WO2009070862A1

WO2009070862A1 - Adjustable security enclosure

Info

Publication number: WO2009070862A1
Application number: PCT/CA2008/000728
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roger W. Challis
Original assignee: Hard Steal Security Corp.
Priority date: 2007-12-05
Filing date: 2008-04-17
Publication date: 2009-06-11

Abstract

There is disclosed an apparatus for securing a projector, the apparatus being mountable to a ceiling drop pipe and comprising a cage having a plurality of interconnected members that together define an enclosure for housing a projector and impeding removal of the projector from the cage. At least some of the members are connected together by at least one member fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage, such that the position of at least some of the members can be adjusted relative to other members so that the size of the enclosure can be adjusted to fit the projector snugly therein, thereby impeding access to the fasteners. At least one of the members is a top plate, having a first array of openings, connected to at least one other member by at least one of the member fasteners. The top plate is laterally adjustable relative to the at least one other member such that the width of the cage can be adjusted. The apparatus also comprises a connector assembly connectable to a ceiling drop pipe, and having a cage mounting portion having a second array of openings. The connector assembly is mountable in at least two different positions to the top plate by at least one connector assembly fastener that is fastentable from inside the cage. Each connector assembly fastener extends through a set of aligned openings from the first and second arrays corresponding to each different position and at least some of the aligned openings between different positions are different.

Description

Adjustable Security Enclosure

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to adjustable security enclosures, and in particular, to security enclosures that are adjustable to enclose portable electronic equipment, such as projectors, that are of different sizes and dimensions.

Background of the Invention

Portable electronic equipment such as projectors are prone to theft. Replacing stolen equipment can be expensive and distracting. Electronic equipment theft is particularly problematic for organizations that must expose their equipment to the public. For example, schools and conference centres have meeting rooms that are equipped with presentation equipment, such as computers, and video / data projectors. Projectors can be portable units placed on top of a table and removed after each use. Projectors that are placed on tables can be removed from the room after each use; however, transporting and setting up the projector in the room each time it is to be used tends to be time consuming and is undesirable when the room is frequently used for presentations. Since such projectors are not secured, care must be taken to guard the projector to ensure it is not stolen. Or, projectors can be mounted in a substantially permanent location, such as from a threaded drop pipe extending downwards from the room's ceiling.

Ceiling mounted projectors are desirable as they free up desk space, and are mounted out of the way of people in the room. Projector manufacturers typically provide optional ceiling mounting plates for their projectors; the mounting plates typically include a threaded portion that mates with the threaded portion of the drop pipe, and fasteners for securing the mounting plate to mounting points in the chassis of the data projector itself. Optionally, an adjustment bracket can be coupled between the mounting plate and the drop pipe, to enable the pitch, yaw, and roll of the projector to be adjusted so that the projected image is centred on a screen.

Such ceiling mounting hardware is not particularly secure - a thief can simply remove the fasteners that attach the adjustment bracket to the mounting plate, or remove the fasteners in the adjustment bracket itself, or remove the fasteners which attach the mounting plate to the projector. Applicant's own issued patent, United States Patent no. 7,029,133 to Challis, teaches an adjustable security enclosure that addresses this problem. The security enclosure taught by Challis is formed using interconnected members connected together by fasteners, which members are movable relative to each other so as to create enclosures of various dimensions and which can thereby accommodate projectors of various sizes. As the fasteners are adjustable only from within the enclosure, access to them is impeded when a projector is housed within the enclosure, and a thief therefore cannot remove the fasteners to open the enclosure and steal the projector.

One of the challenges with existing means for mounting projectors to ceilings is ensuring that the projector is laterally aligned with the vertical centreline of a screen. When the projector is not so aligned, horizontal

"keystoning" results. Horizontal keystoning means distortion in a projected image that results from the projector lens not being aligned perpendicularly to the vertical centreline of the screen. Because the projector must be angled towards the screen, the projected image takes on a trapezoidal shape.

Laterally aligning a projector with the vertical centreline of a screen can be challenging because sometimes the drop pipe is not mounted such that it is aligned with the vertical centreline of the screen, and even if it is so aligned, the lens on the projector is sometimes offset from the centreline of the projector body. A problem generally found in enclosures known in the prior art is that they cannot be laterally positioned in a variety of different locations; that is, the relative position of the enclosure to the drop pipe is fixed, which means that if the lens is not aligned with the vertical centreline of the screen for whatever reason, horizontal keystoning will result and cannot be alleviated by repositioning the enclosure. While horizontal keystoning correction is available in some projectors, the projectors that offer such functionality are more expensive than projectors that do not. Additionally, some projectors correct for horizontal keystoning digitally, which can degrade the image quality of the projected image.

Accordingly, what is needed is a security enclosure for a projector that can compensate for horizontal keystoning and that addresses at least some of the problems known in the prior art.

Summary Of the Invention

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved security enclosure for a projector that addresses at least some of the deficiencies of the prior art.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for securing a projector. The apparatus is mountable to a ceiling drop pipe and comprises a cage and a connector assembly. The cage has a plurality of interconnected members that together define an enclosure for housing a projector and impeding removal of the projector from the cage. At least some of the members are connected together by at least one member fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage, such that the position of at least some of the members can be adjusted relative to other members so that the size of the enclosure can be adjusted to fit the projector snugly therein, thereby impeding access to the fastener. At least one of the members is a top plate, having a first array of openings and connected to at least one other member by at least one of the member fasteners. The connector assembly is connectable to a ceiling drop pipe, and has a cage mounting portion having a second array of openings. The connector assembly is mountable in at least two different positions to the top plate by at least one connector assembly fastener that is fastentable from inside the cage; each connector assembly fastener that is fastentable from inside the cage; each connector assembly fastener extends through a set of aligned openings from the first and second arrays corresponding to each different position and wherein at least some of the aligned openings between different positions are different.

The number of openings in the first and second arrays can be different.

In particular, the first array can have more openings than the second array and the number of connector assembly fasteners can equal the number of openings in the second array.

The connector assembly can comprise a ball having a threaded portion in a recess of the ball, and a collar having the cage mounting portion at a base of the collar, a cavity for receiving the ball, and a drop pipe opening large enough to pass a threaded drop pipe therethrough The base of the collar can have a rim that defines an opening large enough to pass the ball therethrough, and wherein the cage mounting portion is located at the rim. At least one ball set screw can extend through the ball to the threaded drop pipe; the at least one ball set screw allows rotation of the ball relative to the threaded drop pipe when in an unsecured position and fixedly couples the ball to the threaded drop pipe when in a secured position.

The apparatus can further comprise at least one collar set screw extending through the collar to the ball; the at least one collar set screw allows rotation of the collar relative to the ball when in an unsecured position and fixedly couples the collar to the ball when in a secured position.

