held within the opening of the drip protector. Once rolled from a fan shape to a cone shape, the flexible material is overlapped upon itself.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a drip guard for a candle comprising a flexible sheet of material rolled into a cone shape having a narrow end and a wide end, wherein the narrow end of the cone forms an opening positioned around and in contact with a candle and wherein the wide end projects outwardly and upwardly from the narrow end.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a drip guard for a candle comprising a flexible sheet of material folded into a three-sided pyramidal shape having a narrow end and a wide end, wherein the narrow end of the pyramid forms an opening positioned around and in contact with a candle and wherein the wide end projects outwardly and upwardly from the narrow end; and at least one slit formed in the narrow end and open at the narrow end.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a drip guard for a candle comprising a flexible sheet of material rolled into a cone shape having a narrow end and a wide end, wherein the narrow end of the cone forms an opening positioned around and in contact with a candle and wherein the wide end projects outwardly and upwardly from the narrow end, at least one reinforcing flange comprising bent sections of the sheet of material and wherein the bent sections project outwardly from the sheet of material when the sheet of material is rolled into a cone shape.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for making a candle drip guard for a candle comprising the steps of providing a flat sheet of fan shaped flexible material having a straight edge forming a longest length of the sheet, cutting an opening in sheet at the center of the straight edge, starting with a half of the straight edge, rolling the sheet until one half of the straight edge overlaps the other half of the straight edge to form two overlapping sections and wherein a cone with an opening at its base is formed connecting the overlapping sections together.

These and other aspects will be more apparent from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1a is a side view of a candle drip guard before being rolled into a cone shape according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1b is a perspective view of the candle drip guard after the candle drip guard has been rolled and installed on a candle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2a is a side view of a candle drip guard with decorative perforations before being rolled into a pyramidal shape according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2b is a perspective view of the candle drip guard decorative perforations after the candle drip guard has been folded and installed on a candle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3a is a side view of a candle drip guard with reinforcement sections before being rolled into a conical shape according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3b is a perspective view of the candle drip guard with reinforcement sections after the candle drip guard has been rolled and installed on a candle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a canopy for use on the candle drip guard according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a canopy for use on the candle drip guard according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a candle drip guard with a canopy according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the candle drip guard 4 is made of flexible sheet material 10 such as aluminum foil which may be formed into a general cone shape with an opening at the bottom end 17. In order to accommodate the candle 2, the bottom end 17 of the cone is removed to make a small opening 6 for passage of the candle. The opening 6 is smaller than the diameter of the candle but the removed end may be serrated, e.g., in three directions. At least one slit 10 facilitates the passage of the candle 2 through the opening 6 yet maintains a snug fit of the drip guard 4 around the body of the candle 2. Tabs 7 make up the portions of the bottom end 17 between the slits 10. This prevents dripping of the melted candle wax through the opening 6 in the bottom end 17 of the candle 2 onto the hand of the candle holder. Structural integrity of the drip guard 4 shape can be maintained by reinforcement of the edge of the sheet by double folding or the like.

In addition to a conical shape with a round base, other possible shapes of the drip guard 4 can be a triangular pyramid, a hexagonal cone or the like. Thus, although one embodiment of the drip guard is a funnel or cone shape, it can be a triangular or other pyramid shape as well from the construction standpoint. The size of the drip guard 4 can be varied depending on the size of the candle 2 to be used. For example, the guard may be an aluminum cone with a 45 degree angle and a height of about five inches. Such a size and shape may accommodate most commonly used candles 6.

The present drip guard 4 addresses the above-mentioned problems with a simple flexible sheet material product for handling the candle wax and prevents extinguishing of the candle flame. It prevents dripping of the melted candle wax on the hand and surrounding area. It prevents potential bodily injury from the candle flame. It helps to prevent extinguishing the flame from breezes or wind. Since the device may be entirely made out of aluminum or another non-flammable material, it prevents or reduces the chance of fire hazard associated with candle flames.

As shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, a sheet of flexible material 10 such as aluminum foil is cut to a circular fan shape with a five inch radius, denoted by R in FIGS. 1a, 2a and 3a, and four equally-sized sections 8 of 45 degree division. The bottom center part is cut off, e.g., by 0.25 inch, and 0.25 inch cuts are made in three directions along the 45 degree lines as well as central line. These cuts facilitate the passage of the candle and provide a snug fit around the candle when it is used.

To enforce the integrity of the device, an additional 0.5 inch overlapped fold 14 at the edge along the fan side can be provided. The sheet may overlap at the upper end of each 45 degree section using an appropriate adhesive or simple compression with serrated metal plates.

FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate another embodiment of the present invention similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1a and 1b, except a pyramid with a triangular base is formed rather than a circular base.

Another embodiment of the invention is a hexagonal cone, as shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b. Six sections 12 of angle α, which may be 30 degrees, are provided and then reinforcing flanges 22 are made using bent sections 18 of angle β, which may be five degrees, on each side. Two terminal five degree bent sections 18 are then used to form a cone. When formed into a cone the six sections 12 have angular measure of θ, which may be twenty degrees when α is thirty degrees.

When the flexible sheet of the drip guard 4 is aluminum foil or another non-transparent material, illumination is limited to the open top end 16. To resolve this issue, multiple decorative perforations 20 can be made in the sheet, e.g., on the top ⅔ portion, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b. The bottom ⅓ may be provided without holes and may be used to catch melted candle wax. The two overlapped 45 degree sections 8 may be faced toward the candle holder when the shield is used in order to display the perforated design to others. Then it will not affect the illumination issue but will give additional protection to the candle holder.

The proposed decorative perforations 20 on the device can be letters and figures utilizing multiple small holes. Thus the design and message can be customized depend on the occasion for use of the device. The small holes for the design in the device will not be significantly affected by breezes or wind.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, for rainy or snowy days, an additional small canopy 22 can be attached, for example, as shown in FIGS. 4-6. The canopy 22 may be made of non-flammable light plastic material or metal such as tin or aluminum. The canopy 22 may have a diameter or width, shown as W in FIG. 5, of for example, 3.5 inches. Basic components are the double forks 24, clip 26 and canopy that can be clipped onto the drip guard 4. The clip 26 may have a length, shown as L in FIG. 5, of for example, 1.5 inches. The double forks 24 may have a height, shown as H in FIG. 4, of for example 3 inches.

Whereas particular embodiments of this invention have been described above for purposes of illustration, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details of the present invention may be made without departing from the invention.