Claims:WE CLAIM:
1. An inclinable pole structure (100) comprising:
• a support housing (102) securely installed on a foundation (124);
• a mast (104) defined by a first end and a second end, said first end (104a) having at least one arm (106) for facilitating mounting of an electronic instrument (108), said second end (104b) having an engaging means (105), and said mast (104) pivotally mounted on said support housing (102) about a pivot point (P); and
• a drive mechanism disposed within said support housing (102), said drive mechanism configured to be operatively coupled with said engaging means of said mast (104), to allow said mast (104) to incline to a desired position.
2. The pole structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drive mechanism comprises:
a. a gear assembly (110) coupled with a manual handle (112), said gear assembly (110) configured to rotate in response to the rotation of said handle (112);
b. a drum (114) having a rope (116) spooled therearound, said drum (114) is coupled with said gear assembly (110) and configured to spool or unspool said rope (116) in response to the rotation of said gear assembly (116); and
c. a transmission pulley (118) located on an operative bottom portion of said support housing (102),
wherein one end said rope (116) passes through said transmission pulley (118) and is hooked to said engaging means (105) of said mast (104),
wherein said spooling and unspooling of said rope (116) provides tension to said mast (104) and facilitates said mast (104) to incline to the desired position.
3. The pole structure (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the end of said rope (116) is hooked to said engaging means (105) of said mast (104) using a hook (119) having a locking arrangement.
4. The pole structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, which facilitates the mast (104) to be inclined to the desired position selected from the group consisting of a vertical position (A), a horizontal position (B) and an intermediate position (C).
5. The pole structure (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said manual handle (112) can be detachably connected to said driving mechanism.
6. The pole structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mast (100) has an offset center of mass.
7. The pole structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rope (116) is selected from a group consisting of a stainless-steel type (SS) rope, galvanized steel rope, copper rope and Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coated wire rope.
8. The pole structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support housing (102) is securely installed on the foundation (124) using a plurality of bolts (122).
9. The pole structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support housing (102) includes a stop bolt (120) to limit the angular displacement of said mast (104).
10. The pole structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pivot point (P) is a metal hinge.
11. The pole structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mast (104) is a hollow structure configured to allow the passage of a plurality of electrical cables therethrough.
12. The pole structure (100) as claimed in claim 11, wherein said plurality of electrical cables consists of power-supply cables, extension cables, and data cables.

Dated this 8th day of March, 2022

_______________________________
MOHAN RAJKUMAR DEWAN, IN/PA – 25
of R.K.DEWAN & CO.
Authorized Agent of Applicant

TO,
THE CONTROLLER OF PATENTS
THE PATENT OFFICE, AT MUMBAI , Description:FIELD
The present invention generally relates to a pole structure. Particularly, the present invention relates to an inclinable pole structure that facilitates the maintenance of pole-mounted equipment like surveillance cameras.
BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
Presently, surveillance cameras are used for the purpose of security and monitoring of activities within the vicinity of industrial, commercial, or domestic areas. However, contaminants such as rain, dust, dirt, insects and insect excreta, etc., may get deposited on the lens of the surveillance camera. Such contaminants are undesired since they hinder the visibility of the surveillance cameras. Therefore, regular cleaning of the lens of the surveillance cameras is required. Furthermore, periodic checking and servicing of a surveillance camera are required to ensure its reliability and availability. The surveillance cameras are generally placed on poles that are more than 8-10 meters in height, for better coverage of the surrounding area. Therefore, it is a cumbersome task for a maintenance worker to service the surveillance camera. For the servicing task, the worker generally needs a man-lifter to carry him/her up to the camera height. This results in an increased requirement of additional resources (for e.g., man-lifters) and workforce, thereby increasing the maintenance cost for the surveillance camera and further increasing the servicing time. Additionally, the servicing of the camera using the man-lifters is a risky task for the maintenance worker and it requires the worker to take utmost precaution while performing the servicing task at high heights. Moreover, it is also challenging for the worker using man-lifters, to service the surveillance cameras which are installed at remote and off-road locations.
Similar problems are encountered in the maintenance and servicing of other high-mast optical/electronic equipment such as lights.
