Abstract:
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods and apparatus for providing reliable sealed enclosures for surveillance cameras that are capable of protecting an internal surveillance camera and related electronics from harsh external environmental conditions without using adhesives using a unique a sealing gasket that is sandwiched between upper and lower housing parts of a camera enclosure. The unique sealing gasket includes a flexible portion corresponding to the surfaces of the housing parts to be engaged that is generally perpendicularly attached to a front panel. The front panel has a central viewing pane, and a peripheral flexible sealing surface. A unique aspect of the sealing member of embodiments of the present invention is the inclusion of the front panel, viewing pane and upper/lower housing seal in a single member.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to surveillance camera systems, and more particularly to an environmentally sealed enclosure for a surveillance camera for outdoor use. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    The use of surveillance cameras and related systems is becoming increasingly more prevalent. Not only are surveillance cameras used in such traditional institutions as banks and casinos, but their use has spread to retail and business establishments, indoor and outdoor entry points, airport security checkpoints, government buildings, parking lots, and the like. 
         [0005]    In the field of surveillance cameras, it is often necessary for a surveillance camera to be mounted in a housing that is located in a remote or outdoor location (such as the top of a pole, on a ledge, on the side of a wall, the underside of an eave, etc.) where it is exposed to wide variations in temperature, pressure and humidity. Changes in pressure and humidity can be particularly harmful to the delicate internal electronics and camera optics of surveillance camera systems, and that may impair, damage or shorten the life of these components. Some indoor environments may also be hazardous to the camera and internal electronics, such as a foundry or factory where toxic gasses, dust and/or debris are present in the air. 
         [0006]    Many existing camera housing enclosures include fans and/or heaters to help control the interior environment, but they are not sealed. As a result, such enclosures do not provide adequate protection to the camera inside, and cannot be used in harsh or extreme climactic conditions such as those where there is considerable precipitation, humidity, ice or other moisture, where the temperature is very hot or very cold, and/or where there are wide variations in temperature. 
         [0007]    Other existing camera housings are sealed in order to prevent moisture and debris from entering the enclosure. However, because of the way existing sealed camera enclosures are manufactured and assembled, failures in the seals may occur after a relatively short period of time particularly in harsh environments such as those described above. A typical elongated surveillance camera housing may include a one or two-part lower housing, a front wall, a rear wall, and an upper housing or lid. Each of these housing parts is ordinarily made of a rigid material such as metal or plastic. A viewing panel is usually provided in the front wall. Thus, a first seal is needed around the front viewing panel where it attaches to the front wall. Another longitudinal seal (or two) is needed between the upper and lower housing parts when they are coupled together. A third seal is needed around the front wall where it engages the front end of the coupled housing, and a fourth seal is needed around the rear wall where it engages the back end of the coupled housing. Such enclosures have numerous potential failure points where the integrity of a seal may be lost. These include any uneven or poorly constructed surfaces of any housing part that is to be sealed against another housing part, joints or poorly mated surfaces on or along such housing parts, and/or junctions where one seal engages against another seal (such as where a longitudinal seal between upper and lower housing parts abuts the seal for the front or back wall of the enclosure). A seal failure at any of these points will compromise the integrity of the enclosure, and expose the electronics and camera inside to moisture, debris and/or other environmental elements that may impair, damage or shorten the life of these components. 
         [0008]    Adhesives may be used to adhere a sealing structure to a housing part, but are generally disfavored for many reasons. In some cases, adhesives may wear out or fail more readily than the sealing structure to which they are adhered. The adhesive may not bond correctly, or the wrong adhesive may be used, which can actually accelerate a seal failure. Moreover, if a sealing structure must be replaced, remnants of any adhesive used must be removed from the housing part before a new sealing structure is installed. Otherwise, these remnants may become potential failure points for the new seal. For these reasons and others, adhesives generally do not provide the necessary reliability for sealing outdoor surveillance camera enclosures. 
