Indoor/outdoor surveillance housing

• US 5,689,304 A
• Filed: 03/04/1996
• Issued: 11/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Arnold, Kathleen Elaine, Jones, Theodore Leroy
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIN, LUANNE PAN
• Application Number:
  US08/610,320
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/151, 348/373
• US Class Current: 348/373
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19632 Camera support structures, e.g. attachment means, poles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A surveillance housing assembly comprises an outer shell having a top wall portion and side wall portion, wherein the side wall portion extends in a downward direction from the top wall portion to thereby define a first cavity. An inner shell comprises a top wall portion for mounting engagement with an underside of the top wall portion of the outer shell within the first cavity. The inner shell further comprises a top wall portion and a side wall portion, wherein the side wall portion extends in a downward direction from the top wall portion to thereby define a second cavity. The side wall portion of the inner shell further comprises a sequence of wall surfaces and plateau surfaces arranged for securing components of the surveillance equipment thereto in a prescribed manner such that first components of the surveillance equipment are disposed inbetween the underside of the outer shell and an outerside of the inner shell, and second components of the surveillance equipment are disposed within the second cavity. Lastly, a window assembly is provided for mounting engagement with a bottom of the side wall portion of the inner shell.

Claims

1. A surveillance housing assembly for use in housing surveillance equipment, said surveillance housing comprising:

an outer shell having a top wall portion and side wall portion, the side wall portion extending in a downward direction from the top wall portion thereby defining a first cavity;

an inner shell having a top wall portion for mounting engagement with an underside of the top wall portion of said outer shell within the first cavity, said inner shell further having a side wall portion, the side wall portion extending in a downward direction from the top wall portion thereby defining a second cavity, wherein the side wall portion of said inner shell further comprises a sequence of wall surfaces and plateau surfaces arranged for securing components of the surveillance equipment thereto in a prescribed manner such that first components of the surveillance equipment are disposed inbetween the underside of said outer shell and an outerside of said inner shell, and second components of the surveillance equipment are disposed within the second cavity; and

a window assembly for mounting engagement with a bottom of the side wall portion of said inner shell.

2. The surveillance housing assembly of claim 1, wherein

the top wall portion of said outer shell comprises an air exhaust aperture located therein,

the top wall portion of said inner shell comprises an air exhaust aperture located therein and further to be coincident with the air exhaust aperture of the top wall portion of said outer shell,

said inner shell further comprises an upper compartment and a lower compartment within the second cavity, wherein a set of plateau surfaces on the side wall portion of said inner shell separate the upper compartment from the lower compartment, the side wall portion further having at least one air inlet aperture for establishing an air flow path traversing into the first compartment, through the second compartment, and exiting via the air exhaust aperture of the top wall portion of said inner shell,

said inner shell still further comprises a flange attached to the bottom of the side wall portion thereof, and

wherein said window assembly is further attached to the flange.

3. The surveillance housing assembly of claim 2, further comprising

a gasket disposed around a perimeter of the flange, wherein said gasket extends in a radial direction to be proximate to but not in contact with an inside of the side wall portion of said outer shell proximate to the bottom of the side wall portion of said outer shell.

4. The surveillance housing assembly of claim 3, further comprising

means for extending said gasket in an outward radial direction for making said gasket contact the inside of the side wall portion of said outer shell at a number of points for stabilizing a bottom portion of said inner shell within said outer shell.

5. The surveillance housing assembly of claim 2, wherein

the top wall portion of said outer shell comprises a plurality of plateau surfaces and wherein one of the plurality of plateau surfaces contains the air exhaust aperture of the top wall portion of said outer shell, said surveillance housing further comprising

air outlet cover means for enabling a torturous air flow path proximate the air exhaust aperture of the top wall portion of said outer shell, said air outlet cover means for mounting engagement on a plateau surface above the plateau surface containing the air exhaust aperture of the top wall portion of said outer shell.

6. The surveillance housing assembly of claim 5, further wherein

one of the plurality of plateau surfaces of the top wall portion of said outer shell further comprises a radially outermost plateau surface having an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter, wherein the inner perimeter comprises first sections having a first radial dimension and second sections having a second radial dimension, wherein the first radial dimension is greater than the second radial dimension, further wherein an additional plateau surface positioned above the radially outermost plateau surface forms a step of a given height;

said surveillance housing further comprising a decorative cap for mounting on top of the top wall portion of said outer shell, said decorative cap having a bottom edge portion thereof having a plurality of notches therein, and further wherein a lowermost portion of said decorative cap comprises an inner dimension for contacting with the step at the first sections, said decorative cap further having a lowermost exterior dimension for substantial alignment with the outer perimeter of the radially outermost plateau surface.

7. The surveillance housing assembly of claim 2, further comprising means for mounting selected components of the surveillance equipment to an underside of said inner shell, wherein the mounting means comprises a first mechanical mount and a second mechanical mount, the first mechanical mount being fixedly attached to a first one of the set of plateau surfaces on the side wall portion of said inner shell which separate the upper compartment from the lower compartment, the second mechanical mount being rotatably attached to the second of the set of plateau surfaces, opposite to the fast of the set of plateau surfaces, on the side wall portion of said inner shell which separate the upper compartment from the lower compartment, the second mechanical mount being rotatable between an out of the way position and a active support position.

8. The surveillance housing assembly of claim 2, further comprising a heater and recirculating blower means positioned substantially within the first compartment of said inner shell for recirculating air across a heater and directing heated air into said window assembly.

9. The surveillance housing assembly of claim 2, wherein said window assembly comprises a hemispherical window and a decorative trim ring attached to an outer perimeter of the hemispherical window.

10. The surveillance housing assembly of claim 9, further comprising an interlock switch mounted upon a top surface of the flange of said inner shell for disabling an electrical power to at least the portion of the surveillance equipment positioned within the underside of said inner shell when said window assembly is not yet attached to said inner shell and for enabling the electrical power when said window assembly is attached to said inner shell, further wherein said window assembly further comprises an interlock post attached to the trim ring of said window assembly for tactical engagement with the interlock switch through a corresponding aperture formed in the flange of said inner shell.

11. The surveillance housing assembly of claim 2, wherein said surveillance housing further comprises a pendant-mount type housing.

12. The surveillance housing assembly of claim 2, wherein said surveillance housing further comprises a below-the-ceiling-mount type housing.

13. The surveillance housing assembly of claim 2, wherein said surveillance housing further comprises a flush-ceiling-mount housing, wherein a retaining bracket is provided for securing said housing to a ceiling, and further wherein the trim ring of said window assembly extends in a radial direction beyond the outer perimeter of the lower most portion of said outer shell.

14. A surveillance housing assembly for use in housing surveillance equipment, said surveillance housing comprising:

an outer shell having a top wall portion and side wall portion, the side wall portion extending in a downward direction from the top wall portion thereby defining a first cavity;

an inner shell having a top wall portion for mounting engagement with an underside of the top wall portion of said outer shell within the first cavity, said inner shell further having a side wall portion, the side wall portion extending in a downward direction from the top wall portion to thereby define a second cavity, wherein the side wall portion of said inner shell comprises a sequence of wall surfaces and plateau surfaces arranged for a securing of the surveillance equipment thereto in a prescribed manner such that first components of the surveillance equipment are disposed inbetween the underside of said outer shell and an outside of said inner shell wherein the first components of the surveillance equipment are rendered directly inaccessible upon the securing of said inner shell within said outer shell, and second components of the surveillance equipment are disposed within the second cavity; and

a window assembly for mounting engagement with a bottom of the side wall portion of said inner shell.