Device configured for mounting to a surface

Abstract

A device (10) configured for mounting to a surface (20) includes a base (102) and an attachment portion (104) attachable to the base (102), wherein the base (102) is provided with a keyhole-shaped opening (106) for receiving a fastener (30) including a head (32) and a shaft (34) for attaching the base (102) to the surface (20), the keyhole-shaped opening (106) including a first segment (108) that permits passage of the head (32) and the shaft (34) and a second segment (110) that permits passage of the shaft (34) but prevents passage of the head (32).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to security improvements for securing devices such as cameras to walls and / or ceilings, and more particularly to a device configured for mounting to a surface. Background Technology

[0002] Camera devices used for monitoring and surveillance of various environments are becoming increasingly common. An example of such a camera device is a dome camera, which includes a hemispherical camera housing to allow movement of the camera relative to a base that is in turn attached to a support such as a wall or ceiling. This type of camera allows for rotation and tilting in multiple directions, thereby achieving a large field of view. The entire housing can rotate with the camera as the housing moves, or by rotating / tilting the camera mounted within the housing while the housing itself remains stationary.

[0003] To achieve a favorable vantage point for the camera device and undisturbed observation of its surroundings, the device should preferably be mounted high relative to the environment being monitored, such as suspended from a wall or ceiling. This places stringent requirements on the reliability of how the camera device is mounted to the wall / ceiling. In some applications, this can be complex because many camera devices feature concealed fasteners for attaching them to the wall / ceiling, which may be desirable for aesthetic reasons and / or to reduce unauthorized removal / tampering of the camera equipment. However, concealed fasteners can make controlling and ensuring the secure fixation of the camera device more difficult.

[0004] Therefore, manufacturers of camera devices continuously strive to provide safer products while also facilitating their installation. Relevant background technology can be found in US 4369340A. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above, the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, preferably a camera apparatus, which improves upon existing technical solutions and at least alleviates some of the aforementioned problems.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives and at least one of other objectives that will become apparent from the following description, an apparatus having the following features is provided according to the present invention. Preferred embodiments of this apparatus will become apparent from the following.

[0007] More specifically, according to the present invention, a device configured for mounting to a surface is provided. The device includes a base and an attachment portion to which the attachment portion can be attached. The base has a keyhole-shaped opening for receiving a fastener, the fastener including a head and a shaft for attaching the base to the surface. The keyhole-shaped opening includes a first section allowing passage of the head and shaft and a second section allowing passage of the shaft but preventing passage of the head. The attachment portion includes a protrusion that restricts relative movement between the fastener and the base in an assembled state. The attachment portion can be attached to the base by linear relative movement between the attachment portion and the base, and the attachment portion includes another protrusion configured to be received by another opening provided in the base in the assembled state.

[0008] Because the components of the attachment and base themselves provide additional safety by preventing relative movement between the fastener and the base, the risk of the device accidentally detaching from the fastener is reduced.

[0009] In the assembled state, another protrusion of the attachment, configured to be received by another opening of the base, can help to ensure the correct relative orientation of the base and the attachment.

[0010] The base can be the base of a camera, and the attachment part can be a dome window.

[0011] The keyhole-shaped opening and protrusion can be further arranged along the outer periphery of the base and attachment portion, respectively. The peripheral arrangement of the keyhole-shaped opening reduces the risk of an exponential increase in arbitrary rotational forces applied to the outside of the device, which would be a consequence if the keyhole-shaped opening were arranged closer to the center of the device. The risk of the device accidentally detaching is thus reduced.

[0012] The attachment part can be attached to the base through rotational relative movement between the attachment part and the base.

[0013] The protrusion extends into the keyhole-shaped opening in the assembled state of the attachment and base. The protrusion arranged in the keyhole-shaped opening reduces the risk of movement of the base relative to the fasteners in the assembled state of the device. Furthermore, the protrusion can act as a guide facilitating the assembly of the attachment and base through its interaction with the keyhole-shaped opening.

[0014] The base may include multiple keyhole-shaped openings.

[0015] The attachment may further include multiple protrusions.

[0016] The keyhole-shaped opening can be distributed circumferentially at the base.

[0017] The attachment may include an outer annular base section, an inner annular base section, and a bridging section connecting the outer and inner annular base sections, the bridging section including a distal end forming a protrusion. The bridging section thus provides structural rigidity to both the inner and outer annular base sections. The protrusion, by being formed as the distal end of the bridging section between the inner and outer annular base sections, will also possess sufficient rigidity, thereby reducing the risk of damage or injury to the protrusion due to interaction with fasteners.

[0018] The attachment portion can be further loosely attached to the base.