         [0009]    It is therefore desirable to provide a sealed surveillance camera housing having a minimal number of potential failure points along any sealed surfaces to provide protection for the internal electrical and mechanical components from exposure to precipitation, moisture and other external foreign contaminants. It is also desirable to provide improved and reliable sealing structures for such camera housings. It is also desirable to provide camera housing sealing structures that do not rely on adhesives. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods and apparatus for providing reliable sealed enclosures for surveillance cameras that are capable of protecting an internal surveillance camera and related electronics from harsh external environmental conditions without using adhesives. In one aspect, a sealing member or gasket is provided to be engaged between upper and lower housing parts of a camera enclosure, the sealing member having a flexible portion corresponding to the surfaces of the housing parts to be engaged, the flexible portion being attached to or integrated into a front panel having a central viewing pane, and another flexible portion being provided around the front panel. In another aspect, an elongated camera housing is provided having upper and lower housing cups that couple at the rear and engage each other along a corresponding continuous U-shaped surfaces leaving an opening at the front, the housing cups being sealed together using a seal member that has a flexible portion corresponding to the U-shaped engagement surfaces, the seal member also including an attached or integrated front panel that has a central viewing pane, the front panel being surrounded by another flexible portion. 
         [0011]    A unique aspect of the sealing member of embodiments of the present invention is the inclusion of the front panel, viewing pane and upper/lower housing seal in a single member. Embodiments of such sealing members include a flexible portion that fits between upper and lower housing cups or shells of a camera enclosure, and that also include an attached front panel with a viewing pane. The peripheral edge of the front panel is made of a flexible material which seals against the front opening defined by the housing shells. The viewing pane in these embodiments is integrally attached to the front panel by molding or other chemical bonding. The two ends of the flexible portion of the sealing members in these embodiments are attached to the front panel by molding or other chemical bonding, the flexible portion extending out in a generally perpendicular direction with respect to the orientation of the front panel. The result in these embodiments is a front panel having an integrated, sealed viewing pane therein, a peripheral flexible sealing surface around the front panel, and an integrally attached flexible sealing gasket that fits between upper and lower housing shells of the enclosure. 
         [0012]    It is preferred that the mating surfaces of the housing shells be uniform and smooth in order to avoid unnecessary gaps or other potential failure points in the seal created when a the flexible portion of a sealing member of the present invention is placed between these surfaces. This may be accomplished by fabricating or molding each of the upper and lower housing shells as a single piece. 
         [0013]    In some embodiments, the flexible portion of the sealing member may extend a significant distance out from the front panel. In these and other embodiments, it may be desirable to provide a means for aligning and holding the flexible portion of the sealing member against the lower housing shell before the upper shell is sealingly attached. As a result, in some embodiments, one or more small openings or notches may be provided along a non-sealing outside or lower lip of the flexible portion. These openings or notches are aligned with corresponding outwardly extending tabs on the lower housing shell. These openings/notches may be lined up with the tabs as the flexible portion of the sealing member is placed on the lower housing shell, such that the tabs fit into the openings/notches to hold the flexible portion in place on the lower housing. In some embodiments, one or more inwardly facing tabs may also be provided on the lower housing to engage an inner flange or ridge of the flexible portion. 
         [0014]    In most embodiments, the sealing member is attached to the lower housing. In these embodiments, a pair of flanges are molded into the front panel portion of the sealing member. These flanges are provided on the inside, one flange on either side of the front panel. Each flange is provided with an opening through which a fastener (such as a bolt) is inserted. The fasteners pass through the flanges into receiving openings in the lower housing, holding the front panel and the remainder of the sealing member in place. 
         [0015]    In some embodiments, the flexible sealing area surrounding the front panel includes a lower section below the two junctions where the two generally perpendicular ends of the larger flexible portion attach to the front panel, and an upper section above these two junctions. In these embodiments, each of these lower and upper sections includes at least one outwardly extending flexible ridge. In the lower section, the flexible lower ridge seals against an inside edge of the lower housing; and in the upper section, the flexible upper ridge seals against an inside edge of the upper housing. In some embodiments, the upper ridge of the upper section continues onto the larger flexible portion of the sealing member forming a long continuous ridge that extends along the length of the larger flexible portion and around the upper section of the front panel. In these embodiments, this upper ridge provides a single seal against the entire upper housing shell. In some embodiments, the lower ridge of the lower section continues onto the larger flexible portion of the sealing member forming a long continuous ridge that extends along the length of the larger flexible portion and around the lower section of the front panel. In these embodiments, this lower ridge provides a single seal against the entire lower housing shell. In some embodiments, both of these elongated ridges are provided. 
