GB2058516A - Telephone set - Google Patents

Abstract

There is disclosed a compact telephone instrument with a telescoping operation. A first housing (A) has a conventional telephone receiver located within a hollow recess thereof. This housing (A) is removably secured to a bottom housing (B) which contains a dialer assembly (11). A series of guide mechanisms (e.g. 21, 22) are formed in both housings and are used to accommodate a third housing (C) containing a telephone transmitter. The third housing (C) is slidably mounted within the receiver and dialer housings to enable on-hook and off- hook operations by sliding and extending outwardly for off-hook operation and by pushing the housing inward for on-hook operation. The transmitter housing is accurately guided between the receiver and dialer housings by the guide mechanisms to ensure accurate and reliable operation relatively independent of the nature of the force exerted by a user on the transmitter housing when operating the instrument. The movement of the transmitter housing between the on and off hook positions automatically activates a hook switch arrangement by means of tabs which are permanently secured on slide members associated with the transmitter housing and which tabs actuate leaf spring switches located on a component board positioned between the dialer and receiver housings. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Telephone set This invention relates to telephone sets and especially to a compact telephone set with a telescoping housing.

It is desirable to provide telephone sets which are smaller and more compact than typical desk phones, but which have to be easy to handle, have aesthetic appeal and take up a minimum amount of space. One such instrument, called the flip phone is a one piece telephone set connected to the telephone network by a coiled jack-ended cord. The instrument is on hooked by lifting it from a horizontal surface, which operates a springactivated plate which rotates outwardly from the underside of the phone set. Dialing uses a keyboard, and conversation is maintained by holding one's ear to the concave receiver section and speaking at the plate which is part of the rotatable assembly. Speech is reflected from the plate into a condenser microphone at the hinge or pivot end of the telephone set where the plate and body of the phone meet.The phone is "hung-up" by replacing it on the horizontal surface, while being careful to allow the plate to fold back under the body of the phone.

Such a phone is compact but has disadvantages, in that it employs a cone speaker and condenser microphone as transmitting and receiving components, which elements are more susceptible to damage during typical use than the carbon microphone and typical receivers usually used. The flip phone requries the user to dial while the plastics foldout plate is pointed in the direction of the user and the user is required to "talk at" a plate or flat surface rather than into a perforated transmitter enclosure. It is also susceptible to false "hang-ups", since it is disconnected when put down, as a conscious effort on the part of the user is not necessary to hang-up. Thus the operation of such an instrument differs from that of a standard telephone and the differences are disturbing and confusing to a user.

An object of the present invention is to provide a one piece telephone in which the disadvantages of known telephones are minimized or even overcome.

According to the present invention there is provided a telephone instrument of the type having telescoping operation wherein a first slidable housing section is slidably movable with respect to a second housing section, to move between a first extended position for an off-hook condition and a second closed position for an onhook condition, wherein a first actuatable switching means positioned in said fixed housing has a first flexible contact arm spaced apart from a first fixed contact, which switching means is operative in a first mode indicative of said first contact arm contacting said fixed contact to provide a closing state, and in a second mode wherein said first contact arm is apart from said fixed contact defining an open position, and wherein first means positioned on first slidable housing coacts with said first flexible contact when said housing is moved to said off-hook position to retain said first arm in contact with said first fixed contact, and to allow said arm to flex away from said fixed contact when said housing is moved to said second closed position indicative of an on-hook condition.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a top perspective plan, partially in section, of a telephone instrument embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view, partially in section of the instrument of Fig. 1.

Fig, 3A is a bottom view of a housing (B) containing a dialer keyboard and Fig. 3B is a side view of the housing (B).

Fig. 4A is a bottom view of a slidable transmitter housing (C), Fig. 4B is a top view of the housing of Fig. 4A, Fig. 4C is a front view of the housing of Fig. 4B, and Fig. 4D is a side view of the housing.

Fig. 5A is a front view of a receiver housing (A), Fig. 5B is a top view of the housing of Fig. 5A and Fig. 5C is a bottom view of the housing of Fig. 5A.

Fig. 6 is a side sectioned view of the instrument of Figs. 1 and 2 in a off-hook position.

Fig. 7 is a partial cross-section along line 7-7 of Fig. 6 showing the guide mechanisms between housings A, B and C.

