Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SPRING-LOADED CEILING MOUNT FOR A SECURITY CAMERA
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001]
The present disclosure is directed at a spring-loaded ceiling mount for a
security camera and at a security camera assembly comprising the security
camera and
the spring-loaded ceiling mount.
BACKGROUND
[0002]
The global video surveillance market remains strong given the actual and
perceived needs for surveillance in response to problems such as violent
crime, property
crime, and terrorism. In particular, a significant amount of activity in the
global
surveillance market relates to replacing analog security cameras with newer
and more
flexible digital surveillance cameras. Given this, there exists a continued
need for
solutions that can expedite and ease installation of surveillance equipment
generally and
security cameras in particular.
SUMMARY
[0003] According to a first aspect, there is provided a ceiling mount for a
security
camera. The ceiling mount comprises a mount body and a clamp secured to the
mount
body. The mount body comprises a back end located above a bottom of a ceiling
when
the ceiling mount is mounted and a front end connected to the back end and
located
below the bottom of the ceiling when the ceiling mount is mounted. The clamp
comprises
a force application member positioned to compress the ceiling against the
front end when
the clamp is closed and positioned to permit the ceiling to pass between the
force
application member and the front end when the clamp is open; and a spring,
biasing the
force application member, that is in a relatively deflected position when the
clamp is
open and in a relatively undeflected position when the clamp is closed.
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[0004]
The clamp may be lockable in a loaded state when the spring is in the
relatively deflected position.
[0005]
The clamp may be released from the loaded state by actuating a release
mechanism located below the ceiling when the ceiling mount is mounted.
[0006] The release mechanism may comprise part of the ceiling mount and be
secured to the mount body. Alternatively, the release mechanism may be
separate from
the ceiling mount and comprise, for example, a screwdriver.
[0007]
The spring may comprise a compression coil spring, the clamp may
comprise a channel along which the spring is located, and the front end may
comprise a
channel access port, aligned with the longitudinal axis of the coil spring,
for receiving the
release mechanism.
[0008]
The channel may comprise a channel wall that prevents the ceiling from
encroaching into the channel.
[0009]
The force application member may comprise a flap having one end in the
channel and a flap body connected to the one end in the channel. The flap may
be
rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the channel between a retracted
position in which
the flap body abuts against the back end and an extended position in which the
flap body
is spaced from the back end.
[0010]
When in the extended position the flap body may cross the periphery of a
portion of the front end pressed against the bottom of the ceiling when the
ceiling mount
is mounted to the ceiling.
[0011]
The back end may further comprise a recess shaped to receive the flap
body and to prevent the flap from moving along the channel. The recess may be
located
adjacent the channel and spaced from the front end such that the flap body is
rotatable
into the recess when the spring is in the relatively deflected position.
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[0012]
The back end may further comprise an outwardly extending protrusion
located between the recess and the channel, the flap body may comprise a slot
shaped to
permit the protrusion to pass therethrough, and a top side of the protrusion
may be angled
downwards towards the front end.
[0013] The back end may comprise a camera opening for receiving the
security
camera and the front end may comprise a flange along at least a portion of the
camera
opening.
100141 The channel access port may extend through the flange.
[0015]
The ceiling mount may further comprise a screw head facing the channel
access port and located at the end of the coil spring nearest the channel
access port.
100161
According to another aspect, there is provided a security camera assembly
that comprises a security camera and a ceiling mount. The ceiling mount
comprises a
mount body to which the security camera is attached and a clamp secured to the
mount
body. The mount body comprises a back end located above a bottom of a ceiling
when
the ceiling mount is mounted and a front end connected to the back end and
located
below the bottom of the ceiling when the ceiling mount is mounted. The clamp
comprises
a force application member positioned to compress the ceiling against the
front end when
the clamp is closed and positioned to permit the ceiling to pass between the
force
application member and the front end when the clamp is open; and a spring,
biasing the
force application member, that is in a relatively deflected position when the
clamp is
open and in a relatively undeflected position when the clamp is closed.