There is, therefore, felt a need of developing an inclinable pole structure that alleviates the aforementioned disadvantages.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an inclinable pole structure.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an inclinable pole structure, which facilitates the maintenance of an electronic instrument like a surveillance camera.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide an inclinable pole structure, which is easy to use and safe to operate.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide an inclinable pole structure, which can be operated by a single maintenance worker.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide an inclinable pole structure, which is economical to use.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present invention envisages an inclinable pole structure. The inclinable pole structure comprises a support housing, a mast, and a drive mechanism. The support housing is securely installed on a foundation. The support housing is securely installed on the foundation using a plurality of bolts. The mast is defined by a first end and a second end. The first end has at least one arm for facilitating mounting of an electronic instrument and the second end has an engaging means. The mast is pivotally mounted on the support housing about a pivot point (P). The drive mechanism is disposed within the support housing. The drive mechanism is configured to be operatively coupled with the engaging means of the mast, to allow the mast to incline to a desired position.
The drive mechanism comprises a gear assembly, a drum and a transmission pulley. The gear assembly is coupled with a manual handle. The manual handle can be detachably connected to the driving mechanism. The gear assembly is configured to rotate in response to the rotation of the handle. The drum having a rope is spooled therearound, the drum is coupled with the gear assembly and is configured to spool or unspool the rope in response to the rotation of the gear assembly. The transmission pulley is located on an operative bottom portion of the support housing. One end the rope passes through the transmission pulley and is hooked to the engaging means of the mast. The spooling and unspooling of the rope provide tension to the mast and facilitates the mast to incline to the desired position. The desired position of the mast is selected from the group consisting of a vertical position (A), horizontal position (B) and an intermediate position (C).
In an embodiment, the end of the rope is hooked to the engaging means of the mast using a hook having a locking arrangement.
In an embodiment, the mast has an offset center of mass.
In an embodiment, the rope is selected from a group consisting of a stainless-steel type (SS) rope, galvanized steel rope, copper rope and Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coated wire rope and the pivot point (P) is a metal hinge.
In an embodiment, the support housing includes a stop bolt to limit the angular displacement of the mast.
In an embodiment, the mast is a hollow structure and is configured to allow the passage of a plurality of electrical cables therethrough. The plurality of electrical cables consists of power-supply cables, extension cables, and data cables.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
An inclinable pole structure of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates an inclinable pole structure showing various inclination positions;
Figure 2a illustrates a front view of support housing of the pole structure of Figure 1;
Figure 2b illustrates a side view of support housing of the pole structure of Figure 1; and
Figure 3 illustrates a drive mechanism coupled with an engaging means of a mast of the pole structure of Figure 1.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS USED IN THE DESCRIPTION AND DRAWING:
100 Pole structure
102 Support housing
104 Mast
104a First end of mast
104b Second end of mast
105 Engaging means
106 Arm
108 Electronic instrument
110 Gear assembly
112 Manual handle
114 Drum
116 Rope
118 Transmission pulley
119 Hook
120 Stop bolts
122 Bolts
124 Foundation
A Vertical position
B Horizontal position
C Intermediate position
P Pivot point

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms “a”, “an” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “including” and “having” are open-ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
When an element is referred to as being “mounted on”, “engaged to”, “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.
Generally, surveillance cameras are placed on poles which are more than 8-10 meters in height. It is a cumbersome and risky task for a maintenance worker to service the surveillance camera. For the servicing task, the worker generally needs a man-lifter to carry him/her up to the camera height. Thus, it results in an increased requirement of additional resources (for e.g., man-lifters) and workforce, thereby increasing the maintenance cost for the surveillance camera and further increasing the servicing time. Additionally, the maintenance worker is required to take utmost precaution while performing the servicing task at high heights. Moreover, it also challenging for the worker using man-lifters, to service the surveillance cameras which are installed at remote and off-road locations. Similar problems are encountered in the maintenance and servicing of other high-mast electronic instruments.
To address the aforementioned problem, the present invention envisages an inclinable pole structure 100. The present disclosure is described with reference to Figure 1 through Figure 3.
Referring to Figures 1-3, the inclinable pole structure 100 comprises a support housing 102, a mast 104, and a drive mechanism.
