Device configured for mounting on a surface

Abstract

To provide safer products while facilitating installation of a camera device.SOLUTION: A device (10) configured to be mounted on a surface comprises a base part (102) and an attachment part (104), the attachment part (104) being attachable to the base part (102), where the base part (102) is provided with a keyhole-shaped opening (106) for receiving a fastener (30) comprising a head (32) and a shaft (34) for attaching the base part (102) to the surface, and the keyhole-shaped opening (106) comprises a first segment permitting passage of the head (32) and shaft (34) and a second segment permitting passage of the shaft (34) but preventing passage of the head (32).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to improved security for fixing devices such as cameras to walls and / or ceilings, and more particularly to devices configured for surface mounting. [Background technology]

[0002] Camera devices intended for surveillance and monitoring of various environments are becoming more and more common. An example of such a camera device is a dome camera, which comprises a hemispherical camera housing to allow camera movement relative to a base, which is then mounted on a support such as a wall or ceiling. Such cameras allow rotation and tilt in many directions, thus achieving a large field of view. The entire housing can rotate and the camera follows the housing movement, or the housing itself is fixed while a camera mounted inside the housing rotates / tilts.

[0003] To achieve a good vantage point for the camera device and an undisturbed view of its surroundings, the device should preferably be mounted in an elevated position relative to the environment it is intended to monitor, such as high on a wall or on a ceiling. This creates stringent requirements on the reliability of how the camera device is mounted to the wall / ceiling. This can be complicated by the fact that in some applications many camera devices are equipped with concealed fasteners to attach the camera device to the wall / ceiling, which can be desirable for aesthetic reasons and / or to reduce the risk of unauthorized removal / tampering with the camera device. However, concealed fasteners can make it difficult to control and ensure that the camera device is securely fixed.

[0004] Therefore, camera device manufacturers continually strive to provide more secure products while facilitating installation of the camera device.Relevant background art can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,340. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device, preferably a camera device, that improves upon the prior art solutions and alleviates at least some of the problems mentioned above.

[0006] In order to achieve at least one of the above objects, as well as other objects that will become apparent from the following description, a device is provided according to the present invention having the characteristics defined in claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the device will become apparent from the dependent claims.

[0007] More specifically, a device configured for mounting to a surface is provided according to the present invention. The device comprises a base portion and an attachment portion, the attachment portion being attachable to the base portion. The base portion comprises a keyhole-shaped opening for receiving a fastener comprising a head and a shaft for attaching the base portion to a surface, the keyhole-shaped opening comprising a first segment allowing the passage of the head and the shaft, and a second segment allowing the passage of the shaft but preventing the passage of the head. The attachment portion comprises a protrusion, which in an assembled state of the base portion and the attachment portion limits the relative movement between the fastener and the base portion. The attachment portion is attachable to the base portion by a linear relative movement between the attachment portion and the base portion, the attachment portion comprising a further protrusion configured to be received in an additional opening provided in the base portion in the assembled state.

[0008] Thus, the risk of the device being unintentionally dislodged from the fastener is reduced because the assembly of the attachment portion and base portion itself provides additional security in preventing relative movement between the fastener and base portion.

[0009] In the assembled state, a further protrusion on the attachment part configured to be received by a further opening in the base part can facilitate correct relative orientation of the base part and the attachment part.

[0010] The base portion may be a camera base portion and the attachment portion may be a dome window.

[0011] The keyhole openings and protrusions can further be peripherally positioned on the base and attachment parts, respectively. The peripheral positioning of the keyhole openings reduces the risk that any rotational forces applied to the exterior of the device will be increased, as would be the result if the keyhole openings were positioned closer to the center of the device. Thus, the risk of unintentional removal of the device is reduced.

[0012] The attachment part may be attachable to the base part by rotational relative movement between the attachment part and the base part.

