Candle wick trimming device

Abstract

A candle wick trimming device including a cutting assembly having first and second elongated members that are pivotably coupled together. A distal portion of the first elongated member has a cavity defined by a floor and a plurality of sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom. One of the sidewalls defining the cavity forms a first cutting edge. A distal portion of the second elongated member closes the cavity when the cutting assembly is in a closed state. The second elongated member also has a second cutting edge at its distal-most end. The first and second cutting edges interact to shear a candle wick to a desired length and force the sheared portion of the candle wick into the cavity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A candle wick trimming device comprising:
 a cutting assembly comprising a first elongated member and a second elongated member that are pivotably coupled together;   a distal portion of the first elongated member comprising a cavity defined by a floor and a plurality of sidewalls extending upwardly from the floor, a first sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls comprising a first cutting edge;   a distal portion of the second elongated member comprising a second cutting edge located at a distal-most end of the second elongated member; and   wherein the first and second elongated members are pivotably coupled together so that the cutting assembly is alterable between: (1) a first state in which the cavity has an open top end; and (2) a second state in which the distal portion of the second elongated member closes the open top end of the cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 1  wherein during pivoting of the first and second elongated members from the first state to the second state, the first and second cutting edges engage one another to shear a portion of a candle wick, and wherein the sheared portion of the candle wick is forced into the cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 1  wherein the first elongated member extends from a proximal end to a distal end and has a first length measured therebetween and the second elongated member extends from a proximal end to a distal end and has a second length measured therebetween, the first length being greater than the second length. 
     
     
         4 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 3  wherein the cutting assembly extends along a longitudinal axis when the first and second elongated members are in the second state, and wherein the distal end of the first elongated member extends beyond the distal end of the second elongated member in a direction of the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         5 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 3  wherein the cutting assembly extends along a longitudinal axis when the first and second elongated members are in the second state, and wherein the first elongated member comprises a longitudinal wall extending from the distal end of the first elongated member to the first sidewall, and wherein the longitudinal wall comprises a wick retaining channel extending from the distal end of the first elongated member to the first sidewall. 
     
     
         6 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 1  wherein the first elongated member has a proximal portion extending from the distal portion of the first elongated member to a proximal end of the first elongated member, and wherein in the second state an outer surface of the proximal portion of the first elongated member and an outer surface of the distal portion of the second elongated member form a continuous and substantially planar first side surface of an outer surface of the cutting assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 6  wherein the second elongated member has a proximal portion extending from the distal portion of the second elongated member to a proximal end of the second elongated member, and wherein in the second state an outer surface of the proximal portion of the second elongated member and an outer surface of the distal portion of the first elongated member form a continuous and substantially planar second side surface of the outer surface of the cutting assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 1  wherein the second cutting edge of the second elongated member is integrally formed with the second elongated member. 
     
     
         9 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of sidewalls comprises the first sidewall, a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall opposite the third sidewall, the third and fourth sidewalls extending between the first and second sidewalls, wherein the third and fourth sidewalls have a first portion adjacent the first sidewall having a first height and a second portion adjacent the second sidewall having a second height, the second height being greater than the first height. 
     
     
         10 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 9  further comprising a recess between the second portions of each of the third and fourth sidewalls and the first sidewall, the recesses spaced apart by a gap, and wherein in the second state the second cutting edge of the distal portion of the second elongated member nests within the gap between the recesses. 
     
     
         11 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 9  wherein each of the plurality of sidewalls terminates in a distal edge, and wherein in the second state an inner surface of the distal portion of the second elongated member covers the distal edge of the second, third, and fourth sidewalls and closes an opening into the cavity while leaving the distal edge of the first sidewall exposed. 
     
     
         12 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 1  wherein in the second state a first portion of the distal-most end of the second elongated member abuts against the first sidewall and a second portion of the distal-most end of the second elongated member extends beyond the first sidewall. 
     
     
         13 . A candle wick trimming device comprising:
 a cutting assembly comprising a first elongated member and a second elongated member that are pivotably coupled together to transition the cutting assembly between a first state and a second state, the cutting assembly extending along a longitudinal axis in the second state;   a distal portion of the first elongated member comprising a cavity having an open top end, the cavity defined by a floor and a plurality of sidewalls extending upwardly from the floor;   a distal portion of the second elongated member comprising an inner surface that closes the cavity of the distal portion of the first elongated member when the first and second elongated members are in the second state; and   wherein the first elongated member terminates at a first distal end and the second elongated member terminates at a second distal end, the first and second distal ends being axially offset from one another.   
     
     
         14 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 13  wherein the first elongated member has a longitudinal wall extending between the first distal end of the first elongated member and the second distal end of the second elongated member when the first and second elongated members are in the second state. 
     
     
         15 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 14 , further comprising a wick retaining channel formed into the longitudinal wall of the first elongated member, the wick retaining channel extending from the first distal end of the first elongated member to a first sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls, the first sidewall comprising a first cutting edge that interacts with a second cutting edge of the distal portion of the second elongated member to shear a candle wick when the cutting assembly is transitioned from the first state to the second state. 
     
     
         16 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 13  wherein the first elongated member extends from a first proximal end to the first distal end and has a first length and wherein the second elongated member extends from a second proximal end to the second distal end and has a second length, the first length being greater than the second length. 
     
     
         17 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 16  further comprising a first handle coupled to the proximal end of the first elongated member and a second handle coupled to the proximal end of the second elongated member. 
     
     
         18 . A candle wick trimming device comprising:
 a cutting assembly having an outer surface comprising a front surface, a rear surface, and first and second side surfaces extending between the front and rear surfaces;   the cutting assembly comprising a first elongated member and a second elongated member that are pivotably coupled together, the cutting assembly alterable between a first state and a second state via relative pivoting of the first and second elongated members;   a distal portion of the first elongated member comprising a cavity having an open top end that is closed by a distal portion of the second elongated member when the cutting assembly is in the second state;   wherein with the cutting assembly in the second state the first elongated member and the second elongated member each form a portion of both of the first and second side surfaces of the outer surface of the cutting assembly; and   wherein each of the first and second side surfaces of the outer surface of the cutting assembly has a substantially constant width measured between the front and rear surfaces of the cutting assembly.   
     
     
         19 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 18  wherein the cutting assembly extends along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the first elongated member terminates at a first distal end and the second elongated member terminates at a second distal end, the first and second distal ends being axially offset from one another. 
     
     
         20 . The candle wick trimming device of  claim 18  wherein the cavity of the distal portion of the first elongated member is defined by a floor and a plurality of sidewalls extending from the floor, a first sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls forming a first cutting edge, and wherein a distal-most end of the second elongated member forms a second cutting edge that interacts with the first cutting edge to shear a candle wick.