The support housing 102 is securely installed on a foundation 124. In an embodiment, the support housing 102 is securely installed on the foundation 124 using a plurality of bolts 122. The support housing 102 is fixed on the foundation 124 using four bolts. The support housing 102 includes a pivot point (P). The pivot point (P) of the support housing 102 is a metal hinge. In an embodiment, the hinge is a stainless-steel hinge.
The mast 104 is pivotally mounted on the support housing 102 about the pivot point (P). The mast 104 is defined by a first end 104a and a second end 104b. The first end 104a of the mast 104 has at least one arm 106 for facilitating the mounting of an electronic instrument 108. The second end 104b of the mast 104 has an engaging means 105. The mast 104 has an offset center of mass, wherein, the first end 104a of the mast 104 is heavier than the second end 104b of the mast 104. In an embodiment, the mast 104 is a hollow structure. The hollow structure of the mast 104 allows the passage of a plurality electrical cables therethrough, of the electronic instrument 108. The plurality of electrical cables consists of power-supply cables, extension cables, and data cables.
The drive mechanism is disposed within the support housing 102. The drive mechanism is configured to be operatively coupled with engaging means 105 of the mast (104), to allow the mast (104) to incline to a desired position.
The drive mechanism comprises a gear assembly 110, a drum 114, and a transmission pulley 118. The gear assembly 110 is coupled with a manual handle 112. The manual handle 112 can be detachably connected to the gear assembly 110 of the drive mechanism. The gear assembly 110 is configured to rotate in response to the rotation of the handle 112. The drum 114 has a rope 116 spooled therearound. The rope 116 is selected from a group consisting of a stainless-steel type (SS) rope, galvanized steel rope, copper rope and Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coated wire rope. The drum 114 is coupled with the gear assembly 110 and is configured to spool or unspool the rope 116 in response to the rotation of the gear assembly 110. The transmission pulley 118 is located on an operative bottom portion of the housing 102. One end of the rope 116 passes through the transmission pulley 118 and is hooked to the engaging means 105 of the mast 104. In an embodiment, the end of the rope 116 is hooked to the engaging means 105 of the mast 104 using a hook 119 having a locking arrangement.
The spooling and unspooling of the rope 116 provide tension to the mast 104 and facilitates the mast 104 to incline to the desired position. The desired position of the mast 104 is selected from the group consisting of a vertical position (A), horizontal position (B) and an intermediate position (C).
In an embodiment, the housing 102 includes a stop bolt 120 to limit the angular displacement of the mast 104.
In another embodiment, at least one arm 106 facilitates the mounting of electric lights, surveillance cameras, radio antennas, and/or loud speakers.
In a working environment, initially the pole structure 100 is at the vertical position (A). For servicing the electronic instrument 108 (for e.g., surveillance cameras), the maintenance worker connects the manual handle 112 to the gear assembly 110 of the drive mechanism and rotates the handle 112 in a direction (say clockwise). The gear assembly 110 rotates in response to the rotation of the handle 112. In response to the rotation of the gear assembly 110, the spooled rope 116 of the drum 114 starts unspooling and thereby reduces the tension at the second end 104b of the mast 104. The mast 104 starts inclining towards the horizontal position (B) as the tension at the second end 104b of the mast 104 reduces. Once the mast 104 inclines to a desired position, the maintenance worker stops rotating the handle 112 and performs his/her servicing task. After completion of the servicing task, the worker rotates the handle 112 in an opposite direction (i.e., anti-clockwise direction) to spool back rope 116 around the drum 114, and increase the tension at the second end 104b of the mast. The worker rotates the handle 112 until there is sufficient tension at the second end 104b of the mast for keeping the mast 104 in the vertical position (A) or until the angular displacement of the mast is stopped by the stop bolt 120. Upon completion of the servicing task, the worker removes the connected handle 112 from the drive mechanism, for locking the mast 104 in the vertical position (A) and for additional safety purposes.
Advantageously, the inclinable pole structure 100 is easy to use, safe to operate, can be operated by a single maintenance worker and reduces the maintenance cost of the electronic instrument 108 like surveillance cameras.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS AND ECONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of an inclinable pole structure, which:
• facilitates maintenance of an electronic instrument like a surveillance camera;
• is easy to use;
• is safe to operate;
• can be operated by a single maintenance worker; and
• is economical to use.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.