Patent Publication Number: US-2005141699-A1

Title: Modifications to telephones in combination of aesthetic and extra-functional values

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to modifications to telephones in combination of aesthetic and extra-functional values including both novelty designs and utility facilities.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      There were mainly 8 previous patented inventions related to the present invention: U.S. Pat. No. D.285,438 issued in 09/1986 to Chen; U.S. Pat. No. D.291,568 issued in 08/1987 to Basch; U.S. Pat. No. D.291,569 issued in 08/1987 to Sun; U.S. Pat. No. D.301,231 issued in 05/1989 to Yoshiharu; U.S. Pat. No. D.347,006 issued in 05/1994 to Booker; U.S. Pat. No. D.374,229 issued in 10/1996 to Eitzgerald et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,359 issued in 01/1983 to Genaro et al.; and PCT/AU97/00623 with int. pub. No. WO 98/12855 to Morgante. However, those inventions fail to suggest the possibility of combination of aesthetic and extra-functional values to be included in a telephone as the present invention.  
      In the use of a telephone, it is often necessary to jot down messages relating to telephone calls. Hence, it is desirable to have at least a note pad or piece of paper and a writing implement proximate to the telephone. A wall telephone, however, may be remote from such stationery. Although former patented invention, a wall telephone stand, by Genaro et al does include such facilities, its bulky and little aesthetic-designed appearance detracts from the appeal to its use as well as of a room.  
      Besides, the confinement to being only a wall telephone stand of Genaro et al&#39;s invention distinguishes its limitation from the flexibility of the present invention, capable of being put on a horizontal surface (e.g. desk, table, night stand, etc.) or hung on a vertical one (e.g. wall, door, etc.). By the same token, the former patented invention, a telephone accessory having a foot portion adapted to be seated and inclined backward on a support surface, by Morgante reveals its limitation to being capable of being put on a horizontal surface only, and again, distinguishes from the flexibility of the present invention, capable of being positioned on either a horizontal or a vertical surface because of having a position-adjustable accessory portion, or/and at least a well-covered stationery-storing compartment preventing the contents from being fallen out when the telephone set is placed or handled in different positions. More detailed comparisons between the former patented invention by Genaro et al and the present one will be discussed in the following paragraphs.  
      Although the former patented invention, a wall telephone stand, by Genaro et al contains a shallow well on the upper surface of the stand for holding eraser &amp; chalk or pencils &amp; note pad, and a large, open compartment especially designed for storing a directory, there are at least 2 major obvious differences that distinguishes its invention from the present invention.  
      First, the position of the well on the upper surface of the stand of the former invention is neither adjustable nor movable, which means it is limited to be placed on a vertical surface because the contents on the well will fall off if the stand starts to incline to a horizontal position. The present invention, however, contains position-adjustable round knobs at the base of holders for writing instruments and other stationery, or/and contains flexible, plastic rings to secure them in place so that whatever positions the telephone set is placed, the contents will stay. Whether using position-adjustable round knobs or/and well-designed, plastic rings to achieve the aforesaid purposes will depend on which aesthetic shape (e.g. which kind of animals, devices, furniture, houses, etc.) is chosen for the design on the telephone set.  
      Second, since both the well and the tall, side compartments of the stand are open to access without any cover, such invention, on the one hand, means easy access for the holding or storing contents, but on the other hand, also means easy slipping and dropping of the contents. Besides, the tall, open compartment is actually not very practical to be used for storing stationery as it claimed except for storing directory because (i) stored contents of stationery (e.g. paper clips, rubber bands, staples, etc.) are most likely to occupy only the lowest surface area of the compartment because of the gravitational force. It is very difficult for such small objects to stack up high &amp; stable to make use of the upper space in such a tall, open compartment. This means actually most of the space in such compartment will be wasted if it is used for storing stationery; (ii) even if it can store a few kinds of them, they will appear disorganized and easily be tangled with one another since they are put in the same, single compartment; (iii) as stated in the above, the stationery will easily slide out drop.  
      The present invention, however, can offset those shortcomings by installing a well-covered compartment with which a few subdivisions organize and secure different types of stationery.  
