GB2087686A

GB2087686A - One piece telephones

Info

Publication number: GB2087686A
Application number: GB8033663A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: LAMBDA TELE EQUIPMENT Ltd
Current assignee: LAMBDA TELE EQUIPMENT Ltd
Priority date: 1980-10-17
Filing date: 1980-10-17
Publication date: 1982-05-26
Also published as: GB2087686B; HK84584A

Abstract

A one-piece telephone has a mouth-piece 16 carrying the microphone mounted, preferably hinged, so as to be movable between an extended in use position and a retracted position substantially flush with the body. The mouth-piece 16 is resiliently biased towards the extended position but that biasing is overcome by the weight of the telephone when it is placed down on a flat surface. A switch controlling the energisation of the telephone is associated with this mouth-piece 16 so that, when the 'phone is laid down, the 'phone is de-energised. Desirably, a further member 31 is hinged to the body around the same axis as the mouth-piece 16, this further member 31 controlling a switch which de-activates the microphone without de-energising the telephone so that a user can conveniently mute the telephone when he does not wish the person at the other end of the telephone line to hear. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvennients in tceponc-s This invention relates to telephones and in particular the invention relates to telephones of the one-piece type, that is to say a telephone where the earniece, mouthpiece, number selector and so on are all included in a single hand-held casing; that is in con trast to more conventional types of telephone where the mouthpiece and earpiece are carned by a hand piece which is separate from the telephone body and connected to the body by a length of lead.

Such one-piece type telephones can be very convenient and light in weight to use. It is, however, an object of this invention to improve this convenience of use.

According to the invention there is provided a one-piece telephone in which the Pa7sLazhpie&commat;e mouthpiece carry- ing the microphone for detecting speech of the user is mounted on the body so as to be movable between an extended in use position and a retracted position substantially flush with the body, the mouth-piece being resistently biased towards the extended position that biasing being overcome by the weight of the telephone when that part of the body from which the mouth-piece extends is placed on a flat surface, and in which a switch controlling the energisation of the telephone is operatively associated with the mouth-piece whereby the telephone is de-energised when the mouth-piece is in the retracted position.

Such a telephone has the convenience that, when it is laid down on a supporting surface after use, the mouth-piece is retracted by engagement with the surface and so de-energises the telephone line and disconnects the telephone. Also once the mouth- piece has been retracted, the body surface can be relatively flat so that it can stand firmly on that surface without rocking.

The mouth-piece is conveniently hinged to the rest of the body so that in its extended position it is inclined to the rest of the body and its microphone directed at the user's mouth in a mannersimilarto a conventional telephone.

According to a one embodiment of the invention switch means are provided to mute the output from or completely disengage the microphone so that the user can speak without his voice being transmitted by the telephone. This can be achieved by providing additional switch means which are operated by a member movably mounted on the telephone body.

Conveniently this member is also hinged to the telephone body and it may be hinged about an Sis common with that about which the mouthpiece is hinged.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the mouth-piece is formed as a central member hinged to the body and either side of it a further member is provided also hinged to the body about the same axis. Then, during use the user can readily depress the said further member on either side of the central mouth-piece to mute or cut off the microphone when he does not wish his comments to be transmitted by the telephone. After use the user merely places the telephone down on a flat surface and the central mouth-piece and the member on either side are both caused to pivot to their retracted positions so deac tivating the telephone.

It is also preferred that the mouth-piece fit within the said further member so that when both members are in their extended positions the mouth-piece nes tiles in the further member, but if it is depressed towards its retracted position it will engage the said further member and also move the latter to its retracted position so that they move together towards the retracted position.

A telephone according to the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the telephone showing it resting on a flat surface; Figure 2 is an underside and side view of the telephone in a position ready for use; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the position oF the telephone so that the microphone is muted; Figure 4 is a sectional-elevation through the telephone; and Figure 5 is a plan detail of part of the telephone.

The telephone 10 shown in the drawings comprises an outer casing 12 having an ear piece 13, selector push buttons 14 and a mouth-piece 16. The casing 12 is of a size such that in use the ear piece 14 and mouth-piece 16will be positioned approximately adjacent the ear and mouth of a user.

The mouth-piece 16 includes a microphone 20 and small slits or perforations 22 are provided through the mouth-piece to allow sound to reach this microphone. The mouth-piece is hinged to the rest of the casing about an axis 24. It can therefore be moved between an extended in use position shown in full lines in Figure 4 and a retracted position shown in broken lines in Figure 4. The mouth-piece is biased towards the extended position by a spring 30.

Also hinged about the axis 24 is a U-shaped switch member 31. This member, as best shown in Figure 5, has two side portions 32 which are joined across their outer ends by a cross-portion 34. The mouthpiece is located between the two side portions 32.