[0017]
According to another aspect, there is provided a method for mounting a
security camera assembly comprising a security camera attached to a ceiling
mount. The
method comprises, prior to inserting a back end of the ceiling mount into a
ceiling space:
drilling a hole in a ceiling sized to accept the back end but not a front end
of the ceiling
mount that is connected to the back end; opening a clamp that comprises part
of the
ceiling mount, wherein opening the clamp comprises moving a spring used to
bias the
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clamp from a relatively undeflected position to a relatively deflected
position and
wherein the clamp permits a ceiling to pass between the clamp and the front
end when
open; and locking the clamp open. The method also comprises placing the back
end of
the ceiling mount in the ceiling space and, while the back end of the ceiling
mount is in
the ceiling space, releasing the clamp to permit the spring to close the
clamp, wherein the
clamp clamps the ceiling between the back and front ends when closed.
[0018]
The method may further comprise pressing the front end against a bottom
of the ceiling while closing the clamp.
[0019]
The clamp may comprise a flap having a flap body that is movable along
and rotatable on the back end. The back end may comprise a recess shaped and
located to
receive the flap body when the clamp is open. The method may further comprise
rotating
the flap body away from the back end prior to locking the clamp open; opening
the clamp
comprises moving the flap away from the front end; locking the clamp open
comprises
rotating the flap body into the recess; and releasing the clamp comprises
rotating the flap
body out of the recess.
[0020]
The method may further comprise rotating the flap body outwards prior to
permitting the spring to close the clamp clamping the ceiling with the flap
body rotated
outwards.
[0021]
The spring may comprise a compression coil spring, the front end may
comprise a flange having a channel access port aligned with the spring, the
back end may
comprise a camera opening that receives the security camera, and releasing the
clamp
may be performed by inserting a release mechanism such as a screwdriver
through the
channel access port.
[0022]
According to another aspect, there is provided a ceiling mount for a
security camera, which comprises a back end having a camera opening shaped to
receive
the security camera; a flange around at least a portion of the camera opening,
the flange
having a channel access port extending therethrough; and a clamp secured to
the back
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end. The clamp comprises a channel aligned with the channel access port,
wherein the
channel has a length selected such that a distance between the end of the
channel nearest
the channel access port and the channel access port is less than a thickness
of a ceiling to
which the ceiling mount is to be mounted; a compression coil spring extending
along the
channel and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the channel; and a flap
having one
end connected to the spring and that moves along the channel when the spring
deflects,
wherein the length of the spring is selected such that the spring is at least
deflected by a
top of the ceiling when the flange is pressed against a bottom of the ceiling
and the
ceiling is between the flange and the flap.
[0023] This summary does not necessarily describe the entire scope of all
aspects.
Other aspects, features and advantages will be apparent to those of ordinary
skill in the
art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] In
the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one or more exemplary
embodiments:
[0025]
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a security camera assembly comprising a
ceiling mount and a security camera, according to one embodiment.
[0026]
Figures 2(a) ¨ (g) are perspective, front elevation, right side elevation,
rear
elevation, top plan, left side elevation, and bottom plan views, respectively,
of the ceiling
mount.
[0027]
Figures 3(a) ¨ (h) depict the security camera assembly, and in particular a
portion of a clamp comprising part of the ceiling mount, at various times
during
mounting of the security camera assembly.
[0028]
Figure 4 shows a method for mounting the security camera assembly,
according to another embodiment.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029]
Directional terms such as "top," "bottom," "upwards," "downwards,"
"vertically," and "laterally" are used in the following description for the
purpose of
providing relative reference only, and are not intended to suggest any
limitations on how
any article is to be positioned during use, or to be mounted in an assembly or
relative to
an environment.
