Patents by Inventor Chris Kubicek

Chris Kubicek has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20090111066
    Abstract: A wick-holder assembly includes a wick-retention member for retaining a wick thereto and a heat-conductive element extending from a base portion. The heat-conductive element may include materials having different thermal expansion coefficients. The materials may be arranged to interact to cause a portion of the heat-conductive element to move in response to a flame disposed on the wick.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventors: Chris A. Kubicek, Cory J. Nelson
  • Patent number: 7524187
    Abstract: The present invention relates to melting plate candles which employ heat conductive elements to distribute heat from a burning flame at a wick to a support plate for a solid fuel and to the body of said solid fuel, so as to more rapidly liquefy the solid fuel, such as paraffin wax, and to more uniformly and intensely heat such fuels to increase the efficiency of consumption thereof and to more rapidly release volatile materials contained within said fuels. The heat conductive support plate is configured so as to have a capillary pedestal upon the surface thereof, which cooperatively engages a wick holder comprising a preferably consumable wick and heat conductive fins which conduct heat from a flame upon said wick to said support plate, said wick holder further engaging said capillary pedestal in such a locking manner as to resist accidental removal from said pedestal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris A. Kubicek, Cory J. Nelson, Matthew S. Montei, Paul E. Furner
  • Patent number: 7520406
    Abstract: A device for applying controlled unitized doses of a flowable material to a surface is disclosed. The device includes a tubular body and a plunger. The body has a wall defining a cavity, and the body has a first open end and an opposite second end having a dispensing orifice. A flowable material is contained in the cavity of the body. The plunger has an outer sleeve dimensioned for surrounding at least a section the body and an inner pushing structure dimensioned for axial movement in the cavity of the body. The device has means for indexed positioning of the second end of the body and an inner end of the inner pushing structure of the plunger relative to each other to provide controlled unitized doses of the flowable material to a surface when the plunger is moved toward the body by a user's hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Doraiswami Jaichandra, Gerard Michael O'Brien, George Reeves, Michael E. Klinkhammer, Steven A. Zach, Chris A. Kubicek, Nathan R. Westphal
  • Patent number: 7497685
    Abstract: A wick-holder assembly includes a wick-retention member for retaining a wick thereto and a heat-conductive element extending from a base portion. The heat-conductive element may include materials having different thermal expansion coefficients. The materials may be arranged to interact to cause a portion of the heat-conductive element to move in response to a flame disposed on the wick.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris A. Kubicek, Cory J Nelson
  • Publication number: 20080318176
    Abstract: A fuel charge for use with a melting plate candle assembly includes an outer shell of fuel material surrounding an inner core of fuel material having different properties than the fuel material of the outer shell. The outer shell is substantially solid and may contain fuel additive that slows capillary flow of liquid fuel to the flame through the wick. The inner core may include liquid fuel, discrete solid fuel particles, or a solid fuel mass. The fuel additive is disposed in the fuel charge so as to slow migration of liquefied fuel to a flame on a wick only after a substantial portion of the fuel charge has been liquefied by heat from the flame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Inventors: Chris A. Kubicek, Thomas J. Szymczak, Kara L. Lakatos, Padma Prabodh Varanasi, Joel E. Adair
  • Patent number: 7467945
    Abstract: A candle assembly includes a melting plate having a capillary pedestal, a wick holder that fits over the capillary pedestal, a wick that is carried by the wick holder, and a fuel element that fits over the wick and wick holder and rests on the melting plate. The fuel element includes a duct therethrough for receiving the wick holder. The fuel element is adapted to prevent improper insertion of the wick holder into the duct. The duct is adapted to facilitate successful initial ignition and sustained burn of the wick by having a width that is selected to ensure that melted fuel material engages the wick when dripping down the duct. A capillary well disposed between the wick holder and the capillary pedestal may be adapted to promote a successful relight after an initial burn of the candle assembly. A candle holder, such as including the melting plate supported by a base, may be adapted to promote laminar air flow thereacross during a burn in a substantially calm atmospheric environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris A. Kubicek, Cory J. Nelson, Robert G. Gray, Thomas J. Szymczak, Elizabeth J. Jameson, Georgia A. Tenhagen, Paul E. Furner, Ralph Schwarz
