Abstract:
A telephone adapter includes a spool mounted in a casing and controlled by a winding spring in the casing to take up a telephone line, which extends out of the casing for connection to the handset or phone base of a telephone, a module jack disposed in a hole on the casing and electrically connected to the telephone line by two annular metal contact elements and two metal contact springs and adapted to receive an external telephone module plug, a lock and automatic rewind switch, and a locking mechanism controlled by the lock and automatic rewind switch to lock/unlock the spool.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a telephone line adapter and, more particularly, to a telephone line adapter that can be connected between the exchange line and the telephone system to extend the working distance between the exchange line and the telephone system.  
           [0002]    After the installation of a telephone, the telephone cannot be moved out of place over a predetermined distance (equal to the length of the telephone line connected between the phone base of the telephone and the module jack of the exchange line in the wall). Further, because the telephone cord of a telephone has a limited length, the user must be within a limited distance from the phone base of the telephone when picking up the handset to make or receive a call.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a telephone line adapter, which can be used to extend the working distance between the exchange line and a telephone. It is another object of the present invention to provide a telephone line adapter, which can be used to extend the working distance between the phone base and handset of a telephone. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a telephone line adapter, which can be controlled to take up the telephone line automatically. According to one aspect of the present invention, the telephone adapter comprises a spool mounted in a casing and controlled by a winding spring in the casing to take up a telephone line, which extends out of the casing for connection to the handset or phone base of a telephone, a module jack disposed in a hole on the casing and electrically connected to the telephone line by two annular metal contact elements and two metal contact springs and adapted to receive an external telephone module plug, a lock and automatic rewind switch, and a locking mechanism controlled by the lock and automatic rewind switch to lock/unlock the spool. According to another aspect of the present invention, a telephone line positioning structure is fastened to one end of the telephone line adapted to stop the outer end of the casing the winding spring is released to drive the spool to take up the telephone line. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]    [0004]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a telephone line adapter according to the present invention.  
         [0005]    [0005]FIG. 2 is a top plain view of the telephone line adapter according to the present invention.  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 but showing the stop bar disengaged from the sloping teeth of the spool, the spool turned about the keeper, the telephone line moved in and out of the cover shells.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 4 is a side view in section of the present invention showing the telephone line adapter operated (I).  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 5 is a side view in section of the present invention showing the telephone line adapter operated (II).  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 6 illustrates the arrangement of the telephone line positioning structure in the telephone line adapter according to the present invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 7 is an exploded view in sectional elevation of the telephone line positioning structure according to the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 8 is an installed view in section of the telephone line positioning structure according to the present invention (Step  1 ).  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 9 is an installed view in section of the telephone line positioning structure according to the present invention (Step II).  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 10 is a sectional view of an alternate form of the telephone line positioning structure according to the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 11 shows one application example of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 12 shows another application example of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a telephone line adapter in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a top cover shell  1 , a bottom cover shell  2 , a winding unit  3 , and a lock and automatic rewind switch  4 .  
         [0017]    The top cover shell  1  is covered on the bottom cover shell  2  to hold the other component parts of the telephone line adapter on the inside, comprising a top center hole  11 , a first peripheral notch  12 , and a second peripheral notch  13  opposite to the first peripheral notch  13 . The bottom cover shell  2  comprises a keeper  21  upwardly extended from the top sidewall thereof, a telephone module jack  22  disposed corresponding to the first peripheral notch  12  of the top cover shell  1  and adapted to receive telephone module plug, two wire grooves  23  extended from the module jack  22  toward the keeper  21 , and two metal contact springs  24  respectively installed in the wire grooves  23  near the keeper  21  and respectively electrically connected to the positive and negative terminals of the module jack  22 . The winding unit  3  comprises a spool  31 , two annular metal contact elements  32 , a winding spring  33 , and a locking mechanism  34 . The annular metal contact elements  32  are concentrically fixedly fastened to one side, namely, the bottom side of the spool  31  corresponding to the metal contact springs  24 . The spool  31  is coupled to the keeper  21 , keeping the annular metal contact elements  32  in contact with the metal contact springs  24  respectively. The winding spring  33  and the locking mechanism  34  are respectively mounted in the inner diameter of the spool  31 . The spool  31  comprises a series of sloping teeth  311  arranged along the inner diameter near the topside thereof, and at least one retaining hole  312  in the inner diameter below the sloping teeth  311 . The winding spring  33  has one end, namely, the inner end fastened to the keeper  21 , and the other end, namely, the outer end fastened to one retaining hole  312  of the spool  31 . Rotating the spool  31  on the keeper  21  causes the winding spring  33  to be tightened or released. The locking mechanism  34  comprises a flat board  341 , a spring  342 , a stop bar  343 , and a pivot pin  344 . The flat board  341  is mounted in the inner diameter of the spool  31  above the winding spring  33  and fixedly fastened to the keeper  21 . The pivot pin  344  is fixedly vertically fastened to the flat board  341  at the top. Alternatively, the pivot pin  344  can be formed integral with the top sidewall of the flat board  341 . The stop bar  343  is turned about the pivot pin  344 , having one end forced into engagement with the sloping teeth  311  of the spool  31  and the other end terminating in beveled nose  3431 . The spring  342  is mounted on the pivot pin  344  between the flat board  341  and the stop bar  343  to force the stop bar  343  into engagement with the sloping teeth  311  of the spool  31 , having one end fastened to the stop bar  343  and the other end fastened to the flat board  341 . The lock and automatic rewind switch  4  is comprised of a switch button  41  and a coil spring  42 . The switch button  41  is coupled to the top end of the keeper  21  and partially inserted through the top center hole  11  of the top cover shell  1  from the inside of the top cover shell  1  toward the outside, having a beveled stop rod  411  extended from the periphery and disposed in contact with the beveled nose  3431  of the stop bar  343 . The spring  42  supports the switch button  41  on the flat board  341 .  
