GB2133249A - Telephone sets - Google Patents

Abstract

A telephone handset has a receiver, a microphone, a manually actuable on-off switch 82 for seizing a line and releasing it and an automatic line release switch 80 releasing the line when the handset is placed on an associated base, the two switches 82, 80 being coupled so that the on-off switch sets the automatic line release switch to its "on" position, and the automatic line release switch returns the on-off switch to its "off" position when the automatic line release switch is actuated. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improved telephone The present invention relates to telephones in general, and, in particular, to an improved housing construction and line seize and release switches.

In a typical telephone, when a handset is taken off the hook a switch is activated to seize a line. A telephone call can then be placed over that line.

Recent innovations in telephones include handsets with self-contained networks and dial.

These units may work independently of, or in conjunction with, a base. One such unit requires that a button be held depressed in order to receive an incoming call. Some release a line by actuation of a line switch by the weight of the instrument on a flat, hard surface. Telephones with this type of line release are subject to inadvertent call termination by putting the telephone down on a hard surface during the phone call, or of not terminating the call when desired because the line switch never gets depressed -- the placement of the phone on the edge of a note pad, for example.

It is often desirable that a line remain seized without user attention, as when a user needs to do something with his or her hands. It is also desirable to go off-line without returning the handset to its base. An instance of such requirements is a telephone that can be laid on a bed alongside of a patient without fear of inadvertently going on-line or off-line. In short, it is desirable to have a telephone where line seizure and release result from the deliberate attention of a user. Line seizure and release through a manually actuatable switch provide this facility.

But the switch should only operate when it is the desire of the user that it operate. It should not operate in response to dynamic loads or because the telephone is laid down. Conscious manual actuation alone, however, is not completely satisfactory because there are times when it is desired to have line release merely by "hanging up" the telephone.

Any telephone is subject to considerable punishment in a typical environment; they are dropped often, for example. A telephone should also be easy to make and assemble to keep cost down and flexible to suit different environments.

The present invention provides an improved telephone that has a handset with a housing to house a receiver for receiving telephonic information, a transmitter for transmitting telephonic information, and associated circuitry.

The housing may have means for dialing a telephone number, such as a key pad and switchboard. In addition, the handset has a manually actuatable, on-off switch for seizing and releasing a telephone line. This switch is actuatable upon the conscious movement of the telephone's user, as opposed to the line seizure and release that is associated with lifting a receiver from a hook and its replacement. In other words, the on-off switch requires the user's attention and conscious actuation by direct contact with the user's finger or thumb. An automatic line release switch also mounts on the housing and is cocked when a line is seized. The switch releases the line when the handset is placed in an associated base or cradle and contacts a finger.Preferably, the automatic line release switch and the on-off switch are coupled through a link that cocks the automatic release switch when the on-off switch is turned on and which returns the on-off switch to the "off" position when the automatic release switch is triggered.

In one form, the present invention contemplates a translatable on-off switch in the form of a thumb button and slide. The slide has a boss with a step defining associated but spacedapart bearing surfaces. These surfaces are generally maligned with the line of motion of the onoff switch, and they are spaced apart transverse to this line of motion. The link between the on-off switch and the automatic line release switch is pivotally mounted on the housing and has a first arm that couples to the on-off switch through a compression spring. Movement of the on-off switch towards the "on" position tends to rotate the link through a force transmitted by the spring, and rotation of the link in the opposite direction tends to move the on-off switch through the spring to its "off" position.A pawl mounts on this link, faces the step and engages the surface of the step closest to the pawl and prevents rotation of the link during transit of the on-off switch from the "off" to the "on" position. In the "on" position, the pawl faces the alternate and more remote surface of the step, and a space develops permitting rotation of the link until the pawl engages this surface. The spring effects lost motion between the on-off switch and the link. Return of the on-off switch from "on" to "off" forces the pawl to the alternate surface rotating the link. The link is coupled to the automatic line release switch, preferably through a post and slot coupling, and the on-off automatic line release switch is capable of translation in the housing.From its cocked position, the automatic release switch can move to its "off" position, and in so doing rotates the link and withdraws the pawl from the remote surface of the step, permitting the on-off switch to move to the "off" position in response to spring force and the link to rotate the pawl against the alternate step. The pawl, on-off switch, and automatic line release relationship provide a resistance to dynamic forces. When the on-off switch is "on," the link must rotate before it can go "off." Inertial loads tending to move the on-off switch to "off" results from an acceleration that tends to move the automatic line release switch in the same direction, defeating inadvertent switching to "off." When the on-off switch is "off," its motion towards "on" is again opposed by the automatic line release switch.