Some of the members can be top plate members that extend downwardly from the top plates. Some of the members can be vertically extending members that extend generally vertically and are adjustably connected to the top plate members by at least one of the member fasteners such that the height of the cage can be adjusted.

Some of the members are lateral support members for supporting a projector and which extend laterally from the vertically-extending members and are adjustably connected to each other by at least one of the member fasteners such that the length of the cage can be adjusted.

The apparatus can further comprise at least one levelling bolt located on the lateral support members and contacting the projector. The at least one levelling bolt is adjustable from the outside of the cage so as to vertically alter the position of the projector. There can also further comprise at least one foot nut for each levelling foot, which operates to secure the at least one levelling foot to the cage. An end of each levelling foot that contacts the projector can be hemispherical in shape. Also, there can be two levelling feet on each lateral support member. Each levelling foot can have a hemispherical projector engagement end with a durometer hardness between 40 and 100.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for securing a projector which is mountable to a ceiling drop pipe. This apparatus comprises a cage and a connector assembly. The cage has a plurality of interconnected members that together define an enclosure for housing a projector and impeding removal of the projector from the cage. At least some of the members are connected together by at least one member fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage, such that the position of at least some of the members can be adjusted relative to other members so that the size of the enclosure can be adjusted to fit the projector snugly therein, thereby impeding access to the fastener. At least one of the members is a top plate, having at least one elongated slot, connected to at least one other member by at least one of the member fasteners. The connector assembly is connectable to a ceiling drop pipe, and has a cage mounting portion with an opening that engages a connector assembly fastener. The fastener is extendable through the slot and is fastenable from inside the cage; when the fastener is unfastened, the fastener can slide along the slot thereby enabling the connector assembly to be moved between at least two different positions relative to the top plate.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for securing a projector, and which is mountable to a ceiling drop pipe. This apparatus comprises a cage and a connector assembly. The cage has a plurality of interconnected members that together define an enclosure for housing a projector and impeding removal of the projector from the cage. At least some of the members are connected together by at least one member fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage, such that the position of at least some of the members can be adjusted relative to other members so that the size of the enclosure can be adjusted to fit the projector snugly therein, thereby impeding access to the fastener. At least one of the members is a top plate, and some of the members form a lock bar assembly having interconnected top and bottom horizontal portions and left and right vertical portions that together define an opening corresponding to the width and height of a projector. The top portion is securable to the top plate such that the left and right vertical portions extend down left and right sides of the cage thereby impeding access to the projector from the left and right sides of the cage. The connector assembly is connectable to a ceiling drop pipe, and has a cage mounting portion mounted to at least one of the members by at least one connector assembly fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage.

The top horizontal portion of the lock bar assembly can be a top track having an opening which is engagable with a lock tab extending from the top plate; the lock tab is lockable to secure the top track to the top plate. The top plate can have an array of fastener openings and the lock tab is connectable to the top plate by at least one of the member fasteners which are engagable with different fastener openings in the array such that the lock tab can be located at different positions on the top plate

The left and right vertical portions can each comprise an upper wing and a lower wing each having horizontal and vertical portions. The vertical portions are connectable by at least one of the member fasteners to each other at different positions to vary the height of the lock bar assembly, and the horizontal portion of the upper wing is connectable by at least one of the member fasteners to the top track at different positions to vary the width of the lock bar assembly. The bottom horizontal portion of the lock bar assembly is a wing connector connectable by at least one of the member fasteners to the horizontal portions of the lower wings at different positions to vary the width of the lock bar assembly.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus mountable to a ceiling drop pipe and comprising a cage and a connector assembly. The cage has a plurality of interconnected members that together define an enclosure for housing a projector and impeding removal of the projector from the cage. At least some of the members are connected together by at least one member fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage, such that the position of at least some of the members can be adjusted relative to other members so that the size of the enclosure can be adjusted to fit the projector snugly therein, thereby impeding access to the fastener. At least one of the members is a top plate with front and rear edges, and some of the members form at least two projector support assemblies each having a horizontal portion for supporting a projector and interconnected front and rear vertical portions. The vertical portions each have an upper end which is connectable by at least one of the member fasteners to different locations along the front and rear edges of the top plate respectively such that the lateral position of the projector support assemblies can be adjusted. The connector assembly is connectable to a ceiling drop pipe, and has a cage mounting portion mounted to at least one of the members by at least one connector assembly fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage.

The members can include two top plates connected to each other by at least one of the member fasteners and laterally adjustable relative to each other such that the length of the cage can be adjusted.

The horizontal portion can comprise an outer support bracket and an inner support bracket connectable by at least one of the member fasteners to each other at different positions such that the length of the support assemblies can be adjusted. The outer and inner support brackets can each comprise vertically extending sections connectable by at least one of the member fasteners to the front and rear vertical portions respectively at different positions such that the height of the support assemblies can be adjusted.

The vertical section of the outer support bracket can comprises openings alignable with an infrared receiver of a projector enclosed in the cage.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for securing a projector. The apparatus is mountable to a ceiling drop pipe and comprises a cage, a connector assembly, a lock tab connectable to the cage, and a lock bar assembly. The cage has a plurality of interconnected members that together define an enclosure for housing a projector and impeding removal of the projector from the cage. At least some of the members are connected together by at least one member fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage, such that the position of at least some of the members can be adjusted relative to other members so that the size of the enclosure can be adjusted to fit the projector snugly therein, thereby impeding access to the fastener. At least one of the members is a top plate having an array of openings. The connector assembly is connectable to a ceiling drop pipe, and has a cage mounting portion mounted to at least one of the members by at least one connector assembly fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage. The lock tab is connectable to the top plate by at least one of the member fasteners which are engagable with different openings in the array such that the top plate can be located at different positions on the top plate. The lock bar assembly comprises a top horizontal portion on the top plate and left and right vertical portions extending downwards from the top plate and over the sides of the cage; the top portion has a lock tab opening engagable with the lock tab.

Brief Description of Drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of an audio-video equipment security enclosure having a ball and collar connector assembly;

Figure 2 is a front elevation view of the security enclosure of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the security enclosure of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the security enclosure of Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view the security enclosure of Figure 1 ;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the ball and collar connector assembly with the collar removed, so as to show the ball in isolation;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the ball and collar connector assembly in isolation;

Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a foot nut and leveling foot attached to a lateral support member of the security enclosure of Figure 1 ;

Figure 9(a) is a top plan view of the ball of the ball and collar connector, and Figure 9(b) is a sectioned side elevation view of the ball at section line A;

Figure 10(a) is a plan view of the collar of the ball and collar connector, and Figure 10(b) is a sectioned side elevation view of the collar at section line B with the ball shown in outline and inserted inside the collar;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of an audio-video equipment security enclosure according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 12 is a front elevation view of the security enclosure of Figure 11 ; Figure 13 is a side elevation view of the security enclosure of Figure 11 ;

Figure 14 is a top plan view of the security enclosure of Figure 11 ;

Figure 15 is a top plan view of the security enclosure of Figure 11 with a top track removed so as to illustrate how a lock tab is coupled to an outer top plate; and

Figure 16 is a bottom plan view the security enclosure of Figure 11.

Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention

Directional terms such as "top", "bottom", and "upwards" 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 apparatus is to be positioned during use, or to be mounted in an assembly.

According to a first embodiment of the invention and referring to

Figures 1 to 5, a security enclosure 10 for a video projector (not shown) is securely mountable to a drop pipe (not shown) that extends downwards from a ceiling. The security enclosure 10 can be adjusted to house projectors of various sizes, and is engineered to resist removal of a projector housed therein, as well as to resist removal of the security enclosure 10 from the drop pipe. Such projectors include data projectors and home entertainment audio- video projectors.

Components

The security enclosure 10 generally comprises a cage assembly for housing the projector and a connector assembly for connecting the cage assembly to the drop pipe. The cage assembly has a plurality of interconnected members connected together by a plurality of fasteners. The fasteners are inserted into fastener openings provided in spaced intervals along each of the members, thereby enabling the size and shape of the cage assembly to be adjusted to accommodate projectors of different sizes and shapes. One particularly suitable type of fastener is a self-clinching flush head PEM stud manufactured by PennEngineering Fastening Technologies.

These threaded fasteners have a self-clinching flush-head design that makes removal of the stud from the member particularly difficult. Suitable fastener openings are provided in each of the members for receiving the PEM stud; a nut can be mated to a PEM stud to fasten two members together. While PEM studs are particularly suitable for use in this embodiment of the invention, other fasteners may be substituted within the scope of the invention, e.g. conventional nut and bolt fasteners.

The members include an outer top plate 12 and an inner top plate 14 slidable relative to the outer top plate 12 in a longitudinal direction. For convenient reference, the edges of the outer and inner top plate 12, 14 that face each other are herein referred to as the "inner edges" and the edges opposite of said inner edges are herein referred to as the "outer edges". Also, the dimension extending between the inner and outer edges is herein referred to as the longitudinal or lengthwise dimension.

The outer top plate 12 has an array of fastener openings 15 that extend through the plate 12 (see Figures 1 and 4). Corresponding fastener openings 99 also extend through the inner top plate 14 (as shown in Figure 5). The outer and inner top plates 12, 14 can be positioned such that the fastener openings 15, 99 overlap and a suitable fastener, such as regular !4-20x%" bolts, can be inserted therethrough. The spacing of the fastener openings 15, 99 corresponds to the spacing of bolt openings 60 in a collar rim 58 of a collar 54. The four threaded bolt openings 60 extend into the rim 58 and are spaced to match the bolt openings in the top plates 12, 14. That is, the collar 54 can be positioned on either top plate 12, 14 such that fasteners can be inserted up through the outer top plate fastener openings 15, the inner top plate fastener openings 99, or both, depending on the size of the projector, and into the bolt openings 60, thereby securely fastening the collar 54 to the rest of the enclosure 10. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 - 5, the collar 54 is securely fastened to both top plates 12, 14. The collar 54 can be laterally positioned anywhere on either the outer top plate 12 or the inner top plate 14 so long as the bolt openings 60 of the collar 54 are aligned with the set of fastener openings 15, 99.

By adjusting the lateral (widthwise) position of the projector, horizontal keystoning can be corrected. Consider now a projector housed within the enclosure 10 illustrated in Figure 1. Horizontal keystoning would occur if the projector lens were horizontally offset, for example, to the left of the vertical centreline of a screen (not shown). In order to direct the projected image at the screen, the projector would have to be rotated to the right, resulting in a trapezoidal image wherein the right side of the image would be taller than the left side. A projector lens may be horizontally offset from the vertical centreline of a screen for any of several reasons. The drop pipe to which the projector is coupled could not be centred, for example. Commonly, even if the drop pipe is centred, the lens on the projector itself is horizontally offset due to projector design considerations. In any case, any horizontal keystoning that results can be alleviated by choosing the lateral position of the collar 54 relative to the top plates 12, 14 such that the projector lens is aligned with the vertical centreline of the screen.

An added benefit of being able to laterally (lengthwise) adjust the position of the projector is that the projector can also be brought closer to or farther from the screen, thus decreasing or increasing the size of the image.

Referring now to Figures 1 - 4, 6 and 7, there is shown a ball 52 and the collar 54, together forming a connector assembly 50, that joins the enclosure 10 to a threaded drop pipe. The ball 52 and collar 54 together allow the cage assembly to be tilted and rotated into a desirable position. Both ball 52 and collar 54 are machined from aluminum; however, other suitable materials can be used for these parts 52, 54 as is known in the art. The connector assembly 50 consists of a 1.5" radius ball 52 having a cylindrical recess 56 of which a portion is threaded. The diameter of the cylinder 56 and the thread pattern are selected to match the drop pipe, so that the ball 52 can be screwed onto the drop pipe. The collar 54 has a cavity that snugly receives the ball 52, and a top opening 57 at the top of the collar 54; this opening is large enough to pass the drop pipe therethrough but not the ball 52. The collar 54 also has the bottom rim 58 defining a bottom opening 59 that is large enough to pass the ball 52 therethrough.

The ball 52 has one cylindrical, threaded opening 98 that can accept a ball set screw (not shown), while the collar 54 has two cylindrical, threaded openings 97, each of which can accept a collar set screw (not shown). Suitable set screws for both the ball and collar are ¹Λ-20x¹/2" hollow tip Hex drive set screws. The ball set screw fixedly couples the ball to the drop pipe when the drop pipe has been screwed into the cylindrical recess 56; the collar set screws fixedly couple the collar 54 to the ball 52. When both sets of set screws are in place and tightened, the angle at which the cage 10 is tilted relative to the drop pipe is fixed. A user wishing to adjust the angle of tilt of the enclosure 10 can loosen the collar set screws, rotate the collar 54 about the ball 52 until the enclosure 10 is in a desirable position, and then tighten the collar set screws to again fix the angle of the enclosure 10. Rotation of the collar 54 about the ball 52 is possible because the height of the collar 54 is great enough such that the ball 52 does not contact the surface of the outer top plate 12.

When the collar 54 is fixedly coupled to the ball 52 by the collar set screws, the ball set screw prevents a thief from being able to simply unscrew the entire cage 10 from the drop pipe. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the protection offered by the ball set screw can be increased by pre- drilling a recess (not shown) into the side of the drop pipe that interfaces with the interior of the ball 56. In this alternative embodiment, when the ball 52 is fully screwed on to the drop pipe, the ball threaded opening 98 aligns with the recess in the drop pipe. The ball set screw can then be tightened until it protrudes into the recess. The connection between the ball 52 and the drop pipe then becomes stronger than it is if there is no recess, because instead of frictional force securing the ball 52 to the drop pipe, the shear strength of the ball set screw secures the ball 52 to the drop pipe.