The switch member is also spring biased to an extended position where, as best shown in Figure 2, the surface of the side portion 32 is flush with the surface of the mouth-piece. However, the member 31 can be moved to a retracted position where, as best shown in Figure 3, the side portions 32 are sub stantiallyflush with the casing 12.

This movement of the member 31 to its retracted position can be accomplished in one of two ways; one or other side portion 32 can be pressed manually against the casing so leaving the mouth-piece 16 in its extended position shown in Figure 3 or alterna tively the side portions 32 and mouth-piece 16 6 can all be moved to their retracted positions together b7 placing the telephone down on a flat surface as shown in Figure 1, the weight of the telephone over- coming the biasing of the mouth-piece and sitch member 31 towards their extended positions.

As best shown in Figures 4 and 5, toe mouth-piece is shaped so that its outer end 16a engages with the cross portion 34. Thus the mouth-piece cannot individuallybe depressed to its retracted position without retracting the switch member 31.

Referring to Figure 4, the mouth-piece 16 has an inwardly projecting lug 40 and adjacent the hinge axis 24 is a switch assembly 42 which includes switch contacts 44. In the extended in use position of the mouth-piece the lug 40 is clear of the switch assembly but once the mouth-piece is moved to its retracted position, the lug zû engages the switch assembly and operates the switch contacts 44. The switch assembly 42 and contacts 44 control the energisation of the telephone 10. Thus, when the mouth-piece is in its extended position, the switch contacts are in a position whereby the telephone is energised whilst, when the mouth-piece is in its retracted position, the telephone is deactivated so that in conventional manner the dialing tone is cut off but an outside call can provide a warning sound.

Therefore, simply placing the telephone face-down on a flat surface deactivates the telephone.

The switch member 31 is also provided with a lug (not shown) which is similarto the lug 40 on the mouth-piece. This lug is arranged to engage a further switch assembly (not shown) This further switch assembly controls the activation of the microphone 20. Thus, when the switch member 31 is in its extended position, the further switch assembly keeps the microphone connected in circuit so that the telephone operates normally but, when the switch member 31 is moved to its retracted position as shown in Figure 3, the microphone 20 is deactivated. In this way a user can by depressing the switch member 31, cut offthe transmission of his voice if he wishes to prevent his comments from being heard by the person at the other end ofthe telephone line.It will be seen how this can be achieved very simply by the user whose finger tips will in any case be positioned close to the mouthpiece when the telephone is being held normally and so can be used to operate the switch member without in any way changing one's grip on the telephone.

As best seen in Figure 1 to 3, the casing 12 is in two parts, an upper part 12a and a lower part 12b. These two parts are held together by screws 50 (see Figure 4) so that the parts can be separated to obtain access to the interior of the casing.

The lower part 12b of the casing has perforations 52 in the position of the earpiece 13 through which the sounds from a loudspeaker 54 can be heard. The lower part 12b also holds the push buttons 14 and a slide switch 56 to activate or deactivate the ringing alarm sound ofthetelephone.

The telephone 10 has an input lead 60 which is connected to a telephone outlet plug in conventional manner. The electric wiring and circuitry within the telephone, apart from the switch assemblies have not been described since they can be entirely con venronal and so form no part of the invention.

Claims

1. A one-piece telephone in which the mouthpiece carrying the microphone for detecting speech of the user is mounted on the body so as to be movable between an extended in use position and a retracted position substantially flush with the body, the mouth-piece being resiliently biased towards the extended position, that biasing being overcome by the weight ofthetelephone when that part of the body from which the mouth-piece extends is placed on a flat surface, and in which a switch controlling the energisation of the telephone is operatively associated with the mouth-piece whereby the telephone is de-energised when the mouth-piece is in the retracted position.

2. Atelephone as claimed in Claim 1 in which the mouth-piece is hinged to the body.

3. A telephone as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which switch means are provided to mute the output from or completely disengage the microphone so that the user can speak without his voice being transmitted by the telephone.

4. Atelephone as claimed in Claim 3 in which the mouth-piece is hinged to the body and a member hinged to the body about the same axis as the mouth-piece is arranged to operate the said switch means.

5. A telephone as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4 in which the mouth-piece is formed as a central member hinged to the body and on either side of it a further member is provided also hinged to the body about the same axis, the further members being arranged to operate the said switch means to mute or disengage the microphone.

6. Atelephone as claimed in Claim 5 in which the mouth-piece fits within a member having an inverted U-shape, the arms of the U constituting the said further members on either side of the mouthpiece and the cross-portion joining the arms of the U being engaged by the mouthpiece when the latter is moved to its retracted position so that the mouthpiece and U-shaped member then both move together towards the retracted position.

7. A one-piece telephone substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.