Housing for a surveillance camera

• US 6,375,369 B1
• Filed: 04/22/1999
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Videolarm, Inc. (Moog Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Videolarm, Inc. (Moog Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pfaffenberger, James Lawrence II, Schneider, Peter Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US09/296,967
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 396/427, 396/428, 348/143, 348/148, 348/150, 348/151, 348/152
• US Class Current: 396/427
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1963 Arrangements allowing camera rotation to change view, e.g. pivoting camera, pan-tilt and zoom [PTZ]

Abstract

A housing assembly permitting the adjustable positioning a surveillance camera enclosed therein. The housing assembly comprises a housing having a cylindrical camera opening therein for receiving the surveillance camera., a camera sled, a detachable lens assembly. The camera sled holds the surveillance camera and is slidably receivable in and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the camera opening. The camera sled includes positioning means for adjustably fixing the position and orientation of the camera sled assembly within the camera opening. The ballistic lens assembly encloses the camera sled and surveillance camera within the housing.

In an alternate embodiment the housing assembly further comprises a pan and tilt mechanism which permits the housing assembly to be manually position within a predetermined range of pan and tilt and acts as a wireway for the camera cabling. The pan and tilt mechanism is reversible and affords protection to camera wiring passing therethrough even when the housing assembly is fully tilted. In another embodiment of the invention, the lens assembly includes a replaceable protective transparent shield for the ballistic lens. The lens and protective shield can be made of ballistic or non-ballistic grade materials.

Claims

1. A housing assembly permitting adjustable positioning of a surveillance camera enclosed therein after the camera is mounted, comprising:

a housing having a cylindrical camera opening therein for receiving the surveillance camera;

a camera sled for holding the surveillance camera, the camera sled being slidably receivable in and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the camera opening and including positioning means for adjustably fixing the position and orientation of the camera sled assembly within the camera opening of the housing,

said positioning means including

a tab depending from the sled plate and adjacent the wall of the camera opening and having a threaded hole, therethrough; and

a set screw threadably engaged in the threaded hole of the tab; and

a detachable lens assembly for enclosing the camera sled and surveillance camera within the housing.

2. A housing assembly permitting adjustable positioning of a surveillance camera enclosed therein after the camera is mounted, comprising:

a housing having a cylindrical camera opening therein for receiving the surveillance camera;

a camera sled for holding the surveillance camera, the camera sled being slidably receivable in and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the camera opening and including positioning means for adjustably fixing the position and orientation of the camera sled assembly within the camera opening of the housing, the positioning means comprising a cam rotatably mounted on the sled plate adjacent the wall of the camera opening; and

a detachable lens assembly for enclosing the camera sled and surveillance camera within the housing.

3. A housing assembly permitting adjustable positioning of a surveillance camera enclosed therein after the camera is mounted, comprising:

a housing having a cylindrical camera opening therein for receiving the surveillance camera;

a camera sled for holding the surveillance camera, the camera sled being slidably receivable in and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the camera opening and including positioning means for adjustably fixing the position and orientation of the camera sled assembly within the camera opening of the housing; and

a detachable lens assembly for enclosing the camera sled and surveillance camera within the housing, the lens assembly further comprising;

an annular cap plate;

a cylindrical lens sized to be closely received within the camera opening;

a cylindrical transparent shield plate positioned between the cap plate and the lens; and

fastening means for coaxially and removably attaching the lens and cylindrical transparent shield plate to the cap plate and for removably attaching the lens assembly to the housing so as to enclose the cylindrical transparent shield plate, lens, sled assembly and surveillance camera within the housing.

4. The housing assembly of claim 3 wherein the lens and cylindrical transparent shield plate are each made from a material chosen from the following group:

ballistic grade polycarbonate, polycarbonate, acrylic, styrene and glass.

5. The housing assembly of claim 3, wherein the housing further comprises:

a housing cradle having a first and second pair of spaced apart opposed walls attached thereto, the walls extending substantially perpendicularly from the exterior of the housing and defining a substantially enclosed cavity therebetween;

the housing having an opening therethrough positioned between the walls of the housing cradle for the passage of the camera cabling;

a bracket having a base having a opening therethrough and a first and second pair of spaced apart opposed walls extending substantially perpendicularly from the base and positioned about the base opening, the base and wall pairs forming a substantially enclosed central cavity therebetween sized to receive the housing cradle walls, the second pair of bracket walls having one wall being substantially the same height as the walls in the first pair with the other wall being shorter in height than the other walls to allow for the tilting of the housing about a tilt axis adjacent to and substantially parallel with the shorter wall; and

means for removably connecting the first pair of walls of the housing cradle with the first pair of walls In the bracket when the cradle is inserted into the bracket so as to keep the ends of the walls of the housing cradle in a spaced apart position from the bracket base and to allow the housing cradle to be adjustably tilted about the tilt axis within a predetermined range with respect to the bracket base and to be fixed in place when a desired degree of tilt is achieved with the walls of the bracket and the housing cradle forming a passageway substantially enclosing the camera cabling when the housing Is tilted within the predetermined range.