[0013] The protrusion can extend into the keyhole shaped opening in the assembled state of the attachment part and the base part. A protrusion disposed in the keyhole shaped opening will reduce the risk of the base part moving relative to the fastener in the assembled state of the device. Furthermore, the protrusion can function as a guide to facilitate assembly of the attachment part and the base part by its interaction with the keyhole shaped opening.

[0014] The base portion may include a plurality of keyhole shaped openings.

[0015] The attachment portion may further comprise a plurality of protrusions.

[0016] The keyhole shaped openings may be distributed circumferentially on the base.

[0017] The attachment portion may comprise an outer annular lower section, an inner annular lower section, and a bridging section connecting the outer and inner annular lower sections. The bridging section thus provides structural rigidity to the inner and outer annular sections. The protrusion is similarly formed between the outer and inner annular lower sections as a distal end of the bridging section, such that the protrusion is sufficiently rigid to reduce the risk of damage or degradation of the protrusion due to interaction with the fastener.

[0018] The attachment portion may further be releasably attached to the base portion.

[0019] In general, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the art, unless expressly stated otherwise herein. All references to "a / an / the [element, device, component, means, step, etc.]" are to be openly interpreted as referring to at least one instance of said element, device, component, means, step, etc., unless expressly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0020] The above as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-restrictive detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters will be used for similar elements, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 discloses a perspective view of a surface mounted device in the form of a ceiling in an office environment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 discloses a rear view of the device with a base portion and an attachment portion. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 discloses a detailed view of the attachment part attached to the base part. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 discloses an attachment part that is attached by linear motion relative to a base part. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 discloses an attachment part that is attached with linear and rotational movement to a base part. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the attachment portion; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which presently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0023] 1 discloses a perspective view of a device 10, preferably a camera device 10, mounted on a surface 20. The camera device 10 is shown as a dome camera, but may be embodied as another type of camera suitable for mounting to the surface 20.

[0024] Surface 20 can be any type of surface suitable for mounting camera device 10, such as a wall or ceiling. Typically, when the device is a camera device, device 10 is preferably mounted in an elevated position relative to its surroundings to achieve the desired field of view shown in Figure 1. This obviously requires that device 10 be securely attached to surface 20.

[0025] The device 10 comprises a base portion 102 and an attachment portion 104. The attachment portion 104 is attachable to the base portion 102, while the base portion 102 is configured to be attached to a surface 20. As such, the base portion 102 supports the weight of the attachment portion 104 and forms a load-bearing component of the device 10. The provision of the base portion 102 facilitates mounting of the device 10 to the surface 20, since the base portion 102 can be secured by suitable fasteners 30 (shown in FIGS. 3-5) before the attachment portion 104 is attached to the base portion 102. For example, a camera unit (not shown) can be attached to the base portion 102, while the attachment portion 104 forms a cover / housing, such as a dome window, enclosing the camera unit inside the device 10. As such, the attachment portion 104 is partially or fully transparent, thereby allowing the camera unit disposed inside the attachment portion 104 to achieve a satisfactory image quality. Although the base portion 102 and the attachment portion 104 are shown as having corresponding circular shapes, it will be appreciated that the base portion 102 and / or the attachment portion 104 can also have other shapes, such as rectangular or hexagonal, etc.

[0026] 2 shows the device 10 from a rear view in which the base portion 102 is shown from the side intended to face the surface. The base portion 102 can be formed from a plastic material or, for example, a metal material. The base portion 102 includes a keyhole shaped opening 106 for receiving a fastener 30 (shown in FIG. 3) to attach the base portion 102 to the surface 20. The keyhole shaped opening 106 facilitates attachment and removal of the base portion 102 to / from the surface 20 because, for removal of the base portion 102, the fastener 30 only needs to be loosened and not completely removed.