Persons skilled in the art will realize that while this exemplary embodiment of the invention comprises one ball set screw and two collar set screws, any number of either ball or collar set screws may be used.

At each side edge of the outer top plate 12 are a pair of parallel, longitudinally-extending channels 17 that slidably receive the inner top plate 14. A fastener opening 19 is located at each corner of the inner end of the outer top plate 12. Two longitudinally extending rows of spaced fastener openings 21 in the inner top plate 14 correspond to the location of the fastener openings 19 of the outer top plate 12. Each fastener opening 19 in the outer top plate 12 can be aligned with one of the fastener openings 21 of the inner top plate 14 to receive a PEM stud (not shown) therethrough. PEM studs are securely attached to the outer top plate 12 by insertion through fastener opening 19 during assembly. These PEM studs can then be threaded through appropriate fastener openings 21 of the inner top plate 14 and nuts can be fastened to the PEM studs to secure the inner and outer top plates 12, 14 together. Though any nut suitably sized to the PEM stud may be used, Tampruf^® security nuts are particularly suitable.

A lock tab 24 with an aperture therethrough extends upwards from the outer top plate 12.

A pair of vertically extending channels 23 extend downwardly from the outer corners of the outer top plate 12. Similarly, a pair of vertically extending members 25 extend downwardly from the outer corners of the inner top plate 14. A single fastener opening 28 is provided for each vertically extending channel 23, and a row of spaced fastener openings 27 extend along each vertically extending member 25. A suitable spacing can be Vz". A pair of L- shaped inner support brackets 16 each have a vertical portion and a horizontal portion extending perpendicularly from the base of the vertical portion. The vertical portions are vertically slidable inside each respective outer top plate channel 23 and are positioned so that the respective horizontal portions of the inner support brackets 16 extend inwards. A row of spaced fastener openings 29 extend along the vertical and horizontal portions of each inner support bracket 16 ("vertical fastener openings" 29 and "horizontal fastener openings" 29); a suitable spacing can be Vz". PEM studs are securely attached to the vertically extending channels 23 by insertion through the channels' fastener openings during assembly. These PEM studs can then threaded through appropriate vertical fastener openings 29 of the inner support brackets 16 and nuts can be fastened to the PEM studs to secure the inner support brackets 16 and the vertically extending channels 23 together.

Similarly, a pair of L-shaped outer support brackets 18 each have a vertical portion and a horizontal portion extending perpendicularly from the base of the vertical portion. The vertical portions are channel shaped and are thus vertically slidable over each respective vertically-extending inner top plate member 25 and are positioned so that that the horizontal portions extend inwards. The horizontal portion of each outer support bracket 18 are channel shaped and thus horizontally slidable over a corresponding horizontal portion of the inner support bracket 16. A vertical fastener opening 31 is provided in the vertical portion of the outer support bracket 18; a row of horizontal fastener openings 32 is provided in the horizontal portion of the outer support bracket 18. A suitable spacing for the horizontal fastener openings 32 is Vz". A PEM stud is securely inserted into the vertical opening 31 of vertical portion of the bracket 18 during assembly. The PEM stud extending inwardly from the vertical portion can extend through one of the fastener openings 27 in the vertically extending members 25 thereby securing the outer support bracket 18 to the inner top plate 14. Nuts can be fastened to the PEM stud to secure the outer support brackets 18 and the vertically extending members 25 together.

Another PEM stud securely inserted into the opening of the horizontal portion of the bracket 18 during assembly extends through one of the openings 29 in the horizontal portion of the inner support brackets 16 to secure the brackets 16, 18 together. Nuts are fastened to the PEM studs to secure the members together; the nuts are located on the inside of the inner top plate 14 and inside the brackets 16, 18.

When the security enclosure 10 is adjusted to fit snugly around a data projector, it becomes difficult to remove the nuts from the PEM studs, as the projector is in close proximity to the nuts, thereby making the nuts difficult to access. To access the nuts, one must first unlock the cage and remove the data projector. Thus, the projector prevents access to the fasteners of the cage.

Leveling feet 96 and foot nuts 95 can be used to adjust the position of the projector after it has been fitted within the enclosure 10 (see Figures 2, 3, 5,and 8). Examples of commercially available bolts that can be used as leveling feet 96 are commercially known as "Standoffs" and are commonly used, for example, in furniture manufacturing to support glass table tops. Optionally, and as illustrated in the cited figures, the ends of the leveling feet 96 that contact the projector are hemispherical in shape. When this end of the leveling foot 96 is hemispherical, the frictional force between the hemispherical end and the bottom of the projector is relatively low, and thus allows for easy rotation of the leveling foot 96 and also reduces the likelihood the bottom of the projector will be marred during such rotation. The ends of the leveling feet that contact the projector can be composed of a relatively soft PVC plastic to further reduce the likelihood of marring the surface of the projector. In particular, the ends of the leveling feet should have a durometer hardness of between 40 and 100. Each leveling foot 96 is screwed through a corresponding foot nut 95. The foot nut 95 can be a flat, thin piece of metal that sits flush with the horizontal portion of either support bracket 16, 18 and is suitably a 1"x1" piece of 12 gauge steel with a hole in the center threaded for, in this exemplary embodiment, a 14-20 bolt. Each leveling foot 96 passes through one or both of the horizontal fastener openings 29 of the inner support bracket 16 and the horizontal fastener openings 32 of the outer support bracket 18. The ends of the leveling feet 96 that protrude from the bottom of the enclosure 10 are adapted with a slot to allow the leveling feet 96 to be easily screwed, which vertically adjusts the position of the hemispherical end and consequently affects the position of the projector. An advantage of adjusting the position of the projector using the leveling feet 96 as opposed to the connector assembly 50 is that finer position adjustments can be made more easily by a user, and that a user can adjust the position of the projector without having to climb a ladder to reach the connector assembly 50. An advantage in using leveling feet 96 that are positionable anywhere along the support brackets 16, 18 is that the leveling feet 96 can be positioned such that they do not make contact with any projector controls located on the surface of the projector and therefore do not interfere with projector operation.