         [0016]    In some embodiments a second ridge is provided in the upper section of the front panel. This second ridge is separate from and closer to the front of the panel than the first ridge, and follows the contours of the first ridge. This second ridge does not extend onto to the larger flexible portion of the sealing member, but ends just above each of the two junctions. This second ridge acts as a flashing to direct significant moisture away from the edges of the front panel, such as when a water hose is directed at this panel for cleaning. In these embodiments, the first ridge acts as the seal to prevent water from entering into the housing. 
         [0017]    In some embodiments, the large flexible portion of the sealing member that is sandwiched between the upper and lower housing members may include a downwardly facing lower groove that receives an upwardly-extending peripheral flange of a lower housing member. In some embodiments, the flexible sandwiched section includes an upwardly extending ridge that seals against a peripheral edge of an upper housing member. In some embodiments, the flexible sandwiched section includes a second upwardly extending pointed ridge that is angled so as to fit into a peripheral shoulder formed in an upper housing member. In some embodiments, the aforementioned groove, first and second ridges are all provided on the same embodiment, 
         [0018]    It is to be appreciated that any suitable arrangement of sealing grooves, ridges and/or flanges may be provided on the flexible surfaces of different embodiments of the sealing members of the present invention so long as such arrangements completely seal the interior of the enclosure when the upper and lower housing shells are attached together around the sealing member. 
         [0019]    In some embodiments, one or more closable, sealable glands are provided in the lower housing to receive wires or cables for communication to and from the interior of the enclosure. These glands may be angled such that their exit from the lower housing is tilted toward the front such that wires or cables passing through the glands are directed at an angle toward the front of the housing. This allows the wires and cables exiting the enclosure to be easily enclosed or concealed in a mounting structure for the enclosure. This angle also improves the data transfer rate through the wires/cables which might otherwise be hampered by unnecessary bends and turns. 
         [0020]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide systems, methods and apparatus for providing reliable sealed enclosures for surveillance cameras that are capable of protecting an internal surveillance camera and related electronics from harsh external environmental conditions without using adhesives. 
         [0021]    It is also an object of the present invention to provide a unique sealing member for engagement between upper and lower housing shells of a camera enclosure, the sealing member having a first flexible portion that is sandwiched between the upper and lower housing shells, and a second front panel section having a central viewing pane. 
         [0022]    It is also an object of the present invention to provide a scaled enclosure for a surveillance camera made up of upper and lower housing shells that are sealed together using a unique sealing member having a first flexible portion that is sealingy sandwiched between the upper and lower housing shells, and a second front panel section having a central viewing pane that seals a front opening formed by the housing shells. 
         [0023]    It is also an object of the present invention to provide a sealed enclosure for a surveillance camera and its associated electronics that has favorably angled input and output glands for wires leading from the inside of the chamber. 
         [0024]    Additional objects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed descriptions and the claims herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0025]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective exterior view of an embodiment of the present invention in a partially open condition. 
           [0026]      FIG. 1A  is a front perspective exterior view of an embodiment of the present invention in a closed condition. 
           [0027]      FIG. 1B  is a rear perspective exterior view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 1C  is another rear perspective exterior view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1B . 
           [0029]      FIG. 2  is a perspective partially exploded upper view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1   
           [0030]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective partially exploded lower view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1   
           [0031]      FIG. 3  is perspective partially exploded view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1   
           [0032]      FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a sealing member of the present invention. 
           [0033]      FIG. 4A  is a rear upper perspective view of an embodiment of a sealing member of the present invention. 
           [0034]      FIG. 4B  is a rear lower perspective view of an embodiment of a sealing member of the present invention. 
           [0035]      FIG. 5  is a front sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0036]      FIG. 6  is a detailed view of area B of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0037]      FIG. 7  is a front sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0038]      FIG. 8  is a detailed view of area A of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0039]      FIG. 9  is a side sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0040]      FIG. 10  is a rear end view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0041]      FIG. 11  is a detailed view of areas A and B of  FIGS. 9 and 10 . 
           [0042]      FIG. 12  is a rear sectional view of a sealing member embodiment such as that depicted in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0043]      FIG. 13  is a detailed view of area B of  FIG. 12 . 
           [0044]      FIG. 14  is a rear sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a sealing member such as that depicted in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0045]      FIG. 15  is a detailed view of area A of  FIG. 14 . 