      Some other significant aspects relating to the present invention have to be addressed, too. In addition to the aforesaid benefits of the modifications, a few other extra-functional features that never happened to be included in the telephone set are also invented. Examples include, but are not limited to, stapler, pencil sharpener, tape dispenser, scissors, picture holder(s) or/and business card holder. Please note that not all aforesaid extra-functional features will happen to be included in each aesthetic-designed telephone set. Which feature(s) to be included will depend on which aesthetic shape is chosen for the design on the telephone set.  
      One may argue that what&#39;s the worth of having those extra-functional features included in a telephone set provided that it is put on a horizontal surface where stationery as well as its containers and other office implements (e.g. stapler, pencil sharpener, etc.) as stated in the above can also be put on the same surface? If the present invention is to be placed on a vertical surface, the numerous aforesaid benefits are obvious beyond doubt. If it is to be placed on a horizontal surface, there are still various benefits that cannot be neglected.  
      Imagine, if the stationery as well as its containers and other office implements have to be put on the same horizontal surface as with a telephone, a pretty large surface area will have to be occupied. It will be difficult, if not impossible, to contain other decorative items (e.g. vase, picture holder, etc.) on the same limited surface (e.g. a night stand or a small desk) to beautify the area and add appeal or match the decor of the room. Under certain circumstances, things like lamp, books or/and other office equipments (e.g. desktop/laptop, printer, disks, scissors, etc.) may also be required to be put on the same surface. Even provided that they could all be put on together, those scattered objects would somehow look disorganized, and they would definitely detract the appeal of a room, even there existed some decorative items.  
      So, if the present invention provides storing features for stationery and has extra-functional capabilities for serving as (daily/office) implements, (I) it can save quite some space for other purposes. (II) Sometimes, saving space also means saving clutter and becoming more organized. (III) As the present invention combines both aesthetic (designs in the shape of animals, devices, utensils, figurines, furniture, houses, etc.) and extra-functional values, money can also be saved on purchases of some decorative items and office implements since it itself is already an art which achieves both decorative and extra-functional purposes.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention enhances both aesthetic and functional values of a telephone by making use of the novelty designs to incorporate holders &amp; compartments for holding &amp; storing mainly writing &amp; office implements (e.g. pen, pencil, eraser, ruler, paper, note pad, correction pen, rubber bands, staples, etc.), and to embody utility facilities for performing simple tasks (e.g. a stapler in the handset, an pencil sharpener in the base, etc.). Those designs simulate, including but not limited to, different types of animals, devices, utensils, figurines, furniture and houses with vivid colors and shapes. The incorporation of the holders &amp; compartments is different from that of the former related patterned inventions in the way that it is position-adjustable or/and well-covered. This means that the present invention has a flexibility of being placed on various surface positions, and again, distinguishes if form the former related patterned inventions.  
      Please note that the outline of the base may also be changed in accordance with the appearance of the handset.  
      Whether the base will or will not be modified into a different color and shape depends on what kind of animal, device, figuring, furniture, etc to be resembled. Please see  FIG. 1, 7  &amp;  13  for references. Please also note that the texture of the exterior may also be, but not necessarily, changed, too.  
