Decorative oil lamp with candle support template

Abstract

An oil lamp is disclosed which includes a container defining an interior chamber for holding a combustible liquid, and a template adapted to float on combustible liquid held within the interior chamber of the container, and configured to support a plurality of elongated oil candles in a substantially upright position within the container in a decorative or ornamental arrangement.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The subject application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/697,422 filed Jul. 8, 2005, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The subject invention is related to oil lamps, and more particularly, to an oil lamp that includes a support template for arranging a plurality of oil candles in a decorative manner.

2. Description of the Related Art

Oil lamps have long been used for decorative illumination and aromatic purposes. Such lamps typically include a body defining a chamber to hold a reservoir of combustible liquid and a wick to draw up the liquid through capillary action. Some lamps incorporate a fragrance into the fuel oil, while others provide for a separate fragrant emitting portion.

Conventionally, oil lamps comprise a glass bottle, at the neck of which is inserted an oil burner head which holds a wick. The oil burner head may include a mechanism to adjust the length of the wick and thus the intensity of the flame, or may include a mechanism to hold the wick in place at a predetermined length without requiring adjustment.

One particular decorative oil lamp called the Blindkilde lamp, which is manufactured by a company from Denmark by the name of byNO, includes a rectangular shaped glass enclosure for oil and a plurality of elongated stainless steel oil candles or straws, each having a separate adjustable wick running therethrough that are positioned within the glass enclosure for use. The manner in which these candles or straws are positioned for use is relatively limited however, due to the shape of the rectangular glass enclosure.

It would be beneficial therefore and it is the intent of the inventor of the subject disclosure, to provide an enclosure or support fixture with a configurable floating matrix for positioning the type of elongated stainless steel oil candles or straws found in the Blindkilde lamp, in a more decorative or dynamic presentation.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The subject invention is directed to a new and useful oil lamp that includes, among other things, an open container defining an interior chamber for holding a combustible liquid, a floating matrix template having a plurality of oil candle reception apertures formed therein, wherein the matrix template is formed from a buoyant material and is adapted to float upon or near the surface of the combustible liquid held within the interior chamber of the open container, and a plurality of elongated oil candles, each of which is adapted and configured for reception within a corresponding oil candle reception aperture, wherein the oil candles may be arranged in a particular pattern with respect to the apertures formed in the matrix template to achieve a desirable decorative effect.

The subject invention is also directed to a method of preparing an oil lamp which includes the steps of providing a container defining an interior chamber, filling the interior chamber of the container with a combustible liquid, positioning or otherwise floating a candle support template on the surface of the combustible liquid, and supporting candles within candle reception apertures of the candle support template. Preferably, the method further comprises the step of providing the candle support template with a plurality of candle reception apertures, and the step of supporting oil candles in the candle support template includes the step of positioning oil candles within candle reception apertures of the candle support template.

These and other aspects of the subject invention will become more readily apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that those skilled in the art to which the subject invention appertains will readily understand how to make and use the apparatus of subject invention without undue experimentation, preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail hereinbelow with reference to certain figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, in partial cross-section, of an oil lamp constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the subject invention, illustrating a container defining an oil chamber with a floating candle matrix template having a plurality of oil candles positioned therein; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a matrix template for the oil lamp of FIG. 1, configured to support a plurality of oil candles in a decorative or dynamic arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar aspects or features of the oil lamp of the subject invention, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 an exemplary embodiment of the oil lamp contemplated by the inventor of the subject application which is designated generally by reference numeral 16, and which includes, among other things, a floating candle matrix template 20 for positioning a plurality of elongated oil candles 30 in a decorative or dynamic arrangement.

The oil lamp 10 of the subject invention includes a container 12 defining an interior oil chamber 14 for holding a combustible liquid or fuel oil, such as, for example, mineral oil. Here, for exemplary purposes only, the container 12 is depicted as having a generally rectangular box-like configuration. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate however, that the subject disclosure is not limited to a container having such a configuration. Indeed, it is envisioned and well within the scope of the subject disclosure that the container 12 could take form in any geometric shape, alpha-numeric shape or other decorative shape. Without limitation, such shapes could include an arc, circle, square, triangle, rectangle, oval, heart, diamond, or wreath, as viewed from a side, from above, or from below.

Container 12 can be formed from various materials including plastic, metal, glass, resin, or ceramic. Exemplary plastics include, without limitation, durable plastics such as, for example, PVC. Exemplary metals include, without limitation, brass, aluminum, steel, copper, and platinum.

The matrix template 20 is adapted and configured so that it floats stably on the combustible liquid held within the oil chamber of container 12 and supports at least one oil candle 30 in a substantially vertical. The matrix template 20 is preferably made of a material that provides the buoyancy necessary to float at the surface of the combustible liquid. Accordingly, the matrix 20 may be made of any material of a density that allows the structure to float at the surface of the combustible liquid employed in the oil lamp. The material from which the matrix 20 is formed must be sufficiently rigid to float on the combustible liquid, but also to stably support the oil candle(s) in a substantially vertical position. Likewise, the cross-sectional width of the matrix must be large enough to stably support the oil candles(s) in a substantially vertical position. The matrix 20 may by transparent or colored.