A top track 20 is a channel that is positioned transversely across the outer top plate 12. A pair of L-shaped wings 22 each have a horizontal portion that is slidably mounted through each end of the top track 20 and have a vertical portion that extends downwards over each side of the outer top plate 12. Each wing 22 also has a row of spaced fastener openings 35 along its horizontal portion; a suitable spacing can be Vz . A fastener opening 33 is provided at each end of the top track 20 through which a PEM stud is securely mounted during assembly; the PEM stud can be threaded through the fastener openings in the wings 22 and fastened with nuts to secure the parts

20, 22 together. !4-20x1.25" PEM Studs and regular !4-20 nuts or other suitable fasteners can be used. A lock tab opening is provided through the center of the top track 20 that is configured to receive the lock tab 24. This enables the top track 20 to be securely positioned over the outer top plate 12 and secured in place with a padlock threaded through the aperture in the lock tab 24. Preferably, all of the above parts 12, 14, 16, 18, 22 are made of 12 gauge cold rolled steel, except the top track 20 which is made of 3/16" cold rolled steel. However, other suitable materials may be used as is known in the art.

Assembly

The following description explains how to assemble the enclosure 10, house a projector within the enclosure 10, and how to mount the enclosure 10 and projector to a ceiling mounted drop pipe:

Determining Enclosure Depth (Length) Setting (a) Select one outside bracket 18 and one inside bracket 16.

(b) Thread PEM stud extending through the horizontal fastener opening 31 of the outside bracket 18 through the last horizontal fastener opening 29 of the inside bracket 16, forming a first "U" shaped bracket assembly 16, 18 at its longest setting, (note: if PEM studs are not pre-installed on the outside bracket 18 or on other members, any suitable off-the shelf fasteners can be substituted wherever PEM studs are used)

(c) Pass the first bracket assembly 16, 18 over a projector (i.e. in front and behind the projector) that is to be housed in the enclosure 10.

(d) If the projector passes through the first bracket assembly 16, 18, reduce the length of the first bracket assembly 16, 18 by one fastener opening and repeat step (c).

(e) Repeat step (d) until the first bracket assembly 16, 18 fits snugly around the projector.

(f) Fasten nut to PEM stud of the bracket assembly 16, 18. (g) Assemble the other two brackets 16, 18 to form a second bracket assembly 16, 18 and the outer and inner top plates 12,

14 to form a top plate assembly 12, 14, both assemblies 12, 14,

16, 18 having the same length setting as the first bracket assembly 16, 18.

Determining Enclosure Height Setting

(a) Couple the first bracket assembly 16, 18 to the top plate assembly 12, 14 by threading PEM studs extending from the fastener openings in vertical members 23 to the last vertical fastener openings 29 in the inner brackets 16, and by threading

PEM studs extending from the fastener openings 31 in outer bracket 18 to the last fastener openings 27 in the vertical channel 25, thereby defining a rectangular projector opening at its tallest setting.

(b) Pass the projector through the projector opening; if the projector passes through, reduce the height of the projector opening by one fastener opening, and try again.

(c) Repeat step (b) until the data projector fits snugly within the projector opening.

(d) Couple the second bracket assembly 16, 18 to the top plate assembly 12, 14 and secure both bracket assemblies 16, 18 to the top plate assembly 12, 14 with respective nuts and PEM studs, such that the projector rests on the horizontal portions of the brackets 16, 18. The PEM studs extend from the parts 12, 14, 16, 18 such that the nuts are on the inside of the cage assembly.

Determining Enclosure Width Setting

(a) Position the projector inside the cage assembly in a satisfactory position, e.g. with the projector lens having a clear line-of-sight to a wall screen, and with unobstructed access to the necessary connection points on the projector.

(b) Once the projector is positioned, place the wings 22 in line with the lock tab 24 on the outside top plate 12, as close to the side edges of the projector as possible.

(c) Place the top track 20 over the wings 22, then thread PEM studs extending from fastener openings 33 in the top track 20 through fastener openings in each respective wing 22, to form a locking bar assembly 20, 22.

(d) Lift the locking bar assembly 20, 22 from the top plates 12, 14, and fasten nuts to the PEM studs, with the nuts on the inside of the locking bar assembly 20, 22.

(e) Note which side of the cage the projector lens is on and remove the projector from the cage assembly. The cage is now set at a size that impedes access to the nuts of the fasteners when the projector is located therein.

Mounting the Assembled A V Cage

(a) Fit the ball 52 inside the collar 54 such that the threaded cylinder 56 of the ball 52 faces the top opening of the collar 54.

(b) Screw the ball 52 onto the drop pipe and tighten the ball set screw. Optionally, a hole may be pre-drilled into the drop pipe to accept the ball set screw so that the ball set screw protrudes into the hole and the shear strength of the set screw secures the ball 52 to the drop pipe. In order to do this, first screw the ball

52 on to the drop pipe and mark the position on the drop pipe at which the ball set screw makes contact with the pipe. Remove the ball 52 and drill a 3/8" hole through the drop pipe at the contact point. Then, screw the ball 52 back on to the drop pipe and tighten the ball set screw until it protrudes into the hole in the pipe.

(c) Position the assembled cage against the collar 54 rim such that the fastener openings 15 in the outer top plate 12 and the bolt openings 60 in the collar rim 58 are aligned in the position that best eliminates horizontal keystoning.

(d) Insert Bolts into the collar rim 58 by inserting the bolts through the inner top plate, outer top plate, and collar fastener openings

99, 15, 60 from inside the cage assembly, thereby securing the cage assembly to the collar 54.

(e) Rest a leveling foot 96 and foot nut 95 assembly in both ends of both horizontal channels of the support bars 16, 18

(f) Rotate the assembled cage so the lens side of the projector will face the screen.

Installing the Data Projector

(a) Slide the projector into the cage assembly.

(b) Adjust the position of the leveling feet 96 and foot nuts 95 as close as to the corners of the enclosure as possible without positioning the feet 96 and nuts 95 where they will interfere with projector controls.

(c) Position the lock bar assembly 20, 22 in place over the top tab 24 and lock in place with a lock.

(d) Adjust the pitch, yaw, and roll of the projector as desired.

(e) Tighten the collar set screws. (f) Make fine adjustments to the pitch and roll of the projector using the leveling feet 96.

An advantageous feature of the enclosure 10 is how easy it is to access the nuts for the fasteners that secure the adjustability of the enclosure

10 when the data projector is not in the enclosure 10, and then how difficult it is to access those same fasteners once the projector is locked inside the enclosure 10. The single lock that secures the lock bar assembly 20, 22 in place impedes removal of the projector. Removal of the lock bar assembly 20, 22 enables the projector to easily removed from the enclosure 10, thereby providing ready access to the nuts so that the size and shape of the enclosure can be adjusted.

Alternative Embodiment

Referring now to Figures 11 - 15, there is illustrated a second embodiment of the security enclosure 10. This second embodiment differs from the aforedescribed first embodiment in that, first, the L-shaped wings 22 are replaced with components that form "wrap around wings" 94, which circumscribe the enclosure 10; second, the vertically extending member 25 and vertically extending channel 23 are adjustable laterally along the inner and outer top plates 14 and 12, respectively; and third, the lock tab 24 can be adjustably positioned along the outer top plate 12.