The spring between the link and the on-off switch is responsible for both transmitting the force necessary to rotate the link and cock the automatic line release switch, but for returning the on-off switch to its "off" position when the automatic line release switch is tripped. As such, variations in the spring force are self-cancelling and the need for an accurately manufactured spring eliminated. Leaf spring contacts of the circuitry are controlled by the on-off switch and determine whether a line is seized or released. The spring force of the contacts oppose the spring force between the link and the on-off switch during the initial movement of this switch toward the "on" position, reducing the initial force necessary to actuate the on-off switch.

Preferably, the handset includes a housing formed of a pair of shells, an upper shell and a lower shell, with finger grips on the sides of the housing. The lower shell has a well or recess and a deck. The deck supports a key pad and switch card circuit board, and is recessed to receive these two elements. The automatic line release switch is spaced from this recessed portion to provide access of the switch to the means that trigger it.

The assembly of the grips and shells is secured together through fasteners between the two shells that clamp the grips in place through cooperating overlapping lips. An escutcheon masks the recess and provides a housing for the transmitter. The escutcheon also has fastener mounting bosses that cooperate with fasteners in the upper shell to secure the escutcheon in place, as well as clamping the two shells together at that end of the assembly.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, appended claims and drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the improved telephone handset and cradle looking towards one side, the top of the handset, and an end; FIGURE 2 is an elevational half-sectional view of the improved telephone with the telephone's handset lifted above the cradle of the telephone; FIGURE 3 is a perspective, fragmentary view of the telephone handset illustrating an automatic line release switch as it functions with a manually operated on-off switch and associated structure of the telephone shell and switching mechanisms; FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of the manual on-off switch mechanism and an integral link that coacts between this mechanism and the automatic line release switch illustrated in Figure 3; and FIGURE 5 is a bottom view of the on-off switch mechanism of Figures 3, 4 and 5.

Figure 1 illustrates an improved telephone that consists of a handset 10 and a cradle or base 12, the latter receiving the former. The handset has an upper shell 14, a lower shell 1 6, and a handset finger grip 1 8 (a complementary finger grip opposite finger grip 1 8 is on the other side of the handset). The cradle has a lower shell 18 and an upper shell 20.

The telephone of the present invention is adapted for use externally of the cradle and can be actuated by its user to seize a line through an onoff thumb switch that is actuated directly, consciously and manually by the user's thumb, as distinguished from the familiar seizure and release that occurs when one picks up a handset and replaces it on many familiar prior art telephones.

In addition, the telephone of this invention provides an automatic line release when the handset is placed in the cradle, and to this extent the release function is not dissimilar to the familiar telephone in releasing a line without conscious effort by the user, though the mechanism for accomplishing this is different. The telephone of the invention, in addition, employs a switch mechanism that is dynamically balanced to avoid inadvertent switching by dropping a telephone handset. The shell construction of the telephone of this invention effects an assembly of high integrity, economy, and adaptability.

In greater particular, and with reference to Figure 2, handset 10 has its upper shell 14 and lower shell 16 joined through fasteners 22 and 24 (the latter seen best in Figure 3). Lower shell 16 has an escutcheon 26 mounted on it. The escutcheon masks fasteners 24, which, as seen in Figure 3, bear on a bottoming deck 30 of a recess 28. Fasteners 24 pass through sleeves 32 (Figure 2) and secure in threads of fastener bosses 34 of upper shell 14, the bosses depending from a roof 36 of the upper shell. Fasteners 22 have heads in a recess 38 in an upper surface of roof 36 of upper shell 14, and from this bearing extend through sleeves 40 into threaded bosses 42 of escutcheon 26.

The handset includes a standard printed circuit and associated electronic network for receiving and dialing telephone calls mounted on a printed circuit board 44. A key pad 48, seen best in Figure 3, has its own printed circuit switchboard 50 that cooperates with the circuit on board 44 (through a soldered flat ribbon cable) to indicate the keys depressed.

