Field of the Invention

This invention pertains in general to the field of tea lights, and particularly to a tea light receptacle.

Background of the Invention

A conventional tea light comprises a cylindrical receptacle, having a wick attached to a wick holder. The wick holder is placed on and attached to the bottom of the cylindrical receptacle, and holds the wick in a vertical position. Thereafter, the receptacle is filled with a wax fuel, such as stearine. The wick will be hold in a vertical position during filling of the stearine, such that the wick protrude from the stearine.

A problem with current tea lights is that they are inefficient in terms of not depleting all the stearine provided in the tea light receptacle before the wick burns out. This results in reduced endurance of the tea light.

Hence an improved tea light receptacle for increased endurance would be advantageous .

Summary of the Invention Accordingly, the present invention preferably seeks to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies in the art and disadvantages singly or in any combination and solves at least the above mentioned problems by providing a receptacle for a tea light, and a tea light equipped with the receptacle according to the appended patent claims.

The general solution according to the invention is to provide the receptacle for a tea light having a bottom surface being sloped or inclined towards position of the wick in order to enable all stearine in use to flow towards the wick and thereby increasing the endurance of the tea light.

The present invention has the advantage over the prior art that it increases the endurance or burning time of the wick since a maximum of the stearine provided in the tea light receptacle is consumed in use. A secondary advantage over prior art is that this reduces the waste of the used tea light, since the amount of stearine that is used or consumed during use may be increased.

Brief Description of the Drawings

These and other aspects, features and advantages of which the invention is capable of will be apparent and elucidated from the following description of embodiments of the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig. 1 is an illustration showing a receptacle according to an embodiment;

Fig. 2 is a top view receptacle according to an embodiment;

Fig. 3a is side view of a receptacle according to an embodiment;

Fig. 3b is side view of a receptacle of Fig. 3a at a different viewing angle; Fig. 4a is an illustration of a wick holder according to an embodiment;

Fig. 4b is an illustration of a wick holder according to an embodiment;

Fig. 5a is 3D view of a receptacle according to an embodiment illustrating the bottom side of the receptacle; and

Fig. 5b is 3D view of a receptacle according to an embodiment illustrating the bottom side of the receptacle. Description of embodiments

Several embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings in order for those skilled in the art to be able to carry out the invention. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The embodiments do not limit the invention, but the invention is only limited by the appended patent claims. Furthermore, the terminology used in the detailed description of the particular embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

The following description focuses on an embodiment applicable to a tea light and in particular to a tea light receptacle. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this application but may be applied to many other light devices utilizing a wick and stearine or other substances suitable as wick fuel for a tea light, such as paraffin, wax, animal fats, etc.

In an embodiment, according to Fig 1, a receptacle is provided. In Fig. 1 only the bottom of the receptacle is illustrated. For sake of clarity, Fig. 1 is not intended to be interpreted as a full picture of the receptacle, but only the bottom. The substantial part of the cylindrical body, for receiving the wick fuel therein, is thus not disclosed. The receptacle comprises a cylindrical body portion having a bottom 10 with a bottom portion 11 provided with a number of ridges 12, and a corresponding number of grooves 13, wherein the grooves are declined towards an area 14 of the bottom portion 11. The area 14 may preferably be located substantially in the centre of the bottom portion 11. This will render the declinations of the different grooves 13 substantially equal, resulting in an even transportation of fuel to the wick, giving a smoother burning of the fuel. Accordingly, a liquid located at one of the ridges will glide from the ridge towards one of the grooves and then further glide towards the area 14. In this way, the liquid, such as fuel, located at any position of the bottom portion 11 will substantially travel towards the area 14. Fig. 2 illustrates a top view of the receptacle of Fig. 1 wherein the number of ridges and grooves is three. Any number of grooves and ridges may be used within the scope of the present invention, such as one, two, three, four, five, six, etc. However, in order to provide stability a the wick holder being attached to at least a part of the ridges, the number of ridges and grooves is preferably more than three. The functionality of the ridges and declined grooves is to enable the wick fuel to glide towards the area 14. Depending on the characteristics of the wick fuel the number of ridges and grooves may be changed to optimize the transfer of wick fuel to the area 14. Moreover, the configuration of the ridges allows for improved cooling effect towards the foundation on which the receptacle is positioned. This is due to the fact that a ridge forms a corresponding recess or a groove at the bottom side of the receptacle (see Figs. 5a and 5b), allowing ambient air to flow between the receptacle and foundation, in use.

