LIGHTING ARRANGEMENT FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK

• US 3,852,582 A
• Filed: 06/20/1973
• Issued: 12/03/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ross Lowell
• Original Assignee: Ross Lowell
• Inventors: Lowell, Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Fred L.
• Application Number:
  US05/371,933
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 240/1.3,2C,3,52R,73BA,81C,81BC,47,13R
• US Class Current: 362/6
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/03 Combinations of cameras with lighting apparatus; Flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/06 Special arrangements of screening, diffusing, or reflecting devices, e.g. in studio

Abstract

The principal component of the lighting arrangement is a luminaire including a relatively elongated substantially rectangular reflector, having a W-shaped cross section, and mounting a tubular lamp, such as a tungsten halogen lamp, with a bracket on one end of the reflector supporting a receptacle for connecting the lamp to a source of electric potential. Refelector doors or wings are hinged are hinged to each longitudinally extending edge of the reflector, and a stand fitting is adjustably secured to the bracket and arranged to clampingly engage a mounting post. The bracket is formed with apertures and clamps whereby additional lighting arrangement components may be mounted thereon, and the stand fitting is also designed to mount additional lighting arrangement components. The reflector has a double housing providing an air space for cooling of the reflector. A relatively stiff flexible shaft is provided for mounting on the stand fitting, and may be used to mount flags, for shadowing a subject or a camera lens, and which, in turn, can be assembled with each other to form a flag of any selected area. A collapsible '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'gel'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' mounting frame is arranged for mounting in sets of apertures in the bracket, and additional luminaries and stand fittings may be mounted on the stand fitting of the base luminaire for the purpose of stacking several additional luminaires. Two types of clamps are provided for mounting various additional components associated with the base luminaire. Sets of apertures in the bracket of each luminaire are provided to receive a stem of an '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'umbrella,'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' provided for soft light. The mounting post may be on a light stand, handle, clamp or the like, or may be a post on a collapsible frame which can be hung over the upper edge of a door or the like or, when reversed, on a pair of pegs or nails secured to a wall or other suitable vertical surface to which it may be taped. All of the components of the lighting arrangement may be carried in a case or in a compartmented bag which can be carried or which can be supported on a person'"'"''"'"'s belt.

Claims

1. A readily portable lighting arrangement for photographic work comprising, in combination, a luminaire, including a relatively elongated reflector, as a main component;

lamp mounting and connection means on said luminaire for mounting a lamp in operative relation with said reflector; and

luminaire mounting means secured to said reflector, and arranged to clampingly engage a mounting post for adjustably mounting the luminaire thereon;

said luminaire mounting means being formed with aperture means adapted to disengageably receive mounting elements of additional lighting arrangement components;

said luminaire including a substantially rectangular panel having a highly reflecting outer surface and constituting said reflector;

an inner housing member including a substantially rectangular planar base and first and second end walls bent outwardly from said base;

means mounting said reflector panel on said base with at least portions of said reflector panel spaced from said base to provide passages for flow of cooling air between said panel and said base;

respective lamp sockets mounted on each of said end walls and extending toward each other in alignment to receive a tubular lamp;

an outer housing member having a substantially rectangular planar base extending parallel to the base of said inner housing member and having an outwardly extending wall extending in spaced parallel relation to said first end wall of said inner housing member; and

means securing said housing member bases to each other in spaced parallel relation to provide a further passage for flow of cooling air between said inner and outer housing members.

2. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 1, in which said reflector panel has a shallow W-shape transverse cross section constituted by an inverted V-shape ridge extending longitudinally and centrally of said panel, in alignment with a lamp mounted in said sockets, and wings extending transversely outwardly from the edges of said ridge and extending outwardly at an angle relative to said base of said inner housing member;

the interior of said inverted V-shape ridge forming a conduit for a conductor connected to the lamp socket on said first end wall of said inner housing.

3. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 1, including a pair of reflector doors operatively associated with said reflector panel, each reflector door comprising a substantially rectangular panel having a substantially planar highly reflecting surface;

respective hinged rods extending parallel to each longitudinal edge of said inner housing base; and

means hingedly mounting each reflector door on a respective hinged rod for angular adjustment relative to said reflector panel to control the angular extent of the light reflected from said reflector panel.

4. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 3, including notches formed in each lateral edge of said first end wall of said inner housing member;

and respective wire latch means on each reflector door releasably engageable with the associated notch to maintain said reflector doors in a preselected angular relation to said reflector panel.

5. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 1, in which said base of said outer housing member has a sloping wall portion extending outwardly beyond said second end wall of said inner housing member and sloping outwardly, said sloping wall terminating in a third end wall extending in substantially spaced parallel relation to said second end wall of said inner housing member;

a substantially rectangular U-shape cover, having a substantially flat base, fitting over said second and third end walls and having outer edges substantially congruent with the outer surface of said sloping wall;

said second and third end walls, said sloping wall and said cover defining a bracket forming part of said luminaire; and

an electrical connector mounted in an aperture in said slopIng wall and electrically connected to each of said sockets;

said sloping wall and said base of said cover being formed with said aperture means.

6. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 5, in which said mounting means further includes a clamp arranged to engage a mounting post;

means mounting said clamp on said third end wall for frictionally restrained angular adjustment relative to said housing bracket;

a luminaire adjusting knob fixedly secured to the first mentioned outwardly projecting end wall of said outer housing member;

said clamp being formed to telescope over a mounting post; and

a clamping screw threaded through a wall of said clamp and arranged to clampingly engage a mounting post.

7. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 6, in which said clamp comprises a relatively deep outer channel;

a relatively shallow inner channel secured within said outer channel with a base in spaced relation to the base of said outer channel and with the inner edges of the legs of the two channels being substantially coplanar;

the bases of said inner and outer channel and the legs of said outer channel constituting a clamp recess arranged to telescope over a mounting post;

said clamping screw being threaded through the base of said inner channel;

said inner channel, at one end, extending outwardly beyond said outer channel to form a mounting projection; and

a component locating means in the base of said inner channel adjacent the outer projecting end of the latter.

8. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 7, in which said outer channel has a V-shape base whereby an undersize mounting post may be firmly secured in said clamp by engagement within said V-shape base and engagement by said clamping screw.

9. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 7, in which said additional lighting arrangement components include plural auxiliary mounting post components;

each auxiliary mounting post component including a clamp component comprising a relatively deep outer channel, a relatively shallow inner channel inserted in said outer channel and secured thereto with the bases of said inner and said outer channels being spaced from each other and with the outer edges of the legs of said channel being substantially flush, and with said inner channel extending beyond said outer channel at one end;

the bases of said inner and outer channel and the legs of said outer channel defining a clamping recess engageable over the projecting portion of the inner channel of said first-mentioned clamp;

a clamping screw threaded through the base of the inner channel of said auxiliary post component and engageable with the locating means on the inner channel of said first-mentioned clamp; and

an auxiliary mounting post inserted into the recess defined by said inner and outer channels of said auxiliary mounting post component and secured to the base of the inner channel thereof and to the legs of the outer channel thereof;

whereby, by mounting an auxiliary mounting post component on said first-mentioned clamp and by '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'stacking'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' said auxiliary mounting post components, plural luminaires may be stacked.

10. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 9, including at least one substantially elongated and rectangular snap-in receptacle secured on an outer surface of said outer channel.

11. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 10, in which said additional lighting arrangement components include an elongated relatively stiff but bendable flexible rod having, at each end thereof, a snap-in flat tongue releasably engageable in a snap-in receptacle;

whereby the tongue on one end of said rod may be disengageably secured in such receptacle;

said additional lighting arrangement components further including plural substantially flat panels constituting flags for performing a shadowing function in the lighting arrangement;

each flag having secured thereto at least one snAp-in receptacle identical to the snap-in receptacles on said outer channel, for cooperation with the snap-in tongue on the opposite end of said bendable rod;

each flag further having secured thereto at least one snap-in tongue engageable in a snap-in receptacle on another flag;

whereby plural flags may be interconnected to form a flag assembly of a preselected overall area, with said flag assembly being disengageably mounted on said bendable rod and adjustable relative to said luminaire by bending of said rod.

12. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 10, including a spring biased clamp having a pair of pivotally interconnected arms having cooperating clamping ends arranged to grip a mounting surface;

a plate pivotally connected to at least one of said clamp arms; and

a substantially rectangular snap-in receptacle;

identical with said snap-in receptacles on said first-mentioned clamp, secured on the outer surface of said plate to disengageably receive a tongue on a flag;

whereby said flags may be mounted on any suitable supporting surface for cooperation with said luminaire.

13. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 10, in which said additional lighting arrangement components include a screw-operated C-clamp arranged to grip a supporting surface;

an auxiliary mounting post pivoted to said C-clamp for mounting of a luminaire on said clamp; and

at least one substantially rectangular snap-in receptacle secured on an outer surface of said C-clamp for snap-in mounting of further components on said C-clamp.

14. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 10, in which said additional lighting arrangement components include an auxiliary mounting component arranged to telescope over the projecting portion of the inner channel of said clamp;

a clamping screw threaded through a wall of said additional mounting component and engageable with said inner channel of said clamp;

a substantially rectangular U-shaped bracket pivotally secured to an end of said auxiliary mounting component; and

a mounting screw extending rotatably through the base of said U-shaped bracket and having a thread on its outer end engageable in a threaded recess in a camera and the like, and an operating knob on its inner end; and

at least one substantially rectangular snap-in receptacle identical with said snap-in receptacles on said clamp, on the outer surface of said additional mounting member.

15. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 5, in which each aperture means in said sloping wall and in said cover base comprises a substantially rectangular slot extending transversely relative to said luminaire and intersecting a circular slot chordally;

the relative orientation of the two aperture means being such that the two rectangular slots are aligned with each other in a direction perpendicular to said cover base, and the two circular slots are aligned with each other in a direction at an angle to a perpendicular to said cover base;

said rectangular slots being adapted to disengageably receive rectangular mounting tongues of additional lighting arrangement components, and said two circular slots being arranged to disengageably receive circular cross section mounting elements of at least one additional lighting arrangement component; and

a clamping screw threadedly engaged through a wall of said cover and arranged to engage and clamp mounting elements inserted through said aperture means.

16. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 15, in which said additional lighting arrangement components include a substantially rectangular gel mounting frame;

retaining means on said mounting frame arranged to secure a gel in position thereon; and

a relatively elongated substantially rectangular cross section tongue pivotally secured at one end to said mounting frame;

said tongue being engageable through the rectangular slots of said housing bracket for mounting of said mounting frame on said luminaire.

17. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 16, in which said gel mounting frame includes a pair of relatively elongated frame members of substantially angular cross section;

respective pairs of pivotally interconnected links interconnecting corresponding ends of said frame members, whereby said gel frame may be collapsed to juxtapose said frame members;

said tongue being pivotally secured to one of said relatively elongated frame members at substantially the center thereof;

said retaining means being pivotally mounted at the corners of said gel frame.

18. A readily portable lighting arrangement, as claimed in claim 15, wherein said additional lighting arrangement components include a light-softening umbrella having a relatively elongated circular cross section stem which, when said umbrella is erected, may be inserted through said circular apertures in said housing bracket for mounting of said umbrella on said luminaire.

19. A readily portable lighting arrangement for photographic work comprising, in combination, a luminaire, including a relatively elongated reflector, as a main component;

lamp mounting and connection means on said luminaire for mounting a lamp in operative relation with said reflector; and

luminaire mounting means secured to said reflector, and arranged to clampingly engage a mounting post for adjustably mounting the luminaire thereon;

said luminaire mounting means being formed with aperture means adapted to disengageably receive mounting elements of additional lighting arrangement components;

said additional lighting arrangement components including a support assembly for said luminaire;

said support assembly comprising an auxiliary mounting post cooperable with said mounting means of said luminaire;

hook means articulated to said support assembly for engagement over the upper end of a door and the like for suspending said support assembly on the door; and

substantially flat strap means articulated to said support assembly and each having an aperture in its free end whereby said support assembly may be suspended from pegs, nails and the like in a vertical surface, or by taping said strap means to said vertical surface;

said support assembly further comprising a relatively elongated angle bar;

said hook means including a pair of hooks pivotally secured to one leg of said bar adjacent the respective ends thereof for engagement over the upper end of a door and the like for suspending said angle bar on the door;

said strap means including a pair of straps pivotally secured on the other leg of said angle bar adjacent respective opposite ends thereof and each having an aperture in its free end whereby said angle bar may be suspended from pegs, nails and the like in a vertical surface, and by taping said straps to the vertical surface;

a first rod having a pair of eyes at opposite ends thereof with their axes at right angles to each other;

a first pivot connecting one eye of said first rod to said angle bar adjacent its center;

a second rod having an eye at one end thereof;

a second pivot interconnecting the eye of said second rod and the other eye of said first rod;

both of said pivots frictionally resisting relative movement of said rods;

said auxiliary mounting post comprising the free end of said second rod.

20. A readily portable lighting arrangement for photographic work comprising, in combination, a luminaire, including a relatively elongated reflector, as a main component;

lamp mounting and connection means on said luminaire for mounting a lamp in operative relation with said reflector; and

luminaire mounting means secured to said reflector, and arranged to clampingly engage a mounting post for adjustably mounting the luminaire thereon;

said luminaire mounting means being formed with aperture means adapted to disengageably receive mounting elements of additional lighting arrangement components;

said additional lighting arrangement components including plural reflector panels each having a reflecting surface anD being manually bendable to reflect light in a desired pattern;

interengageable snap means on said reflector panels providing for interconnection of said panels to each other; and

a relatively elongated flexible shaft formed to have a snap engagement with said panels, at one end, and having an opposite end disengageably receivable in said aperture means.