A transmitter housing 52 formed between escutcheon 26 and deck 30 receives a standard transmitter. A receiver 54 is received in a receiver housing 56 and is secured there through a receiver mounting collar 58 and fasteners 60 and 62 that are received in fastener bosses 64 and 66, respectively.

Cradle 12 has its upper shell 20 secured to its lower shell 18 through four fasteners 68. These fasteners also secure a cover plate 70 to the lower shell. The cover plate also acts as a card index window. Screw heads of the fasteners purchase on the surfaces of the cover plate and threads of the fasteners are received in threads of bosses 72 of shell 1 8. The cradle has a transmitter housing receiving well 74 and an earpiece receiving well 76. A finger 78 of cover plate 70 extends above and towards well 74; it is for engaging an automatic line release switch 80, seen in Figure 3.

With reference to Figures 3 and 4, an on-off, thumb actuated switch 82 mounts in a thumb grip 83 through an aperture 84. The thumb grip is on the opposite side of and cooperates with finger grip 1 8. The thumb switch is capable of rectilinear motion back and forth along the length of the instrument. It has a slide 86 and a boss 88. The boss extends laterally of the slide and the direction of movement of the thumb switch. The boss has a step 90 that includes surfaces 92 and 94 spaced from each other laterally of the direction of movement of the thumb switch. A trailing notch 96 results from the lateral offset of these two surfaces. The on-off switch includes a raised boss 98 for engagement by a thumb.

A link 100 has a sleeve 102 that is received on a pivot post 104 that is staked to circuit board 44 so that the link is mounted on the circuit board itself. Link 100 includes an arm 102 that has a spring support finger 104 facing a complementary spring support finger 106 extending from slide 86.

A spring 108 mounts over both of these posts in compression and tends to urge the on-off switch and link away from each other.

A pawl 1 at the radial end of a pawl arm 112 extending from sleeve 102 is angularly displaced from arm 102 by about 90 degrees. Pawl 110 faces slide 86 and rides on one of the surfaces of step 90, depending on the juxtaposition of the pawl with respect to the slide, which will become apparent later in this description. Line release arm 114 extends radially from sleeve 102 about diametrically opposite of arm 102 and mounts a follower post 116. Follower post 11 6 extends normal to the plane of line release arm 114 upwardly toward deck 30, as can be seen in Figure 3.

In Figure 3, automatic line release switch 80 is received in a guide slot 11 8 of deck 30 for translation back and forth along the length of the instrument. Post 11 6 extends into a slot 1 20 of automatic line release switch 80. The travel of the automatic line release switch determines the position of post 11 6 and, hence, the rotational position of link 100. Post 116 in one mode operates as a driver to lock switch 80 and, in a second mode, as a follower to move switch 82 to its "off" position. Automatic line release switch 80 has an upstanding head 122 extending orthogonally from the plane of motion of the switch for engagement by finger 78 of cradle 1 2.

In general, on-off switch 82 controls the fact of line seizure or release and it in turn is operated by the user of the telephone. Automatic line release switch 80 will release the switch when the hand piece is placed on the cradle. The on-off switch in translating from an "off' to an "on" position compresses spring 108, which creates a force on arm 1 02. Link 100 cannot rotate, however, in response to the force on arm 102 because pawl 110 bears on contiguous surface 94 and constrains the rotation. Thus, the spring continues to compress with motion of the on-off switch towards the "on" position. When surface 94 clears pawl 11 0, the lever rotates under the force of the spring and the pawl drops into notch 96 and engages surface 92.With rotation of the lever, follower post 11 6 also rotates to translate automatic release switch 80 to its rest position towards the center of the instrument. In this position, when the handset is placed in the cradle, finger 78 engages head 1 22 and the weight of the instrument in positioning itself in the cradle will trip automatic line release switch 80, rotate link 100, and translate on-off switch 82 to its "off" position, releasing the line. If the cradle is vertically hung, the effect of the seating tendency will be augmented by the weight of the handset being borne entirely by head 122.With the onoff switch "off," surface 94 engages pawl 110 and prevents rotation of the link and concomitant line seizure until such time as the on-off switch is switched to "on". Switching the on-off switch from "on" to "off" by hand, translates slide 86 and boss 88 away from link 100. Pawl 110 rides out of notch 96 and onto surface 94; link 100 rotates counterclockwise when this happens. The link cannot rotate further because spring 108 tends to rotate it clockwise.