Fig. 8A is diagrammatically the instrument onhook, while Fig. 8B shows the instrument offhook.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a telescoping telephone set 10, which includes a transmitter, a receiver and a dialing assembly. The telephone set of Fig. 1 includes three housings.

A first housing A includes the receiver, which is a conventional receiving element, and is an extremely reliable component. The housing A is mounted relatively rigidly with respect to a top housing B, which contains a touch-tone dialer assembly 11. This assembly 11 consists of keys or buttons marked with the digits 0--9. Upon actuation of any of the buttons on the keyboard 11, a touch tone frequency signal is transmitted over the telephone lines to initiate "dialing" pulses for a called number. Slidably mounted in relation to housings A and B is the housing C, which contains a carbon microphone of conventional design.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the instrument of Fig.

1, and as can be seen, the receiver housing has a concave receiving area 1 2 which is held to the ear of a user and enables him to place the instrument directly over his ear so that the perforations in area 1 2 direct the sound from the receiver. The transmitter housing C also has perforations 14 indicative of a transmitting region to enable the user to speak directly therein.

Thus, it will be seen that the unit consisting of housings A, B and C enables one to conduct conversation in a relatively ordinary manner. Note that housings A and C have transverse surfaces which provide a given angular relationship between the plane of the receiver in housing A and the plane of the transmitter in housing C. The angle, shown as RA associated with housing A is about 120, while the angle RC associated with housing C is about 21 0. This enables a user to conduct an ordinary conversation without needing to concentrate on directing his voice into the transmitter section C. These angles provide an optimum relationship between the receiver and the transmitter to enable one to carry on a convenient conversation.

The instrument is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as partially extended. As indicated, the housing A is rigidly secured with respect to housing B during assembly, while housing C is slidabiy mounted with respect to housings A and B. A user, by grasping housing C may withdraw housing C in the direction of the arrow 1 5 to extend the same in a fully opened position, which is the off-hook position. When housing C is retracted or moved in the direction of arrow 16, the assembly 10 is closed or on-hook. In this condition, the front flange 1 7 of housing B is maligned with the edge 18 of housing C, and the instrument assumes, in this position, the smallest volume.

The instrument is approximately 2 2 n wide, housing B being about 6" long, so the instrument 10 is about 6" long when closed. The maximum height of the instrument is about 12". When the instrument is extended, with the transmitter housing C fully extended for the off-hook mode, the effective length of the instrument is about 8".

Thus it will be seen that the instrument is compact, while capable of performing each and every function of a conventional telephone.

Also shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is a terminal aperture 20 for insertion therein of a coiled telephone cord with modular jacks on each end to permit coupling of the instrument to a conventional telephone line.

Before the detailed explanation of the structure, we briefly describe the simplicity of operation of the instrument 10. Essentially, the instrument 10 is placed off-hook by pulling out the housing C which contains a carbon microphone. This actuates two leaf spring switches which alternately place the phone on line and allow the last number dialed to be recorded and redialed by the touch of a single button on the key pad 11.

When the phone is extended as above, the key pad 11 is activated and its buttons can be used for normal dialing. The phone is rendered on-hook by sliding housing C into housings A and B. It is not necessary to push section C completely closed, as the switch configuration places the phone on hook when housing C still extends a relatively small amount, which distance as will be explained, can be varied.

Note that when the instrument 10 is on-hook it can receive a ringing signal from the telephone line. It contains circuitry which, upon receipt of a ringing signal, activates a buzzer on a circuit board, to be described, and which gives an audible tone to the user indicative of a ringing signal.

In Fig. 1 a portion of housing B is shown in broken view: on the undersurface of housing B is a flange guide member or wall 21, which extends a preset distance back towards the key pad 11. The wall 21 forms a slot with the side wall 22 of the housing B. A projection or tab 23 is rigidly positioned on housing C, with another projection 24 on the left side of housing C which is similar to the projection 23. This projection 24 also rides in a channel or slot formed by an additional flange on the other side of housing B. Thus, housing C has two tabs 23 and 24 which are guided and ride in the channels formed by the flange 21 and the side walls of the housing B. The projections 23 and 24, thus act as stop mechanisms, and so aid in preventing a user from withdrawing the housing C from housings A and B.