[0030] An
in-ceiling mount camera refers to a camera that is designed to be
mounted to and partially recessed behind a ceiling. A suitable ceiling is one
in which a
hollow cavity is behind the ceiling and is sufficiently large to accept a back
end of the
camera that is hidden from view when the camera is mounted; suitable ceilings
may
comprise, for example, drywall screwed on to joists and a suspended or
"dropped"
ceiling. In the case of a dome camera for example, the bulk of the camera is
recessed
behind the ceiling and only the hemispherical dome is visible below the
ceiling. The
portion of the camera that is above the bottom surface of the ceiling when the
camera is
mounted is the "back end" of the camera, while the volume of space above the
bottom
surface of the ceiling is the "ceiling space". A hole is cut in the ceiling
that is slightly
larger than required to allow the back end of the camera to be inserted
through it. The
camera is equipped with a mechanism to grip the ceiling and hold the camera
securely in
place.
[0031] Generally, these gripping mechanisms are difficult to operate
because they
are hidden from an installer's view behind the ceiling. They typically use a
leadscrew-
driven clamp that the installer screws to clamp the camera to the ceiling.
This is
cumbersome and time consuming for the installer, particularly since the
installer is
usually standing on a ladder while using one hand to support the camera while
screwing
the leadscrew.
[0032]
The depicted embodiments are directed at a spring-loaded ceiling mount
for a security camera, a security camera assembly comprising the security
camera and the
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spring-loaded ceiling mount, and a method for mounting the security camera
assembly.
The ceiling mount comprises a clamp that uses a spring to bias a force
application
member. Prior to inserting the back end of the ceiling mount into the ceiling
space the
installer "loads" the clamp by deflecting the spring until the clamp is open
and by then
locking the clamp open. After the back end of the ceiling mount is in the
ceiling space,
the installer releases the clamp and the spring consequently pushes the force
application
member against the ceiling, clamping the ceiling between the force application
member
and a front end of the ceiling mount that is below the ceiling, thereby
securely mounting
the security camera assembly. The installer can accordingly mount the security
camera
assembly to the ceiling relatively quickly and without having to hold the
camera up while
screwing a leadscrew-driven clamp.
[0033] Referring now to the figures, Figure 1 shows a security camera
assembly
100 comprising a ceiling mount 102 and a security camera 104 inserted into the
ceiling
mount 102 through a camera opening 130 (shown in Figure 2(g)) at the bottom of
the
ceiling mount 102, while Figures 2(a) ¨ (g) show perspective, front elevation,
right side
elevation, rear elevation, top plan, left side elevation, and bottom plan
views,
respectively, of the ceiling mount 102 in isolation. The ceiling mount 102
comprises a
substantially cylindrical back end 108, which is the portion of the ceiling
mount 102 that
is in the ceiling space when the security camera assembly 100 is mounted to a
ceiling A
(shown in Figures 3(e) ¨ (h)). Below the back end 108 is a front end of the
ceiling mount
102, which comprises a flange 110 that circumscribes the camera opening 130.
The front
end also comprises a ridge 146, extending downwards from portions of the
bottom of the
flange 110, for interlocking with a camera cover (not shown) and a cover
release tab 142
for locking the front end to and releasing the front end from the camera
cover. A pair of
hand grips 144 are spaced peripherally along the front end to help the
installer hold the
ceiling mount 102 while mounting it to the ceiling A. The back end 108 and
front end
collectively comprise the mount body.
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[0034] A
trapezoidal recess is located in a top, rear portion of the back end 108.
Located in a vertical wall of the trapezoidal recess are various ports through
which
signals are transmitted to and received from the security camera 104: an
Ethernet port
134; a power connector port 136; an A/V port 138; and I/O terminals 140.