      For example, the handset and the base of the telephone can simulate a cow on a meadow where colorful, decorative, synthetic fur is used to cover them, thereby providing a soft texture when the user engages the telephone. Please see  FIG. 9  for reference. It is desirable, but not necessary, for the ring tones to simulate the sound of the type of animal, device or figurine the telephone mimics. So if the telephone simulates a cow, a mooing tone will sound when a phone call is received. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention is herein illustrated, by means of a few embodiments of aesthetic designs, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of one aesthetic embodiment of a telephone set (designed in the shape of a sleeping bear on a bed) according to the present invention, including 3 position-adjustable picture and stationery holders, a well-covered compartment with subdivisions, a stapler and a pencil-sharpener embedded in the design according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  illustrates the side view of  FIG. 1 , indicating one of the possible placements of the telephone set (i.e. being put on a horizontal surface);  
       FIG. 3  illustrates the side view of  FIG. 1 , indicating another possible placement of the telephone set (i.e. being put on a vertical surface);  
       FIG. 4  illustrates the back view of the receiver only (as the sleeping bear in  FIG. 1 ), showing the back view of the stapler being united as part of it, the sound receiving as well as transmitting hole parts, a recessed part to be hung on with the base to keep in position when the telephone is not in use, especially when the whole set is placed on a vertical surface, and keypads designed in, including but not exclusively, lip shapes (i.e. they can be in other shapes like heart, star, ball, house, animal, device, utensil, figurine, furniture, automobile, etc.);  
       FIG. 5  illustrates the front view of the base only (as the bed in  FIG. 1 ), showing the exposed, inside view of the compartment when its cover is slid open, and a hook to hang fast with the recessed part of the receiver;  
       FIG. 6  illustrates a simplified variation of  FIG. 1 , which is without the embedded stapler and pencil-sharpener, for the purpose of providing options for manufacturers and end-users;  
       FIG. 7  illustrates a side view of another aesthetic embodiment of a telephone set (designed in the shape of an iron) according to the present invention, including 2 well-covered compartments (with subdivisions) on both sides, a note-pad or small pieces of paper holder at the end, 2 or 4 pen &amp; pencil holders and a pencil-sharpener with its container incorporated with the design according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 8  illustrates the bottom view of the scrap container (from the pencil-sharpener) of  FIG. 7 , showing where and how the trash inside the container to be released and dumped;  
       FIG. 9  illustrates a side view of another aesthetic embodiment of a telephone set (designed in the shape of a cow on a meadow) preferable with the use of synthetic fur as its exterior cover according to the present invention, including 2 specifically-designed horns used as pen or pencil holders, a well-covered compartment (with subdivisions) a stapler &amp; a pencil-sharpener blended in with the design, and a snail-shaped tape dispenser under the stomach of the cow on the meadow according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 10  illustrates the front view of the compartment only (as the stomach part of the cow in  FIG. 9 ), showing its exposed inside view when the cover is pulled open (by the lip lid);  
       FIG. 11  illustrates the front view of the pencil sharpener only (as the front-leg part of the cow in  FIG. 9 ), showing how the container can be removed for scrap disposal;  
       FIG. 12  illustrates a side view of an alternative variation to  FIG. 9 , indicating one of the possible expansions of the holding and storing capacities of  FIG. 9  for the purpose of providing options of manufacturers and end-users.  
       FIG. 13  illustrates a front view of another aesthetic embodiment of a telephone set (designed in the shape of a house) according to the present invention, including 2 well-covered compartments with subdivisions,  1  drawer-lie compartment with a step-like recessed handle, 4 small picture holders with a tag under each of them,  1  large picture holder with subdivisions, and a pencil-sharpener embedded in the design according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 14  illustrates the front view of an alternative variation to  FIG. 13 , indicating one of the possible modifications of the use of one of the picture holders—that is, changing it into a business card holder.  FIG. 14  also illustrates an addition of a dog-shaped tape dispenser which can also be present in  FIG. 13 .  
       FIG. 15  illustrates the front view of an alternative variation to  FIG. 1 —Telephone set designed in the shape of a sleeping bear on a bed, indicating one of the possible changes on the design of the picture holder, which is in front of the rectangular (stationery) holder. All features in  FIG. 15  remain the same as those in  FIG. 1 ; the only difference is on the design of the picture holder.  
       FIG. 16  illustrates the front view of a possible variation to  FIG. 15 , showing a built-in slit picture holder with stain-glass effect décor. The main difference between the two figures is on the inserting part of the picture (or the like) as well as the supporting part associated with it.  
       FIG. 17  illustrates the front view of another possible variation to  FIG. 1  as on the design of the picture holder, indicating a rectangular frame (with pads or supporting materials underneath which are shown as U-shaped dotted lines in the figure) and, including but not limited to, bear-foot prints as decorative design on it. 
    
    
      While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made.  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , a telephone set in accordance with the present invention is designed in the shape of a sleeping bear on a bed. The receiver  1 A is made in the shape of a sleeping bear with an embedded stapler  1 S and pencil sharpener  1 P while the base  1 B is made in the shape of a bed with 3 position-adjustable stationery and picture holders resembling a headboard  1 H of the bed and a compartment  1 C resembling a pillow according to the present invention. The base of the 3 holders, made of spherical plastic knobs  1 N, are flexible to be moved at different angles to the base so that whatever surfaces the telephone set is placed, the contents inside them will not fall out.  