Fig. 3A is a top view showing walls 21 and 21 A and the slots formed with the corresponding side walls 22 and 22A of the housing B. Fig. 3B is a side view of the housing B and shows the surface upon which the assembly 11 is mounted. Fig. 3B also shows that there is an extending flange or lip 30 which secures the rear portion of housing B to housing A when the instrument 10 is assembled.

Fig. 2 shows a partial section taken through housing A and housing C. The housing C essentially consists of a transmitter section 14 which, as indicated above, contains a standard carbon microphone, which is about 12" or more in diameter and is generally circular. The receiver is about the same size.

The housing C, formed from a suitable plastics by a molding operation, contains two extending side rail assemblies 31 and 32, which are joined at a front end by a platform 33. Platform 33 has a slot 34 which accommodates a single screw 35, which extends via an aperture in housing A into a threaded boss 36 on housing B (Fig. 3A). This screw 35 firmly secures the entire assembly together.

The housing C has two slots or channels 40 and 41 one on each side of the platform 33, which slots are each formed by one wall of the channels 31 and 32 and by a wall of the platform 33.

Referring now to Figs. 4A to 4D, we see a top, bottom, front and side view of the housing C. The slots 40 and 41 are accommodated by a flange as 45 (Fig. 5A) ori a corresponding surface of housing A. This flange 45 is similar to flange 21 on the housing B, and extends along housing A to accommodate the slide members 31 and 32 together with slots 40 and 41 formed between the slide members 31 and 32.

Figs. 5A to 5C show a side, top and bottom view of the housing A. The wall 45 and the corresponding wall 45A on the other side are clearly shown in Fig. 5A.

As can be seen from Fig. 2, the member C is accurately guided by the slots 40 and 41 and the walls of the slide members 31 and 32. These are accurately aligned and controlled in movement by the flanges 45 and 45A formed in the receiver housing A. Also seen in Figs. 2 and 5 is the fact that the slide channel members 31 and 32 also ride in the slots 50 each between a flange 45A and the side wall of housing A. The slots 50 and 50A further assure a reliable guide for the movable transmitter housing C.

As indicated, the slot 34 in the platform 33 accommodates the screw 35 secured in aperture 56 of housing A and as indicated, couples housing A to housing B (Fig. 3) via the threaded aperture in the boss 36. Thus, the extendable housing C is guided and maintained in accurate and reliable position with respect to the housings A and B by three distinct mechanical assemblies. Thus, see Fig. 1, the projections 23 and 24 of housing C ride in the channels in housing B and formed between the side walls 22 and 22A and the extension flanges 21 and 21 A. These projections 23 and 24 ensure that the bottom surface of the housing C is accurately controlled.The top surface of the housing C is accomodated by the slide members 31 and 32 and the slots 40 and 41 (Fig. 4), which are accommodated by the flanges 45 and 45A of housing A (Fig. 5) and the channels 50 and 50A formed between the extending flanges 45 and 45A and the side walls of housing A. The slot 34 in the platform 33 also serves to permit sliding of the housing by providing a passageway for the screw 35 which secures housing A to housing B.

Fig. 5C also shows a lip or flange 47, which accommodates the upstanding flange 30 (Fig. 3B) of housing B, securing housing A to housing B when they are aligned. The aperture 56 of housing A permits insertion of the screw 35 to further secure housing A to housing B via the threaded boss 36.

As seen from Fig. 5B, the front surface of housing A which contains the recess 1 2 is covered by an elegant vinyl sheet 48, so the top of the screw 35 when inserted in aperture 51, is not visible but can be accessed by lifting the vinyl.

The platform 33 of housing C also includes two extending projections 51 and 52, which coact with the underside of housing A, and prevent the housing C from being withdrawn from the assembly. Thus, these flanges 51 and 52 serve together with the projections 23 and 24 on the other surface of housing C to ensure that the housing C cannot be removed or extended beyond the limits imposed by the above restraints. The platform 33 also provides great rigidity to housing C, and maintains the extending slide members 31 and 32 in a relatively rigid position.