[0019] Generally, all terms used in the claims will be interpreted according to their general meaning in the technical field, unless otherwise expressly stated herein. References to “a / an / the [element, device, component, mechanism, step, etc.]” ​​should be interpreted as referring to at least one instance of the said element, device, component, mechanism, step, etc., unless otherwise expressly stated. The steps of any method disclosed herein need not be performed in the specified order disclosed, unless expressly stated otherwise. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The above and additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be better understood through the following exemplary and non-limiting detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals will be used for similar elements, wherein:

[0021] Figure 1 A perspective view of a device attached to a ceiling-like surface in an office environment.

[0022] Figure 2 A rear view of the device, including the base and the attachment, is disclosed.

[0023] Figure 3 Detailed views of the attachment portion to the base are disclosed.

[0024] Figure 4 An attachment portion that is attached to the relative base through linear motion.

[0025] Figure 5 An attachment portion is disclosed that is attached to the relative base through linear and rotational motions.

[0026] Figure 6 A perspective view of the exposed attachment. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The invention will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention. However, the invention can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to be thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0028] Figure 1 A perspective view of the device 10, preferably a camera device 10, mounted on surface 20 is disclosed. The camera device 10 is illustrated as a dome camera, but may be embodied as another type of camera suitable for mounting on surface 20.

[0029] Surface 20 can be any type of surface suitable for attaching the camera device 10, such as a wall or ceiling. Typically, if device 10 is a camera device, then device 10 is preferably as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the device is mounted at a high position relative to its surroundings to achieve the desired field of view. This obviously requires the device 10 to be securely attached to the surface 20.

[0030] The device 10 includes a base 102 and an attachment portion 104. The attachment portion 104 is attachable to the base 102, and the base 102 is configured to be attached to a surface 20. The base 102 thus bears the weight of the attachment portion 104 and forms a load-bearing component of the device 10. Providing a base 102 facilitates mounting the device 10 to the surface 20 because the base 102 can be mounted to the surface 20 via suitable fasteners 30 (such as...) before the attachment portion 104 is attached to it. Figures 3 to 5 (As shown) The camera unit (not shown) can be attached to the base 102, and the attachment portion 104 forms a cover / shell, such as a dome window, surrounding the camera unit within the device 10. The attachment portion 104 can therefore be partially or completely transparent, allowing the camera unit arranged within it to achieve satisfactory image quality. The base 102 and attachment portion 104 are shown as having corresponding circular shapes, but it should be understood that the base 102 and / or attachment portion 104 may also have other shapes such as rectangular or hexagonal.

[0031] Figure 2 The device 10 is shown in a rear view, with the base 102 shown from the side facing the surface 20. The base 102 may be made of a plastic material or, for example, a metal material. The base 102 has a keyhole-shaped opening 106 for receiving a fastener 30 for attaching the base 102 to the surface 20. Figure 3 (As shown in the diagram). The keyhole-shaped opening 106 facilitates attaching the base 102 to and removing the base 102 from the surface 20, as only loosening is required to remove the base 102 without completely removing the fastener 30.

[0032] Preferably, a plurality of keyhole-shaped openings 106 are provided. The keyhole-shaped openings 106 are preferably arranged along the outer periphery of the base 102, i.e., close to the periphery of the base 102. The keyhole-shaped openings 106 may be evenly angularly distributed around the periphery of the base 102. The keyhole-shaped openings 106 may be further unevenly distributed around the periphery of the base 102, providing only one possible relative orientation between the base 102 and the fastener 30, and one possible relative orientation between the attachment portion 104 and the base 102, to allow assembly of the two portions 102, 104.

[0033] Each keyhole-shaped opening 106 includes a first segment 108, allowing the head 32 of the fastener 30 (e.g., Figure 3 As shown, this allows the base 102 to be removed from the surface 20 without completely removing the fastener 30. The second segment 110 of each keyhole-shaped opening 106 allows the shaft 34 of the fastener 30 to pass through, but prevents its head 32 from passing through. In order to secure the base 102 to the surface 20, the base 102 is configured to be adjusted relative to the fastener 30, such that the fastener 30 is arranged in the second segment 110.

[0034] To reduce the risk of the base 102 and the entire device 10 accidentally separating from the fastener 30, the attachment portion 104 is provided with a protrusion 122. The protrusion 122 is configured to restrict relative movement between the fastener 30 and the base 102 in the assembled state of the base 102 and the attachment portion 104. (As per...) Figure 2 and Figure 3 As can be seen, this can be achieved by the following situation: when the attachment 104 is attached to the base 102, the protrusion 122 is configured to be arranged near the head 32 of the fastener 30, so that the head 32 cannot pass through the first segment 108.

[0035] When the attachment portion 104 is attached to the base 102, the protrusion 122 extends such that it is positioned within the first segment 108 of the keyhole-shaped opening 106, thereby preventing the fastener 30 from moving relative to the base 102 from the second segment 110 to the first segment 108. Each keyhole-shaped opening 106 preferably has one protrusion 122. However, it is also feasible to provide fewer protrusions 122 than those in the keyhole-shaped openings 106.

