Patent Publication Number: US-6700620-B1

Title: Surveillance camera housing with mounting means

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the field of surveillance camera housings and specifically for a housing mounting means which places the interface for the electrical connections between a mount and a surveillance camera at the mechanical interface between the housing and a mount. 
     Camera housings like those in U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,304, require the installation of a separate mounting means. Video, power, and signal wires pass between a surveillance camera installed inside the housing, and a stationary mount, through this mounting means. The interface between the mounting means and the housing must be strong, aesthetically pleasing, and watertight. This requires that the housing be connected to the mounting means in a separate operation generally using fasteners flattening a gasket to produce the necessary seal. 
     After the mounting means is connected to a mount and to the housing, the housing subassembly contains unterminated wires extending therein which must be later connected to a surveillance camera by a technically qualified individual. The connection requires access inside the housing necessitating a larger housing to allow ingress of the camera. This arrangement thus requires costly installer time, a larger housing, and a field-actuated mechanical and electrical interface device. 
     Other prior art attempts like in U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,602, use a large longitudinally extending latch member which is deflected by a cam element and then supported in a recess in that same cam element. This arrangement relies on a biasing force on the latch member to rotate it back into the recess after it is deflected. The engagement is performed automatically relying on this biasing force and so is less reliable and safe than if a user actually causes the engagement. For example, if the latch member does not rotate into the recess and the camera and housing are released, the camera and housing will fall. Furthermore, the latch member necessarily has a length which increases the space required for the arrangement and thus decreases the aesthetic appearance. 
     Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a camera housing which can be easily coupled to a mount without the need for costly field technicians to install the device. The installation should be user controlled, inexpensive, reliable, structurally sound, and aesthetically pleasing. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the invention a surveillance camera housing includes a mounting means having a crown plate. The crown plate has a first radially extending flange for engagement with a corresponding second radially extending flange in a mounting cap. An electrical connector is disposed within the crown plate. 
     This aspect, like the ones which follow, yields a structurally strong, aesthetically pleasing, easily installed camera housing mount combination. 
     Another aspect of the invention is a method of connecting a housing including a mounting means, with a mount including a mounting cap. The method includes providing a mounting cap having a first flange; providing a mounting means with a second flange; and disposing electrical connectors in the housing. The method further includes inserting the housing with the mounting means into the mounting cap with the second flange entering the mounting cap in a position where the first flange is not present, and the first flange engaging the housing where the second flange is not present. The method still further includes rotating the housing thereby causing the first flange to be disposed below the second flange. 
     In yet another aspect of the invention, a surveillance camera housing coupled to a mounting through a mounting means includes a mounting cap having a first radially extending flange; and a housing having a crown plate. The crown plate has a second radially extending flange resting on the first radially extending flange. An electrical connector is disposed within the crown plate. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a camera housing with a mounting means which allows for simple engagement of the housing with a mount. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a method for combining a camera housing with a mount that is simple, aesthetically pleasing, yields reliable engagement, and is structurally sound. 
    
