Candlestand

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

0001This invention relates to a candlestand installed before God or Buddha.

0002When visiting shrines or temples, or during Buddhist services or rituals, it is an ordinary practice to offer light by standing lighted candles on a candlestand installed before the altar.

0003As such a candlestand, there is known one in which a plurality of pins are provided at intervals on shelves or one in which a single pin is provided on a stand.

0004In such a candlestand, molten wax produced when a candle erected on a pin burns sticks to the outer periphery of the pin. The wax stuck may grow every time a light is offered, so that it becomes impossible to stand a candle. Also, the wax makes it impossible to stably support a candle, and there is a fear that a lighted candle may fall and start a fire if a light is offered indoors.

0005Such molten wax can be removed relatively easily while the pin is not oxidized and corroded. But when the pin is corroded, sticking force of the molten wax to the pin is so strong that it cannot be removed easily.

0006An object of this invention is to provide a candlestand in which a candle can be always stably and reliably stood and can be safely and reliably put out spontaneously by preventing molten wax from sticking to the pin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

0007According to this invention, there is provided a candlestand comprising a plurality of shelves, a water dish on the each shelf for containing water, each water dish having a bottom plate, and a pin mounted on the bottom plate of the water dish for supporting a candle.

0008In the candlestand having this structure, water is stored in the water dishes to such an extent that the pins are almost immersed therein. In such a state, when a lighted candle is stood on a pin, the candle will gradually shorten by burning, and when the flame reaches the surface of the water, the candle will be spontaneously put out by the water. Otherwise, by water absorption due to capillary action of the candlewick, the flame is spontaneously put out. After putting out, the candle end remains on the pin.

0009Until the candle spontaneously goes out, molten wax produced by burning flows down the outer periphery of the candle. Until the flame spontaneously goes out, the pin is covered by the candle, so that molten wax will never stick to the surface of the pin.

0010Thus, by removing the candle end remaining on the pin, the pin appears with no molten wax stuck. Thus the pin can reliably and stably hold the next candle.

0011The water dishes may be cup-shaped ones supported on each shelf at intervals, or may be one having such a length as to extend the entire length of each shelf. In the latter case, a plurality of pins are provided on the water dish at longitudinal intervals.

0012According to the present invention, there is also provided a candlestand comprising a support stand, a water dish mounted on the support stand for containing water, the water dish having a pin for supporting a candle so that the bottom of a candle supported on the pin will be immersed in the water in the water dish.

0013In this candlestand, too, it is possible to safely and reliably put out a lighted candle spontaneously with the water stored in each water dish, and to reliably prevent molten wax from sticking to the outer periphery of the pin. Thus, it is possible to always stably support a lighted candle and thus to prevent a fire due to the fall of a candle.

0014According to the invention, there is also provided a candlestand comprising a support formed with a recess for storing water, and a pin stand placed on a support portion provided in the recess so as to be taken out through an open top of the recess, the pin stand having a pin for supporting a candle so that the bottom of a candle stood on the pin will be immersed in the water in the recess.

0015In this arrangement, too, it is possible to safely and reliably put out a lighted candle spontaneously with the water stored in the recess. Since the pin stand is detachable, it is possible to easily wash the support and the pin stand.

0016In the candlestand according to this invention, between the support and the pin stand, a temporary locking mechanism for temporarily locking the pin stand placed on the support portion is provided. Thus it is possible to prevent an accident that when the water is drained by inclining the support, the pin stand comes off and falls, so that someone is stuck with the pin on the pin stand and hurt.

0017The temporary locking mechanism may be structured such that a pin hole opening at the outer periphery is formed, an engaging element having a rounded tip and received in the pin stand, the rounded tip received in a pin hole formed in the outer periphery of the pin stand, a spring for biasing the engaging element in such a direction as to protrude from the pin hole, and an annular groove formed in the inner periphery of the support to receive the tip of the engaging element.

0018Otherwise, a permanent magnet may be mounted to one of the bottom surface of the pin stand and the opposed surface of the support portion and a magnetic member may be provided on the other so as to magnetically attracted toward each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0019Other features and objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the candlestand according to this invention;</li><li>Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional side view of the same;</li><li>Fig. 3A is a sectional view showing a candle in a lighted state;</li><li>Fig. 3B is a sectional view showing the candle in an extinguished state;</li><li>Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing another example of a shelf and water dishes of the candlestand;</li><li>Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional front view showing a second embodiment of the candlestand according to this invention;</li><li>Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional front view showing a third embodiment;</li><li>Fig. 7A is a partial enlarged sectional view of the candlestand of Fig. 6; and</li><li>Fig. 7B is a sectional view along line VII-VII of Fig. 7A.</li></ul>

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

0020Hereinbelow, the embodiments of this invention will be described based on the drawings. Figs. 1-3 show the first embodiment of the candlestand according to this invention. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a holder 1 has a pair of side frames 2. Each side frame 2 includes a supporting crosspiece 3 inclined downwardly. A plurality of shelves 4 are provided in tiers between the right and left supporting crosspieces 3.

0021On each shelf 4, a water dish 5 is mounted. The water dishes 5 have substantially the same length as the shelves 4.