[0036] When the attachment portion 104 is attached to the base 102, the protrusion 122 may extend further such that it is positioned near the keyhole-shaped opening 106. In this context, "near" means closer to the base 102 than the height of the head 32 of the fastener 30, so that the protrusion 122 will impede movement of the fastener 30 relative to the base 102. The protrusion 122 therefore does not necessarily extend into the keyhole-shaped opening 106, but rather extends sufficiently above it to avoid the head 32 of the fastener 30 between the protrusion 122 and the base 102. Thus, the protrusion 122 is arranged to prevent the fastener 30 from moving relative to the base 102 from the second segment 110 to the first segment 108 when the attachment portion 104 is attached to the base 102.

[0037] The base 102 may further be provided with another opening 114 for receiving another protrusion 112 on the attachment portion 104. A plurality of other protrusions 112 and corresponding other openings 114 may be provided as follows: Figure 2 As shown. Another protrusion 112 and a corresponding opening 114 are preferably arranged along the outer periphery of the attachment portion 104 and the base 102, respectively, i.e., close to the periphery of each corresponding portion 102, 104. The other protrusion 112 and the corresponding opening 114 are configured to facilitate the correct orientation of the attachment portion 104 when it is attached to the base 102. The other protrusion 112 and the corresponding opening 114 can therefore be arranged such that only one possible relative orientation of the attachment portion 104 and the base 102 is permissible. For example, the other protrusion 112 and the corresponding opening 114 may be unevenly distributed around the periphery of the base 102 and the attachment portion 104, respectively. The other protrusion 112 and the corresponding opening 114 may further have a shape and / or orientation that allows only one relative orientation of the base 102 and the attachment portion 104.

[0038] Each of the other openings 114 may further be elongated, allowing the other protrusion 112 to move relative to the other opening 114. The other opening 114 may, for example, be semi-circular and elongated, allowing the other protrusion 112 to move within the other opening 114 as the attachment 104 rotates relative to the base 102. A first end of the other opening 114, through its interaction with the other protrusion 112, defines a secure relative position between the base 102 and the attachment 104, wherein a fastener 30 is arranged in a second segment 110 of the keyhole-shaped opening 106. A second end of the other opening 114, opposite the first end, through its interaction with the other protrusion 112, defines a releasable relative position between the base 102 and the attachment 104, wherein a fastener 30 is arranged in a first segment 108 of the keyhole-shaped opening 106.

[0039] The device 10 may further be provided with attachment fasteners 124 for securing the attachment portion 104 to the base portion 102. Preferably, more than one attachment fastener 124 is provided.

[0040] The attachment fastener 124 may be a resilient clip, allowing the attachment 104 to be locked and secured to the base 102. The attachment fastener 124 may further include fasteners such as screws or the like.

[0041] The attachment 104 is preferably detachably attached to the base 102, thereby allowing the attachment fastener 124 to be released, for example, by elastically pressing the attachment fastener 124 to disengage from the locking engagement.

[0042] Figure 3 A detailed view showing how the protrusion 122 is arranged in the keyhole-shaped opening 106. The protrusion 122 is shown as having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, but it should be appreciated that the protrusion may also have another cross-sectional shape such as a circle, ellipse, or square. The protrusion 122 may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the first segment 108 of the keyhole-shaped opening 106, so that the protrusion 122 may be arranged in the first segment 108.

[0043] If the fastener 30 is not properly arranged in the second section 110 of the keyhole opening 106, the protrusion 122 may be configured to prevent the attachment portion 104 from being attached to the base 102.

[0044] For example, the protrusion 122 may be provided with a cross-sectional shape that occupies sufficient space in the first segment 108 of the keyhole-shaped opening 106, such that if one of the head 32 or the shaft 34 of the fastener 30 is arranged in the first segment 108, the protrusion 122 cannot be inserted into or sufficiently close to the first segment 108.

[0045] When the attachment portion 104 is attached to the base portion 102, the protrusion 122 is arranged to prevent the fastener 30 from moving into the first segment 108 of the keyhole-shaped opening 106.

[0046] This can be achieved by a protrusion 122 that extends to be positioned close enough to the keyhole opening 106 that if relative movement occurs between the base 102 and the fastener 30, the head 32 of the fastener 30 will contact the protrusion 122.

[0047] The protrusion 122 may alternatively extend into or to a proximal position above the first segment 108 of the keyhole-shaped opening 106, preferably near the transition between the first segment 108 and the second segment 110. Alternatively, in embodiments where the second segment 110 has a sufficiently elongated extension in the plane of the base 102 to accommodate both the fastener 30 and the protrusion 122, the protrusion 122 may be arranged in or near the second segment 110 in the assembled state of the device 10. In this embodiment, the protrusion 122 should be arranged between the fastener 30 and the first segment 108, so that the fastener 30 cannot move past the protrusion 122 in the second segment 110 toward the first segment 108.