[0035] Three clamps 112 are secured to and are equally spaced peripherally
around the exterior of the back end 108. Each of the clamps 112 comprises a
vertically
extending channel 122 along which extends a compression coil spring 118. The
longitudinal axes of the channel 122 and the spring 118 are collinear. A top
portion 123
of the channel 122 is tubular while a slot 125 is present in a bottom portion
of the channel
122 ("channel slot 125"). Located on the end of the spring 118 closest the
flange 110 is a
force application member in the form of a flap 114. The flap 114 comprises one
end 119
that is attached to this bottommost end of the spring 118 ("rotatable end
119") and a flap
body 116 that is integral with the rotatable end 119. The channel slot 125
permits the
spring 118, and consequently the flap 114, to rotate about the longitudinal
axis of the
channel 122. On the bottom of the rotatable end 119 is a screw head 132
aligned with the
longitudinal axis of the spring 118, and a channel access port 120 is present
in the flange
110 that is also aligned with the longitudinal axis of the spring 118. The
channel access
port 120 allows the installer to insert a release mechanism such as a
screwdriver B
(shown in Figures 3(c), (d), (f), and (g)) through the channel access port 120
and against
the screw head 132 to compress the spring 118, rotate the flap 114, or both.
In Figures 1
and 2(a) ¨ (g), the spring 118 biases the flap 114 against the flange 110;
when in this
position, the spring 118 is in a "relatively undeflected position" and the
clamp 112 is in a
"non-loaded" state.
[0036]
The spring 118 can be compressed until the flap 114 abuts against the top
edge of the channel slot 125; when the flap 114 abuts against this edge the
spring 118 is
in a "relatively deflected position" and the clamp 112 is open. The channel
122 has a
length selected such that the distance between the end of the channel 122
nearest the
channel access port 120 and the channel access port 120 itself is less than
the thickness of
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the ceiling A to which the ceiling mount 102 is to be mounted. Additionally,
the length of
the spring 118 is selected such that the spring 118 is at least deflected by
the top of the
ceiling A when the flange 110 is pressed against the bottom of the ceiling A
and the
ceiling A is between the flange 110 and the flap 114. In the relatively
deflected position,
the clamp 112 accordingly permits the ceiling A to pass between the flap 114
and the
flange 110. Adjacent the top edge of the channel slot 125 is a recess 124
having a top side
aligned with the top edge of the channel slot 125 and that is shaped to
receive the flap
body 116. When the spring 118 is in the relatively deflected position the flap
body 116 is
rotatable into the recess 124. When in the recess 124 the spring is locked in
the relatively
deflected position, the clamp 112 is accordingly locked open, and the clamp
112 is
referred to as being in the "loaded" state.
[0037]
When the installer wants to rotate the flap body 116 out of the recess 124,
the installer inserts the screwdriver B into the screw head 132 and then
rotates the
screwdriver B clockwise to rotate the flap body 116 out of the recess 124. The
installer
can then slowly relieve pressure on the screwdriver B to permit the spring 118
to push the
flap 114 downwards. If the flange 110 is pressed against the bottom of the
ceiling A, the
spring 118 will bias the flap body 116 against the top of the ceiling A and
clamp the
ceiling mount 102 to the ceiling A. If there is no ceiling A, such as in
Figures 1 and 2(a) ¨
(g), then the spring 118 will press the flap 114 against the flange 110.
[0038] Between the recess 124 and the channel 122 is an outwardly extending
protrusion 126 that is shaped to fit through a slot 128 located in the flap
body 116. The
protrusion 126 has a base connected to the back end 108 and a tip spaced from
the back
end 108. When the clamp 112 is being locked while in the loaded state and the
flap body
116 is being rotated into the recess 124 the protrusion 126 passes through the
slot 128.
The protrusion 126 similarly passes through the slot 128 when the clamp 112 is
released
from the loaded state and the flap body 116 is rotated, in an opposite
direction, out of the
recess 124. The top side of the tip of the protrusion 126 is angled downwards,
towards
the flange 110, so that if the bottom edge of the flap body 116 is pushed
against the
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angled tip of the protrusion 126 by the spring 118 the flap body 116 is pushed
outwards
and rotated away from the back end 108.