[0027] Preferably, a plurality of keyhole shaped openings 106 are provided, such as three or more. The keyhole shaped openings 106 are preferably located peripherally at the base portion 102, i.e., near the periphery of the base portion 102. The keyhole shaped openings 106 may be angularly evenly distributed around the periphery of the base portion 102. The keyhole shaped openings 106 may further be non-uniformly distributed around the periphery of the base portion 102, providing only one possible relative orientation of the base portion 102 and fastener 30 and only one possible relative orientation of the attachment portion 104 and base portion 102 to enable assembly of the two portions 102, 104.

[0028] Each keyhole shaped opening 106 includes a first segment 108 that allows passage of the head 32 (shown in FIG. 3 ) of the fastener 30, thus allowing the base portion 102 to be removed from the surface 20 without completely removing the fastener 30. A second segment 110 of each keyhole shaped opening 106 allows passage of the shaft 34 of the fastener 30, but prevents passage of the head 32 of the fastener 30. The base portion 102 is for securing the base portion 102 to the surface 20, where the base portion 102 is configured to be adjusted relative to the fastener 30, such that the fastener 30 is disposed within the second segment 110.

[0029] To reduce the risk of the base portion 102, and thus the entire device 10, being unintentionally dislodged from the fastener 30, the attachment portion 104 includes a protrusion 122. The protrusion 122 limits relative movement between the fastener 30 and the base portion 102 in an assembled state of the base portion 102 and the attachment portion 104. As can be seen from Figures 2 and 3, this can be achieved because the protrusion 122 is configured to be positioned proximate to the head 32 of the fastener 30 when the attachment portion 104 is attached to the base portion 102 such that the head 32 cannot pass through the first segment 108.

[0030] The protrusions 122 can extend to be disposed within the first segments 108 of the keyhole shaped openings 106 when the attachment portion 104 is attached to the base portion 102, thus preventing the fastener 30 from moving relative to the base portion 102 from the first segment 108 to the second segment 110. Preferably, one protrusion 122 is provided for each keyhole shaped opening 106. However, it is also possible that fewer protrusions 122 than keyhole shaped openings 106 are provided.

[0031] The protrusion 122 may extend further such that it is disposed proximate to the keyhole shaped opening 106 when the attachment portion 104 is attached to the base portion 102. Proximate in this context means closer to the base portion 102 than the height of the head 32 of the fastener 30 such that movement of the fastener 30 relative to the base portion 102 will be impeded by the protrusion 122. Thus, the protrusion 122 may not necessarily extend into the keyhole shaped opening 106, but may extend to a position above the keyhole shaped opening 106 that is close enough to avoid the head 32 of the fastener 30 between the protrusion 122 and the base portion 102. Thus, the protrusion 122 will be disposed such that it will prevent the fastener 30 from moving relative to the base portion 102 from the second segment 110 to the first segment 108 when the attachment portion 104 is attached to the base portion 102.

[0032] The base portion 102 may further comprise a further opening 114 for receiving the further protrusion 112 on the attachment portion 104. A plurality of further protrusions 112 and corresponding further openings 112 may be provided as shown in FIG. 2. The further protrusions 112 and corresponding further openings 112 are preferably arranged peripherally at the attachment portion 104 and the base portion 102, respectively, i.e., near the outer periphery of each respective portion 102, 104. The further protrusions 112 and corresponding further openings 112 are configured to facilitate a correct orientation of the attachment portion 104 when attached to the base portion 102. As such, the further protrusions 112 and corresponding further openings 114 may be arranged such that only one possible relative orientation of the attachment portion 104 and the base portion 102 is possible. For example, the further protrusions 112 and corresponding further openings 112 may be distributed unevenly around the periphery of the base portion 102 and the attachment portion 104, respectively. The further protrusion 112 and the corresponding further opening 112 may further comprise a shape and / or orientation that only allows for one relative orientation of the base portion 102 and the attachment portion 104 .

