US 6,742,942 B2Granted

Fire-rated dome housing for security cameras

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsSteven L. Hering, Scott A. Jolma

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Abstract

A preferred fire-rated dome housing assembly (10) is mountable in a space (12) formed between a ceiling (14) and a false ceiling (16) and having a height (20) as little as 8.9 cm. The housing assembly includes a housing (22) that is mountable through a hole (24) in the false ceiling, and is protected from heat by a thermal insulation blanket (32). Support straps (34) are attached to a ceiling ring (36) that surrounds the hole for securing the housing assembly to false ceiling supporting members (18). A spacing collar (50) is fastened to the ceiling ring by threaded spacers (52) that extend below the false ceiling. The housing protrudes below the false ceiling and includes a mounting flange (48) that is fastened to the spacing collar. A dome (62) is secured to the mounting flange. The housing assembly preferably encloses a video camera (102).

Claims23

Dependent claims

A fire-rated container apparatus mountable in a volumetric space formed between structural and false ceilings spaced apart from each other by supporting members, the structural and false ceilings separated by a volumetric space height and the false ceiling including a false ceiling hole that provides an access opening to the volumetric space, comprising:

a ceiling ring attachable to the false ceiling and having a ring opening that upon attachment is positioned relative to the false ceiling hole to provide access to the volumetric space;
multiple support straps each of which having a first end and a second end, the support straps at first locations nearer to the first ends being securable to the ceiling ring in angularly spaced-apart relation and the support straps at second locations nearer to the second ends being adaptable for an operative structural connection to the structural ceiling;
a housing including structural ceiling and open lower end portions and having an outer surface and a length, the length of the housing when inserted into the ring opening and set in the volumetric space exceeding the volumetric space height so that the lower end portion protrudes outwardly from the false ceiling;
a spacing collar configured to surround the lower end portion and cover the outer surface that protrudes outwardly from the false ceiling and securable to the ceiling ring to fixedly set the housing in the volumetric space;
and
a cover piece adapted for operative structural connection to the lower end portion to cover it.

3 more elements

In a volumetric space formed between structural and false ceilings spaced apart from each other by supporting members, the structural and false ceilings separated by a volumetric space height, a method of mounting in the volumetric space a fire-rated container apparatus to forestall false ceiling collapse, to maintain a ceiling fire rating, or both, during a fire, comprising:

providing in the false ceiling a false ceiling hole for access to the volumetric space;
attaching an annular ceiling member to the false ceiling, the annular ceiling member including an opening that upon attachment is positioned relative to the false ceiling hole to provide access to the volumetric space;
forming an operative structural connection between the annular ceiling member and the structural ceiling;
inserting into the false ceiling hole and setting in the volumetric space a container housing that includes structural ceiling and open lower end portions, the container housing having an outer surface and a length that exceeds the volumetric space height so that the lower end portion protrudes outwardly from the false ceiling;
providing a spacing collar of a size that surrounds the lower end portion and covers the outer surface that protrudes outwardly from the false ceiling when the container housing is set in the volumetric space;
and
forming operative structural connections of the container housing and the spacing collar to the annular ceiling member to secure the container apparatus in place.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.