      The two cylindrical holders ( 1 H 1  &amp;  1 H 2 ) are designed to hold writing implements (e.g. pen, pencil, marker, etc.) while the rectangular holder  1 H 3  is designed to hold, including but not limited to, stationery and office implements (e.g. paper, note pad, ruler, eraser, correction pen, book mark, etc.). Inside  1 H 1  &amp;  1 H 2 , there are flexible, plastic rings  1 R (near the opening) to help secure short implements in place so that they will not fall down to the bottom and become difficult to be taken out for use. The front of  1 H 3  has 4 decorative latches  1 L, including but not exclusively, in bear-foot patterns to hold a, preferably but not exclusively, 6×4 inches picture or the like.  1 L can be made of any shape, color, material, or covered by a transparent slide  1 TS to protect the picture.  
      The well-covered compartment  1 C, which is in  1 B under the top of  1 A, gives users more space for storing, including but not limited to, stationery and office implements (e.g. paper clips, staples, erasers, etc.). Moreover, it gives users more organized facilities because it contains a few subdivisions within  1 C (3 sub-compartments in this case) for them to tidy up and secure with different types of aforesaid implements. More details about  1 C will be discussed later on as the exposed view of the base  1 B as well as  1 C is shown in  FIG. 5 .  
      The bear-shaped receiver  1 A has mainly 2-embedded utility facilities for performing simple tasks according to the present invention, namely, a stapler  1 S and a pencil sharpener  1 P.  1 S is embedded in the mouth part of the sleeping bear while  1 P is embedded in the blanket part of it.  
       1 S is embedded in a way that the upper pressing blade lever (to the staples) is attached to the upper jaw of the bear while the lower pressed indent lever including the part for placing staples is attached to the lower jaw of it. The 2 jaws are made separately from each other for convenient and flexible operation of  1 S. The 2 levers are joined at the rear end as common constitution of a stapler. Because of the incorporation, the top (head) part of  1 A is not on a surface plane as the rest part of the receiver (except the part of insertion of  1 P). Please see  FIGS. 3 &amp; 4  for more detailed illustrations of this part.  
       1 P, appearing as a musical note in this case, is actually embedded halfway into the lower (blanket) part of  1 A for easy grab for use and removal by means of screwing or pushing-in &amp; out interactions.  
       FIG. 2  illustrates the perspective side view of the telephone set when it is placed on a horizontal surface.  1 H is adjusted to around 90° to the base  1 B so that the contents inside  1 H remain securely held. There are 4 plastic pads  2 PP at the base corners of  1 B resembling legs of a bed to prevent the telephone set from slipping from a surface.  
       FIG. 3  illustrates the perspective side view of the telephone set when it is placed on a vertical surface.  1 H is adjusted to 180° to  1 B (i.e.  1 H is in an upright position as  1 B) so that the contents inside  1 H remain securely held. Moreover, the contents inside  1 C are also securely held owing to having a well-covered sliding lid  3 SL. The embedded stapler  1 S in the mouth part extends through the back to which the 3 levers (including the one holding staples) join at the end. The upper and lower jaw parts of the bear are separate from each other (indicated by a line from the mouth corner) but attached to the upper and lower levers of  1 S respectively so that the levers are flexible to move for stapling operation.  
      The jaw parts are not falling apart, though separate, from each other because of the attachments to the levers which join at the end (i.e. at the back of the bear&#39;s head).  
       FIG. 4  illustrates the perspective view of the other side (back view) of  1 A when it is picked up to be used. Sound receiving hole part  4 R is under the (top) bear&#39;s head part (i.e. under  1 S) so that  4 R and  1 S do not interfere with each other. There is a recessed part  4 Z under  4 R made to be hung with the base  1 B to keep in position when the phone is not in use. There are “On/Phone” and “Off” buttons  401  and  402  under  4 R for cordless receiver for the convenience of making, receiving and terminating a phone call even when it is not placed with  1 B. The keypads  4 K are in, including but not exclusively, lip shapes.  4 K can be in other novelty shapes such as heart, star, animal, etc or in traditional ones such as circle or rectangle. It is preferable, but not necessary, for  4 K to be accompanied with light when  1 A is picked up to be used. Sound transmitting hole part  4 T is under  4 K. The bear&#39;s body part (i.e. from  4 R to  4 T) is made in smooth curve shape for easy grab and comfortable counterpart with the contour of a user&#39;s face when it is picked up to be used.  