[0033] Each further opening 114 may further comprise an elongated shape such that the further protrusion 112 can move relative to the further opening 114. The further openings 114 may, for example, comprise a semicircular elongated shape, which allows the further protrusion 112 to move within the further opening 114 when the attachment part 104 rotates relative to the base part 102. A first end of the further opening 114, by its interaction with the further protrusion 112, defines a fixed relative position of the base part 102 and the attachment part 104 in which the fastener 30 is disposed within the second segment 110 of the keyhole shaped opening 106. A second end of the further opening 114, opposite the first end, by its interaction with the further protrusion 112, defines a released relative position of the base part 102 and the attachment part 104 in which the fastener 30 is disposed within the first segment 108 of the keyhole shaped opening 106.

[0034] The device 10 may further comprise attachment portion fasteners 124 for securing the attachment portion 104 to the base portion 102. One or more attachment portion fasteners 124 are preferably provided.

[0035] The attachment part fasteners 124 may be elastic clips that allow for a snap-lock fastening of the attachment part 104 to the base part 102. The attachment part fasteners 124 may further comprise fasteners such as screws or the like.

[0036] The attachment portion 104 is preferably releasably attached to the base portion 102 such that the attachment portion fasteners 124 are releasable, for example, by resiliently pushing the attachment portion fasteners 124 out of snap-lock engagement.

[0037] 3 shows a detailed view of how the protrusion 122 is disposed within the keyhole shaped opening 106. Although the protrusion 122 is shown having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, it is recognized that the protrusion may comprise another cross-sectional shape, such as a circular, oval, or square. The protrusion 122 may comprise a shape that corresponds to the shape of the first segment 108 of the keyhole shaped opening 106 such that it may be disposed within the first segment 108.

[0038] The protrusion 122 can be configured to prevent attachment of the attachment portion 104 to the base portion 102 if the fastener 30 is not properly positioned within the second segment 110 of the keyhole opening 106 .

[0039] For example, the protrusion 122 has a cross-sectional shape that occupies a sufficient amount of space within the first segment 108 of the keyhole opening 106 such that when the head 32 or shaft 34 of the fastener 30 is positioned within the first segment 108, the protrusion 122 cannot be inserted into or sufficiently close to the first segment 108.

[0040] The protrusion 122 is positioned such that the fastener 30 is prevented from migrating into the first segment 108 of the keyhole opening 106 when the attachment portion 104 is attached to the base portion 102 .

[0041] This can be accomplished by extending the protrusion 112 sufficiently close to the keyhole opening 106 such that when relative motion is induced between the base 102 and the fastener 30, the head 30 of the fastener 30 will come into contact with the protrusion 122.

[0042] The protrusion 122 may alternatively extend into or to a proximal location on the first segment 108 of the keyhole shaped opening 106, preferably near the transition between the first segment 108 and the second segment 110 of the keyhole shaped opening 106. Alternatively, in embodiments in which the second segment 110 has an elongated extension in the plane of the base portion 102 sufficient to accommodate both the fastener 30 and the protrusion 122, the protrusion 122 may be located in or to a proximal location on the second segment 110 in the assembled state of the device 10. The protrusion 122 should be located between the fastener 30 and the first segment 108 in such embodiments, such that the fastener 30 cannot travel past the protrusion 122 in the second segment 110 to the first segment 108.

[0043] The protrusion 122 can further act as a guide to achieve proper alignment between the base portion 102 and the attachment portion 104 .

[0044] 3 and 4 as being attachable to the base portion 102 by linear relative motion between the attachment portion 104 and the base portion 102. In other words, the attachment portion 104 can be attached to the base portion 102 by pressing the attachment portion 104 together with the base portion 102. The attachment portion fasteners 124 can be configured to snap into a locked position when the attachment portion 104 is properly positioned relative to the base portion 102.

[0045] 5, the attachment portion 104 can be further configured to be attached to the base portion 102 by rotational relative motion between the attachment portion 104 and the base portion 102, in addition to or as an alternative to linear motion. As such, the attachment portion 104 can be positioned relative to the base portion 102, and then the attachment portion 104 is twisted / rotated relative to the base portion 102 until the correct relative position is achieved. The attachment portion fasteners 124 can be configured to snap into a locked position once the attachment portion 104 is correctly positioned relative to the base portion 102.

