AU749422B2

AU749422B2 - A candlewax collecting device

Info

Publication number: AU749422B2
Application number: AU63741/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Stella Manoliadis; Maria Zoumis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Manoliadis Stella
Priority date: 1998-04-30
Filing date: 1998-04-30
Publication date: 2002-06-27
Anticipated expiration: 2018-04-30
Also published as: AU6374198A

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

0 0 0 *0 0**0 00 ~0 Name of Applicants: 0*00 0 kobo 0* 0 0 Actual Inventors: Address for Service: Invention Title: STELLA MANOLIADIS of 54 Park Lane, Mt. Waverley, Victoria 3149, Australia MARIA ZOUMIS of 19 Glencannon Cresccnt, Claytoni, Vietoria 3168, Austr~i i*efO C*ai0 roe i, -o -3 k '01 MANOLIADIS, Stella ZOUMIS, Maria DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia A Candlewax Collecting Device The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: Q:\OPER\GCP\MANOLIAD.C 30/4f98 P:\OPER\GCP\MANOLIAD.CAP 30/4/98 -2- A CANDLEWAX COLLECTING DEVICE The present invention relates to a candlewax collecting device.

An object of the invention is to provide a candlewax collecting device which can be coupled to the shaft of a candlestick so that candlewax which tends to run down the shaft of the candle in use will be collected in the device. This avoids fouling of surfaces which would 10 otherwise have candlewax deposited thereon. Preferred embodiments also provide for windscreen and decorative appearance.

In the preferred form of the invention, the device can be mounted adjacent to the top of the candle so that sidewalls of the device provide a wind shield for the flame of the candle.

According to the present invention there is provided a candlewax collecting device including a cup shaped body having at least one sidewall and a base and having a hole in the base, a flexible film extending across the base, said film having an opening therein which is aligned with said hole, the arrangement being such that, in use, a candle can be pushed through the opening and hole whereby the film sealingly engages the candle to thereby collect candlewax therefrom in said cup shaped body.

Preferably, the film is adhered to the base.

Preferably, the film is adhered to the underside of the base.

Preferably further, the hole and the opening are circular and are concentric with one another.

P:\OPER\GCP\MANOLIAD.CAP 30/4/98 -3- Preferably further, the hole in the base is in the range 20mm to 25mm and the opening is in the range 5mm to The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-section through the cup shaped body of the device of the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through the device of the invention; Figure 3 is a plan view of the device of the invention; and 10 Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the use of the invention.

The candlewax collecting device 2 of the invention is diagrammatically shown in Figures 1 to 4. It comprises a cup shaped body 4 having a sidewall 6 and base 8. The base 8 is provided with a central hole 10. Extending upwardly from the central hole 10 is a short 15 frustoconical flange 12. The device optionally includes six resilient fingers 14 which are generally contiguous with the flange 12, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

The body 4 is preferably injection moulded from plastics material such as polypropylene. It is preferred that the body has a wall thickness of less than about 1mm so 20 that it is not too heavy. It is also preferred that the plastics material is translucent and preferably coloured.

The device further includes a self-adhesive, flexible film 16 mounted to the underside of the base 8, as shown in Figure 2. It is preferred that the film 16 is circular and is provided with a central opening 18 which is concentric with the central hole 10 in the body. The film 16 is preferably transparent and is made from relatively stiff material. It has been found that polyethylene film having a thickness in the range 80 to 150 microns and preferably 120 microns is suitable.

In use of the device of the invention, the base 8 of the device is located above a candle P:\OPER\GCP\MANOLIAD.CAP 30/4/98 -4and the candle is pushed through the opening 18 and the central hole 10 so that the top of the candle 20 is located within the sidewalls 6 of the body, as shown in Figure 4. The opening 18 may have any size or shape to make it suitable to receive and engage the shaft of the candle.

When the candle 20 is pressed through the opening 18, the film 16 will be stretched so that the expanded opening 18 will snugly engage and seal against the shaft of the candle.

This sealing engagement of the film 16 prevents candlewax 22 from flowing through the hole 10 in the base 8 so that the candlewax is collected in the interior of the body 4. Where the 10 film 16 is composed of relatively stiff material, this will have sufficient mechanical purchase T on the shaft of the candle in order to support the device on the candle, in the position as shown in Figure 4. It is preferred, however, that the fingers 14 are provided so as to resiliently engage the shaft of the candle to further assist in maintaining the device in position.

15 If the candle is to be used in windy conditions, it can be arranged so that the flame 24 of the candle can be located substantially entirely within the sidewall 6 of the device so that the candle is less likely to be blown out. Further, where the plastics material of the body 4 is coloured, the flame within will produce a brightly coloured luminous sidewall which has an attractive appearance, particularly at night. The top edge 26 of the sidewall 6 can be 20 formed with a decorative appearance such as with scallops or the like.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the sidewalls 6 have an upper diameter of about 75mm and the base 8 has an outer diameter of about 50mm. The hole 10 has a diameter in the range 10mm to 25mm. Preferably the inner diameter of the flange 12 is 20mm. Preferably the fingers 14 are about 15mm long. Preferably the weight of the cup shaped body 4 is less than l0gms and most preferably about 7 or 8gms. Preferably further, the diameter of the opening 18 is in the range 5mm to 15mm and most preferably Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A candlewax collecting device including a cup shaped body having at least one sidewall and a base and having a hole in the base, a flexible film extending across the base, said film having an opening therein which is aligned with said hole, the arrangement being such that, in use, a candle can be pushed through the opening and hole whereby the film sealingly engages the candle to thereby collect candlewax therefrom in said cup shaped body.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said film is adhered to said base.

3. base. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the film is adhered to the underside of the *go *o 15 4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hole and opening are circular.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim including a plurality of resilient fingers which engage, in use, the candle and wherein the fingers project from points adjacent to the periphery of said hole.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the fingers are inclined towards one another.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the fingers are inclined upwardly relative to 25 the base.

8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the hole has a diameter in the range 20mm to

9. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the opening has a diameter in the range 5mm to I. A device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the opening has a diameter of about Q:\OPER\GCP\6374Ic.doc-19/04/02 -6-

11. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the film has a thickness in the range 80 to 150 microns.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the thickness is 120 microns.

13. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the cup shaped body is integrally moulded from plastics material.

14. A device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the plastics material comprises polypropylene. A device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the wall thickness of the body is less than 1mm. 15 16. A device as claimed in claim 13 or 14 wherein the weight of the cup shaped body is .less than 0

17. A device as claimed in claim 16 wherein the weight of the cup shaped body is about 7 or 8gms.

18. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sidewalls taper outwardly from the base.

19. A device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the plastics material is translucent. A candlewax collecting device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 19th day of April, 2002 STELLA MANOLIADIS and MARIA ZOUMIS AQ y their Patent Attorneys SVIES COLLISON CAVE