TWI898010B - Camera mounting assembly and camera assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a camera mounting assembly, comprising: an adapter for fixedly connecting with a mounting surface and a camera housing; wherein the camera mounting assembly further comprises: a shaft, the shaft being fixed in the adapter and having a non-circular cross-sectional shape; and a hook, the hook being configured to be fixed to the camera housing, and the hook being provided with a groove, the cross-sectional shape of the groove being the same as the cross-sectional shape of the shaft, so that when the shaft is located in the groove of the hook, the hook maintains a fixed orientation relative to the shaft. The present invention also provides a camera assembly comprising the above-mentioned camera mounting assembly. The camera mounting assembly and camera assembly of the present invention can make the installation process simple, easy and safe.

Description

Camera mounting kits and camera assemblies

This case involves the field of security surveillance equipment, and in particular, a camera mounting assembly that can be mounted on a wall, ceiling, pole, etc., and a camera assembly including such a camera mounting assembly.

For security purposes, surveillance cameras are often installed in shopping malls, banks, entertainment venues, train stations, residential areas, and other locations to monitor activities within designated areas. Dome-shaped (or spherical) cameras are widely used to capture a wide range of images and dynamically adjust the coverage area. These cameras typically consist of an adapter and a camera. The adapter can be secured to a mounting surface (such as a wall, ceiling, or pole) using a mounting base or bracket, and the camera is securely connected to the adapter. A safety tether is also attached between the adapter and the camera to prevent it from accidentally falling.

During the current camera installation process, the installer typically first securely attaches the adapter to the mounting surface using a mounting base, bracket, or other attachment. Then, while supporting the camera with one hand, the installer uses the other to connect the safety lanyard to prevent it from falling. After connecting the adapter to the camera via the safety lanyard, the installer begins connecting all cables to complete the installation. During this cable connection, the installer must use one hand to adjust the camera's position, as the camera is suspended solely by the safety lanyard. After connecting the cables, the installer must manually support the camera and rotate it relative to the adapter to lock it into place. The installer then securely connects the adapter to the camera using screws. This installation process is challenging, as cameras can weigh over 5 kg. Therefore, the installer must maintain a firm grip on the camera while attaching the safety cable, connecting the cables, and screwing the adapter to the camera. This creates significant inconvenience for the installer.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved camera mounting assembly and a camera assembly including such a mounting assembly to simplify the mounting process.

The purpose of this application is to provide an improved camera mounting assembly and a camera assembly including such a camera mounting assembly to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

To this end, according to one aspect of the present invention, a camera mounting assembly is provided, comprising: an adapter configured to securely connect to a mounting surface and a camera housing; the camera mounting assembly further comprising: a shaft secured within the adapter and having a non-circular cross-sectional shape; and a hook configured to be secured to the camera housing, the hook having a groove having a cross-sectional shape identical to that of the shaft, such that when the shaft is positioned within the hook's groove, the hook maintains a fixed orientation relative to the shaft.

Optionally, the cross-sectional shape of the groove of the hook and the shaft is one of an ellipse, a truncated circle, a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon or a hexagon.

Optionally, the adapter includes: an outer adapter for fixedly connecting to the mounting surface; and an inner adapter configured to be circumferentially adjustable relative to the outer adapter and fixedly mounted within the outer adapter, wherein the shaft is mounted on the inner adapter.

Optionally, the camera mounting assembly further includes a locking member, which is mounted on the adapter and configured to lock the adapter and the camera housing together.

Optionally, the locking member is configured to be locked and released by a button on the housing of the camera.

Optionally, the camera mounting assembly further includes a safety tether configured to connect the adapter and the camera housing.

Optionally, the camera mounting assembly further includes a mounting base and a mounting arm, wherein the mounting base is mounted on the mounting surface, the mounting arm is fixedly connected to the mounting base, and the adapter is fixedly connected to the mounting arm.

Optionally, the external adapter is provided with a plurality of screw holes and is fixedly connected to the camera housing via a plurality of screws.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a camera assembly is provided, comprising: a camera, wherein the camera includes a housing; wherein the camera assembly further includes the aforementioned camera mounting assembly.

The camera mounting kit and camera assembly in this case can make the installation process simple, easy and safe.

