Candleholder with a melting plate alignment feature

Abstract

A candleholder for a fuel element, such as a votive candle, includes a melting plate carried by a base portion. The melting plate is generally dish-shaped and disposed within a generally complementarily shaped recess in a top end of the base portion. An alignment mechanism including an inner peripheral step protruding into the recess and a complementary ledge in a bottom surface of the melting plate helps ensure that the melting plate is disposed at a predetermined position in the recess. The ledge rests on the peripheral step with an adhesive disposed therebetween when the melting plate is in the predetermined position. A ring protrusion from the base portion is disposed under a cavity defined under a capillary lobe in the melting plate. The ring protrusion helps retain a magnet in a predetermined location in the cavity and may also serve as part of the alignment mechanism. The magnet may be used to help retain a ferro-magnetic wick holder of the votive candle on the capillary lobe.

1 . A candleholder for carrying a fuel element thereon, the candleholder comprising: 
 a base portion including a sidewall defining a recess at a top end of the base portion and a shoulder spaced from the top end projecting from the wall within the recess; and    a melting plate disposed within the recess and adapted to retain the fuel element, the melting plate having a peripheral edge and a ledge spaced from the peripheral edge defined in a bottom surface of the plate, wherein the ledge engages the shoulder.    
   
   
       2 . The candleholder of  claim 1  further comprising a medial wall spaced from the top end, the recess defined by the sidewall and the medial wall, the medial wall defining a bottom of the recess.  
   
   
       3 . The candleholder of  claim 2 , wherein the melting plate is spaced from the medial wall.  
   
   
       4 . The candleholder of  claim 2  further comprising a retainer projecting from the medial wall into the recess; and 
 a cavity defined in the bottom surface of the melting plate, wherein the retainer is disposed inside the cavity.    
   
   
       5 . The candleholder of  claim 4 , wherein the retainer at least partly surrounds a magnet disposed in the cavity.  
   
   
       6 . The candleholder of  claim 5 , wherein the retainer comprises a circular, ring-shaped protrusion.  
   
   
       7 . The candleholder of  claim 6 , wherein the retainer is spaced from the bottom surface of the melting plate.  
   
   
       8 . The candleholder of  claim 1 , wherein the melting plate has a substantially non-circular peripheral footprint.  
   
   
       9 . The candleholder of  claim 8 , wherein the ledge extends entirely around a central portion of the melting plate.  
   
   
       10 . The candleholder of  claim 9 , wherein the sidewall extends entirely around the recess, and the shoulder extends entirely around the recess.  
   
   
       11 . The candleholder of  claim 1 , wherein the ledge is disposed in an upturned peripheral portion.  
   
   
       12 . The candleholder of  claim 1  further comprising an adhesive disposed between the ledge and the shoulder.  
   
   
       13 . The candleholder of  claim 12 , wherein the adhesive forms a seal between the melting plate and the base portion, the seal extending completely around the melting plate.  
   
   
       14 . A candleholder comprising: 
 a base portion including a recess in an upper end thereof, the recess defined by a peripheral inner wall surface and a bottom wall surface, a shoulder protruding from the peripheral inner wall surface, and a ring protruding from the bottom wall surface; and    a melting plate including a bottom central wall portion surrounded by an upturned peripheral wall portion, a ledge defined in a bottom surface of the upturned peripheral wall portion, the ledge spaced from a peripheral edge of the melting plate, and a cavity defined in the bottom surface of the central wall portion;    wherein the melting plate is disposed in the recess with the ledge disposed on the shoulder and the ring disposed inside the cavity.    
   
   
       15 . The candleholder of  claim 14 , wherein the central wall portion of the melting plate is spaced above the bottom wall surface of the base.  
   
   
       16 . The candleholder of  claim 15 , wherein the ring is spaced from the bottom surface of the central wall portion.  
   
   
       17 . The candleholder of  claim 14 , wherein the cavity is at least partly defined by a capillary lobe, and a magnet is disposed within the cavity and surrounded at least partly by the ring.  
   
   
       18 . A candleholder comprising: 
 a base portion having a recess for supporting a concave melting plate therein; and    an alignment mechanism to align the melting plate in the recess in a pre-selected spaced relationship to a portion of the base portion.    
   
   
       19 . The candleholder of  claim 18 , wherein the alignment mechanism includes at least one of a ledge extending at least partly around an upturned peripheral portion of the melting plate and a shoulder projecting from a wall portion into the recess.  
   
   
       20 . The candleholder of  claim 19 , wherein the ledge is disposed on the shoulder and a bottom portion of the melting plate is spaced above a bottom surface of the recess in a substantially level position when the candleholder is disposed in an operative position.