[0048] The protrusion 122 can be further used as a guide to achieve proper alignment between the base 102 and the attachment 104.

[0049] Attachment 104 Figure 3 and Figure 4 The attachment portion 104 is illustrated as being attachable to the base 102 via a linear relative movement between the attachment portion 104 and the base 102. In other words, the attachment portion 104 can be attached to the base 102 by pushing the attachment portion 104 and the base 102. The attachment portion fastener 124 can be configured to engage in a locked position once the attachment portion 104 is correctly positioned relative to the base 102.

[0050] like Figure 5 As illustrated, as a supplement to or alternative to linear motion, the attachment portion 104 may be further configured to attach to the base 102 via a rotational relative motion between the attachment portion 104 and the base 102. The attachment portion 104 can thus be arranged in relation to the base 102, and subsequently, the attachment portion 104 is twisted / rotated relative to the base 102 until the correct relative position is achieved. The attachment portion fastener 124 may be configured to engage in a locked position once the attachment portion 104 is correctly positioned relative to the base 102.

[0051] like Figure 3 Furthermore, the attachment portion 104 may include an outer annular bottom section 116, an inner annular bottom section 118, and a bridging section 120 connecting the outer annular bottom section 116 and the inner annular bottom section 118. The outer annular bottom section 116 and the inner annular bottom section 118 may be integrally formed with the attachment portion 104. The outer annular bottom section 116 may be formed outside the attachment portion 104, while the inner annular bottom section 118 forms an annular wall disposed inside the outer annular bottom section 116.

[0052] The bridging section 120 is integrally formed with the outer annular bottom section 116 and the inner annular bottom section 118, providing rigidity to both sections. The outer annular bottom section 116 and the inner annular bottom section 118 form an intermediate annular space therebetween, in which the keyhole-shaped opening 106 and the head 32 of the fastener 30 are arranged when the attachment 104 is attached to the base 102. The fastener 30 is thus concealed and cannot be removed without first removing the attachment 104 from the base 102.

[0053] The bridging section 120 may further include a distal end 122 forming a protrusion 122. The protrusion 122 is thus integrally formed with the bridging section 120, which is respectively connected to the outer annular bottom section 116 and the inner annular bottom section 118, and can therefore be provided with sufficient structural stiffness.

[0054] Similarly, as shown in perspective view, attachment 104 Figure 6 As shown, each additional protrusion 112 may be formed as the distal end 112 on the respective bridging section 120 between the outer annular bottom section 116 and the inner annular bottom section 118. The additional protrusion 112 and protrusion 122 may thus be formed as part of the reinforcing bridging section 120 that provides structural rigidity to the attachment 104.

[0055] It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. Therefore, various modifications and variations are conceived within the scope of the invention as specifically defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device (10) configured for mounting to a surface (20), comprising a base (102) and an attachment (104) attachable to the base (102), wherein the base (102) has a keyhole-shaped opening (106) for receiving a fastener (30), the fastener (30) comprising a head (32) and a shaft (34) for attaching the base (102) to the surface (20), the keyhole-shaped opening (106) comprising a first section (108) allowing passage of the head (32) and the shaft (34) and a second section allowing passage of the shaft (34) but preventing passage of the head (32). 110), wherein the attachment (104) includes a protrusion (122) that restricts relative movement between the fastener (30) and the base (102) in the assembled state of the base (102) and the attachment (104), wherein the attachment (104) can be attached to the base (102) by linear relative movement between the attachment (104) and the base (102), and wherein the attachment (104) includes another protrusion (112) configured to be received by another opening (114) in the base (102) in the assembled state. The attachment (104) includes an outer annular bottom section (116), an inner annular bottom section (118), and a bridging section (120) connecting the outer annular bottom section (116) and the inner annular bottom section (118), wherein the bridging section (120) includes a distal end forming the protrusion (122).

2. The device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the base (102) is a camera base (102).

3. The device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the attachment (104) is a dome window (104).

4. The device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the keyhole-shaped opening (106) and the protrusion (122) are respectively arranged along the outer periphery on the base (102) and the attachment (104).

5. The device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protrusion (122) extends into the keyhole-shaped opening (106) in the assembled state of the attachment (104) and the base (102).

6. The device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base (102) includes a plurality of keyhole-shaped openings (106).

7. The device (10) according to claim 6, wherein the attachment (104) includes a plurality of protrusions (122).

8. The device (10) according to claim 6, wherein the keyhole-shaped opening (106) is circumferentially distributed on the base (102).

9. The device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the attachment portion (104) is releasably attached to the base portion (102).

Images