6. A housing assembly permitting the adjustable positioning a surveillance camera enclosed therein, comprising:

a housing having a cylindrical camera opening therein for receiving the surveillance camera, the camera opening extending along the longitudinal axis of the housing;

a camera sled assembly slidably receivable in and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the camera opening, comprising;

an annular sled plate closely receivable in the camera opening and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the camera opening;

a camera bed depending from one surface of the sled flange for mounting the surveillance camera such that the camera lens is substantially aligned with the camera opening and the sled plate opening;

positioning means for adjustable fixing the position and orientation of the camera sled assembly within the camera opening; and

a detachable lens assembly comprising;

an annular cap plate;

a cylindrical lens sized to be closely received within the camera opening; and

fastening means for coaxially and removably attaching the lens to the cap plate and for removable attaching the lens assembly to the housing so as to enclose the lens, sled assembly and surveillance camera within the housing.

7. The housing assembly of claim 6 wherein the sled assembly further comprises a second sled plate depending from the end of the camera bed opposite the annular sled plate, the second annular sled plate having at least one opening therethrough positioned about the longitudinal axis of the camera opening and being closely receivable in and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the camera opening.

8. The housing assembly of claim 6 wherein the lens is made from a material chosen from the following group:

ballistic grade polycarbonate, polycarbonate, acrylic, styrene and glass.

9. The housing assembly of claim 6 wherein the lens assembly further comprises a removable cylindrical transparent shield plate positioned between the cap plate and the lens.

10. The housing assembly of claim 9 wherein the lens and protective shield plate are each made from a material chosen from the following group:

ballistic grade polycarbonate, polycarbonate, acrylic, styrene and glass.

11. The housing assembly of claim 6 wherein the positioning means comprises:

a tab depending from the sled plate and adjacent the wall of the camera opening and having a threaded hole there through; and

a set screw threadably engaged in the threaded hole of the tab.

12. The housing assembly of claim 6 wherein the positioning means comprises a cam rotatably mounted on the sled plate adjacent the wall of the camera opening.

13. The housing assembly of claim 6 wherein the housing further comprises:

a housing cradle having a first and second pair of spaced apart opposed walls attached thereto, the walls extending substantially perpendicularly from the exterior of the housing and defining a substantially enclosed cavity therebetween;

the housing having an opening therethrough positioned between the walls of the housing cradle for the passage of the camera cabling;

a bracket having a base having an opening therethrough and a first and second pair of spaced apart opposed walls extending substantially perpendicularly from the base and positioned about the base opening, the base and wall pairs forming a substantially enclosed central cavity therebetween sized to receive the housing cradle walls, the second pair of bracket walls having one wall being substantially the same height as the walls in the first pair with the other wall being shorter in height than the other walls to allow for the tilting of the housing about a tilt axis adjacent to and substantially parallel with the shorter wall; and

means for removably connecting the first pair of walls or the housing cradle with the first pair of walls in the bracket when the cradle is inserted into the bracket so as to keep the ends of the walls of the housing cradle in a spaced apart position from the bracket base and to allow the housing cradle to be adjustably tilted about the tilt axis within a predetermined range with respect to the bracket base and to be fixed in place when a desired degree of tilt is achieved with the walls of the bracket and the housing cradle forming a passageway enclosing the camera cabling when the housing is tilted within the predetermined range.

14. A housing assembly permitting the adjustable positioning a surveillance camera enclosed therein after the housing is mounted, comprising:

a housing having a cylindrical camera opening therein for receiving the surveillance camera, a portion of the wall of the camera opening having threads;

a camera sled for holding the surveillance camera, the camera sled being slidably receivable in and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the camera opening and including positioning means for adjustably fixing the position and orientation of the camera sled assembly within the camera opening; and

a detachable lens assembly for enclosing the camera sled and surveillance camera within the housing comprising;

an annular cap plate having an outer dimension so as to be closely received in the camera opening and having threads about a portion of the edge of the plate for engaging the threaded wall portion of the camera opening;

an annular gasket having substantially the same outer and inner diameters as the cap plate;

a cylindrical transparent shield plate having the same outer diameter as the cap plate;

a cylindrical lens having substantially the same outer diameter as the cap plate;

an annular end plate having substantially the same outer diameter as the cap plate; and

fastening means for removably attaching the lens assembly together.