The matrix 20 preferably has a plurality of reception ports or candle holes 22, arranged in a matrix pattern (i.e., a series of rows and columns), each for accommodating an elongated oil candle 30. The shape of the ports 22 is preferably of the same or similar cross-sectional shape as the oil candles 30. Thus, where a candle 30 has a square cross-section, the shape of the port 22 will also be square. The shape of ports 22 can be, without limitation, arcuate, circular, square, triangular, rectangular, oval, heart-shaped or diamond-shaped. The candles 30 are preferably supported within the ports 22 of the template 20 in such a manner so that the bottom end of each candle remains adjacent to the bottom surface of the container 12. Alternatively, the candles 30 could rest on the bottom surface of the container 12.

The number of the shaped ports 22 in matrix template 20 can also vary. If more than one port 22 is present in the matrix template 20, the ports may be the same shape or they may differ from one another in shape and/or size. In another embodiment of the invention, the holes or ports 22 may, themselves, be arranged in a particular pattern, to achieve a certain lighting or ornamental affect. For example, the ports 22 may be arranged to form a religious candelabra such as, for example, a menorah or the like.

The floating matrix template 20 is preferably the shape of the cross-section of the container 12 and is of a size that allows it to be readily placed in and retrieved from the oil chamber 14 of the container 12. In one embodiment, the floating matrix 20 is coextensive with the oil chamber 14, so that a minimal surface area of the combustible liquid is exposed to air. In another embodiment, the floating matrix takes up only part of the overall surface area of the oil chamber 14. It is also envisioned and well within the scope of the subject disclosure that the template 20 can be fixedly positioned within the interior chamber 14 of the container 12, above the surface of the combustible liquid.

As noted above, the shape of the ports 22 in the matrix template 20 complement the shape of the oil candles 30. Thus, the oil candles 30 can be, without limitation, arcuate, circular, square, triangular, rectangular, oval, heart-shaped or diamond-shaped. The elongated oil candles 30 are preferably formed from stainless steel tubing or a similar metallic material and each includes a wick that occupies the interior lumen of the candle. The wick operates by capillary action, as is conventional, and may be adjusted to enhance or diminish the flame. In any case, the oil candle 30 should be of a length that is sufficient to extend from the bottom surface of the combustible liquid chamber 14, through the template 20 to a height that is safely above the open end of container 12. It is envisioned that oil candles of different length can be used in the oil lamp 10 to achieve a desirable and aesthetically pleasing arrangement.

Although the oil lamp of the subject invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes or modification may be made thereto with departing from the spirit or scope of the subject invention as defined by the appending claims.

Claims

1. An oil lamp comprising:

a) a container defining an interior chamber for holding a combustible liquid; and

b) a template adapted to float on combustible liquid held within the interior chamber of the container, and configured to support a plurality of elongated oil candles in a substantially upright position within the container.

2. An oil lamp as recited in claim 1, wherein the container is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, metal, glass, resin and ceramic.

3. An oil lamp as recited in claim 1, wherein the template is formed from a material that provides buoyancy necessary to float at the surface of the combustible liquid.

4. An oil lamp as recited in claim 1, wherein the template includes a plurality of candle reception apertures.

5. An oil lamp as recited in claim 4, wherein the candle reception apertures are arranged in a matrix pattern.

6. An oil lamp as recited in claim 4, wherein the candle reception apertures in the template have a geometry that is substantially similar to a cross-sectional geometry of the oil candles.

7. An oil lamp as recited in claim 1, wherein the candle reception apertures in the template are arranged in a geometric pattern.

8. An oil lamp as recited in claim 1, wherein the template and the container have substantially similar geometric configurations.

9. An oil lamp as recited in claim 1, wherein the template is coextensive with the interior chamber of the container.

10. An oil lamp as recited in claim 1, wherein the template encompasses a portion of the surface area of the interior chamber of the container.

11. An oil lamp as recited in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of elongated oil candles.

12. An oil lamp as recited in claim 11, wherein the elongated oil candles are formed from metallic tubing and a wick occupies an interior lumen of each oil candle.

13. An oil lamp comprising:

a) a container defining an interior chamber for holding a combustible liquid;

b) a buoyant template adapted to float upon the surface of combustible liquid held within the interior chamber of the container and including a plurality of candle reception apertures; and

c) a plurality of elongated oil candles configured for reception within the candle reception apertures of the template.

14. An oil lamp as recited in claim 13, wherein the candle reception apertures are arranged in a matrix pattern.

15. An oil lamp as recited in claim 13, wherein the elongated oil candles are formed from metallic tubing and a wick occupies an interior lumen of each oil candle.

16. A method of preparing an oil lamp comprising the steps of:

a) providing a container defining an interior chamber;

b) filling the interior chamber of the container with a combustible liquid;

c) positioning a candle support template above the surface of combustible liquid; and

d) supporting oil candles in candle support template.

17. A method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of providing the candle support template with a plurality of candle reception apertures.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the step of supporting oil candles in the candle support template includes the step of positioning oil candles within candle reception apertures of the candle support template.

19. A method according to claim 16, wherein the step of positioning a candle support template at the surface of combustible liquid comprises floating the candle support template on the surface of combustible liquid.