WO1998005149A1

WO1998005149A1 - Space-constrained housing for telephone receiver unit

Info

Publication number: WO1998005149A1
Application number: PCT/SG1997/000031
Authority: WO
Inventors: Boon Kuan Yew
Original assignee: Astralink Technology Pte Ltd.
Priority date: 1996-07-25
Filing date: 1997-07-24
Publication date: 1998-02-05
Also published as: AU3791497A

Abstract

A housing for a telephone receiver unit particularly adapted for enclosing a receiver in a small space which can provide high-quality sounds from the receiver. The housing includes a front frame and a back frame which are mated together to provide an enclosure having a narrow portion and a wide portion. A basic circuitry of the telephone unit is disposed in the wide portion and the receiver is disposed in the narrow portion. The back frame which faces the back side of the receiver has a plurality of holes and the front frame which faces the front side of the receiver has an opening.

Description

SPACE-CONSTRAINED HOUSING FOR TELEPHONE RECEIVER UNIT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of telephone receivers unit, and in particular a housing for a telephone receiver unit which is particularly adapted for enclosing a receiver in a small space while still providing high- quality sounds.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Telephones, and in particular, telephone receiver units are well-known in the art. While the basic technology of the receiver units have not changed significantly over the years, there are wide range of sizes, styles, and types of telephones currently available. In the telephone industry, there is ever- increasing demand to make the telephones more portable, and hence, smaller and lighter. Yet, at the same, the receiver unit is expected to provide high quality transmission of sounds. And with the advent of varying features and designs, sometimes there is a need to enclose the telephone receiver in a very tight space. Due to the nature of the physics of acoustics, the acoustic characteristics of a receiver can be detrimentally affected when enclosed in a highly space-constrained area. In some instances, the sound may be attenuated or muffled to the point of being inaudible or incomprehensible by the human ear. As the receiver unit becomes smaller and smaller, this phenomenon can become a serious technical impediment to the end product. Hence, there is a need to for a telephone receiver unit housing which can enclose a receiver in constrained space without significantly degrading the receiver's ability to deliver quality sounds. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, in light of the problems discussed above, it is the object of the present invention to provide a housing for a telephone receiver unit which can enclose a receiver in constrained spaces without significantly degrading the receiver's ability to deliver quality sounds, and further to provide housing for speakers in general to perform the same.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a housing for a telephone receiver unit particularly adapted for enclosing a receiver in a small space while still providing high-quality sounds from the receiver. The housing includes a front frame and a back frame which are mated together to provide an enclosure having a narrow portion and a wide portion. A basic circuitry of the telephone unit is disposed in the wide portion and the receiver is disposed in the narrow portion. The back frame which faces the back side of the receiver has a plurality of holes and the front frame which faces the front side of the recer er has an opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates the front view of a telephone utilizing the present invention to house its receiver unit.

FIG. 1 B illustrates the side view of the telephone of FIG. 1 A.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed perspective view of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention finds its usefulness particularly in telephones where the space for the receiver unit is extremely constrained to the point where the sound from the receiver becomes attenuated or muffled. Although this possibility can exist with many different types of designs, it is particularly adapted for teiephones with a design of the type illustrated in FIG. 1. Here, the phone, as referred to as CLIPFONE™, has a main body 5 and a clip unit 10. The main body 5 has a face 7. The clip unit 10 includes a wide portion 15 and a narrow portion 20, and is mounted on the main body 5 such that there is a thin gap 25 between the face 7 and the narrow portion 20.

A detailed illustration of the clip unit 10 is shown in FIG. 2. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the clip unit 10 has a front frame 35 and back frame 40 which can be fittingly mated with each other. Disposed in between the front frame 35 and the back frame 40 is a receiver unit comprising basic circuitry 31 , contacts 33, and a receiver 30. The basic circuitry 31 is preferably located in the wide portion 15 of the clip unit 10, and the contacts 33 located in the narrow portion 20 with a portion of them exposed outside of the clip unit 10.

The receiver 30 is located in the narrow portion 20 of the clip unit 10, and it includes a back side 32 and a front side 34 the diaphragm (not shown) being on the front side 34. The receiver 30 is buffered by a gasket 55 which lies in between the front side 34 of the receiver 30 and the front frame 35. On the front frame 35 and under the front side 34 of the receiver 30 is an opening 50. The back side 32 of the receiver 30 faces the back frame 40 of the clip unit 10. A plurality of holes are disposed on the narrow portion 20 of the back frame 40, the holes being immediately above the back side 32 of the receiver 30. The holes 45 need not be plurality in number, and can be of various sizes. However, it is preferred that there be several holes with each hole being relatively small compared to the size of the receiver.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown here as a way of fully disclosing a way to make and use the invention, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the housing described herein may have applications in devices other than a telephone where a speaker-type of devices need to be placed in a space-constrained environment. Therefore, various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible for the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWe claim:

1. A space-constrained housing for a telephone receiver unit, said receiver unit which includes a receiver having a front side and a back side, and basic circuitry, said housing comprising: a front frame adapted for receiving a front side of said receiver; a back frame adapted for mating securely with said front frame and for receiving a backside of said receiver; at least one hole disposed on the back frame; whereby mating of said front frame and back frame provides an enclosed framework for containing said receiver unit wherein a portion of said framework containing said receiver is highly space-constrained.

2. The housing as recited in claim 1 wherein said front frame includes an opening below said receiver.

3. The housing as recited in claim 1 wherein said back frame includes a plurality of holes, each of said holes being substantially smaller than said receiver.

4. A space-constrained housing for a telephone receiver unit, said receiver unit which includes a receiver having a front side and a back side, and basic circuitry, said housing comprising: a front frame having a wide portion and a narrow portion, said narrow portion adapted for receiving a front side of said receiver; a back frame having a wide portion and a narrow portion, said wide portion of the back frame adapted for mating securely with said wide portion of the front frame, said narrow portion of the back frame adapted for mating securely with said narrow portion of the front frame, said narrow portion adapted for receiving a backside of said receiver; at least one hole disposed on the narrow portion of said back frame; an opening disposed on the narrow portion of said front frame whereby mating of said front frame and back frame provides an enclosure for containing said receiver unit wherein the basic circuitry is disposed in the wide portion, and the receiver disposed in the narrow portion.

5. A space-constrained housing for a speaker having a front side and a back side comprising: a front frame adapted for receiving a front side of said speaker; a back frame adapted for mating securely with said front frame and for receiving a backside of said receiver; at least one hole disposed on the back frame; whereby mating of said front frame and back frame provides a space- constrained enclosed framework for containing said speaker.