With respect to the first difference, the wrap around wings 94 include a pair of outer L-shaped wings 93 that each have a vertically extending channel

92. A row of vertically spaced fastener openings 91 extends along each channel 92. The wrap around wings 94 also include a pair of inner L-shaped wings 89. Each inner wing 89 has horizontally extending and vertically extending portions that are orthogonal to each other. The vertically extending portion of each inner wing 89 slidably fits within the vertically extending channel 92 of the outer L-shaped wings 93. The vertically extending portion of each inner wing 89 also has a row of vertically spaced fastener openings

87 that correspond to the fastener openings 91 of the outer L-shaped wings

93. Consequently, when the fastener openings 87, 91 are aligned and when the inner wing 89 is fit snugly within the vertically extending channel 92, a fastener, such as a PEM stud 88 can be inserted therethrough to secure the inner and outer wings 89, 93 to each other. Each PEM stud 88 receives a security nut such as a TamPruf™ nut, except the two longer PEM studs 88 in the top track. The horizontally extending portion of each inner wing 89 forms a horizontally extending channel 86 along which is a row of horizontally spaced fastener openings 85. The horizontally extending channel 86 receives a wing connector 83, which has fastener openings 81 along its length. The wing connector 83 fits snugly within the horizontally extending channels 86 of a pair of opposing inner wings 89 and can be aligned such that the fastener openings 85, 81 align. A fastener 80 can then be inserted therethrough in order to secure the wing connector 83 to the pair of opposing inner wings 89, thereby circumscribing the enclosure 10. The plurality of horizontal fastener openings 81 , 85 and vertical fastener openings 87, 91 allow the wrap around wings 94 to be expanded and contracted horizontally and vertically to accommodate projectors of various sizes.

The top track, wing connector 83 and wrap around wings 94 together are herein referred to as a lock bar assembly.

An advantage of circumscribing the enclosure 10 with the wrap around wings 94 is that a thief who tries to pry the wrap around wings 94 away from the projector will have a difficult time acquiring the leverage required to be successful. Such advantage can prevent thieves who attempt to steal the projector from succeeding, and can dissuade thieves from even attempting to steal the projector.

With respect to the second difference, transversely extending flange 79 and 80, which extend transverse to the longitudinally extending channels 17, have been added to the inner and outer top plates 14 and 12, respectively. The vertically extending channels 23 and vertically extending member 25 have been altered such that they are laterally adjustable along the transversely extending flanges 79 and 80, and thereby laterally adjustable along inner and outer top plates 14 and 12, respectively. Instead of forming an integral portion of the inner top plate 14, one end of the vertically extending member 25 is now T-shaped, and can be pressed flush against and then fastened to the transversely extending flange 79 of the inner top plate 14. To facilitate such fastening, a row of horizontally spaced fastener openings 77 is located in the transversely extending flange 79, any two of which can be aligned with a pair of fastener openings 75 in the T- shaped portion of the vertically extending member 25. Once aligned, fasteners can be inserted therethrough. By varying which two fastener openings in the row of openings 77 is used to secure the T-shaped portion of the vertically extending member 25 to the transversely extending flange 79, the lateral position of the vertically extending member 25 relative to the lip 79 and inner top plate 14 can be adjusted. The vertically extending member 25 can be fastened to the outer support bracket 18 as in the first embodiment of the enclosure.

Similarly, the vertically extending channels 23 are laterally adjustable along the transversely extending flange 80 of the outer top plate 12. Instead of forming an integral portion of the outer top plate 12, one end of the vertically extending channel 23 is now T-shaped, and can be pressed flush against and then fastened to the transversely extending flange 80. The T- shaped portion of the vertically extending channel 23 has a pair of fastener openings 69 that can be aligned with a pair of fastener openings in a row of horizontally spaced fastener openings 71 in the transversely extending flange 80. This arrangement allows the lateral position of vertically extending channel 23 to be varied along the transversely extending flange 80 just as the lateral position of the vertically extending member 25 is varied along the transversely extending lip 79. The vertically extending channel 23 can be fastened to the inner support bracket 16 as is described with reference to the first embodiment of the enclosure 10.

An advantage of allowing lateral positioning of the vertically extending members 25 and the vertically extending channels 23 is that the size of the enclosure can be adjusted to accommodate projectors of various widths. Notably, the outer support bracket 18 of this second embodiment has a vertical row of fastener openings 73 as opposed to just the single vertical fastener opening 31 of the first embodiment. The vertical row of fastener openings 73 is especially beneficial if the vertically extending member 25 is laterally positioned such that it falls within the line-of-sight of a projector's infrared receiver (not shown). Instead of blocking the infrared receiver, the vertical row of fastener openings 73 allows an infrared signal to be transmitted through the vertically extending member 25 and outer support bracket 18, thereby still allowing the projector to be controlled remotely. Similarly, a vertical row of fastener openings 67 in the vertically extending channel 23 allow for infrared line-of-sight regardless of where the vertically extending channel 23 is laterally positioned.

The third difference, that of the lock tab 24 being adjustably postionable along the outer top plate 12, is best understood with reference to Figure 15. In contrast to the first embodiment of the enclosure 10, wherein the lock tab 24 is fixedly coupled to the enclosure 10 via, for example, welding the lock tab 24 to the outer top plate 12, the lock tab 24 of this second embodiment is coupled to the inner and outer top plates 14, 12 via fasteners 62. This is evident in Figure 15, which is a top plan view of the enclosure 10 with the top track 20 removed, thereby revealing the lock tab 24, lock tab flaps 61 that protrude from the lock tab 24 and that are flush with the outer top plate 12, and outer L-shaped wings 93. The lock tab flaps 61 have fastener openings therethrough that correspond in spacing to the fastener openings 15, 99 of the outer and inner top plates 12, 14, respectively. Fasteners 62 can be inserted through the fastener openings in the lock tab flaps 61 to secure the lock tab 24 at any suitable location on the outer top plate 12. While the lock tab flaps 61 are illustrated as protruding in opposite directions and from opposite ends of the lock tab 24 in this exemplary embodiment, the lock tab flaps 61 and the fastener openings therethrough can be of any suitable shape and size that allow the lock tab 24 to be securely fastened to the outer top plate 12. Also illustrated in Figure 15 are two rows of fastener openings, consisting of pairs of fastener openings 65a - e (65e not shown), through the outer top plate 12 for securing the top track 20 to the outer L- shaped wings 93 and then to the outer top plate 12. The top track 20 can be aligned along any one of five rows that intersects with any one of pairs 65a - e. Any such pair of fastener openings 65a - e can be aligned with the fastener openings 33 in the top track for receiving a fastener therethrough for securely positioning the top track 20 over the outer top plate 12, as described with respect to the first embodiment of the enclosure 10.

