Radio frequency radiation shield unit for wireless telephones

A radio frequency radiation shield unit that is removably mounted on the antenna of a wireless telephone. It has an upright oriented front wall member that is detachably connected to an upright oriented rear wall member. These wall members are fabricated of a plastic material having carbon fibers therein for absorbing and dispersing radiation. A chamber is formed between the front wall member and rear wall member and one or more membranes are positioned therein and these membranes are made of carbon fiber material that has been cut into strips and tightly woven together. A tubular collar is formed on the rear surface of the lower portion of the rear wall member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally related to wireless telephones, and more specifically to a radio frequency radiation shield unit to be installed over the antenna of wireless telephones.

Wireless telephones including, but not limited to cellular telephones, digital telephones, analog telephones, PCS telephones, and personal communication systems (the new generation of wireless communication products), generate radio frequency radiation, including an electromagnetic field (“EMF”), which may prove harmful to persons exposed to such radiation. In recent years, as the number of wireless telephones has grown, so has the concern about tumors or other damage to the brain. Although the level of radiation emitted by such devices is relatively low, the antenna which emits the radiation is close to the head. There is also concern that such radiation can have a cumulative effect.

In the past, there have been some attempts to protect users' of cellular phones from such radiation. However, none of those approaches has been entirely satisfactory. One such protective device for cellular telephone users is illustrated in the Katz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,896. Here the entire cellular phone, including the antenna is placed in a shielding enclosure. The cell phone antenna is retracted into the shielding enclosure and makes contact with a second antenna outside the shielding enclosure. The second antenna is mounted on a tilt and swivel base so that it can be moved away from the user's head to reduce exposure to the radiation emanating from it. Even if the energy level is somewhat reduced, the head of the user is still exposed directly to the radiation.

Another prior art patent is that of Schwanke, U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,386. This patent discloses a cellular phone having a shield for protecting the user from electromagnetic radiation emanating from the antenna. The shield is pivotally mounted to the housing of the cell phone and it can be positioned between the antenna and the head of the person using the telephone to protect the person from radiation emitted by the antenna. When the shield is in its protective position, it only shields that portion of the antenna extending upwardly outside of the cellphone housing. The portion of the antenna inside the cellphone housing does not have any of the shield structure blocking radiation emanating therefrom.

A third prior art patent is the Kunz et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,404,403. This patent discloses a radio frequency shield unit having a housing having an open bottom end that allows it to be slid over the top end of the wireless telephone. The housing also has an aperture in its top end that allows the antenna of the phone to extend upwardly and outwardly therefrom. An antenna shield member extends upwardly from the top end of the housing and it is positioned between the antenna and the head of the person using the telephone to protect the person from radiation emitted by the antenna. In one of its preferred embodiments, the radio frequency radiation shield unit is fabricated of a plastic material having carbon fibers therein for absorbing and dispersing radio frequency radiation.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel Radio Frequency Radiation (“RFR”) shield unit for protecting users of wireless telephones from harmful radiation.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel RFR shield unit that will slide down over the top end of the antenna of existing wireless telephones.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel RFR shield unit fabricated of plastic material having carbon fibers therein for absorbing and dispersing radiation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel RFR shield unit that is easily and quickly installed or removed from existing wireless phones.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a novel RFR shield unit for wireless telephones that is economical to manufacture and market.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel RFR shield unit that has a grounding member extending from its outer surface where it can contact a finger on the hand holding the wireless telephone.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The radio frequency radiation shield unit has been designed to be removably installed on the antenna of a wireless telephone. Its purpose is to intercept radiation that would be emitted from the antenna toward the head of the user of such a cellphone. The radio frequency radiation shield unit has a front wall member and a rear wall member fabricated of a plastic material having carbon fibers therein for absorbing and dispersing radiation. A recess or chamber is formed in the rear surface of the front wall member for receiving a plurality of membranes for intercepting any radiation that passes through the rear wall member or any apertures therein. Two of these membranes are made of carbon fiber material that has been cut into strips and tightly woven together. The rear surface of the rear wall member has a concave surface that receives and disperses the radiation from the antenna of the cell phone in an extremely effective manner. The third membrane is an all-metal, tinned copper braid shielding tape which is compatible with all high-voltage splicing and terminating materials. It is conformable due to the open-weave knit construction of two No. 36 and AWG tinned copper wires.

