Ring light converter for electronic flash units

Claim 1

An attachment to an electronic flash unit for converting the unit into a photographic ring light for use with a camera, said attachment comprising: a body member having a flat front wall, a rear wall, a top wall, side walls and a flat bottom wall, said flat bottom wall being disposed in a perpendicular relationship with said flat front wall, said body member including a centrally disposed opening extending therethrough from said front wall to said rear wall to provide a continuous 360° cylindrical inner wall disposed between said front and rear walls to define a torus-like configuration; a plate member having a flat top surface, a flat bottom surface and side edges disposed between said top and bottom surfaces, said flat top surface of said plate member being connected to said flat bottom wall of said body member; said body and plate members being fabricated from a transparent material to permit light to pass through and between said members; reflective means disposed against and covering said rear, top, side and inner walls of said body member and covering unconnected portions of said top surface and side edges of said plate member for directing light through said attachment from said bottom surface of said plate member to said front wall of said body member in a perpendicular path, said bottom surface and front wall being uncovered by said reflective means said rear wall of said body member including beveled surfaces to provide a trough-like arrangement for distributing the light around said body member and directing the light outwardly from said front wall of said body member completely around said opening to obtain a uniform illumination from said body member; whereby said attachment is adapted for mounting a camera lens in coaxial alignment with said opening and also is adapted for mounting a light-emitting portion of the electronic flash unit against said uncovered bottom surface of said plate member.