Being able to adjust the position of the lock tab 24 and top track 20 along the outer top plate 12 is beneficial in that a user has added flexibility in deciding how to locate a projector within the case, as the top track 20 can be positioned to avoid any portions of the projector that would otherwise bump into the top track 20 and prevented the projector from being properly enclosed.

Assembly of the Second Embodiment

Assembly of the second embodiment of the enclosure 10 depicted in Figures 11 - 15 parallels assembly of the first embodiment as described above, with the following exceptions.

First, following the steps listed under "Determining Enclosure Depth Setting" as detailed in the first embodiment, the lateral position of the vertically extending members 25 and channels 23 can be adjusted as follows:

(a) Turn the enclosure 10 upside down so that it is resting on the outer top plate 12.

(b) Attach the vertically extending members 25 and channels 23 to the transversely extending flanges 79, 80 of the inner and outer top plates 14, 12, respectively, such that the vertically extending members 25 and channels 23 are separated by the maximum lateral distance possible, thereby defining a rectangular projector opening of maximum width. Coupling the vertically extending members 25 to the flange 79 can be done by inserting PEM studs through aligned fastener openings 77, 75, while coupling the vertically extending channels 23 to the flange 80 can be done by inserting PEM studs through aligned fastener openings 71 , 69.

(c) Attempt to pass the projector through the projector opening; if the width of the projector passes through, reduce the distance between each opposing pair of vertically extending members 25 and channels 23 by one fastener opening, and try to pass the projector through the projector opening again.

(d) Repeat step (b) until the projector fits snugly within the projector opening.

Second, in lieu of the steps under the heading "Determining Enclosure

Width Setting" for the first embodiment, the following steps are performed:

(b) Once the projector is positioned, place the wings 93 in line with various pairs of fastener openings 65a - e, and choose one pair of fastener openings 65a - e with which to align the wings 93 such that the wings 93 do not block access to any portion of the projector to which a projector operator may need access.

(c) Remove the projector and secure the lock tab 24 to the enclosure 10 by inserting fasteners through the fastening openings of the lock tab flaps 61 such that the lock tab 24 is aligned with the pair of fastener openings 65a - e chosen in step (b). Reposition the projector as it was following step (a).

(d) Once the projector is positioned, place the wings 93 in line with the lock tab 24 on the outside top plate 12, as close to the edges of the projector as possible. (e) Place the top track 20 over the wings 22, then thread PEM studs extending from fastener openings 33 in the top track 20 through fastener openings in each respective wing 93, to form a locking bar assembly 20, 22.

(f) Lift the locking bar assembly 20, 22 from the top plates 12, 14, and fasten nuts to the PEM studs, with the nuts on the inside of the locking bar assembly 20, 22.

(g) Take the two inner wings 89 and the wing connector 83 and place the wing connector 83 within the horizontally extending channels 86 of the inner wings 89. Align an endmost fastener opening 85 of the inner wings 89 with an endmost fastener opening 81 of the wing connector 83 and insert a fastener therethrough. The combination of the inner wings 89 and the wing connector 83 is now at its widest setting.

(h) Attempt to slide the inner wings 89 into the vertically extending channels 92 of the outer wings 93. If the inner wings 89 slide into the channels 92:

a. Push the wing connector 83 towards the projector until it cannot be pushed any further. Secure the inner L- shaped wings 89 to the outer wings 93 using a fastener.

Proceed to step (j).

If the inner wings 89 do not slide into the channels 92, proceed to step (i).

(i) Reduce the width of the combination of the inner wings 89 and the wing connector 83 by one fastener opening, and proceed to step (h).

(j) Note which side of the cage the projector lens is on and remove the projector from the cage assembly. The cage is now set at a size that impedes access to the nuts of the fasteners when the projector is located therein.

While exemplary embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, and according to another embodiment of the invention, the array of openings 15 in the outer and inner top plates 12, 14 can be replaced with at least two rows of elongated slots (not shown) extending the width of the top plate 12. Each row will receive a pair of fasteners extending downwardly from the collar 54; when the nuts of the fasteners are loosened, the collar 54 can be adjusted laterally to compensate for horizontal keystoning. Optionally, additional pairs of slots can be provided (not shown) to allow the collar 54 to be moved forwards and back on the top plates.

Claims

What is claimed is

1. An apparatus for securing a projector, the apparatus being mountable to a ceiling drop pipe and comprising

(a) a cage having a plurality of interconnected members that together define an enclosure for housing a projector and impeding removal of the projector from the cage, at least some of the members being connected together by at least one member fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage, such that the position of at least some of the members can be adjusted relative to other members so that the size of the enclosure can be adjusted to fit the projector snugly therein, thereby impeding access to the fastener, and wherein at least one of the members is a top plate, having a first array of openings, connected to at least one other member by at least one of the member fasteners; and

(b) a connector assembly connectable to a ceiling drop pipe, and having a cage mounting portion having a second array of openings, the connector assembly mountable in at least two different positions to the top plate by at least one connector assembly fastener that is fastentable from inside the cage, each connector assembly fastener extending through a set of aligned openings from the first and second arrays corresponding to each different position and wherein at least some of the aligned openings between different positions are different.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the number of openings in the first and second arrays are different.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first array has more openings than the second array and the number of connector assembly fasteners equals the number of openings in the second array.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connector assembly comprises a ball having a threaded portion in a recess of the ball, and a collar having the cage mounting portion at a base of the collar, a cavity for receiving the ball, and a drop pipe opening large enough to pass a threaded drop pipe therethrough

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the base of the collar has a rim that defines an opening large enough to pass the ball therethrough, and wherein the cage mounting portion is located at the rim.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 further comprising at least one ball set screw extending through the ball to the threaded drop pipe, the at least one ball set screw allowing rotation of the ball relative to the threaded drop pipe when in an unsecured position and fixedly coupling the ball to the threaded drop pipe when in a secured position.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 further comprising at least one collar set screw extending through the collar to the ball, the at least one collar set screw allowing rotation of the collar relative to the ball when in an unsecured position and fixedly coupling the collar to the ball when in a secured position.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein some of the members are top plate members that extend downwardly from the top plates, and wherein some of the members are vertically extending members that extend generally vertically and are adjustably connected to the top plate members by at least one of the member fasteners such that the height of the cage can be adjusted.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein some of the members are lateral support members for supporting a projector and which extend laterally from the vertically-extending members and are adjustably connected to each other by at least one of the member fasteners such that the length of the cage can be adjusted.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 further comprising at least one levelling bolt located on the lateral support members and contacting the projector, the at least one levelling bolt adjustable from the outside of the cage so as to vertically alter the position of the projector.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 further comprising at least one foot nut for each levelling foot, the at least one foot nut operating to secure the at least one levelling foot to the cage.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein an end of each levelling foot that contacts the projector is hemispherical in shape

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein there are two levelling feet on each lateral support member.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein each levelling foot has a hemispherical projector engagement end with a durometer hardness between 40 and 100.