  • Patent number: 7442036
    Abstract: A candle assembly includes a support base, a melting plate having a capillary pedestal, a wick holder that fits onto the capillary pedestal, and a fuel element that fits over the wick holder. The wick holder includes a sleeve having first and second open ends. A wick fits into the sleeve and extends between the open ends. The sleeve has a constricted portion, which is disposed between the open ends and has a cross-sectional area less than any other cross-sectional area between the open ends. The constricted portion reduces an effective capillary fluid flow capacity of the wick between the open ends, which may thereby regulate how quickly fuel is consumed when the candle assembly is burning. A capillary well disposed between the wick holder and the capillary pedestal may be adapted to promote a successful relight after an initial burn of the candle assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris A. Kubicek, Cory J. Nelson, Gerald M. Davis, Paul E. Furner
  • Patent number: 7413435
    Abstract: The present invention relates to melting plate candles which employ heat conductive elements to distribute heat from a burning flame at a wick to a support plate for a solid fuel and to the body of said solid fuel, so as to more rapidly liquefy the solid fuel, such as paraffin wax, and to more uniformly and intensely heat such fuels to increase the efficiency of consumption thereof and to more rapidly release volatile materials contained within said fuels. The heat conductive support plate is configured so as to have a capillary pedestal upon the surface thereof, which cooperatively engages a wick holder comprising a preferably consumable wick and heat conductive fins which conduct heat from a flame upon said wick to said support plate. The wick holder also provides capillary fins by which liquified fuel is transported from said support plate to said flame, Said wick holder further engages said capillary pedestal in such a locking manner as to resist accidental removal from said pedestal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Elizabeth J. Jameson, Chris A. Kubicek, Thomas J. Szymczak, Padma Prabodh Varanasi, Joel E. Adair
  • Patent number: D574976
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Mary Beth Adams, Jesse D. Cotterman, Paul E. Furner, Chris A. Kubicek, Romuald Marie
  • Patent number: D575422
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Mary Beth Adams, Jesse D. Cotterman, Paul E. Furner, Chris A. Kubicek, Romuald Marie, Nathan R. Westphal, René Maurice Béland
  • Patent number: D575884
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Mary Beth Adams, Jesse D. Cotterman, Paul E. Furner, Chris A. Kubicek, Romuald Marie, Nathan R. Westphal, René Maurice Béland
  • Patent number: D575885
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Mary Beth Adams, Janet Mrazek, Chris A. Kubicek, Nathan R. Westphal
  • Patent number: D576319
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas W. Binetti, Mary Beth Adams, Chris A. Kubicek, Nathan R. Westphal
  • Patent number: D576750
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Mary Beth Adams, Chris A. Kubicek, Romuald Marie
  • Patent number: D576751
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Mary Beth Adams, Chris A. Kubicek, Romuald Marie
  • Patent number: D576752
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris A. Kubicek, Mary Beth Adams, Romuald Marie, Nathan R. Westphal
  • Patent number: D577136
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris A. Kubicek, Nathan R. Westphal, Mary Beth Adams, Romuald Marie
  • Patent number: D577447
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: S.C.. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris A. Kubicek, Mary Beth Adams, Romuald Marie, Nathan R. Westphal
  • Patent number: D579588
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Mary Beth Adams, Jesse D. Cotterman, Paul E. Furner, Chris A. Kubicek, Romuald Marie, Nathan R. Westphal
  • Patent number: D584430
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul E. Furner, Mary Beth Adams, Chris A. Kubicek, Romuald Marie, Nathan R. Westphal