Hence, when the housings A, B, and C are held in position by the screw 35, the transmitter housing C can be extended and retracted at will. It is completely guided on both top and bottom surfaces by the corresponding flanges and channels, and thus operates reliably independent of the type of notion a user may attempt or actually impart to the housing C when it is pulled out or pushed in. The fact that the housing C is guided both on the top and bottom surfaces enables reliable operation of the instrument 10 over prolonged periods.

Fig. 6 is a cross section of the housings A, B and C, and a diagrammatic showing to the housing C when fully extended. The dashed line shows the housing C when retracted. As can be seen from Fig. 6, when the housing is fully extended, both projections 24 and the tab 51 prevent further movement of the housing C from housings A and B.

Fig. 7 is a cross section taken through line 7-7 of Fig. 6, and shows the relationship of the various projections, such as 23 and 24 on housing C plus the slide members 31 and 32, and how they are accommodated within the associated slots of housings A and B. Thus we have described a rigid mechanical assembly permitting one to withdraw and insert housing C to enable rapid and reliable on-hook and off-hook operation of the telephone assembly 10. The assembly thus ensures that the housing C can be pulled out and pushed in reliably and without concern over lateral or extraneous forces that might be imparted to the assembly by a typical user and under the many different conditions which a telephone set would be subjected to during conventional use.

Such an arrangement affords great mechanical stability while providing an extremely compact and practical instrument. As can be seen from Fig.

4, the transmitter housing C has a first hollow section for a carbon microphone. Fig. 5 shows the housing A which contains a receiver unit also of conventional type. Thus, the compact phone above described enables one to use conventional receivers and transmitter modules which have been developed, tested, and used for many years and are extremely economical and reliable.

Housing B, in Fig. 3, has a recess or section for a conventional touch-tone keyboard 11, which, as indicated, is also a commercially available component and of the type used in conventional telephones.

As above indicated, apart from the receiver, tranmitter and dialer, a telephone instrument such as 10 has to perform certain operations generally designated as supervisory operations. The telephone above described is immediately placed off-hook when the housing C is extended to the position, for example, shown in Fig. 6 with respect to housings A and B. To operate in the off-hook condition, one must provide a closed circuit to the telephone lines connected to the instrument. Thus, a current is supplied to the instrument from the battery at the central office. The flow of this current indicates to the central office that the instrument is busy, which busy condition could be either as a called or a calling party, or that the instrument is requiring service or is dialing and so on.In any event, a conventional receiver uses a hook switch which operates when a hand set is lifted from a cradle or from the base assembly of a telephone. This switch action must, of course, be provided in the above described instrument.

Fig. 3A shows a printed circuit board 60, which carries various components to enable the telephone set 10 to operate properly. As such, the board carries a ring detector, which detects a ringing signal impressed on the lines when the instrument is being accessed and actuates a buzzer or other device also on the printed circuit board. The board carries other components found in most telephones such as a side tone circuit and a varistor devices to limit the amplitude of the transmitted and received signal. The particular phone described herein also contains integrated circuit modules which enable the storage of a telephone number where that number may be automatically retrieved for immediate dialing by the depression of a key associated with keyboard 11. Such techniques are well known and are not considered part of this invention.

The circuit board 60 also interfaces with the keyboard 11, and has a circuit for converting the depression of a key into suitable signals indicative of dialing pulses or frequencies for operation over a telephone line. Thus, the keyboard 11 is connected to the board 60 by a suitable flat ribbon conductor. The board 60 is in the hollow between housings A and B, and interfaces with the transmitter and receiver modules in housings A and C. Located on the board when it is properly positioned between housings A and B are two leaf type switches.

Fig. 8A shows a first switch 70 which is opened when housing C is on-hook with respect to housings A and B, which switch 70 is mounted on the board 60 and sits with its contact in the normally opened position when housing C is off hook. Not shown, but directly on the opposite side of the board 60, is an additional switch in relatively the same position on the board as switch 70.

Shown in Fig. 8A is a tab 71 located and rigidly secured to the bottom edge of the extending slide member 31 of housing C. Fig. 4A shows the tab 71 which extends from the slide member 31.

Opposite to the tab 71 is another tab 72 secured to member 32, tabs 71 and 72 being displaced one with respect to the other. Essentially, see Fig.

