Abstract:
A television camera enclosure comprising a tubular outer container made of at least one metallic component and an internal hollow body which is made of plastics or other low-cost material and is suitable to contain at least one television camera.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to an improved enclosure for television cameras.  
           [0002]    This type of enclosure is designed to protect television cameras of closed-circuit systems for monitoring, for example, environments such as banking institutions or in any case locations where visual monitoring of the premises is required.  
           [0003]    In order to avoid any tampering with such television cameras, the enclosures must be made of sturdy materials and must have a shape whereby it is difficult for an ill-intentioned person to access the camera. Known types of television camera enclosures usually consist of a hollow body which contains the camera, is made of aluminum and is provided with an upper semitubular protective and covering element, also made of aluminum.  
           [0004]    The above described type of enclosure, as well as other commercially available ones, which may also have different shapes, mostly have problems linked to the constructive complexity and high costs that arise from the use, for all their components, of a metallic material of a certain value such as aluminum, which moreover is not particularly versatile as regards machinability.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The aim of the present invention is to solve or substantially reduce the problems of known types of television camera enclosures.  
           [0006]    Within this aim, an important object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure for television cameras which is as flexible as possible from the functional point of view. Another object is to provide an enclosure by resorting to manufacturing processes which are simpler and more convenient than current ones.  
           [0007]    Another object is to provide a television camera enclosure which is secure in terms of the possibility of being tampered with at least as much as known types.  
           [0008]    Another object is to provide a television camera enclosure which is suitable both for indoor and outdoor environments.  
           [0009]    This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a television camera enclosure, characterized in that it comprises a tubular outer container made of at least one metallic component and an internal hollow body which is made of plastics or other low-cost material and is suitable to contain at least one television camera.  
           [0010]    Advantageously, such outer container is constituted by at least one extruded element made of metallic material and said hollow plastic body is obtained by molding.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following description of a preferred but not  1 s exclusive embodiment of the invention, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an improved television camera enclosure according to the invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively a partially sectional front view and a partially sectional side view of the enclosure of FIG. 1.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]    With reference to the figures, an improved television camera enclosure according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral  10 .  
         [0015]    The enclosure is constituted by an outer container  11  which has a substantially cylindrical tubular cross-section.  
         [0016]    The container  11  is in turn constituted by a longitudinal lower portion  12  which is obtained by molding and is separate from the remaining portion  13  obtained by extrusion.  
         [0017]    As an alternative, it is possible to provide a single tubular component which integrates portions  12  and  13 .  
         [0018]    The lower portion  12  of the container  11  is shaped so as to provide, together with the corresponding portion of a box-like hollow body  14  arranged inside the container  11 , a dovetail guide which is generally designated by the reference numeral  15 .  
         [0019]    The dovetail guide  15  is longitudinally elongated and allows to insert the hollow box-like body  14  in the container  11 .  
         [0020]    The box-like body  14  is obtained by molding plastics and is designed to accommodate a television camera, not shown in the figure.  
         [0021]    As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the portion  13  of the container  11  has a substantially C-shaped cross-section, such as to almost completely surround the hollow box-like body  14 .  
         [0022]    At the longitudinal edges  16 , the portion  13  is further provided with longitudinally elongated protrusions  17  which are coupled to corresponding is guides  18  provided in corresponding portions of the body  14 .  
         [0023]    The guides  18  and the dovetail guide  15  cooperate to the correct arrangement of the hollow body  14  inside the container  11 .  
         [0024]    In practice it has been observed that the present invention has achieved the intended aim and objects.  
         [0025]    In particular, it can be noted that the hollow box-like body  14 , being made of plastics, is of low-cost and highly workable.  
         [0026]    The body  14  can thus be inserted in the aluminum container  11 , which ensures the security of the television camera thanks to its protection characteristics.  
         [0027]    Obviously the shape of the container  11  can be kept unchanged and bodies  14  different in shape can be provided.  
         [0028]    In this manner it is possible to reduce the manufacturing costs of television camera enclosures by providing a single highly versatile one.  
         [0029]    Finally, it is evident that this type of enclosure is particularly suitable both for indoor and outdoor environments.  
         [0030]    The details may be replaced with other technically equivalent means.  
         [0031]    The materials, so long as they are compatible with the contingent use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements. The disclosures in Italian Utility Model Application No. PD2000U000012 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.