In greater detail, lever 100 has arm 102 extending radially from sleeve 92. At the same elevation, arm 114 extends radially from sleeve 92 in opposition to arm 102. Arm 102 has a major plane in the vertical while arm 114 has a major plane in the horizontal. Pawl 110 has a rounded nose 124 and extends approximately at right angles to a radius from the rotational axis of the link, the axis of post 1 04. Pawl support arm 112 extends radially of this axis. Post 11 6 extends upwardly from the major plane of arm 114 for engagement in slot 1 20 of the automatic line release switch. As seen in Figures 2 and 3, automatic line release switch 80 has its head 1 22 extending from the line of translation of the switch and joining the body of the switch.The body of the switch is generally planar with the plane of the body parallel to the line of translation of the switch. The switch steps down at 126 to underlie switchboard 50, and this step resides in a slot 128 of a lower portion 130 of deck 30. A bridge 131 of the deck supports the switch proximate the head, the deck having a hole 1 33 for the passage of post 116. The switch, then, in side elevation has a head, a major planar portion normal to the head and parallel to the line of translation of the switch, and a step parallel to the major planar portion. The walls of slots 118 and 128 guide switch 80. A hole in a bottom wall of the slots passes post 116 of link 100.

The relationship of the on-off switch, the link, and the automatic line release switch minimizes inadvertent inertial switching. Consider the situation when the on-off switch is off, as in Figure 4. An acceleration to the right in that Figure will tend to move switch 82 to the right. The same acceleration will tend to move the automatic line release switch in the same direction and link 100 cannot rotate because forces acting on it from the inertial loading produce couples that tend to cancel. The same is true for accelerations in the opposite direction.

As seen in Figure 4, on-off switch 82 has three lugs 132 that extend inwardly from the plane of slide 86 to engage blade contacts 1 36 which for their part are secured to circuit board 44. These blade contacts are on an "on" position when they engage contact posts 1 38. The blade contacts have resiliency and require force to displace. In traversing from the "on" to the "off" position, the blade contacts resist displacement by lugs 1 32 and, therefore, oppose the force of spring 108. In traversing from the "off" to the "on" position, blade contacts 136 continue to oppose the force of spring 108.This opposition is not present for the entire travel of the slide; its presence, however, reduces the amount of thumb force required to move the on-off switch to the "on" position and increases the amount of force required to move the switch to the "off" position.

With reference to Figures 4 and 5, slide 86 has a finger 140 that overlies circuit board 44 and acts as a guide. The end of the finger overlies a hole 142 in the circuit board. A pad 144 extends from the slide beneath the finger so that the circuit board is sandwiched between the finger and the pad. The pad has a button 146 extending up into the hole to guide on the walls of the hole and to secure the switch to the board. A similar arrangement exists at the front end of the switch.

Boss 88 has a button 148 that extends into a hole 150 of the board and guides on the walls of the hole. On the opposite side from the boss and extending from slide 86 is finger 1 52 that guides on board 44 and sandwiches the board between if and boss 88.

As seen in Figure 3, recess 28 in shell 14.

includes a raised level 1 54 of deck 30 in which switch 80 guides. Deck 30 also includes a base level 1 56. Again a recess in level 1 56 accommodates a step of the switch. Base level 156 supports key pad switch circuit board 50 and key pad 48. Locating tabs 1 58 extend from the vertical walls of the recess and locate and position both the key pad and its board. At the end of the recess opposite switch 80 an aperture with a long axis transverse to the long axis of the handset passes a three level volume control switch 1 60 (Figure 2) of standard design except for a mask 162.

