Patterned candle wick

Abstract

A substantially planar wick is formed with a two- or three-dimensional pattern. The contours of this pattern are determined by the desired flame characteristics or the desired visual aesthetics of the pattern itself.

I/we claim: 
     
         1 . A wick comprising wick material, wherein the entire wick material has the ability to transport fuel to a candle flame to be burned, wherein the wick material has a pattern that is formed along a width, a length, and a thickness of the wick material, wherein the pattern is configured to provide predetermined flame burn characteristics, wherein the pattern is formed in the wick by one or more of cutting, punching, perforating, and molding. 
     
     
         2 . The wick of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern is formed by laser cutting. 
     
     
         3 . The wick of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern is two-dimensional such that the pattern is the same through the thickness of the wick. 
     
     
         4 . The wick of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern is three-dimensional such that the pattern varies through the thickness of the wick. 
     
     
         5 . The wick of  claim 1 , wherein the wick is planar. 
     
     
         6 . The wick of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern repeats across the width and the length of the wick. 
     
     
         7 . The wick of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern varies along the width and the length of the wick. 
     
     
         8 . The wick of  claim 1 , wherein the wick material is selected from the group consisting of paper, wood, textiles, or any combination therein. 
     
     
         9 . A candle comprising a wick according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . A candle according to  claim 9  further comprising a fuel that is translucent. 
     
     
         11 . A candle according to  claim 9  further comprising a fuel that is transparent. 
     
     
         12 . A wick comprising wick material, wherein the entire wick material has the ability to transport fuel to a candle flame to be burned, wherein the wick material has a pattern that is formed along a width, a length, and a thickness of the wick material, wherein the pattern is configured to provide predetermined flame burn characteristics, wherein the pattern comprises a plurality of cut-outs, wherein each cut-out of the plurality of cut-outs extends entirely through the thickness of the wick. 
     
     
         13 . The wick of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of cut-outs are laterally aligned along the width of the wick. 
     
     
         14 . The wick of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of cut-outs are longitudinally aligned along the length of the wick. 
     
     
         15 . A method of controlling flame burn characteristics of a wick, wherein the wick comprises a wick material having the ability to transport fuel to a candle flame to be burned, wherein the method comprises forming a pattern along a width, a length, and a thickness of the wick material by one or more of cutting, punching, perforating, and molding to provide predetermined flame burn characteristics. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein forming the pattern comprises repeating the pattern across the width of the wick material to provide a flame with the same flame burn characteristics across the width of the wick material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein forming the pattern comprises varying the pattern across the width of the wick material to provide a flame with different flame burn characteristics across the width of the wick material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein forming the pattern comprises repeating the pattern across the length of the wick material to provide a flame with the same flame burn characteristics across the length of the wick material. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein forming the pattern comprises varying the pattern across the length of the wick material to provide a flame with different flame burn characteristics across the length of the wick material. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the width of the wick material is larger than the thickness of the wick material.