Patent Publication Number: US-2006007666-A1

Title: Light modifier

Description:
This invention relates to improvements to a light modifier that is used to modify light from a light source. The light modifier is used by photographers and image makers to modify the light that is presented to a subject or an image to create the desired depth of field and shadowing.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Light modifiers have been used in the photography industry for quite some time. A well-known example is light diffusion boxes, which have been used by photographers and others to defuse or soften the lighting on a subject. These diffusion boxes have an outer housing with a light source at one end and a diffusion panel at the other end through which the light from the light source must pass before striking the subject. This type of light modifier has been focused on obtaining a uniform quality to the light that is presented on the subject that is to be photographed. These light boxes can be collapsible in nature or have a fixed outer structure. However, all of these prior light boxes are trying to achieve a uniform distribution of light on the subject that is to be photographed or otherwise captured.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention is directed to a light modifier having a collapsible outer housing with a light source mounted on one end with a panel positioned on the other end of the outer housing in an opposed relationship to the light source. However, the light modifier of the present invention is not directed to achieving a uniform quality for the light produced from the light source. The panel that is placed across the end of the outer housing has a hole or aperture in the center that allows at least some of the light from the light source to pass through the panel without being modified or diffused by the panel. The panel can have several layers and the aperture or hole in the center of the layers can vary in size whereby the light from the light source is modified or diffused at different levels across the face of the panel. It is the intent of the present invention to produce a lighting and shadowing effect on the subject that is similar to the lighting patterns utilized by the old masters in their oil paintings. The lighting patterns that make these paintings unique and desirable vary across the subject that is being painted and produce dramatic characteristics for these paintings.  
      It is an object of the present light modifier to replicate the lighting patterns and characteristics utilized by the old masters in their master piece oil paintings.  
      These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following written description and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the light modifier of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the light modifier;  
       FIG. 3  is a front elevation view of the housing of the light modifier;  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the housing of the light modifier;  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a portion of the housing; and  
       FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 3 .  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      The invention is directed to a light modifier that is used to provide lighting for a subject. More particularly, the light modifier modifies the characteristics of light from a light source to create enhanced depth of lighting on a subject or image that is being photographed, video taped or captured on film. The features of the invention will be more readily understood by referring to the attached drawings in combination with the following description.  
      The light modifier  10  has a collapsible housing  13  that defines a sidewall  17 . The sidewall  17  is usually formed of a four separate panels  19 ,  21 ,  23  and  25  respectively that are joined together to form the sidewall  17  of the collapsible housing  13 . The panels of the sidewall  17  are generally trapezoidal in shape and are made of a fabric material. The fabric panels  19 ,  21 ,  23 , and  25  are assembled to form the sidewall  17  of the housing so that the housing  13  defines a first end  29  and a second end  31 . The panels  19 ,  21 ,  23  and  25  are usually formed of a fabric material having an outer layer  37  and an inner layer  41 . The outer layer  37  of fabric is typically black and is opaque to light that is contained within the housing  13 . The inner layer of fabric is typically reflective in nature and the inner layer  41  of fabric forms the interior of the collapsible housing  13 . A loop or passageway  45  is formed in the inner layer  41  of fabric along at least a portion of the edges where the panels  19 ,  21 ,  23  and  25  are joined together to form the sidewall  17 . Normally the passageways  45  are created by sewing in an additional layer of fabric that forms the inner layer  41  to create the passageway. However, other methods can be utilized to form the passageways in the interior of the collapsible housing  13 .  
      The first end  29  of the housing  13  is adapted to receive a light source  49  and a cylindrical fixture  51  is positioned in the first end  29  for removably receiving the light source  49 . The cylindrical fixture  51  has 4 holes  55  positioned in the outer perimeter of the cylindrical fixture. The holes  55  are spaced equidistantly from each other around the outer periphery of the cylindrical fixture  51  so that the holes  55  are in alignment with the four seams where the panels  19 ,  21 ,  23  and  25  are joined together to form the collapsible housing  13 . A flexible rod  59  can be positioned in each of the holes  55  so that the rods extend from the cylindrical fixture  51 . The flexible rod  59  can be positioned in the passageways  45  formed in the sidewall  17  of the housing  13 . The flexible rods  59  provide a support structure that is suitable to support the panels  19 ,  21 ,  23  and  25  in a manner to form the collapsible housing  13  of the light modifier  10 . In some applications, it is desirable to have a pocket  63  formed in the panels  19 ,  21 ,  23  and  25  to receive the ends of the flexible rods  59 . The pocket  63  can be formed as part of the passageways  45  or they can be formed as a separate element. The pocket  63  are normally positioned adjacent the second end  31  of the housing  13 . Suitable adaptors  67  can be utilized with the cylindrical fixture  51  to secure a light source  49  to the light modifier  10 . The adaptor  67  allow the light source to be mounted so that the light source is positioned in the interior of the collapsible housing  13  or at least directs the light produced by the light source into the interior of the collapsible housing  13 .  