4A, tab 72 is located above tab 71 on the vertical axis. Referring to Fig. 2, tab 71 is again clearly shown in position.

The board 60, as indicated, is located between housings A and B and basically as shown in Fig.

3A, the printed circuit board 60 has the switches 70 and 70A on the underneath side or bottom surface of the boardwith the open contact of the switches such as 70 facing the top surface of the housing B.The printed circuit board as located rests or is emplaced between housings A and B by resting on tabs 80 and 80A, Fig. 5C, and the board 60, Fig. 3, has a semicircular aperture on its front side surface which encircles the central boss 36 of the housing B (Fig. 3). As indicated, the aperture 56 in housing A accomodates the screw 35, which secures housing A to B when the board 60 is positioned as shown in Fig. 8A.

As the housing C is moved into its opened.

position as designated by arrow 72 of Fig. 8A, the tab 71 coacts with the leaf spring contact of switch 70 and urges the contact upward to close the switch, see Fig. 8B. Similarly, tab 72 closes switch 70A. However, due to the locations of tabs 71 and 72 on the slide members 31 and 32 associated with housing C, switch 70 is closed prior to switch 70A. As can be seen from Fig. 8B, when the housing C is again pushed in to housing A and B in the direction of arrow 73, tab 72 releases switch 70A first and thereafter tab 71 releases switch 70.

Thus one obtains closure as follows: when the telephone is moved to the position shown in Fig.

BB, tab 71 closes switch 70 before tab 72 closes switch 70A and this occurs in the off-hook position. When housing C is moved to the position as shown in Fig. 8A or into the on-hook position, tab 71 releases switch 70 before tab 72 releases switch 70A. Switch 70A controls the hook switching sensing circuitry of the printed circuit board.

Switch 70 shorts a resistor in the tip lead which provides loop current to the telephone when offhook. This loop current must be available before switch 70A closes to allow the off-hook sensing pin associated with the circuitry on the printed circuit board to detect the current for proper operation.

Hence, see Figs. 8A and 8B, one obtains a selective switch closure when the telephone set is placed off-hook by moving housing C to the extended position. -This sequentially closes switches 70 and 70A in a sequence causing switch 70 to close before switch 70A and causes switch 70A to open before switch 70 when the phone is placed in the on-hook position. This type of operation is also available in conventional phones via the hook switch which affords a delayed operation and hence, such a hook switch in a conventional phone is actually more difficult to implement than the switching mechanisms described above.

One can also ascertain that the location of tabs 71 and 72 on the slide members 31 and 32 of housing C and the placement of switches 70 and 70A on the printed circuit board determines when the switches will be activated in regard to the position and traveling of housing C. Thus, the respective components can be so located that the full retraction of housing C is not necessary to activate the switches, so that the instrument can be placed on-hook or off-hook via the switches 70 and 70A within predetermined limits concerning the position of housing C and hence, housing C need not be fully inserted or retracted to enable on-hook or off-hook operation.

The electrical control of a telephone circuit via switches 70 and 70A to provide loop current as' well as an activating signal to electrical circuitry on the printed circuit board is a necessary feature in a telephone instrument and is accurately and reliably supplied by tabs 71 and 72 in activating switches 70 and 70A and the above operation, as indicated, is extremely effective and reliable.

There has thus been described a telephone instrument of a telescoping type which is extremely compact, while being mechanically rugged. It consists of three housings; two of which, housing A and housing B respectively contain the receiver and dialing components with an interfacing circuit board 60 mounted there between. A third housing C contains a carbon microphone and is slidably mounted with respect to housings A and B, and as such, is accurately guided therebetween by multiple guide assemblies which enable reliable operation of housing C to afford on-hook and off-hook operation.The extension and retraction of housing C within housings A and B activates supervision switches sequentially to ensure that loop current is provided by the instrument during a call or pursuant to a service request and that the proper circuitry is switched in operation upon the furnishing of the loop current by the instrument.

As in most telephones, the above described unit receives operating voltage from the 48 volt battery at the central office. The unit, enables one to use a conventional carbon microphone and conventional receiver such as are now employed in telephone subsets, and hence, operation of the unit is compatible with modern instruments. For example, one may position the receiver audio components in housing C and the transmitter component in housing A, while still maintaining the above operation. These and other aspects of the invention will become clear to one skilled in the art upon reading the specification and all modifications and alternatives are deemed to be within the scope and breadth of the claims appended hereto.

