Torch with weighted safety snuffer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9951953-B2
Application number	US-201514707942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2015
Priority date	May 8, 2015
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A device includes a flame bowl with a snuffer sleeve situated therein. The snuffer sleeve has a lowered position allowing a wick to burn freely and a raised position wherein the sleeve impedes oxygen flow to the wick, the snuffer sleeve being biased toward the raised position. A shelf extends from the snuffer sleeve to receive a movable weight that rests on the shelf when the flame bowl is upright and the snuffer sleeve is moved to the lowered position. The movable weight retains the snuffer sleeve in the lowered position while the flame bowl remains upright but moves to allow the snuffer sleeve to extend to the raised position when the flame bowl departs from the upright position more than a predetermined amount.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a flame bowl providing a wick holder passing from an upper surface of the flame bowl to a fuel reservoir;
a snuffer with a snuffer sleeve circumscribing at least a portion of the wick holder and being movable between a lowered position, in which a wick extending upwardly from the wick holder is exposed, and a raised position, in which a wick extending upwardly from the wick holder is at least partially shielded by the snuffer sleeve;
a biasing member that biases the snuffer toward the raised position; and
a top plate fixed in a position over the flame bowl such that the snuffer comes into contact with the top plate when in the raised position;
wherein when the flame bowl is in an upright position, the wick holder is retained by gravity in the lowered position; and
wherein when flame bowl departs from the upright position more than a predetermined amount the biasing member extends the snuffer to the raised position.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a detached weight that sits in contact with a snuffer shelf proceeding from the sleeve when the flame bowl is in the upright position and moves away from the shelf allowing the snuffer to extend when the flame bowl departs from the upright position.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the flame bowl is at least partially frustoconical with the wick holder and the snuffer sleeve extending below a lower center portion thereof such that when the flame bowl is upright with the snuffer sleeve in the lowered position, the detached weight will move into contact with a shelf on the snuffer sleeve to retain the snuffer sleeve in the lowered position.

4. The device of claim 3 , further comprising a grate over the flame bowl for preventing loss of the free weight.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the grate fixes a top plate in a position over the flame bowl such that the snuffer comes into contact with the top plate when in the raised position.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a removable flame bowl cap with at least one tab extending downwardly therefrom such that when the flame bowl cap is placed upon the flame bowl the tab forces the snuffer to the lowered position whereupon the detached weight comes into contact with a shelf on the snuffer to retain it in the lowered position when the cap is removed with the flame bowl upright.

7. A device comprising:
a flame bowl having a frustoconical portion surrounding a recess in lower portion thereof;
a wick holder passing through the recess from a fuel reservoir below the flame bowl into the frustoconical portion;
a snuffer with a sleeve that is at least partially within the recess and circumscribing the wick holder, the snuffer having a lowered position where the snuffer sleeve is at or below a level of the wick holder and a raised position where the snuffer sleeve extends at least partially beyond a level of the wick holder;
a spring that biases the snuffer toward the raised position; and
at least one movable weight that retains the snuffer in the lowered position when the flame bowl is substantially upright but moves away from the snuffer allowing it to extend to the raised position when the flame bowl departs from an upright position by more than a predetermined angle.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the snuffer further comprises a weight shelf extending laterally from the snuffer sleeve, the weight shelf bearing the movable weight when the snuffer is in the lowered position and the flame bowl is substantially upright.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the weight shelf circumscribes the snuffer sleeve and substantially matches the slope of the frustoconical portion of the flame bowl.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the movable weight comprises a plurality of spherical weights.

11. The device of claim 7 , wherein the wick holder provides a first upper flange that is surrounded by a second upper flange on the snuffer sleeve when the snuffer sleeve is in the lowered position.

12. The device of claim 11 , further comprising a top plate suspended in a fixed position above the flame bowl by a wire grate that prevents loss of the movable weight, the second upper flange contacting the top plate when the snuffer is in the raised position.

13. The device of claim 12 , further comprising a removable flame bowl cover having at least one downwardly extending tab sized and located to pass through the wire grate and into contact with the second upper flange to press the snuffer into the lowered position when the cover is placed into the flame bowl.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the snuffer provides a shelf that receives the movable weight for retaining the snuffer in the lowered position when the snuffer is pressed into the lowered position by the flame bowl cover and the flame bowl is in an upright orientation.

15. A torch comprising:
a flame bowl providing a wick holder passing from an upper surface of the flame bowl to a fuel reservoir;
a snuffer with a snuffer sleeve circumscribing at least a portion of the wick holder and being movable between a lowered position, in which a wick extending upwardly from the wick holder is exposed, and a raised position, in which a wick extending upwardly from the wick holder is at least partially shielded by the snuffer sleeve; and
a biasing member that biases the snuffer toward the raised position;
wherein when the flame bowl is in an upright position, the wick holder is retained by gravity in the lowered position; and
wherein when flame bowl departs from the upright position more than a predetermined amount, the biasing member extends the snuffer to the raised position in response to an impact between the torch and a surface that supported the torch prior to the flame bowl departing from the upright position.

16. The torch of claim 15 , further comprising a top plate fixed in a position over the flame bowl such that the snuffer comes into contact with the top plate when in the raised position.

17. The torch of claim 16 , further comprising a detached weight that sits in contact with a snuffer shelf proceeding from the sleeve when the flame bowl is in the upright position and moves away from the shelf allowing the snuffer to extend when the flame bowl departs from the upright position in response to the impact of the torch with the surface that supported the torch prior to the flame bowl departing from the upright position.

18. The torch of claim 17 , wherein the flame bowl is at least partially frustoconical with the wick holder and the snuffer sleeve extending below a lower center portion thereof such that when the flame bowl is upright with the snuffer sleeve in the lowered position, the detached weight will move into contact with a shelf on the snuffer sleeve to retain the snuffer sleeve in the lowered position.

19. The torch of claim 18 , further comprising a grate over the flame bowl for preventing loss of the free weight.

Assignees

• Lamplight Farms Inc

Inventors

• Hansen Lars

Classifications

• F21V37/0008

  Fuel containers · CPC title

• F23Q25/00 Primary

  Extinguishing-devices, e.g. for blowing-out or snuffing candle flames (for cigarettes A24F) · CPC title

• F21V37/002

  Wicks · CPC title

• F23D3/26 Primary

  Safety devices thereon · CPC title