    
     These objects, as well as others, will become more apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings where like reference numerals are intended to designate the same elements. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a housing and cut-away view of a mounting means according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a cut-away side-elevational view taken along line D—D of FIG. 2 detailing a mounting means of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a cut-away side-elevational view taken along line B—B of FIG. 2 detailing a mounting means of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of a mounting cap used in the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is plan perspective view of a mounting means and a housing used in the invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a housing and mounting means used in the invention; and 
     FIGS. 8A-8D are magnified side elevational views showing different embodiments of a radial gasket used in the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     Referring briefly to FIG. 1, a housing  20  is connected to a mounting means shown generally at  22 . FIG. 3, details the components of mounting means  22  with a cut away cross-sectional view of mounting means  22  taken along the line B—B shown in the plan view of FIG. 2. A generally frustrum shaped sand cast aluminum mounting cap  24 , having a tapered opening  26  at a first end, and radially extending interior flanges  28  at a second end, is shown engaged with a sand cast aluminum crown plate  30 . Tapered opening  26  can contain internal threads  27  to mate with an externally threaded pipe mount (not shown). Mounting cap  24  further contains inward extensions  46  which extend parallel to a central axis  56  of the frustrum. Crown plate  30  has radially extending exterior flanges  32  for engaging with interior flanges  28 . The underside of crown plate  30  is sealed in a watertight manner to the top of housing  20  with a seal  34 . Seal  34  can be a flat gasket, a plurality of screws  35  (shown in FIG.  6 ), or any other conventional sealing means. Access to components inside the housing, such as address switches, can be realized by removing seal  34 . 
     Referring now also to FIG. 4, there is a cut-away cross-sectional view of mating means  22  taken along line D—D shown in the plan view of FIG.  2 . Electrical connectors  36  are disposed on, and electrically coupled to, an electrical connector plate  38  thereby providing an electrical connection between tapered opening  26  and the interior of housing  20 . Electrical connector plate  38  is further coupled to crown plate  30  through screws  40 . A hollow radial gasket  42  having a hollow, bulb-shaped, circumferential edge  44 , is disposed on top of crown plate  30 . Clearly, radial gasket  42  could also be affixed to mounting cap  24 . 
     As can be discerned, when mounting cap  24  is placed on housing  20 , inward extensions  46  deflect circumferential edge  44  downward thereby creating a seal pressure for all elements disposed radially external to circumferential edge  44 . Conversely, all elements disposed within the hollow portion of radial gasket  42  are left unsealed and accessible through tapered entry  26 . The use of a hollow, bulb-shaped circumferential edge  44  allows for significant radial deflection with minimal and equal amounts of both insertion and extraction forces which avoids the need of high cost precision tolerances. 
     Continuing with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 and making further reference to FIG. 5, interior flanges  28  are disposed on approximately half of the circumferential edge of mounting cap  24 . The other half of the circumferential edge of mounting cap  24  contains voids  50  which exist where interior flanges  28  would have been, and further contains screw receiving portions  52 . Similarly, as is shown in FIG. 6, exterior flanges  32  cover approximately half of the circumferential edge of crown plate  30 . The other half of the circumferential edge of crown plate  30  contains voids  54 . 
     As can be seen most clearly from FIG. 3, exterior flanges  32  extend to the furthest position from central axis  56 . By placing exterior flanges  32  at this position, two distinct strength factors are realized. First, the circumference of these flanges is larger thereby creating more bearing area to reduce the stress induced upon the flanges themselves. Second, the large off-axis distance allows for more stress to be transmitted through torque loads at the interface between housing  20  and mounting cap  24 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 3-6, in operation, a surveillance camera (not shown) is placed within housing  22  with all electrical connectors  36  which must be accessible to an installer, being disposed near the hollow portion of radial gasket  42  and thus near the center of crown plate  30 . If desired, a safety cable eyehook  70  may be disposed near electrical connectors  36 . Housing  20 , along with mounting means  22  are engaged with mounting cap  24  by placing exterior flanges  32  in voids  50  and simultaneously placing interior flanges  28  in voids  54 . Housing  20  and mounting means  22  are further lifted so that a horizontal plane defined by exterior flanges  32  is higher than a corresponding horizontal plane defined by interior flanges  28 . Housing  20  and mounting means  22  are then rotated a quarter turn about housing  20 &#39;s long axis thereby placing exterior flanges  32  above interior flanges  28  and allowing exterior flanges  32  to be supported by interior flanges  28  as is shown most clearly in FIG.  3 . 
     Referring to FIG. 7, rib extensions  58  are disposed at both ends of exterior flanges  32 . At a first end of exterior flange  32 , rib extension  58  completely inhibits rotation of housing  20  and mounting means  22 . At a second end of exterior flange  32 , rib extension allows rotation of housing  20  and mounting means  22  only if housing  20  and mounting means  22  are initially raised vertically. Rib extension  58  thus prevents unintentional disengagement due to applied gravitational forces. Removal of housing  20  requires a user to lift housing  20  vertically and rotate housing  20  about its long axis in a direction opposite that which was used to insert housing  20 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 4-6, mechanical engagement of housing  20  and mounting means  22  with mounting cap  24  is further enhanced with the provision of anti-rotation screws  60 . Antirotation screws  60  supplement rib extensions  58  by further inhibiting any rotation of housing  20 . When exterior flange  32  and interior flange  28  are engaged, anti-rotation screw  60  is threaded through screw receiving portion  52  in mounting cap  24  into a notch  62  disposed in an exterior portion of crown plate  30 . As shown most clearly in FIG. 4, anti-rotation screws  60  are mounted generally vertically so as to improve the aesthetics of the apparatus while still maintaining accessibility for an installer. Anti-rotation screws  60  are disposed on crown plate  30  at a position which is radially external to radial gasket  42  so that any water seeping through the screw threads will flow through the gap between mounting cap  24  and housing  20  and will not enter the inside of housing  20 . Alternatively, anti-rotation screws could be replaced with spring-loaded detents (not shown) for effecting the same purpose. 
     Mounting cap  24  can be formed as an extension of any mount. For example, a wall mount arm extension could terminate in a structure like mounting cap  24 . In such an embodiment, the external surfaces on the mounting arm could be further structured to blend with housing  20 . The mounting cap could further contain a small circumferential step disposed radially upon it to indicate where housing  20  ends and mounting cap  24  begins. 
     Therefore, by placing the mounting means and the electrical connector near each other, an installer is provided with the ability to quickly and conveniently access and install a surveillance camera housing to a mount. Additionally, minimal stress is placed on the electrical wires, a high level of mechanical strength and reliability are realized, and aesthetics are maintained. The camera is hard wired in the factory and so no time-consuming or costly connection device is required during installation. Furthermore, the camera and the housing are all in one subassembly and so the camera is protected during handling. 
     Having described the preferred embodiments it should be made apparent that various changes could be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention which is defined more clearly in the appended claims. 
     For example, referring to FIG. 8B, the circumferential edge  44  of radial gasket  42  could include a plurality of radially extending protrusions or fingers  64  (like an open bulb) instead of a hollow bulb shape as in FIG.  8 A. As shown in FIG. 8C, radial gasket  42  could be disposed about crown plate  30  so that circumferential edge  44  is compressed axially instead of radially. Radially gasket  42  and inward extension  46  could be replaced by a first labyrinth portion  66  and a second labyrinth portion  68  designed to interlock with each other. Clearly, this labyrinth interlocking would not provide a true seal but the defined tortuous path would discourage ingress of contamination. 
     Similarly, internal surface  48  of mounting cap  24  need not be cylindrical. For example, the external surface of crown plate  30  or the internal surface of mounting cap  24  could be tapered to effectuate engagement of the elements. 
     Interior flange  28  and exterior flange  32  which provide mating engagement between housing  20  and mounting plate  24  need not be flange shaped. They could, for example, embody keying features wherein a series of protrusions and voids mesh and interlock providing mating ingress and egress in one position and providing support of housing  20  in another position. The flanges could also embody a series of protrusions of variable size thereby providing a cam action tightening the mounting cap-housing interface.