10: Mounting Surface

11: Install the base

12: Mounting Arm

20: Installing components

21: External adapter

22: Internal adapter

23:shaft

24: Hook

25: Locking piece

26: Groove

27: Safety Rope

28: Screw hole

30: Camera

31: Shell

32:Shaft

The following is a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the scales of the various views may differ for the purpose of clarity, but this does not affect the understanding of the present invention. In the drawings: [Figure 1] and [Figure 2] are schematic cross-sectional views and exploded perspective views of the camera assembly of the present invention, respectively, showing the camera mounting assembly; [Figure 3] is a schematic view illustrating the installation process of the external adapter of the camera mounting assembly of the present invention; [Figure 4A] is a schematic view illustrating the installation process of the internal adapter of the camera mounting assembly of the present invention; [Figure 4B] is a schematic view illustrating the incorrect installation process of the internal adapter of the camera mounting assembly of the present invention; [Figure 5A] is a schematic view illustrating the camera mounting assembly of the present invention. FIG5B is an enlarged view of the partial area A shown in FIG5A; FIG6 is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating the process of connecting the adapter of the camera mounting assembly of this embodiment to the camera housing via a locking member; FIG7A and FIG7B are schematic diagrams of the camera assembly of this embodiment after the connection process shown in FIG6 is completed, respectively, and FIG8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of connecting the camera mounting assembly of this embodiment to the camera housing via screws.

The following describes exemplary embodiments of the present invention in detail with reference to examples. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these exemplary embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Furthermore, features of the embodiments of the present invention may be combined without conflict. In different figures, identical or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and other components are omitted for simplicity. This does not mean that the camera mounting assembly and camera assembly of the present invention cannot include other components or parts. It should be understood that the dimensions, proportions, and number of components in the figures are not intended to limit the present invention.

The camera assembly and camera mounting assembly of this embodiment are described below with reference to Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the camera assembly of this embodiment includes a camera 30 and a camera mounting assembly 20 (shown in dashed lines in Figure 2). Camera 30 is secured to a mounting surface 10 via camera mounting assembly 20. Mounting surface 10 can be a wall, ceiling, horizontal pole, or vertical pole.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, camera mounting assembly 20 includes an adapter for securely connecting to mounting surface 10 and camera housing 31. The adapter is provided with a through-hole for passing cables. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the adapter includes an outer adapter 21 and an inner adapter 22, which are described in further detail below.

The camera mounting assembly 20 of the present case further includes a shaft 23, which is fixed in the adapter and has a non-circular cross-sectional shape; and a hook 24, which is configured to be fixed to the housing 31 of the camera 30, and the hook 24 has a groove 26, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 26 is the same as the cross-sectional shape of the shaft 23, so that when the shaft 23 is located in the groove 26 of the hook 24, the hook 24 maintains a fixed orientation relative to the shaft 23. That is, when hook 24 is attached to shaft 23, the cross-sectional shape of groove 26 in hook 24 matches that of shaft 23, restricting relative rotation between the two. This keeps hook 24, and the camera 30 secured thereto, in a fixed position relative to the adapter. Therefore, during camera 30 installation, after securely connecting hook 24 to camera 30, the camera 30 can be directly attached to the adapter, with the camera 30 held in a fixed position, for example, 60 degrees relative to the vertical axis. In this manner, the installer can free both hands to connect the safety lanyard and cable, without having to use one hand to hold the camera 30. Therefore, the installation process is simpler, easier and safer.

The cross-sectional shape of the groove 26 of the hook 24 and the shaft 23 can be an ellipse, a truncated circle, a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon, or a hexagon, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As long as relative rotation between the hook 24 and the shaft 23 is prevented when the groove 26 of the hook 24 and the shaft 23 are engaged, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 26 and the shaft 23 can be any suitable shape, such as an irregular shape.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the external adapter 21 is used to securely connect to the mounting surface 10, for example, via a mounting base 11 and a mounting arm 12. The mounting base 11 is mounted on the mounting surface 10, the mounting arm 12 is securely connected to the mounting base 11, and the external adapter 21 is securely connected to the mounting arm 12. Depending on the installation environment, the external adapter 21 can be securely connected to the mounting surface 10 using any suitable means, which will not be described here. The internal adapter 22 is configured to be circumferentially adjustable relative to the external adapter 21 and is securely mounted within the external adapter 21. The shaft 23 is mounted on the internal adapter 22. This allows the position of the shaft 23 to be adjusted according to the installation environment to avoid interference when the camera is connected to the adapter.