As seen in Figures 2 and 4, finger and thumb grips 18 and 83 have inwardly extending lugs 164. Each lug has a slot in receipt of circuit board 44. Thus the finger and thumb grips locate on the board. The grips include a peripheral, external flange 166 in the major plane of the grips and inside of a raised central portion 168. These flanges register in cooperating recesses in the upper and lower shell and are masked by a wall or lip bounding those recesses. This is shown in Figure 3 for the thumb grip 83 by recess 170 and lip 172. The lips that constrain the grips extend perimetrically around the shells except at a plug access and a battery access at one end of the handset. In Figure 2, lugs 1 74 depend from shell 14 and provide lateral bearing for the finger and thumb grips on the inside of the case.Lugs 1 74 prevent the grips from being pressed inwardly out of their recesses in the shells. Lugs 176 depend from shell 14 and provide lateral bearing for circuit board 44 and centrally position the circuit board.

As seen in Figure 2, tfle handsethas a battery compartment 178 defined by the upper and lower shells. Upper shell 14 has vertical rails 180 extending parallel to the lengthwise direction of the shell and depending a short distance from roof 36. A transverse wall 1 82 is adjacent volume control switch 1 60 and forms the inner limit of the compartment. Vertical walls 183 of the lower shell provide the side boundaries of the compartment.

A horizontal wall 184 of deck 30 extends between walls 1 83 to provide constraint on the fifth side of the compartment at about the level of the key pad.

The battery compartment has an access door 186 which has rails that track in slots 188, the slots being defined by the proximate ends of walls 183 and by parallel, laterally extending vertical lips 190.

The upper and lower shells-of the handset meet along a perimetric joint defined by overlapping flanges. The upper shell has an external flange with a surface on the outside of the shell that is flush with the surface of the shell generally. The lower shell has an internal flange inset from the flange of the upper shell and adjacent to it. The overlapping joint assures register of the two shell halves. This construction is seen on the right-hand end of Figure 2 where an external flange 192 of the upper shell overlaps an internal flange 194 of the lower shell.

Board 44 rests upon fastener bosses 32 and 34 and longitudinally extending ribs 196 extending from fastener sleeves 198.

As seen in Figure 2, escutcheon 26 has an aperture 200 for the exposure of head 122 of automatic line release switch 80. It also has a lip202 that underlies an adjoining wall of the receiver housing, both being arcuate. This joint constrains the escutcheon and keeps it from pulling out from the balance of the handset away from the upper shell. The escutcheon has apertures for the exposure of the individual key pads of the instrument. The escutcheon boundaries of the speaker housing include a cusped shape, an elevational cross section, and tapered side walls that run along the length of the instrument. The escutcheon is secured in place by fastener 22 in bosses 42 at this end of the instrument.

Base or cradle 1 2 is formed in three pieces. As previously brought out, an upper shell 20 has receiver and transmitter wells 74 and 76 for receipt of their complementary receiver and transmitter housings, and for centering these pieces to effect engagement of finger 78 on head 1 22 of automatic line release switch 80. Cover plate 70 has a recess within a perimetric flange that defines a window for a card that may be used to list commonly called numbers, and has apertures for the passage of fasteners for the securing of the cradle to a wall. As previously brought out, removal of fasteners 68 breaks the cradle down into its constituent parts. Shell 20 has a perimetric external flange 206 that overlies an internal flange 208 of shell 18. Mounting fastener lugs 210 extend from the floor of shell 18. On the lower surface of shell 18 a complex recess 211 can receive excess cord length if desired. Retaining clips 212 retain the cord. Feet 213 extend from the bottom of the cradle.

The cradle's receiver and transmitter housing wells are not of the same shape, and it is not possible to cradle the handset in the cradle except when the complementary wells are used. Well 76 has convergent walls that meet at an apex 214 of major transverse dimension but minor longitudinal dimension. The walls of the well are essentially planar. In any elevational cross section and plan the perimeter of the well generally describes a trapezoid, and the base of the well is above the lengthwise bisector of the well. The receiver well has a generally circular base 116 with walls that converge to meet it. These walls partake a slight concave curvature. Base 216 is at a slight angle to the plane of the base, dipping towards the proximate end.

The present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. The spirit and scope of the appended claims, however, should not necessarily be limited to this description.

Claims (28)

1. An improved telephone handset of the type having a receiver for transmitting incoming telephonic information and a transmitter for sending outgoing telephonic information and switch means for seizing a line and releasing it, an improvement in the switch means comprising: (a) an on-off switch having an "on" position and an "off" position for manually and directly seizing and releasing, respectively, a line independent of the position of the handset with respect to an associated base; (b) an automatic line release switch having a cocked position and a triggered position, the automatic line release switch upon triggering releasing the line when the handset is placed on an associated base; and (c) means coupling the automatic line release switch and the on-off switch so that the on-off switch sets the automatic release switch in its "on" position and the automatic release switch returns the on-off switch to its "off" position when the automatic line release switch is actuated.

2. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 1 wherein the coupling means includes a link between the automatic line release switch and the on-off switch and lost motion means between the link and the switch so that motion of the switch between the "off" and the "on" positions produces no link motion until the switch is in its "on" position, whereupon the link moves and cocks the automatic line release switch.

3. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 1 wherein: (a) the on-off switch is mounted on the handset for translation between its "on" position and its "off" position; (b) the automatic line release switch is mounted on the handset for translation between its triggered position and its cocked position; and (c) the coupling means includes a link pivotally mounted to the handset between the on-off switch and the automatic line release switch, the link having an arm coupled to the on-off switch to effect rotation of the link upon movement of the on-off switch to its "on" position and a second arm engaging the automatic line release switch to translate the switch to its cocked position upon rotation of the link by the on-off switch.

4. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 2 wherein: (a) the link includes a pawl; and (b) the on-off switch includes a step having a first and a second surface spaced from each other normal to the line of translation of the on-off switch and both generally paralleling the line of motion, the first surface engaging the pawl upon motion of the on-off switch from its "off" to its "on" position and prevents the link from rotation until the second surface registers with the pawl, whereupon the pawl engages the second surface and the link rotates to effect the cocking of the automatic release switch.

5. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 3 wherein the on-off switch couples to the link through a compression spring.

6. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 5 wherein the pawl rotates the link in moving between the second and the first surfaces and triggers the automatic line release switch.

7. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 1 including at least one resilient blade switch element in engagement with the on-off switch and biasing the on-off switch towards its "on" position.

8. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 4 wherein: (a) the on-off switch couples to the link through a compression spring that biases the on-off switch towards its "off" position; and (b) at least one resilient blade switch element is included that engages the on-off switch and biases the switch towards its "on" position.

9. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 1 wherein: (a) the coupling means includes a link between the automatic line release switch and the on-off switch, the link between pivotally mounted to the handset and having a first arm, a second diametrically opposed arm, and a pawl, the first arm being adjacent the on-off switch, the second arm being coupled to the automatic line release switch and providing the coupling of that switch with the on-off switch, and the pawl facing the onoff switch, and a compression spring between the on-off switch and the first arm urging the two away from each other; and (b) the on-off switch is mounted for translation on the handset along a line of motion, the on-off switch having a boss extending laterally from its line of motion and having a step with two adjacent but laterally spaced apart surfaces, the first of the surfaces being engaged by the pawl between the "off" and the "on" position of the on-off switch and preventing rotation of the link, the second surface engaging the pawl when the on-off switch is in the "off" position, the link rotating as the pawl moves between the two surfaces and changing the position of the automatic line release switch between its cocked and its triggered positions.

10. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 9 including at least one resilient blade switch element in engagement with the on-off switch and biasing the on-off switch towards its "on" position.

11. An improved telephone handset comprising: (a) a housing containing a receiver housing, a transmittal housing, telephonic circuitry, and means for dialling a telephone number; (b) a manually actuatable on-off switch on the housing for operation by a user and having an "on" position and an "off" position, the switch having a step between two adjacent surfaces that extend in the direction of travel of the switch; (c) a link pivotally mounted in the housing and having a first arm, a second arm angulariy spaced from the first arm, and a third arm angularly spaced from both the first and second arms, a pawl on the third arm facing the step and engaging a surface of the step;; (d) spring means between the first arm and the on-off switch coupling the two together by applying a force to each that increases with a decreasing distance between the two such that upon movement of the on-off switch from its "off" to its "on" position the spring compresses and tends to pivot the link, the pawl engaging a surface of the step preventing such pivoting until the switch reaches its "on" position, whereupon the alternate surface of the step faces the pawl and provides space for pivoting of the link and the link pivots; (e) an automatic line release switch mounted on the housing for movement with respect thereto between a cocked position and a triggered position and attached to the third arm; and (f) means coupling the automatic line release switch with the link such that upon pivoting of the link with actuation of the on-off switch from its "off" to its "on" position the automatic line release switch is cocked by the third arm, whereby the automatic release switch upon being engaged triggers and rotates the link, drawing the pawl from the surface and permitting the spring to move the on-off switch to its "off" position and the alternate surface to bear against the pawl to prevent pivoting of the link until the on-off switch is again moved to its "on" position.

12. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 11 wherein the third arm attaches to the automatic line release switch through a post and slot connection.

13. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 11 wherein the telephonic circuitry includes resilient switch means for line seizure and release and the on-off switch includes means engaging the resilient switch means to effect line seizure in the "on" position and line release in the "off" position, the resilient switch opposing the spring means and biasing the on-off switch towards the "on" position.

14. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 1 3 wherein the resilient switch means includes a blade contact and the on-off switch includes a lug engaging the contacts.

15. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 11 including a circuit board for mounting at least a portion of the telephonic circuitry, the circuit board mounting the on-off switch and the link.

16. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 1 5 wherein the housing has an upper shell, a lower shell and means connecting the two together, such means positioning the circuit board within the shells.

17. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 16 wherein the connecting means includes pairs of fastener sleeves and bosses in opposition and supporting the circuit board between them.

1 8. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 17 wherein the housing includes finger grips along its sides, the finger grips being clamped between the shells and having inwardly extending lugs guided on the circuit board.

19. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 1 8 wherein the lower shell includes a recess, the transmitter housing and the receiver housing being at opposite ends of the recess, and including a switchboard in the recess and coupled to the telephonic circuitry, a key pad in the recess over the switchboard, and means to keep the key pad and switchboard in place.

20. The improved telephone handset claimed in Claim 1 9 wherein the means to keep the key pad and switchboard in place includes an escutcheon, the escutcheon at one end defining a portion of the speaker housing and being secured to the shell by the fastener means at the speaker housing end of the escutcheon, the escutcheon at its opposite end having an internal lip engaging a complementary lip of the lower shell to hold the escutcheon in place.

21. An improved telephone having a handset and a base, the handset including a speaker housing, a receiver housing, means for dialing telephone numbers, and switch means for seizing a line and releasing it, the base being adapted to receive the handset, the improvement comprising: (a) an on-off switch having an "on" position and an "off" position for manually and directly seizing and releasing, respectively, a line independent of the position of the handset with respect to the base; (b) an automatic line release switch having a cocked position and a triggered position, the automatic line release switch upon triggering releasing the line; ; (c) means coupling the automatic line release switch and the on-off switch so that the on-off switch sets the automatic release switch in its "on" position and the automatic release switch returns the on-off switch to its "off" position when the automatic line release switch is actuated; and (d) the base has wells for the receiver and transmitter housings and means to trigger the automatic line release switch when the handset is placed on the base with the housings in the wells.

22. The improved telephone claimed in Claim 21 wherein the trigger means of the base includes a hook to engage and trigger the automatic line release switch.

23. The improved telephone claimed in Claim 21 wherein the transmitter and receiver housings have different shapes and the wells in the base have conforming shapes so that the handset can be placed in the base in only one position.

24. The improved telephone claimed in Claim 23 wherein the wells have tapered walls to pilot the transmitter and receiver housings.

25. The improved telephone claimed in Claim 24 wherein the coupling means includes a link between the automatic line release switch and the on-off switch and lost motion means between the link and the switch so that motion of the switch between the "off" and the "on" positions produces no link motion until the switch is in its "on" position, whereupon the link moves and cocks the automatic line release switch.

26. The improved telephone claimed in Claim 25 wherein: (a) the link includes a pawl; and (b) the on-off switch includes a step having a first and a second surface spaced from each other normal to the line of translation of the on-off switch and both generally paralleling the line of motion, the first surface engaging the pawl upon motion of the on-off switch from its "off" to its "on" position and prevents the link from rotation until the second surface registers with the pawl, whereupon the pawl engages the second surface and the link rotates to effect the cocking of the automatic release switch.

27. The improved telephone claimed in Claim 26 wherein: (a) the on-off switch couples to the link through a compression spring that biases the on-off switch toward its "off" position; and (b) at least one resilient blade switch-element is included that engages the on-off switch and biases the switch towards its "on" position.

28. A telephone handset substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.