         [0018]    Referring to FIGS. from  2  through  5 , when pressing on the switch button  41 , the beveled stop rod  411  is forced against the beveled nose  3431  of the stop bar  343 , thereby causing the stop bar  343  to be disengaged from the sloping teeth  311  of the spool  31 . On the contrary, when pressing off the switch button  41 , the spring  42  forces the switch button  41  upwards to release pressure from the stop bar  343 , enabling the stop bar  343  to be forced into engagement with the sloping teeth  311  of the spool  31  by the spring  342  again.  
         [0019]    During installation, the telephone line adapter is mounted with a telephone line  5  and connected between the handset cord and handset of a telephone. The telephone line  5  is wound round the spool  31 , having one end electrically connected to the annular metal contact elements  32  and the other end (the end with the module plug) extended out of the second peripheral notch  13  of the top cover shell  1  and connected to the telephone module jack of the handset of the telephone (see FIG. 11).  
         [0020]    Referring to FIGS. from  3  through  5  again, when pressing on the switch button  41 , the beveled stop rod  411  is forced against the beveled nose  3431  of the stop bar  343 , thereby causing the stop bar  343  to be disengaged from the sloping teeth  311  of the spool  31  for enabling the spool  31  to be rotated on the keeper  21  (see FIG. 3), and thus the user can pull the telephone line  5  out of the telephone line adapter to the desired distance (see FIG. 11). When releasing the pulling force from the telephone line  5 , the winding spring  33  automatically moves the spool  31  to take up the telephone line  5 . After the telephone line  5  has been received, the switch button  41  is pressed off, and at this time the spring  42  forces the switch button  41  upwards to release pressure from the stop bar  343 , enabling the stop bar  343  to be forced into engagement with the sloping teeth  311  of the spool  31  by the spring  342  again.  
         [0021]    Referring to FIGS. from  6  through  9 , a telephone line positioning structure  6  is provided and adapted to stop the telephone line  5  from being completely received inside the cover shells  1 ; 2 . The telephone line positioning structure  6  is comprised of a collar  61  and a chuck sleeve  62 . The collar  61  is a hollow cylindrical member of T-shaped profile mounted on the telephone line  5  outside the cover shells  1 ; 2 , comprising a rear expanded section  611  of diameter greater than the second peripheral notch  13 , a front clamping section  613 , and a middle threaded section  612  axially connected between the rear expanded section  611  and the front clamping section  613 . The front clamping section  613  has longitudinal splits  6131 . The chuck sleeve  62  is threaded onto the middle threaded section  612  of the collar  61  to force the split front clamping section  613  radially inwards against the periphery of the telephone line  5 . When taking up the telephone line  5 , the rear expanded section  611  of the collar  61  will be stopped out side the second peripheral notch  13  of the top cover shell  1 , preventing the telephone line  5  from being completely received inside the cover shells  1 ; 2 . Further, in an alternate form of the telephone line positioning structure  6 , the chuck sleeve  62  is axially forced into engagement with the periphery of the collar  61  by squeezing, i.e., no screw joint is provided for engagement between the collar  61  and the chuck sleeve  62  (see FIG. 10).  
         [0022]    In the application example shown in FIG. 11, the telephone line adapter is connected between the phone base and handset of a telephone. Alternatively, the telephone line adapter can be connected between the phone base of a telephone and the exchange line as shown in FIG. 12.  
         [0023]    A prototype of telephone line adapter has been constructed with the features of FIGS.  1 ˜ 9 . The telephone line adapter functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.  
         [0024]    Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.