15. An apparatus for securing a projector, the apparatus being mountable to a ceiling drop pipe and comprising

(a) a cage having a plurality of interconnected members that together define an enclosure for housing a projector and impeding removal of the projector from the cage, at least some of the members being connected together by at least one member fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage, such that the position of at least some of the members can be adjusted relative to other members so that the size of the enclosure can be adjusted to fit the projector snugly therein, thereby impeding access to the fastener, and wherein at least one of the members is a top plate, having at least one elongated slot, connected to at least one other member by at least one of the member fasteners; and (b) a connector assembly connectable to a ceiling drop pipe, and having a cage mounting portion with an opening that engages a connector assembly fastener, the fastener extendable through the slot and is fastenable from inside the cage, and wherein when the fastener is unfastened, the fastener can slide along the slot thereby enabling the connector assembly to be moved between at least two different positions relative to the top plate.

16. An apparatus for securing a projector, the apparatus being mountable to a ceiling drop pipe and comprising

(a) a cage having a plurality of interconnected members that together define an enclosure for housing a projector and impeding removal of the projector from the cage, at least some of the members being connected together by at least one member fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage, such that the position of at least some of the members can be adjusted relative to other members so that the size of the enclosure can be adjusted to fit the projector snugly therein, thereby impeding access to the fastener, and wherein at least one of the members is a top plate, and some of the members form a lock bar assembly having interconnected top and bottom horizontal portions and left and right vertical portions that together define an opening corresponding to the width and height of a projector, the top portion securable to the top plate such that the left and right vertical portions extend down left and right sides of the cage thereby impeding access to the projector from the left and right sides of the cage; and

(b) a connector assembly connectable to a ceiling drop pipe, and having a cage mounting portion mounted to at least one of the members by at least one connector assembly fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein the top horizontal portion of the lock bar assembly is a top track having an opening which is engagable with a lock tab extending from the top plate, the lock tab being lockable to secure the top track to the top plate.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the top plate has an array of fastener openings and the lock tab is connectable to the top plate by at least one of the member fasteners which are engagable with different fastener openings in the array such that the lock tab can be located at different positions on the top plate

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the left and right vertical portions each comprise an upper wing and a lower wing each having horizontal and vertical portions, the vertical portions being connectable by at least one of the member fasteners to each other at different positions to vary the height of the lock bar assembly, and the horizontal portion of the upper wing being connectable by at least one of the member fasteners to the top track at different positions to vary the width of the lock bar assembly.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein the bottom horizontal portion of the lock bar assembly is a wing connector connectable by at least one of the member fasteners to the horizontal portions of the lower wings at different positions to vary the width of the lock bar assembly.

21. An apparatus for securing a projector, the apparatus being mountable to a ceiling drop pipe and comprising

(a) a cage having a plurality of interconnected members that together define an enclosure for housing a projector and impeding removal of the projector from the cage, at least some of the members being connected together by at least one member fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage, such that the position of at least some of the members can be adjusted relative to other members so that the size of the enclosure can be adjusted to fit the projector snugly therein, thereby impeding access to the fastener, and wherein at least one of the members is a top plate with front and rear edges, and wherein some of the members form at least two projector support assemblies each having a horizontal portion for supporting a projector and interconnected front and rear vertical portions, the vertical portions each having an upper end which is connectable by at least one of the member fasteners to different locations along the front and rear edges of the top plate respectively such that the lateral position of the projector support assemblies can be adjusted; and

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein the members include two top plates connected to each other by at least one of the member fasteners and laterally adjustable relative to each other such that the length of the cage can be adjusted.

23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 22 wherein the horizontal portion comprises an outer support bracket and an inner support bracket connectable by at least one of the member fasteners to each other at different positions such that the length of the support assemblies can be adjusted, the outer and inner support brackets each comprising vertically extending sections connectable by at least one of the member fasteners to the front and rear vertical portions respectively at different positions such that the height of the support assemblies can be adjusted.

24. An apparatus as claimed in claims 23 wherein the vertical section of the outer support bracket comprises openings alignable with an infrared receiver of a projector enclosed in the cage.

25. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24 wherein some of the members form a lock bar assembly having interconnected top and bottom horizontal portions and left and right vertical portions that together define an opening corresponding to the width and height of a projector, the top portion securable to the top plate such that the left and right vertical portions extend down left and right sides of the cage thereby impeding access to the projector from the left and right sides of the cage.

26. An apparatus as claimed in claim 25 wherein the top horizontal portion of the lock bar assembly is a top track having an opening which is engagable with a lock tab extending from the top plate, the lock tab being lockable to secure the top track to the top plate.

27. An apparatus as claimed in claim 26 wherein the top plate has an array of fastener openings and the lock tab is connectable to the top plate by at least one of the member fasteners which are engagable with different fastener openings in the array such that the lock tab can be located at different positions on the top plate

28. An apparatus for securing a projector, the apparatus being mountable to a ceiling drop pipe and comprising

(a) a cage having a plurality of interconnected members that together define an enclosure for housing a projector and impeding removal of the projector from the cage, at least some of the members being connected together by at least one member fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage, such that the position of at least some of the members can be adjusted relative to other members so that the size of the enclosure can be adjusted to fit the projector snugly therein, thereby impeding access to the fastener, and wherein at least one of the members is a top plate having an array of openings;

(b) a connector assembly connectable to a ceiling drop pipe, and having a cage mounting portion mounted to at least one of the members by at least one connector assembly fastener that is fastenable from inside the cage;

(c) a lock tab connectable to the top plate by at least one of the member fasteners which are engagable with different openings in the array such that the top plate can be located at different positions on the top plate; and

(d) a lock bar assembly comprising a top horizontal portion on the top plate and left and right vertical portions extending downwards from the top plate and over the sides of the cage, the top portion having a lock tab opening engagable with the lock tab.

29. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24 wherein left and right vertical portions of the lock bar assembly extend the height of the cage and the lock bar assembly further comprises a bottom horizontal portion connected to the left and right vertical portions such that an opening is defined in the lock bar assembly corresponding to the width and height of the projector.

30. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24 wherein some of the members form at least two projector support assemblies each having a horizontal portion for supporting a projector and interconnected front and rear vertical portions, the vertical portions each having an upper end which is connectable by at least one of the member fasteners to different locations along the front and rear edges of the top plate respectively such that the lateral position of the projector support assemblies can be adjusted.