Claims (38)

1. A telephone instrument of the type having telescoping operation wherein a first slidable housing selection is slidable movable with respect to a second housing section, to move between a first extended position for an off-hook condition and a second closed position for an on-hook condition, wherein a first actuatable switching means positioned in said fixed housing has a first flexible contact arm spaced apart from a first fixed contact, which switching means is operative in a first mode indicative of said first contact arm contacting said fixed contact, to provide a closed state, and in a second mode wherein said first contact arm is apart from said fixed contact defining an open position, and wherein first means positioned on said first slidable housing coacts with said first flexible contact when said housing is moved to said off-hook position to retain said first arm in contact with said first fixed contact, and to allow said arm to flex away from said fixed contact when said housing is moved to said second closed position indicative of an on-hook condition.

2. An instrument according to Claim 1, and which includes a second actuatable switching means in said fixed housing adjacent to said first switching means, said second switching means having a second flexible contact spaced apart from a second fixed contact, said second switching means also being operative in a first mode indicative of said arm contacting said fixed contact to provide a closed state, and in a second mode wherei said second arm is apart from said second fixed contact defining an open position, and wherein second means positioned on said first slidable housing and located apart from said first means coacts with said second flexible contact after said first means coacts with said first contact on movement of said housing to said off-hook position and releases said second arm from said fixed contact before said first means releases said first arm when said housing is moved to said second closed position indicative of an on-hook condition.

3. An instrument according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein said first switching means operates in said closed state to provide loop current to the telephone instrument.

4. An instrument according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 with Claim 2, wherein said second switching means operates to provide a bias signal for supervisory circuitry in the instrument.

5. A telephone instrument including: (a) a first housing having an internal hollow and having located on a first top surface a mechanism for providing "dialing" signals to a telephone line, a bottom surface having apertures commmunicating with a telephone audio component in said hollow, said housing having a closed back wall, side walls, and an open front end, (b) a second housing having a first section for containing another telephone component and a front slide section, slidably positioned in said open front end of said first housing to allow said second housing to move with respect thereto, wherein a first position is indicative of an off-hook condition when said second housing is extended from said first housing and a second position is indicative of an on-hook condition when said second housing is unextended from-said first housing, said second housing including a slide assembly to enable movement thereof between said first and second position, (c) first and second actuatable switch assemblies in the hollow of said first housing and spaced apart one from the other, each of said assemblies including a movable flexible contact arm above a fixed contact area to allow operation of said assembly in a first closed condition, when said flexible arm contacts said area, and in a normal open position due to said arm as flexed being apart from said arm, and (d) a first member on said slide assembly and which coacts with the flexible arm of said first switch assembly to force said arm in contact with said area when said slide is in the extended position for an on-hook condition, a second member on said slide assembly apart from said first member and which coacts with the flexible arm of said second switch assembly after closure of said first assembly by said first member in said off-hook condition, with said second means releasing said flexible arm of said second assembly prior to said first means releasing said arm of said first switch assembly when said slide assembly is moved to said onhook position.

6. An instrument according to Claim 5, and wherein said slide assembly includes a first and second arm extending relatively parallel to each other and extending from a common surface of the first section of said second housing for inserting said arms into said hollow of said first housing, wherein said first member is on said first arm for coacting with the flexible contact arm of said first switch assembly with said second member on said second arm for coacting with said flexible contact arm of said second switch assembly, and wherein the positions of said first and second means are so displaced on said arms as to permit actuation of said associated switch assemblies at different times when said second housing is moved with respect to said first housing.

7. An instrument according to Claim 6, and wherein said first and second members comprises a first and second extending tab with said first tab on said first extending arm and said second tab on said second extending arm.

8. An instrument according to Claim 5, wherein said telephone audio component in said first housing is a telephone receiver.

9. An instrument according to Claim 5, wherein said another telephone audio component in said second housing is a transmitter.