0022The water dish 5 may be detachably supported on the shelf 4, or may be fixed to it. If they are fixed to the shelves 4, a drain hole that can be closed by a plug is preferably formed in the bottom of each water dish 5 so that water stored therein can be drained through the drain hole.

0023As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a pin plate 6 having such a length as to extend from one end of each dish 5 to the other end is detachably placed in each water dish 5. A plurality of pins 7 which taper in the longitudinal direction toward their tips are provided at intervals on the top surface of each pin plate 6.

0024The candlestand of the first embodiment is structured as described above. Before lighting candles, water is put in the water dishes 5 to such a level that the pins 7 are almost underwater.

0025A lighted candle A stood on the pin 7 gradually shortens as it burns, and when its length becomes short enough to reach the surface of the water, the flame of the candle A is spontaneously put out by the water. Otherwise, during burning of the candle, the candlewick absorbs water in the water dish 5 due to capillary action and gets wet, so that the flame will go out spontaneously.

0026Until the candle A spontaneously goes out, molten wax produced due to burning flows down the outer periphery of the candle, while the pin 7 is covered by the candle until it goes out spontaneously. Thus, molten wax will never stick to the surface of the pin 7.

0027When the flame of the candles A goes out spontaneously, as shown in Fig. 3B, a candle end B substantially retaining the original shape remains on the pin 7. By removing the candle end e.g. with fingers, the pin 7 appears with no wax stuck. Thus, it can hold the next candle reliably.

0028In the first embodiment shown in Figs. 1-3, on each shelf 4, which comprises a pipe, a water dish 5 extending over the entire length of the shelf 4 is mounted. But the shelves 4 and the water dishes 5 are not restricted thereto. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the shelves 4 may be in the form of flat bars and cup-shaped water dishes 5' may be mounted on each shelf 4 at intervals. In this case, a pin 7 is provided in each water dish 5'.

0029The pins 7 may be directly fixed to the bottoms of the water dishes 5 or 5' e.g. by brazing.

0030Fig. 5 shows the second embodiment of the candlestand according to this invention. This embodiment is a candlestand to be placed e.g. in a household Buddhist altar. A water dish 11 is mounted on a support stand 10. A pin 12 for supporting a candle A is provided in the water dish 11. The dish 11 may be placed on the support stand 10 or may be integral with it.

0031In the candlestand having this structure, too, water is put in the water dish 11 so that the bottom end of a lighted candle stood on the pin 12 is immersed in the water and the flame of the candle will be spontaneously put out by the water.

0032With this candlestand, too, it is possible to prevent molten wax from sticking to the outer periphery of the pin 12, stably support the candle, and reliably prevent breakout of a fire due to the fall of the candle.

0033Figs. 6 and 7 show the third embodiment of the candlestand according to this invention. As shown, an open-topped recess 21 is formed in the top of a support 20. The recess 21 is a stepped tapered hole. A pin stand 23 is placed on a step 22 as a support.

0034The outer periphery of the pin stand 23 is a tapered surface complementary to the inner surface of the support 20. On its top surface, a pin 24 for supporting a candle A is provided.

0035Between the support 20 and the pin stand 23, a temporary locking mechanism 25 for temporarily locking the pin stand 23 placed on the step 22 is provided.

0036The temporary locking mechanism 25 comprises a recess 26 in the pin stand 23 at its bottom surface, and a pair of pin holes 27 extending through the pin stand 23 from opposed positions of its outer peripheral surface to the recess 26. A flanged engaging element 28 having its tip rounded is mounted in each pin hole 27. Between the pair of engaging elements 28, a spring 29 biasing the respective engaging elements 28 in such directions as to protrude from the pin holes 27 outwardly is provided to temporarily lock the pin stand 23 by holding the engaging elements 28 in an annular groove 30 formed in the inner periphery of the support 20.

0037In the candlestand having such a structure, too, water is stored in the recess 21 so that the bottom end of a lighted candle A stood on the pin 24 is immersed in the water. Thus, the water spontaneously puts out the flame of the candle A and prevents molten wax from sticking to the outer periphery of the pin 24.

0038As shown in the third embodiment, by providing the temporary locking mechanism 25 for temporarily locking the pin stand 23 placed on the step 22, it is possible to prevent an accident that when the water is drained by inclining the support 20, the pin stand 23 comes off and falls, so that someone is stuck and hurt with the pin 24 on the pin stand 23.

0039When the pin stand 23 is raised, engagement between the engaging elements 28 and the groove 30 is released, so that it is possible to take out the pin stand 23 upwardly. Thus, it is possible to easily wash the support 20 and the pin stand 23.

0040In the third embodiment, the step 22 on the inner periphery of the recess 21 is the support portion. But the recess 21 may have a truncated conical shape so that its bottom serves as the support portion.

0041As described above, according to this invention, a lighted candle stood on the pin can be safely and reliably put out spontaneously by the water in the water dishes or the recess. Until it is spontaneously put out, the pin is covered by the candle, so that it is possible to substantially perfectly prevent molten wax produced by the burning of the candle from sticking to the surface of the pin. Thus, by removing the candle end remaining on the pin, the pin appears with no molten wax attaching, so that it is always possible to stably and reliably support the candle. Thus, it is possible to prevent breakout of a fire due to the fall of a lighted candle.