In one embodiment the receptacle has a cylindrical body, wherein the bottom portion 11 is circular. The ridges 12 and the grooves 13 extend in a radial direction from the area 14.

In an embodiment, according to Fig. 3a, the receptacle further comprises a sidewall (s) 31 extending from the bottom surface, such as the boundaries thereof, thus forming a container allowing to comprise a wick, wick holder and wick fuel. Fig. 3b illustrates the receptacle of Fig. 3a from a different viewing angle.

In an embodiment, the receptacle is provided with a number of distance means 15 allowing for a distance between the bottom portion of the receptacle and the foundation on which the receptacle is standing, in use. Moreover, the distance means 15 allows for reducing the heat conduction between the receptacle and foundation, in use. The distance allows for ambient air to pass between the receptacle and the foundation providing a cooling effect.

The number of distance means 15 may be e.g. be three allowing for stability of the receptacle towards the foundation on which the receptacle is positioned. This allows for a simple and stable solution. Moreover, by utilizing as few distance means as possible, such as three, unnecessary use of raw material is prevented.

However, the receptacle according to some embodiments is not limited to utilizing three distance means. Any number of distance means or any number of ridges or grooves may be utilized, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In an embodiment, according to Fig. 4a and 4b, a wick holder 40 is provided. The wick holder comprises a plate 41 with a hole 42 extending there through. The plate 41 may circular. When the plate 41 is circular, the need for precisely, and accurately placing the plate 41 on the ridges, according to above, is reduced, since the wick holder will self-center, whereby the plate 41 still will be in a substantially horizontal alignment. This will be further elucidated below. The hole is adapted for receiving a wick therein, in a holding manner. Thus, the hole 42 allows for accommodation of a wick (not shown) . Before use, the wick is inserted through the hole 42, such that at least one part thereof is located outside the bottom side 43 of the wick holder. The part extending from the bottom side 43 of the wick holder may be in contact with the area 14 or the wick fluid accommodated at the position of the area 14. The wick holder 40 may comprise a tube like structure

44 as is indicated in Figs. 4a and 4b. The tube like structure allows for improved stability of the wick when placed in the wick holder, whereby the wick will have improved stability in its intended vertical position during filling of the fuel.

The wick holder may be mounted or attached to a part of at least a number of the ridges. For example, the wick holder may be attached to at least three ridges allowing for increased stability. When attached to the ridges the wick holder is essentially horizontal, and does not lean undesirably. The wick holder may be concentrically aligned to the area 14, or such that the hole 42 of the wick holder is aligned with the area 14. The wick holder may be attached to the parts of the ridges using an adhesive, such as glue.

In an embodiment, the adhesive cover less than half the area of the bottom side 43 of the wick holder, allowing as much wick fuel as possible to flow towards the area 14, without being affected by the adhesive. Moreover, it is important not to cover the hole 42 with glue, since this would obstruct the insertion of the wick .

In an embodiment the area 14 comprises a surface being declined towards a centre point thereof. A liquid, such as heated paraffin comprised in the receptacle, will thus travel towards the centre point of the area 14. A wick may be positioned at or adjacently the centre point of the area 14, e.g. by means of a wick holder. By placing the wick near or at the centre point the wick will be in contact with the liquid as long as there is remaining liquid in the receptacle.