10. A telephone instrument of the type having a telescoping operation wherein a first slidable housing section is slidably movable with respect to a fixed housing section, to move between a first extended position indicative of an off-hook condition and a second closed position indicative of an on-hook condition, the actuating supervisory switches associated instrument, including: (a) first and second actuatable switching means in said fixed housing, said switching means are as positioned separated one from the other, and (b) means on said first slidable housing to coact with said switching means when said housing is moved to said off-hook position to cause one of said means to actuate prior to said other in said off-hook position and to cause said other switching means to deactivate prior to said one when said slidable housing is moved to said onhook position.

11. An instrument according to Claim 8 wherein said first and second actuatable switching means each comprises a first flexible contact arm above a fixed contact area, said arm operative in a first on position to be pushed in contact with said area, and operative in a second off position when said arm by flexing is apart from said area.

12. An instrument according to Claim 8, wherein said means on said first slidable housing comprises first and second members on-said slidable housings and each located to coact with an associated one of said flexible contact arms to push said arm in contact with said area when said slidable housing is moved to said off hook position and to permit said arm to flex to said off position when said slidable housing is moved to said on hook position.

13. An instrument according to Claim 8, further including a printed-circuit board within the hollow of said first housing and having positioned thereon said first and second actuatable switching means.

14. A compact, telescoping telephone instrument, including: (a) a first composite housing having an internal hollow, said housing having a top surface recess containing a mechanism for initiating telephone calls, a bottom surface at a given angle with respect to said top surface with apertures on said bottom surface, a telephone audio component located in said hollow and having a surface communicating with said apertures, said housing having an opened front end, a closed back end and closed side surfaces, (b) a first guide means on the opposite side of said top surface and within said hollow and relatively parallel to said side ends to provide a first path for guiding a slide member from said opened front end towards said back wall, second guide means located on the opposite side of said bottom surface and within said hollow for providing a second path in the same direction as said first path for guiding a slide member from said opened front end towards said back wall, (c) a slideable housing member comprising a first hollow section at a first end for containing within said hollow another telephone component, said housing having a right and a left slide member extending from said first section at a second end with said members relatively parallel one to the other and platform means between said members to align and position the same, each of said members having a top surface configuration adapted to coact with said guide means to enable said slidable housing to move towards said back wall of said first housing, and said members further having a bottom surface configuration coacting with said second guide means to further enable said slidable housing to move in the same direction, whereby said slide members as coacting with said first and second guide means permits said slidable housings to slide towards and away from said back wall to thereby cause said another telephone component to be positioned closer to or further away from said dialer according to the movement of said slidable housing.

1 5. An instrument according to Claim 14, wherein said first composite housing comprises a top housing section having a top surface recess for said mechanism for initiating calls with an open bottom, a bottom housing section having a bottom surface at said given angle with an opened top relatively congruent to said open bottom of said top housing section and means for securing said top section to said bottom section with said open bottom and said open top communicating to form said internal hollow, with said top housing section containing said mechanism, and said bottom housing section containing said audio component.

16. An instrument according to Claim 14, wherein said opened front end of said first housing contains a flange extending upwardly from its said bottom surface, and means located on said platform of said slidable member adapted to coact with said flange to prevent dislodging of said slidable housing from said composite housing.

17. An instrument according to Claim 14 wherein said first guide means on the opposite side of said top surface and within said hollow comprises a first flange extending from said opened front end towards said back wall and spaced a predetermined distance from a first side surface to form a first guide channel therebetween, and a second flange extending from said opened front end towards said back wall and relatively parallel to said first flange to form a second guide channel with said opposite side surface.

1 8. An instrument according to Claim 17, wherein said slidable housing includes on its said top surface a first and second projection spaced apart at a distance determined by said first and second guide channels and each adapted to ride in an associated channel to cause said slidable housing to slide from said opened front end towards said back wall.

1 9. An instrument according to Claim 14, wherein said second guide means on the opposite side of said bottom surface includes a third flange extending from said opened front end towards said back wall and spaced a predetermined distance from a first side surface of said first housing, and a fourth flange extending in the same direction as said third flange and parallel thereto and spaced from said other side surface by said predetermined distance.

20. An instrument according to Claim 19, wherein said platform means between said slide members includes first and second channels at each side and between the juncture of said slide members and said platform for coacting with and riding within said third and fourth flanges.