It should be noted that while the adapter of the camera mounting assembly 20 in the embodiment of this application includes an external adapter 21 and an internal adapter 22, the application states that the external adapter 21 and the internal adapter 22 may be formed as a single piece or may include other adapters. As long as the adapter includes the aforementioned shaft 23 and hook 24, the objectives of this application can still be achieved. Therefore, this application does not impose any specific restrictions on the structure of the adapter, and the embodiment including the external adapter 21 and the internal adapter 22 is merely an exemplary embodiment.

In addition, the camera mounting assembly 20 of this embodiment may further include a safety tether 27 (see FIG. 5A ), such as a wire rope. The safety tether 27 is configured to connect the adapter and the housing 31 of the camera 30 . The safety tether 27 may adopt the form of existing products and will not be described in detail here.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2 , the camera mounting assembly 20 of this embodiment further includes a locking member 25. This locking member 25 is mounted on an adapter, such as the external adapter 21 or the internal adapter 22, and is configured to lock the adapter to the housing 31 of the camera 30. This eliminates the need for the installer to manually hold the camera 30 after the locking member 25 is used to lock the camera 30 to the adapter. Furthermore, the locking member 25 is configured to be locked and released using a button 32 (see Figures 7A and 7B ) on the housing 31 of the camera 30, facilitating installation and removal.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the adapter (e.g., the external adapter 21) is provided with multiple screw holes 28 (e.g., 3) and is fixedly connected to the housing 31 of the camera 30 via multiple screws.

The above, combined with Figures 1 and 2, roughly describes the structure of the camera assembly and camera mounting assembly of this embodiment. The following will further describe the camera assembly and camera mounting assembly and their installation process with reference to Figures 3 to 8.

First, after securing the mounting base 11 and mounting arm 12 to the mounting surface 10, the external adapter 21 can be screwed onto the end of the mounting arm 12, as shown in Figure 3. The left portion of Figure 3 shows the external adapter 21 being rotated upward and counterclockwise (as indicated by the hollow arrow), and the connected state is shown in the right portion of Figure 3. Although Figure 3 shows the external adapter 21 being connected to the mounting arm 12 via threads, this is not limited to this embodiment; for example, the connection can also be made using snap fasteners, screws, etc.

Next, inner adapter 22 is placed into outer adapter 21 and rotated circumferentially to select a suitable position, as indicated by the hollow arrows in FIG4A . In FIG4A , outer adapter 21 has three screw holes (indicated by the solid arrows) on its inner side, allowing inner adapter 22 to be secured within outer adapter 21 in one of three selectable positions. In FIG4A , shaft 23 is mounted on one side of inner adapter 22 . This position allows shaft 23 to be positioned away from mounting surface 10 , preventing interference between camera 30 and mounting surface 10 when hook 24 , which is fixedly connected to camera housing 31 , is attached to shaft 23. As shown in Figure 4B , when inner adapter 22 is installed so that shaft 23 is close to mounting surface 10, camera 30, when hung on shaft 23 by hook 24, is held in a fixed position (e.g., deflected relative to the vertical axis), which would interfere with mounting surface 10. Therefore, by circumferentially adjusting the position of inner adapter 22 relative to outer adapter 21, installation flexibility is achieved. In Figure 4A , a protrusion provided on the inner side of outer adapter 21 engages the edge of inner adapter 22, requiring only a single screw (as indicated by the circle) to secure inner adapter 22 within outer adapter 21. It should be noted that more than three optional positions or other securing methods may be provided.

After installing the internal adapter 22, the hook 24 needs to be fixedly connected to the housing 31 (e.g., the top surface) of the camera 30, for example, using screws, snaps, etc. The hook 24, now secured to the camera 30, is then hung on the shaft 23. Since the groove 26 of the hook 24 matches the cross-sectional shape of the shaft 23, relative rotation between the two is restricted. This keeps the camera 30 in a fixed position, for example, approximately 45 degrees, 60 degrees, etc., from the vertical axis, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B. This allows the installer to free both hands to connect the safety tether 27. The safety cable 27 can be of conventional design, with one end connected to the external adapter 21 or the internal adapter 22 and the other end connected to the housing 31 of the camera 30. The installer can then continue to connect the cable with both hands, without having to hold or support the camera 30.