In another embodiment the area 14 comprises a surface being essentially plane. In an embodiment the area 14 is located at the same level as the lowest level of the declined grooves. By providing a height between the bottom of area 14 and the wick holder the wick extending through the wick holder will be exerted to a greater height of liquid wick fluid, thus improving the transporting of wick fluid towards the end of the wick.

In an embodiment the area 14 is located at a lower level than the lowest level of the declined grooves, thus enabling wick fuel to drop into the area 14. In this embodiment are 14 forms an intern separate container.

In an embodiment the receptacle is made of a metallic material, such as aluminium.

In an embodiment the wick holder is made of a metallic material, such as aluminium. In an embodiment, the receptacle is cylindrically shaped.

In an embodiment the bottom portion is approximately 38 mm in diameter. In an embodiment the height of the side wall(s) is approximately 18 mm. In an embodiment the area 14 has an essentially circular shape. The diameter of the area may be approximately 8 mm.

In an embodiment, the vertical distance between the lowest point of the distance means and area 14 is approximately 1 mm.

In an embodiment, the vertical distance between the lowest point of the distance means to the highest point of the ridges is approximately 2 mm.

In an embodiment, the maximum vertical distance between a ridge and a groove is approximately 1 mm. In an embodiment at least one ridge of the number of ridges is declined towards the area 14, such as essentially parallel with an adjacent groove in a vertical plane.

In an embodiment the wick holder is circular shaped with a diameter of more than 13 mm.

In an embodiment, the wick, when placed in the wick holder, may extend at least approximately 1 mm from the bottom side 43 of the wick holder towards the are 14, when the vertical distance between the bottom side 43 of the wick holder and the area 14 is approximately 1 mm.

Accordingly, the extension of the wick may be changed depending on the vertical distance between the bottom side 43 of the wick holder and the area 14. This allows for as much wick fuel as possible to flow towards the area 14, thus avoiding unnecessary excess of remaining wick fuel in the receptacle when the wick is depleted.

In an embodiment a receptacle is provided. The receptacle comprises a body having a bottom portion 11 with at least one ridge 12 having a sloping surface therefrom towards the bottom of the receptacle. The receptacle further comprises an area 14. Moreover, the receptacle is suitable for accommodating a wick fuel. By utilizing a ridge in the bottom portion 11 of the receptacle, the bottom area, i.e. meaning the essentially horizontal bottom area, of the bottom portion 11 is reduced compared to if no ridge were used. Thus by utilizing a ridge in the bottom portion of the receptacle wick fuel located adjacently the ridge will travel downwards towards the bottom of the bottom portion, in use. This increased flow of wick fuel will improve the flow of wick fuel towards the area 14. Hence, in this embodiment there is no need for a groove being declined towards the area 14, since the mere use of a ridge will increase the flow of wick fuel towards bottom of the bottom portion, and thus correspondingly increase the flow of wick fuel towards the area 14. The use of a ridge also allows for improved cooling effect and reduced heat conduction towards the foundation on which the receptacle may be placed. This is due to the fact that on the opposite side of the ridge, i.e. when the receptacle is turned up side down, the ridge forms a recess thus enabling ambient air to flow between the receptacle and the foundation on which it stands in use.

Fig. 5 is an illustration of receptacle according to some embodiments turned up side down. It may be observed that the ridges at the bottom side of the receptacle form recesses or grooves allowing for increased ventilation between the receptacle and the foundation, in use.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Rather, the invention is limited only by the accompanying claims and, other embodiments than the specific above are equally possible within the scope of these appended claims. In the claims, the term "comprises/comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps. Furthermore, although individually listed, a plurality of means, elements or method steps may be implemented by e.g. a single unit or processor. Additionally, although individual features may be included in different claims, these may possibly advantageously be combined, and the inclusion in different claims does not imply that a combination of features is not feasible and/or advantageous. In addition, singular references do not exclude a plurality. The terms "a", "an", "first", "second" etc do not preclude a plurality. Reference signs in the claims are provided merely as a clarifying example and shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims in any way.