15. The housing assembly of claim 14 wherein the positioning means comprises:

a tab depending from the sled plate and adjacent the wall of the camera opening and having a threaded hole there through; and

a set screw threadably engaged in the threaded hole of the tab.

16. The housing assembly of claim 14 wherein the positioning means comprises a cam rotatably mounted on the sled plate adjacent the wall of the camera opening.

17. The housing assembly of claim 14 wherein the lens and protective shield plate are each made from a material chosen from the following group:

ballistic grade polycarbonate, polycarbonate, acrylic, styrene and glass.

18. The housing assembly of claim 14 wherein the housing further comprises:

a housing cradle having a first and second pair of spaced apart opposed walls attached thereto, the walls extending substantially perpendicularly from the exterior of the housing and defining a substantially enclosed cavity therebetween;

the housing having an opening therethrough positioned between the walls of the housing cradle for the passage of the camera cabling;

a bracket having a base having an opening therethrough and a first and second pair of spaced apart opposed walls extending substantially perpendicularly from the base and positioned about the base opening, the base and wall pairs forming a substantially enclosed central cavity therebetween sized to receive the housing cradle walls, the second pair of bracket walls having one wall being the substantially same height as the walls in the first pair with the other wall being shorter in height than the other walls to allow for the tilting of the housing about a tilt axis adjacent to and substantially parallel with the shorter wall; and

means for removably connecting the first pair of walls to the housing cradle with the first pair of walls in the bracket when the cradle is inserted into the bracket so as to keep the ends of the walls of the housing cradle in a spaced apart position from the bracket base and to allow the housing cradle in a spaced apart position from the bracket base and to allow the housing cradle to be adjustably titled about the tilt axis within a predetermine range with respect to the bracket base and to be fixed in place when a desired degree of tilt is achieved with the walls of the bracket and the housing cradle forming a passageway substantially enclosing the camera cabling when the housing is tilted within the predetermined range.

19. A lens assembly for use in a housing assembly enclosing a surveillance camera, comprising:

an annular cap end plate;

an annular gasket having substantially the same outer diameter as the cap plate;

a cylindrical transparent shield plate having substantially the same outer diameter as the cap plate;

a cylindrical lens having substantially the same outer diameter as the cap plate;

an annular end plate having substantially the same outer diameter as the cap plate; and

fastening means for removably attaching the assembly together.

20. The lens assembly of claim 19 wherein the lens and protective shield plate are each made from a material chosen from the following group:

ballistic grade polycarbonate, polycarbonate, acrylic, styrene and glass.

21. A lens assembly for use in a housing assembly enclosing a surveillance camera, the housing assembly having a flange having a plurality of holes radially positions at a radial distance from the centerline of the housing assembly, comprising;

an annular front end plate having a first plurality of holes therethrough radially positioned at a first radial distance from the center of the front end plate and aligned with those holes in the housing assembly flange and a second plurality of holes therethrough positioned at a second radial distance from the center of the front end plate which is less than the first radial distance;

an annular first gasket having a plurality of holes therethrough corresponding to and aligned with those in the first plurality of holes in the front end plate with the inner diameter of the gasket being greater than the inner diameter of the front end plate;

an annular second gasket having a plurality of holes therethrough corresponding to and aligned with those in the second plurality of holes in the front end plate, the outer diameter of the second gasket being less than the inner diameter of the annular first gasket and the inner diameter of the second gasket being substantially the same as the inner diameter of the front end plate;

a cylindrical transparent shield plate having a plurality of holes therethrough corresponding to and aligned with those in the second plurality of holes in the front end plate and having an outer diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the second gasket;

a cylindrical lens having a plurality of holes therethrough corresponding to and aligned with those in the second plurality of holes in the front end plate and having an outer diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the second gasket;

an annular end plate having inner and outer diameters corresponding to those of the second gasket and a plurality of holes therethrough corresponding to and aligned with those in the second plurality of holes in the front end plate;

first fastening means using the aligned holes in the front end plate, the second gasket, the shield plate, the lens and the end plate for removably fastening the lens assembly together; and

second fastening means using the aligned holes in the front end plate and first gasket for removably attaching the assembly to the housing.

22. The lens assembly of claim 21 wherein the lens and protective shield plate are each made from a material chosen from the following group:

ballistic grade polycarbonate, polycarbonate, acrylic, styrene and glass.

23. A housing assembly comprising:

a housing for receiving a surveillance camera, said housing defining an opening therein; and

a lens assembly detachably mounted to said housing covering said opening to enclose the surveillance camera, said lens assembly comprising a lens and a replaceable protective shield overlying said lens.