[0039]
The flap body 116 is rotatable between two positions. In Figures 1 and
2(a) ¨ (g), it is in a retracted position in which it abuts against the back
end 108. As
shown in Figures 3(b), (c), and (h), when rotated outwards into an extended
position the
flap body 116 is spaced from the back end 105. When the flange 110 is pressed
against
the ceiling A, a portion of the wall of the channel 122 that surrounds the
channel slot 125
prevents the ceiling A from entering the channel 122 and blocking the
screwdriver B
from being able to push against the rotatable end 119 of the flap 114. The
channel slot
125's wall similarly reduces the area by which the ceiling A and flap body 116
overlap
when the flap body 116 is in the retracted position. Consequently, when the
flap body
116 is used to clamp the ceiling mount 102 to the ceiling A it is rotated into
the extended
position in order to increase the amount of surface area overlap between it
and the ceiling
A. In Figures 3(b), (c), and (h), for example, the flap body 116 is rotated to
extend well
past the wall of the channel slot and over the periphery of the flange 110. As
discussed
above, the protrusion 126 facilitates rotation of the flap body 116 from the
retracted to the
extended position as the flap body 116 descends down the back end 108 towards
the
flange 110.
[0040]
While the depicted embodiment uses a compression coil spring, in
alternative embodiments (not depicted) other types of springs may be used. For
example,
a leaf spring may be used, a torsion spring may be used, or a tension coil
spring may be
used if a pulley is added to the back end 108.
[0041]
Furthermore, while the channel slot 125's wall in the depicted
embodiment prevents the ceiling A from covering the channel access port 120
and
thereby facilitates the installer releasing the clamp 112 from under the
ceiling A by
inserting a release mechanism such as the screwdriver B through the channel
122, in
alternative embodiments (not depicted) the installer may release the clamp 112
in
different ways. For example, in these alternative embodiments instead of the
release
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mechanism being separate from the ceiling mount 102 as the screwdriver B is,
the ceiling
mount 102 may comprise a release mechanism such as a switch, a relay, a
mechanical
push-button, or a lever, each of which may be actuated from below the ceiling
A when
the ceiling mount 102 is mounted. If the release mechanism is the push-button,
for
example, the push-button may be mounted to the front end.
100421 Additionally, in the depicted embodiment the channel access
port 120 is a
hole in the flange 110. In alternative embodiments (not depicted), the channel
access port
120 may comprise any type of suitable aperture in the front end that allows
the installer to
release the clamp 112 while the installer is supporting the ceiling mount 102
from
beneath the ceiling A. For example, the channel access port 120 may
alternatively be a
notch or slot in the flange 110.
100431 Also in an alternative embodiment (not depicted), the
protrusion 126 may
additionally or alternatively be used as an anti-rotation device to prevent
the flap body
116 from inadvertently rotating out of the recess 124. For example, the
protrusion 126
may extend sufficiently outwardly that it collides with the flap body 116 if
the flap body
116 is rotated into the recess 124 when the bottom of the flap body 116 is
coplanar with
the bottom of the recess 124. Consequently, to rotate the flap body 116 into
the recess
124, the height of the flap body 116 may be selected so that when the flap 114
abuts
against the top edge of the channel slot 125 the bottom of the flap body 116
is above the
top of the protrusion 126, thereby permitting the flap body 116 to be rotated
into the
recess 124 over the protrusion 126. Once the flap body 116 is within the
recess 124 the
installer can cease compressing the spring 118 and the spring 118 will bias
the flap body
116, and more particularly the slot 128, against the protrusion 126. In this
alternative
embodiment, to rotate the flap body 116 out of the recess 124 the installer
would push the
flap 114 against the top edge of the channel slot 125 and then rotate the flap
body 116 out
of the recess 124, which would help prevent inadvertent rotation of the flap
body 116 out
of the recess 124.
Operation
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[0044]
Referring now to Figure 4, there is shown a method 400 that the installer
can use to mount the security camera assembly 100 to the ceiling A, according
to another
embodiment. The method 400 is described in conjunction with Figures 3(a) ¨
(h), which
depict one of the clamps 112 of the ceiling mount 102 at different times
during
performance of the method 400.