           [0046]      FIG. 16  is a rear end view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0047]      FIG. 17  is a side sectional view along line A-A of  FIG. 16 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0048]    Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring particularly to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , it is seen that the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an upper housing shell  21 , a lower housing shell  31 , and a sealing or gasket member  40  that is sandwiched between the upper and lower housing sections  21 ,  31 . Upper and lower housing shells  21 ,  31  may be hingedly engaged at the rear  29 , as shown in  FIGS. 1B and 1C , and then closed together around sealing member  40  as shown in  FIG. 1A . 
         [0049]    Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , it is seen that sealing member  40  includes a flexible portion  41  having a shape that corresponds to the surfaces of housing shells  21  and  31  to be engaged together. The flexible portion  41  of sealing member  40  is attached to or integrated into a front panel  45  having a central viewing pane  44 . A flexible sealing surface  46  is provided around the perimeter of front panel  45 . In the illustrated embodiments, the flexible portion  41  of sealing member  40  has a generally U-shaped configuration, with each end of the U attached to one side of front panel  45 . It is to be appreciated that in alternative embodiments, flexible portion  41  may be of any suitable shape so as to conform to the mating surfaces of the upper and lower housing shells  21  and  31 . 
         [0050]    In the illustrated exemplary embodiments, the upper and lower housing shells  21 ,  31  hingedly couple at the rear and then engage each other along a corresponding continuous U-shaped surfaces with flexible portion  41  sandwiched between them as they are closed together Shells  21  and  31  are held together at the rear by the hinge  29  and at the front by fasteners inserted into upper shell  21  from lower shell  31  at locations  32 , as shown in exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 3 . This coupling of upper and lower housing shells  21 ,  31  leaves an opening  25  at the front. When upper and lower housing shells  21 ,  31  are closed against each other with sealing member  40  between them, flexible portion  41  is sealingly engaged between the edges of shells  21  and  31 , and the flexible peripheral surface  46  of front panel  45  sealingly engages into opening  25 . 
         [0051]    As shown in the exemplary embodiment of  FIGS. 4 ,  4 A and  4 B, the sealing member  40  of embodiments of the present invention includes a front panel  45  with a viewing pane  44  and an upper/lower housing seal  41  all in a single member  40 . The peripheral edge  46  of the front panel  45  is made of a flexible material which seals against the front opening  25  defined by the housing shells  21 ,  31 . The viewing pane  44  in these embodiments may be sealingly attached to the front panel  45  by molding or chemical bonding. Flexible portion  41  is joined to front panel  45  in a generally perpendicular orientation at two junctions  42 ,  43  by molding or other chemical bonding. 
         [0052]    In preferred embodiments, the mating surfaces  26 ,  36  and  27 ,  37  and  28 ,  38  of the housing shells should be uniform and smooth in order to avoid unnecessary gaps or other potential failure points in the seal created when a the flexible portion  41  of the sealing member  40  is placed between these pairs of surfaces. 
         [0053]    In some embodiments, one or more small openings or notches  51  may be provided along a non-sealing outside or lower lip of the flexible portion  41 . See  FIGS. 4A and 4B . These openings or notches  51  are aligned with corresponding outwardly extending tabs  52  on the lower housing shell  31 . These openings/notches  51  may be lined up with the tabs  52  as the flexible portion  41  is placed on the lower housing shell, such that the tabs fit into the openings/notches to hold the flexible portion in place on the lower housing  31 . See  FIGS. 9-11  In some embodiments, one or more inwardly facing tabs  35  may also be provided on the lower housing  31  to engage an inner flange or ridge  54  of the flexible portion  41 . See  FIGS. 5 and 6 . In alternative embodiments, tabs  52  may be provided on upper housing  21  for engagement with similarly placed openings/notches  51  on flexible portion  41 . Similarly, in alternative embodiments, tabs  35  may be provided on upper housing  21  to engage a corresponding flange or ridge  54  of flexible portion  41 . 
         [0054]    In most embodiments, the sealing member  40  is attached onto the lower housing  31  as shown in  FIG. 3 . In these embodiments, a pair of flanges  48  are molded into the front panel portion of the sealing member. See  FIG. 9 . These flanges  48  are provided on the inside, one flange on either side of the front panel. Each flange  48  is provided with an opening through which a fastener (such as a bolt)  49  is inserted, as shown in  FIG. 9 . The fasteners  49  pass through the flanges  48  into receiving openings in the lower housing, holding the front panel and the remainder of the sealing member in place as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . It is to be appreciated that in alternative embodiments, sealing member  40  may be similarly attached to upper housing  21 . 