The rear wall member has a tubular collar formed integrally therewith extending from its rear surface. Removably insertable therein is a tubular rubber boot member having a vertically oriented bore hole. A leg member extends downwardly from the bottom surface of the tubular collar and it has a disk portion formed thereon. A length of electrical conductor wire has insulation removed from its top end that is positioned between and in contact with two of the previously mentioned membranes. The other end of the electrical wire conductor is threaded through an aperture in the lower portion of the rear wall member and threaded around the tubular boot and then down through a groove in the rear surface of the leg member to the disk at its bottom end. The insulation on the bottom end of the wire conductor is removed and placed in contact with the brass rivet button that passes through the disk member. The combined structure of the membrane members and the carbon fiber impregnated plastic material of the RFR shield unit has been successful in blocking the transmission of better than ninety six percent of the radio frequency radiation emanating from the antenna of a wireless phone. This is a remarkable achievement that is superior to anything presently in the market place.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The novel radio frequency radiation shield unit for wireless telephones will now be described by referring toFIGS. 1-11of the drawings. The novel radio frequency radiation shield unit is generally designated numeral20and inFIG. 1it is shown installed on the antenna21of a non-collapsible telephone22. InFIG. 2, the novel radio frequency radiation shield unit20is shown installed on the antenna24of a collapsible cellphone26. Cellphone26has a cover28pivotally attached thereto which is shown in the open position in FIG.3and this is the position when the cell phone is being used.

The structure of the radio frequency radiation shield unit20is best understood by referring toFIGS. 4-7of the drawings. It has a front wall member30and a rear wall member32. Front wall member30has a concave rear surface34and a rearwardly extending flange36around its entire perimeter that forms an interior chamber38. A pair of apertures40are formed in the rear surface of flange36for a purpose to be described later.

In the preferred embodiment both front wall member30and rear wall member32would be both molded and fabricated of a plastic material having carbon fiber therein for absorbing, deflecting and dispersing radio frequency radiation emitted by the antenna of the cellular telephone. A plurality of membranes42,43and44nest in interior chamber38. Membranes42and44are made of carbon fiber material that has been cut into strips and tightly woven together and captured with a resin bonding agent. Membrane43, is an all-metal, tinned copper braid shielding tape which is compatible with all high-voltage splicing and terminating materials. It is conformable due to the open weave knit construction of two No. 36 AWG tinned copper wires. Electrical conductor wire46has insulation removed from both its ends to expose conductor wire portions47and48. Conductor wire portion47passes upwardly through membrane44and when it exits rearwardly therefrom it is in direct contact with the rear surface of membrane43. Front wall member30has a height H1in the range of 0.75-3.0 inches.

Rear wall member32has an upper portion54and a lower portion56. Upper portion54has a concave surface whose curvature is important in the manner in which it receives radiation from the antenna of the cellphone and the manner in which it distributes radiation throughout rear wall member32. A pair of pins50extend from the front surface of rear wall member32and they are removably received in mating apparatus40. Lower portion56has an aperture which allows conductor wire46to be fed therethrough. The tubular collar64is formed integrally with lower portion56and it extends rearwardly therefrom. Collar64has a height H2and H2is in the range of 0.375-1.50 inches.

Tubular boot68is made of non-electrical conductive material such as rubber which is flexible and can telescopically compressed into the interior of tubular collar64. Tubular boot68has a cylindrical bore hole70that has a width W1. Tubular boot68also has an upper flange72and a lower flange74that provides a spacing within tubular collar64through which electrical conductor46can be threaded. The slot76in lower flange74allows the electrical conductor wire46to be inserted downwardly therethrough. A leg78is formed integrally with flange74and extends downward therefrom. It has a rear surface having a longitudinally extending groove80into which electrical wire46is matingly received. A disk82is integrally formed on the bottom end of leg member78. It has recesses83formed in the front and rear surfaces and an aperture84passing axially therethrough. A brass conductor button86has a shank portion87that passes through aperture84and which is crimped over the bottom end of wire48. The bottom end48of electrical conductor wire46would be in direct contact with shank portion87and functions as a ground. Brass button86could be also be formed as an integral member having a head formed on shank portion87that would be forced through aperture84and pop out the opposite end. A strip of double adhesive sided tape90is attached to the rear surface of leg member78to capture electrical wire46in groove80and also the other side of the tape would contact and adhere to the telephone body.

FIGS. 8 and 9show tubular boot68having a bore having different widths W2that mate with different width antennas on different cellphones.FIGS. 10 and 11show the tubular boot68having different heights to mate with different sized antennas on the different models of cellphones.