[0046] 3, the attachment portion 104 may include an outer annular lower section 116, an inner annular lower section 118, and a bridging section 120 connecting the outer annular lower section 116 and the inner annular lower section 118. The outer annular lower section 116 and the inner annular lower section 118 may be formed integrally with the attachment portion 104. The outer annular lower section 116 may be formed by the exterior of the attachment portion 104, and the inner annular lower section 118 forms an annular wall disposed inwardly of the outer annular lower section 116.

[0047] The bridging section 120 may be integrally formed with and provide rigidity to the outer and inner annular lower sections 116, 118. The outer and inner annular lower sections 116, 118 define an intermediate annular space therebetween such that when the attachment portion 104 is attached to the base portion 102, the keyhole openings 106 are disposed within the intermediate annular space along with the heads 32 of the fasteners 30. As such, the fasteners 30 are concealed and cannot be removed without first removing the attachment portion 104 from the base portion 102.

[0048] 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 connected to the outer and inner annular lower sections 116, 118, respectively, and thus may provide sufficient structural rigidity.

[0049] 6, which shows the attachment portion 104 in a perspective view, each further protrusion 112 can be formed as a distal end 112 on a respective bridging section 120 between the outer annular lower section 116 and the inner annular lower section 118. As such, the further protrusions 112 as well as the protrusions 122 can be formed as part of the reinforcing bridging section 120 that provides structural rigidity to the attachment portion 104.

[0050] It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. Accordingly, certain modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the invention, which is therefore defined exclusively by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A base portion (102), and Attachment part (104) A device (10) configured for mounting to a surface (20), comprising: The attachment portion (104) is attachable to the base portion (102); the base portion (102) is provided with one or more keyhole shaped openings (106), each keyhole shaped opening (106) configured to receive a fastener (30) having a head (32) and a shaft (34) for attaching the base portion (102) to the surface (20); Each keyhole opening (106) comprises a first segment (108) that allows passage of the head (32) and shaft (34) and a second segment (110) that allows passage of said shaft (34) but prevents passage of said head (32); for each keyhole opening (106), the attachment portion (104) is provided with a protrusion (122) which, in an assembled state of the base portion (102) and the attachment portion (104), limits relative movement between the associated fastener (30) and the base portion (102); the attachment portion (104) is attachable to the base portion (102) by linear relative motion between the attachment portion (104) and the base portion (102); The device (10), wherein the attachment portion (104) comprises a further protrusion (112) configured to be received in an assembled state by a further non-keyhole shaped opening (114) provided in the base portion (102).

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

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

4. The device (10) of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the keyhole opening (106) and the protrusion (122) are peripherally disposed on the base portion (102) and the attachment portion (104), respectively.

5. 5. The device (10) of claim 1, wherein the attachment portion (104) is attachable to the base portion (102) by rotational relative movement between the attachment portion (104) and the base portion (102).

6. 6. The device (10) of claim 1, wherein the protrusion (122) extends into the keyhole opening (106) in the assembled state of the attachment portion (104) and the base portion (102).

7. The device (10) of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the base portion (102) comprises a plurality of keyhole shaped openings (106).

8. The device (10) of claim 7, wherein the attachment portion (104) comprises a plurality of protrusions (122).

9. The device (10) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the keyhole shaped openings (106) are circumferentially distributed on the base portion (102).

10. 10. The device (10) of claim 1, wherein the attachment portion (104) comprises an outer annular lower section (116), an inner annular lower section (118), and a bridging section (120) connecting the outer annular lower section (116) and the inner annular lower section (118), the bridging section (120) having a distal end (122) forming the protrusion (122).

11. The device (10) of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the attachment portion (104) is releasably attached to the base portion (102).

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