         [0055]    In some embodiments, the flexible sealing area  46  surrounding the front panel includes a lower section below the two junctions  42 ,  43  where the two generally perpendicular ends of the larger flexible portion  41  attach to the front panel  45 . An upper section is defined above these two junctions  42 ,  43 . In the exemplary illustrated embodiments, the lower section may include a groove  55  which engages over a corresponding lip or ridge  34  of lower housing  31 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  9 . In alternative embodiments, a ridge may be provided (not shown) on flexible area  46  that engages against a mating surface on lower housing  31 . In the exemplary illustrated embodiments, the upper section includes an outwardly extending flexible ridge  56  that fits into a groove or shoulder  24  on upper housing  21 . However, in alternative embodiments, flexible area  46  may include a groove (not shown) that engaged with a ridge (not shown) on upper housing  21 . In the illustrated exemplary lower section, the groove  55  seals over an upwardly extending ridge or lip  34  of the lower housing  31 ; and in the upper section, the flexible upper ridge  56  seals against an inside edge  24  of the upper housing  21 . 
         [0056]    In some embodiments, the upper ridge  56  of the upper section continues onto the larger flexible portion  41  of the sealing member  40  forming a long continuous ridge that extends along the length of the larger flexible portion and around the upper section of the front panel. See  FIG. 4 . In these embodiments, this upper ridge  56  provides a single seal against the entire upper housing shell  21 . An additional ridge  57  is also provided along the entire length of the flexible portion  41  for sealing engagement against upper housing  21 , as shown in  FIGS. 5-8  and  12 - 15 . In some embodiments (not shown), a lower ridge of the lower section continues onto the larger flexible portion  41  of the sealing member forming a long continuous ridge that extends along the length of the larger flexible portion and around the lower section of the front panel. In these embodiments, the lower ridge provides a single seal against the entire lower housing shell  21 . In some embodiments, both of these elongated ridges are provided. 
         [0057]    In some embodiments a second ridge  58  is provided in the upper section of the front panel as shown in  FIG. 4 . This second ridge  58  is separate from and closer to the front of the panel than the first ridge  56 , and follows the contours of the first ridge  56 . The second ridge  58  does not extend onto to the larger flexible portion  41  of the scaling member, but ends just above each of the two junctions  42 ,  42 . This second ridge  58  acts as a flashing to direct significant moisture away from the edges of the front panel  45 , such as when a water hose is directed at this panel for cleaning. In these embodiments, the first ridge  56  acts as the seal to prevent water from entering into the housing. 
         [0058]    In some embodiments, the flexible portion  41  of the sealing member  40  sandwiched between the upper and lower housing members may include a downwardly facing lower groove  59  that receives an upwardly-extending peripheral flange  37  of the lower housing member  31 . See  FIGS. 7-8  and  14 - 15 . In some embodiments, the flexible sandwiched section  41  includes an upwardly extending ridge  57  that seals against a peripheral edge of an upper housing member In some embodiments, the flexible sandwiched section includes a second upwardly extending pointed ridge  56  that is angled so as to fit into a peripheral shoulder formed in an upper housing member. See  FIGS. 5-8  and  12 - 15 . In some embodiments, the aforementioned groove  59 , first and second ridges  56 ,  57  are all provided on the same embodiment  41 . 
         [0059]    It is to be appreciated that any suitable arrangement of sealing grooves, ridges and/or flanges may be provided on the flexible surfaces of different embodiments the sealing members of the present invention so long as such arrangements completely seal the interior of the enclosure when the upper and lower housing shells are attached together around the sealing member. 
         [0060]    In some embodiments, the lower housing  31  includes at least one angled closable gland  61 ,  62  through which wires or cables  64 ,  65  may be passed for communication to and from the interior of the enclosure. Glands  61 ,  62  are angled such that their exit from housing  31  is tilted toward the front of the housing so that wires or cables passing through them are directed at an angle toward the front of the housing, as shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 . This allows the wires and cables exiting the enclosure to be easily enclosed or concealed in a mounting structure for the enclosure. This angle also improves the data transfer rate through the wires/cables which might otherwise be hampered by unnecessary bends and turns. 
         [0061]    It is to be understood that variations and modifications of the present invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof. It is also to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited by the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but only in accordance with the appended claims when read in light of the foregoing specification.