Once all cables are connected, the installer can release hook 24 from shaft 23, for example by slightly lifting camera 30 with their hands to disengage shaft 23 from groove 26 in hook 24. Then, with hook 24 roughly resting against shaft 23, the installer rotates camera 30, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 6. This rotation continues until button 27 mounted on camera housing 31 engages locking member 25. Note that locking member 25 has already been installed on either outer adapter 21 or inner adapter 22.

At this point, the camera 30 can be held beneath the adapter by the lock 25, eliminating the need for the installer to manually hold it in place, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B. The positions of the button 27 and lock 25 are circled in Figures 7A and 7B. Of course, the lock 25 and button 27 can each be multiple or arranged in a different pattern. Manually pressing the button 25 releases the lock 25, and the camera 30 can then be rotated to reengage the hook 24 and shaft 23, completing the disassembly process.

To enhance the security of the connection, after the camera 30 and the adapter are locked, the installer can securely connect the adapter to the camera housing with screws, as shown in Figure 8. Figure 8 shows only three screw holes 28 and screws (as indicated by arrows); however, more screw holes and screws can also be used for connection.

Compared to existing camera mounting assemblies, this camera mounting assembly allows the camera to be hooked onto the adapter first, holding it in place. The installer can then free both hands to connect the safety lanyard and cable without having to manually hold the camera while doing so. Furthermore, the internal adapter's mounting position can be selected, preventing interference during installation. Therefore, this camera mounting assembly makes the installation process simpler, easier, and safer.

The present invention has been described in detail above with reference to specific embodiments. Obviously, the above description and the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings should be understood as illustrative only and not limiting of the present invention. For example, in the preferred embodiment, the present invention is described using a dome-type video surveillance camera mounting assembly as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such camera mounting assemblies but is applicable to any camera assembly that requires maintaining the camera's position during installation. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various variations and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and such variations and modifications shall remain within the scope of the present invention.

10: Mounting Surface

11: Install the base

12: Mounting Arm

20: Installing components

21: External adapter

22: Internal adapter

23:shaft

24: Hook

26: Groove

30: Camera

31: Shell

32:Shaft

Claims (9)

A camera mounting assembly comprises: an adapter for fixedly connecting with a mounting surface (10) and a housing (31) of a camera (30); wherein the camera mounting assembly (20) further comprises: a shaft (23) fixed in the adapter and having a non-circular cross-sectional shape; and The hook (24) is configured to be fixed on the housing (31) of the camera (30), and the hook (24) is provided with a groove (26). The cross-sectional shape of the groove (26) is the same as the cross-sectional shape of the shaft (23), so that when the shaft (23) is located in the groove (26) of the hook (24), the hook (24) maintains a fixed orientation relative to the shaft (23). The camera mounting assembly according to claim 1 is characterized in that the cross-sectional shape of the groove (26) of the hook (24) and the shaft (23) is one of an ellipse, a truncated circle, a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon or a hexagon. The camera mounting assembly according to claim 1 or 2 is characterized in that the adapter comprises: an external adapter (21) for fixedly connecting to the mounting surface (10); and an internal adapter (22) configured to be able to adjust its position in the circumferential direction relative to the external adapter (21) and to be fixedly mounted in the external adapter (21); and wherein the shaft (23) is mounted on the internal adapter (22). The camera mounting assembly according to claim 1 is characterized in that the camera mounting assembly (20) further includes a locking member (25), which is mounted on the adapter and is configured to lock the adapter and the housing (31) of the camera (30) together. The camera mounting assembly according to claim 4 is characterized in that the locking member (25) is configured to be locked and released by a button (32) on the housing (31) of the camera (30). The camera mounting assembly according to claim 1 is characterized in that the camera mounting assembly further includes a safety rope (27), and the safety rope (27) is configured to be able to connect the adapter and the housing (31) of the camera (30). The camera mounting assembly according to claim 1 is characterized in that the camera mounting assembly further includes a mounting base (11) and a mounting arm (12), the mounting base (11) is mounted on the mounting surface (10), the mounting arm (12) is fixedly connected to the mounting base (11), and the adapter is fixedly connected to the mounting arm (12). The camera mounting assembly according to claim 3 is characterized in that the external adapter (21) is provided with a plurality of screw holes (28) and is fixedly connected to the housing (31) of the camera (30) by a plurality of screws. A camera assembly comprising: A camera (30), wherein the camera (30) comprises a housing (31); The camera assembly further comprises a camera mounting assembly (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.