      A panel  71  is removablly secured to the second end  31  of the collapsible housing  13 . The panel  71  can be held in place by hook and loop type fasteners or other suitable securing means. The panel  71  is formed of at least one layer of netting  73  having an aperture  77  located essentially in the center of the panel  71 . The layer of netting  73  acts to diffuse or modify the light that it receives from the light source  49  and the aperture  77  does not modify or diffuse the light that it receives from the light source  49 . Accordingly, the light modifier  10  can create an enhanced depth of field for the lighting that is used to illuminate a subject. The panel  71  can have several layers of netting  73  to create a larger variation between the light passing through the netting and the light passing through the apertures  77  in the center of the layers of netting. In practice it has been found that between 1 and 20 layers of netting can be used to form the panel  71 . Examples of netting that are particularly useful are cotton, nylon, polyester or similar fabric netting having the ability to withstand high heat applications. In particular, a cotton bobbin net with round holes has been found to work effectively as the netting  73  that forms the panel  71 . Netting is used to form the panel  71  as the netting has a plurality of openings that alter the density of the light from the light source  49  but does not change the quality of the light from the light source. The quality of the light refers to the specular nature of the light and is directly related to the clarity or sharpness of the light. Woven or knit textile diffusion type of fabrics are not preferable for the panel  71  as such fabrics change the quality of the light in addition to altering the density of the light. The netting is also usually black in color as the black fabric portion of the netting absorbs or blocks a portion of the light from the light source  49  and reduces the density of the light from the light source. Other colors can be used for the netting but other colors are not as effective as black in reducing the density of the light from the light source  49 . As more layers of netting are used to form the panel  71 , there will be a layer reduction in the density of the light from the light source that passes through the panel  71 , as there will be more fabric present to absorb the light. The aperture  77  formed in the layers of netting  73  can have the same diameter and location in the layers of netting or the diameters of the apertures can vary between the individual layers of netting  78  to form the panel  71 . However, it is usually desirable to have the apertures  77  have a common center point and be concentrically positioned in the panel  71 . Although the apertures  77  have been shown as being circular in shape it should be understood that other geometric shapes could be used to form the apertures and as such other geometric would change the pattern of the lighting that is presented to the subject. It is also possible to utilize apertures in the panel  77  that have different geometric shapes in some or all of the layers of netting that form the panel.  
      In applications where multiple layers of netting  73  are used to form the panel  71  it is possible to create different levels of diffusion or modification for the light by increasing the size of the apertures  77  in the various layers of netting. If different sized aperture  77  are utilized the light from the light source will pass through more layers of netting as the light moves away from the center of the panel  71  to the outer periphery of the panel  71 . The light closer to the center of the panel  71  will pass through fewer layers of netting and therefore receive less diffusion or modification than the light around the outer periphery of the panel  71 . The light passing through the open aperture  77  formed in the center of the panel  71  will not be diffused or modified by the panel and will have a different impact on the subject. The number of layers of netting  73  and the size and shape of the aperture  77  can be selected to produce the desired lighting effect on the subject. In  FIG. 6  the aperture  77  in the layers of netting  73  are shown as being randomly spaced. However, in practice it has been found to be desirable to have the layers of netting  73  that form the panel  71  be positioned so that the aperture  77  are progressively larger or smaller as light from the light source  49  moves through the panel  71 .  
      To further modify the light from the light source  49  is possible to position a removable baffle  85  in the interior of the collapsible housing  13 . The removable baffle  85  is positioned in the interior of the housing so that the light from the light source  49  must pass through the baffle before engaging the panel  71  on the second end  31  of the housing  13 . As shown in the drawings the removable baffle is a circular piece of fabric that is connected to the sidewall  17  of the housing  13  by resilient straps  87 . The resilient straps can be removably secured to the sidewall  17  by loop and hook type fastening means or other suitable releasable securing means. The fabric for the removable baffle can be white nylon or other suitable fabric that can be used to diffuse the light from the light source  49 . Although the removable baffle  85  has been shown as being circular in shape it should be appreciated that other geometric shapes can be used for the baffle. The baffle can also be positioned at different locations within the housing  13  with respect to the light source  49  to alter the diffusion that is created by the baffle  85 . In most applications, the baffle  85  is configured and positioned to diffuse the light that passes through the aperture  77  in the panel  71 . However, if different light patterns are desired the baffle  85  can be of a shape or size to impact or diffuse more or less than the light that passes through the aperture  77 .  
      Spill light panels  93  can be removably secured to the second end  31  of the housing  13 . The spill light panels are formed of a fabric material that is usually similar to the fabric utilized for the outer layer  37  of the panels  19 ,  21 ,  23  and  25  that form the sidewall  17  of the housing  13 . The spill light panels  93  can be positioned at the end of each panel  19 ,  21 ,  23  and  25  that form the second end  31  of the housing  13 . Alternatively, the spill light panels can only be secured to a portion of the panels that form the sidewall  17 . The spill light panels are movably positioned on the housing  13  so that the spill light panels can be moved to cover a portion of the panel  71  located on the second end  31  of the housing  13 . The spill light panels  93  cover the portion of the panel  71  that forms the outer periphery of the light modifier  10 . The spill light panels  93  are held in the desired position with respect to the panel  71  by straps  95  that secure to the panels  19 ,  21 ,  23  and  25 . The straps  95  can be secured to the panels by hook and loop type fasteners or other suitable fastening means.