AU635571B2 - Telephone handset - Google Patents

Description

CONI'4ONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952-1969 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED 9 "TELEPHONE HANDSET" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method or performing it known to us:- This invention relates to a telephone handset with an interchangeable transducer support component.

Such handsets are comnonly used and are found in practically every telephone. They essentially differ only in their shape, since they are generally styled to suit the design of the corresponding telephone. In addition to the traditional handsets with a slightly curved handle section between the receptacles for the transmitter and receiver inserts, there have for some time been rectangular, straight or bent versions whose transmitter and receiver insert receptacles do not project outwards.

It is desirable to provide a handset which is usable for telephones of different designs, by being assembled from a few components which can be exchanged for others with different shapes. This specification describes a telephone handset component with a curved intermediate section having a receptacle for a receiver insert molded thereon at one of its two ends and a receptacle for a transmitter insert at the other end, wherein the handle section comprises a flat bridge member each of whose end portions is angled off to a common plane at the centre of the respective insert receptacle and said handle section is adapted to be combined with adaptor covers to form handsets with different outer design features by adding different adaptor covers. The advantage of this solution is that, at relatively low cost and with only one handle section and a few additional components, a whole range of handsets can be produced with different shapes to suit correspondingly designed telephone Ssets.

The invention is explained with the aid of design examples which are described in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a curved handle section with receptacles for receiver and transmitter inserts (bottom view); Figure 2 shows the handle section of Figure 1 (side view); Figures 3 and 24 show the handle section of Figure 1 and Figure 2 furnished with adaptor pieces to form a slab-shaped handset (bottom view and partly-sectioned side view); Figures 5 and 6 show another handset design consisting of the handle section of Figure 1 and Figure 2 and adaptor pieces (side view and top view); Figure 7 shows an exploded view of the vers ion of Figure 5 and Figure 6 without the top cover (bottom view); Figures 8 and 9 show another version of a handset assembled from the handle section of Figure 1 and Figure 2 as well as various adaptor pieces (side view and top view); Figure 10 shows an exploded view of the handset of Figure 8 and Figure 9 without the top cover (bottom~ view).

The handle section 1 shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 form the basic part for different telephone handsets. The handle section consists of a slightly socurved, flat bridge piece 2 with a rectangular outline, which has a receptacle 3 for a receiver insert at one end, and a receptacle J4 for a transmitter insert at the other end. The receiver and transmitter inserts are not shown, as commercially available ones can be used. The receiver receptacle 3 has the o truncated cone shape usually used for handsets. The transmitter receptacle 24 6.20 may be hemispherical. The curvature of the ridge piece 2 also corresponds to 000 0: the usual shape, which is largely determined by ergonomic considerations. Two strengthening ribs 5 can, for exam~ple, be moulded onto the top or outer sur- 0 face of the bridge piece 2, as seen in the cross-section of Figure 1. At the cent res of both the receptacles 3 and 4, the bridge piece 2 is bent back so as to lie in a common plane and continues to the end of the relevant receptacle; in other words, the flat portions formn semi-circular collars 6 and 7 at the open side of the receptacles.

With the aid of different adaptor pieces, the handle section 1 can be made up into a handset which is styled to suit a given telephone set. In the design of Figures 3 and 4, the adaptor pieces consist of a slab-shaped part or housing 10, open on one side, and a flat cover plate 11 which fits into the open face of the housing 10. The handle section 1 is mounted in the housing in such a way that the receptacles 3 and 4 project from it. The cover plate 11 has two openings 12 and 13 through which the receptacles fit; when the cover plate is mounted, it rests against the collars 6 and 7 of the handle section 1 and against the housing 10. The positioning of the components is achieved as usual by moulded-in webs, ribs or supports 14, one of them being shown in the sectioned part of Figure 4. The parts are connected together by mechanical or material means, such as screws, retaining catches or adhesives.

Figure 5 to Figure 7 shows a version in which a handset is made up from the handle section 1 and three adaptor pieces. One adaptor piece 15 is again an approximately rectangular part with one open face, similar to the housing of the previously described version; however, this part is curved so that the handle section 1 itself acts as a cover for the open face, making a separate cover unnecessary. The uncovered sections at both ends of the inner face *set are closed off by two adaptor pieces 16 and 17 which can be seen clearly in the exploded view of Figure 7. The adaptor piece 15 (housing) is not shown on this drawing, for greater clarity. The adaptor pieces 16 and 17 are rectangular plates with the same thickness as the bridge piece 2 of the handle section 3,0 i, each with a semi-circular cutout on one long side; the cutout 18 of 5 adaptor piece 16 fits around receptacle 3 and the cutout 19 of adaptor piece

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17 around receptacle 4 of the handle section 1. The adaptor pieces 16 and 17, when fitted, extend the ridge piece 2 of handle section 1 up to the end of the adaptor piece Similar considerations apply also to the version of Figure 8 to Figure The large adaptor piece 20 (housing) is also curved so that the handle section 1 fits as a cover onto the open face. In contrast to the previously described versions, however, the adaptor piece 20 is semi-circular at both ends. To suit this, at each end a semi-circular adaptor piece 21 and 22 is attached to close off the end. Their thickness again equals that of the bridge piece 2 of the handle section 1. At their inner edges, the adaptor pieces have semi-circular cutouts, resulting in a kind of half-ring. The cutout 23 of adaptor piece 21 fits around receptacle 3, the cutout 24 around receptacle 4 of handle section 1, as can be seen in Figure 10. In addition, in this version there is a pot-shaped adaptor piece 25 placed upon receptacle 3. It consists of a ring with a half-round cross-section, with the flat inner surface being slightly conical to match the cone of receptacle 3 of the handle section 1. On one side the ring is closed off by a moulded-on disc with a central opening 26. The latter allows access for the sound waves.

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Claims (7)

1. A telephone handset component with a curved handle section having a receptacle for a receiver insert molded thereon at one of its two ends and a receptacle for a transmitter insert at the other end, wherein the curved handle section comprises a bridge member having a straight cross-section each of whose end portions is angled off to a common plane at the centre of the respective insert receptacle and said handle section is adapted to be combined with adaptor covers to form handsets with different outer design features by adding different adaptor covers.

2. A telephone handset including a handset component as claimed in claim 1, wherein an adaptor cover consists of a rectangular-parallelepiped-shaped part with a first of its major faces open, wherein the curved intermediate section is fitted, and wherein the open major face is closed by a cover plate having openings for the insert receptacles.

3. A handset including a handset component as claimed in claim 1, wherein an adaptor cover consists of a part of approximately rectangular cross-section which is adapted to the curvature of the handle section, wherein the adaptor cover has an open first major face which is closed by the handle section.

4. A handset as claimed in claim 3 wherein there is a gap at each end between the respective inserts and the ends of the adaptor cover, and wherein corresponding cover 20 parts cover the gaps.

5. A handset as claimed in any one of claims 2, 3 or 4 wherein a ring-shaped cover is slipped over the receptacle for the receiver inset.

A telephone handset component substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. e *55* o•*S

7. A telephone handset substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS THIRD DAY OF OCTOBER 1990 ALCATEL N.V. 4~ p. 4 S 14 5 *5*e p. *59* *p S .4 I I~ S S SIC S 4 II SI S 4 1S I