21. An instrument according to Claim 14, wherein said first section of said slidable housing has a sloping top surface at a given angle from the horizontal with said surface sloping from a top side to a bottom side and relatively in a plane opposite to the said angled bottom surface of said first housing, said sloping top surface of said first section having a plurality of apertures for communicating with said telephone component with said respective angled surfaces of said first section and said bottom surface presenting an optimum receive/talk condition to a user of said instrument.

22. An instrument according to Claim 14, wherein said given angle of said bottom surface is approximately twelve degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

23. An instrument according to Claim 21, wherein said given angle of said sloping top surface of said slidable housing is about twentyone degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

24. An instrument according to Claim 14, wherein said telephone audio component located in said first composite housing is a telephone receiver.

25. An instrument according to Claim 14, wherein said telephone audio component located in said slidable housing member is a carbon telephone transmitter.

26. A compact, telescoping telephone instrument, including: (a) a first housing (B) having a top surface and an opened bottom surface, said top surface having a recess for a dialer mechanism, first and second side walls and a base wall extending from said top surface to form an enclosure for said mechanism, the bottom surface of said housing (B) having first and second channels parallel to each other and extending from an opened front end towards said back wall, with each channel associated with and located a predetermined distance from an associated sidewall, (b) a second housing (A) having a sloping top surface with apertures, first and second sidewalls, and a back wall, with an opened bottom surface, said sidewalls and back walls surrounding said open bottom surface relatively congruent to the side and back walls of said first housing to permit said first housing to be emplaced over said second housing, to form a hollow recess therebetween, said second housing containing a telephone audio component communicating with said apertures in said top surface, with said top surface sloping from said back walls as towards said opened front end, said second housing (A) having located beneath said top surface and within said hollow first and second flanges directed from said opened front end towards said back wall and each separated from an associated sidewall by a predetermined distance, (c) a third slidable housing (C) adapted to be inserted in said opened front end of said first and second emplaced housings, said third housing containing a first hollow section for containing another audio component and having first and second elongated side rail assemblies extending from a surface of said first section and relatively parallel one to the other, with a top surface of said side rail assemblies adapted to coact with and be guided by said first and second channels in said first housing (B) and with a bottom surface of said side rail assemblies adapted to coact with and be guided by said first and second flanges of said second housing (A) to permit said housing (C) to slide with respect to said first and second housings (A and B), and (d) means coupled to said third housing (C) to limit the distance said housing (C) slides with respect to said first (B) and second (A) housing.

27. An instrument according to Claim 26, including a central boss depending from the bottom of said back surface of said first housing (B) and having an aperture located thereon.

28. An instrument according to Claim 27, wherein the sloping top surface of said second housing has an aperture for communicating with said aperture in said central boss when said first housing (B) is placed in congruency with said second housing (A), fastening means being inserted in said apertures of said boss and said sloping surface to secure said first housing (B) to said second housing (A).

29. An instrument according to Claim 28 wherein said third slidable housing (C) further includes a platform between said first and second elongated side rail members to provide support thereto while rigidly positioning the same.

30. An instrument according to Claim 29, wherein said platform includes a central aperture adapted to encircle said fastening means to allow said slidable housing (C) to move freely.

31. An instrument according to Claim 26, including means coupled to said slidable housing (C) operative to limit the movement of said housing (C) when said housing (C) is slid away from housings (A) and (B).

32. An instrument according to Claim 26, wherein said sloping top surface of said second housing (A) is at an angle of about twelve degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

33. An instrument according to Claim 26, wherein a top surface of said first hollow section is at a predetermined angle, with said surface containing apertures, said angle and hence the slope of said surface directed opposite to said sloping top surface of said second housing (A), wherein said telephone audio components have respective portions physically facing each other to provide a convenient receiver/transmit path for a user.

34. An instrument according to Claim 33, wherein the predetermined angle of said top surface of said first hollow section is about twenty degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

35. An instrument according to Claim 26, further including a circuit board located in the hollow formed when said first housing (B) is emplaced in congruency with said second housing (A).

36. An instrument according to Claim 26, wherein said audio component in said second housing (A) is a telephone receiver component.

37. An instrument according to Claim 26, wherein said other audio component in said slidable housing (C) is a carbon transmitter.

38. A telephone subscribers instrument, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.