[0045]
The installer begins performing the method 400 at block 402 and proceeds
to block 403 where he or she drills a hole in the ceiling A sized to accept
the back end
108 but not the front end. In the depicted embodiment, the hole is sized
larger than the
diameter of the camera opening 130 but smaller than the outer diameter of the
flange 110,
which allows the flange 110 to be pressed against the bottom of the ceiling A
when the
security camera assembly 100 is mounted. More generally, the hole in the
ceiling A has a
diameter larger than the breadth of the back end 108 but smaller than the
breadth of the
front end.
[0046]
After drilling the hole the installer then proceeds to block 404 where, also
prior to inserting the back end 108 into the ceiling space, the installer
opens the clamp
112 as shown in Figures 3(a) ¨ (c). The installer takes the screwdriver B and
inserts its
end through the channel access port 120 and into the screw head 132. The
installer turns
the screwdriver B clockwise, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 3(a), which
transitions
the flap body 116 from the retracted position to the extended position; the
flap body 116
is shown in the extended position in Figure 3(b). The installer then pushes
the
screwdriver B towards the top of the clamp 112 as shown by the arrow in Figure
3(b)
until the rotatable end 119 hits the top edge of the channel slot 125. This
compresses the
spring 118 from the relatively undeflected position shown in Figure 3(b) to
the relatively
deflected position shown in Figure 3(c).
[0047] The installer then proceeds to block 406 where he or she locks the
clamp
112 open. While the rotatable end 119 is pressed against the channel slot
125's top edge,
the installer rotates the screwdriver B counterclockwise as indicated by the
arrow in
Figure 3(c). This rotates the flap body 116 into the recess 124. The installer
then pulls the
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screwdriver B out of the channel 122 and the channel access port 120, which
allows the
spring 118 to bias the flap body 116 against the bottom of the recess 124 and
on the
protrusion 126. When in this position the clamp 112 is in the loaded state and
is locked
open, as shown in Figure 3(d).
[0048] The installer then proceeds to block 408 where he or she places the
back
end 105 of the security camera assembly 100 into the ceiling space, as shown
in Figure
3(e). In the depicted embodiment the installer pushes the security camera
assembly 100
until the flange 110 is pressed against the bottom of the ceiling A.
[0049]
While the back end 108 is in the ceiling space the installer releases the
clamp 112 at block 410, which permits the spring 118 to bias the flap body 116
against
the ceiling A, thereby clamping the ceiling A between the flap body 116 and
the flange
110. The installer does this by inserting the screwdriver B through the
channel access
port 120 and into the screw head 132 as shown in Figure 3(f). The installer
then rotates
the flap body 116 out of the recess 124 as shown by the arrow in Figure 3(f).
The
installer rotates the screwdriver B counterclockwise, which moves the flap
body 116
from the retracted position to the extended position and which is depicted in
Figure 3(g).
The installer then removes the screwdriver B from the channel 122 entirely and
the spring
118 presses the flap body 116 against the ceiling A as shown in Figure 3(h).
The ceiling
A is accordingly clamped between the flap body 116 and the flange 110.
[0050] To apply the method 400 to all three of the clamps 112, the
installer drills
the hole in the ceiling at block 403 once, and performs blocks 404 and 406
three times to
open and then lock each of the three clamps 112 in the loaded state. The
installer then
inserts the back end 105 into the ceiling space at block 408, and releases
each of the three
clamps 112 by performing block 410 three times.
[0051] It is contemplated that any part of any aspect or embodiment
discussed in
this specification can be implemented or combined with any part of any other
aspect or
embodiment discussed in this specification.
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[0052] Figure 4 is a flowchart of an exemplary method. Some of the
blocks
illustrated in the flowchart may be performed in an order other than that
which is
described. Also, it should be appreciated that not all of the blocks described
in the flow
chart are required to be performed, that additional blocks may be added, and
that some of
the illustrated blocks may be substituted with other blocks.
[0053] While particular embodiments have been described in the
foregoing, it is
to be understood that other embodiments are possible and are intended to be
included
herein. It will be clear to any person skilled in the art that modifications
of and
adjustments to the foregoing embodiments, not shown, are possible.
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