       FIG. 5  illustrates the exposed, inside view of  1 C when the cover  3 SL is slid open. The dotted line indicates  3 SL, having been slid open, is under the exterior of  1 B. There are 3 subdivisions, namely,  5 C 1 ,  5 C 2  and  5 C 3  under the slide cover in this case, and each of them is equal in size to one another. The number and size of subdivisions, however, can be varied, depending on the actual availability of space which does not interfere with the electronic and electrical parts of the telephone set. They help store and organize different types of, including but not limited to, stationery and office implements (e.g. paper clips, rubber bands, staples, erasers, etc.). There is a hook  5 Y under  1 C used to hang with the recessed part  4 Z when  1 A is not in use. In other cases, the well-covered compartment can be in any shape (besides pillow), in any part of the phone set, and opened in any way (other than slid e.g. pulled or pushed open).  
       FIG. 6  illustrates a simplified variation to  FIG. 1 , which is without the embedded stapler  1 S and pencil-sharpener  1 P, for the purpose of providing options for manufacturers and end-users. The whole front receiver  1 A will become a plane surface with curvature when without  1 S and  1 P.  
       FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective side view of another aesthetic embodiment of a telephone set designed in the shape of an iron according to the present invention. The receiver  7 A is placed on the top, resembling the handle of an iron. Under  7 A, there is a pencil sharpener  7 P with its scrap container  7 SC resembling the button-controlling and the water-containing parts of an iron respectively. There are 2 pulled-up elastic openers  7 O on the sides of  7 SC to remove it from the telephone set for scrap disposal. How the scrap can be removed from  7 SC will be explained in detail in  FIG. 8 .  
      AT the one end under  7 SC (on the left hand side of  FIG. 7 ), there are 4 cylindrical holders  7 H (on both sides, but can also be just one on each side depending on the availability of space), resembling the water-filling holes of an iron, designed to hold writing implements (e.g. pen, pencil, market, etc.). Inside  7 H, there is a flexible, plastic ring  7 R (near the opening of each holder as  1 R) to prevent the writing implements from sliding out when the telephone set is placed on a horizontal surface as shown in  FIG. 7 . In addition to fastening the writing implements,  7 R has other 2 major advantages as follows:  
      First,  7 H only need to be made around 3 inches deep in order to hold and prevent the writing implements from falling off due to the presence of  7 R. Less than 3-inch depth is possible to achieve the aforesaid purposes (with the use of  7 R), however for the aesthetic point of view, it is not recommended because too shallow  7 H become, too protruding the writing implements will be to the outside space.  
      Second, when  7 H are used for holding short writing implements, for example, almost used-up 2-inch pencils,  7 R will help secure them in place so that they will not slide deep down to the bottom of the holder and become difficult to be taken out for use.  
      At the other end opposite to  7 H, there is an open holder  7 PH to contain, including but not limited to, note pads or pieces of paper.  7 PH is open so that it can hold different sizes of note pads or paper. There is a metal clip  7 M in the middle of  7 PH used to hold them in place so that they will not fall out when the telephone set is placed at different positions.  
      At the bottom layer of the base, there are 2 well-covered compartments  7 C (with subdivisions) on both sides. The lid covers  7 L of  7 C are kept closed by 2 magnetic stripes  7 MS which can also be pulled open, with hinges  7 G at the base of the lids to facilitate their movement. Each  7 C has at least 3 subdivisions or 5 at most. If 3 subdivisions are chosen to be made, they can be created into equal sizes, or preferably as shown in  FIG. 7 , two of them can be made in equal sizes while the third one is around 3 times larger than each of them so that larger implements (e.g. correction pen, ruler, cutter, scissors, etc.) can be stored. A hook  7 Y or 2 are installed inside the third one to help hand and organize various items if needed.  
       FIG. 8  illustrates the bottom view of the scrap container  7 SC (where the trash inside is from the pencil-sharpener  7 P) of  FIG. 7  detached from the base by pulling up the elastic openers  7 O on both of its sides. By pulling  7 O up, the hooks used to attach  7 SC to the base are released, freeing the whole part of  7 SC with  7 P from the base for convenient scrap disposal. The removal of  7 SC from the base will reveal its bottom slide cover  8 LC. By pushing the grids on  8 LC outwardly, it can be slid open easily as a vent for scrap disposal. After dumping the scrap, just slide  8 SL back to close the opening and attach  7 SC to the base again by means of pulling  7 O up again and aiming the hooks to the holes of their matches.  
       FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective side view of another aesthetic embodiment of a telephone set (designed in the shape of a cow on a meadow) preferably with the use of synthetic fur as its exterior cover. The receiver  9 A is placed on the top, being a part of the cow&#39;s back. Under  9 A, there is a well-covered compartment  9 C with 3 subdivisions. A lip lid  9 L is used to open the cover of  9 C with a hinge  9 G at the base to facilitate its movement.  9 L is not obvious in appearance because of the presence of (i) a camouflage color of the patch of the cow&#39;s body, and (ii) a layer of exterior cover of synthetic fur. The scope of  9 C is indicated by two dotted lines  9 D, which are only for illustration of the part  9 C and will not appear in the real product. More details about  9 C and its subdivisions will be shown and described in  FIG. 10 .  9 A and  9 C are unified as the body part of the cow. The telephone set can be cordless or corded. In case it is corded, the cow&#39;s tail will be the corded part.  
      Under  9 C (the stomach part of the cow), there is a snail-shaped tape dispenser  9 T according to the present invention.  
      A plastic clip  9 PC, which is attached to the meadow base  9 B at the back of  9 T, is used to fasten  9 T in place so that it will not slide away whatever position the telephone set is put, even on a vertical surface.  
      For the head part of the cow, the 2 specifically-designed horns  9 H are used as holders for writing implements.  9 H are open-ended plastic rings flexible in diameter expansion (about 0.5 cm to 1.5 cm) so that different thicknesses of writing implements can be adapted and held tight.  9 H can also be made flexible in rotation so that the wiring implements held along with will not interfere with the use of an embedded stapler  9 S under. This also gives users convenience for their preferences in positional adjustments.  
      Under  9 H, there is a stapler  9 S embedded in the mouth part of the cow. The way of incorporation is the same as that of  1 S in the mouth part of the bear. Please refer to page 5, line 33-36, and page 6, line 10-15 for detailed descriptions of the incorporation.  
      Under  9 S, there is a pencil-sharpener  9 P with its scrap container  9 SC blended in as the front-leg part of the cow according to the present invention. There is a pulled-up opener  9 O as the collar part of the cow to remove  9 SC from the telephone set for scrap disposal. More details about  9 SC will be illustrated and described in  FIG. 11 .  
       FIG. 10  illustrates the front view of the compartment  9 C only (on the left hand side as the stomach part of the cow in  FIG. 9 ), showing its exposed, inside view when the cover is pulled open by the lip lid  9 L (demonstrated on the right hand side in  FIG. 10 ). There are 3 subdivisions  10 C 1 ,  10 C 2  and  10 C 3  in this case according to the present invention. The 3 subdivisions are not in same sizes because they are derived from the space of the stomach part of the cow, and have to integrate with its outline. They are designed to hold and store, including but not limited to, stationery and office implements (e.g. note pad, correction pen, paper clips, rubber bands, staples, ruler, eraser, etc.).  
       FIG. 11  illustrates the front view of the pencil sharpener  9 P with its scrap container  9 SC only (as the front-leg part of the cow in  FIG. 9 ), showing how  9 SC can be removed for scrap disposal. A dotted line  11 D is only used for indication of the scope of  9 P and will not appear in the real product. The collar part of the cow is a pulled-up opener  9 O used to remove  9 SC from the telephone set for scrap disposal. There is a small indent under  9 O to facilitate its holding for the pulling up action. After  9 O has been pulled up and the hook  11 Y has been released,  9 SC can be pulled out from the telephone set for scrap disposal.  9 SC is basically cylindrical in shape.  
       FIG. 12  illustrates a side view of an alternative variation to  FIG. 9 , indicating one of the possible expansions of the holding and storing capacities to  FIG. 9  for the purpose of providing options for manufacturers and potential users.  
      The expansions include mainly two parts: (I) On a base-movable, fence-shaped design  12 F behind the cow-shaped telephone set, there are two plastic-ring holders  12 RH for writing implements on the opposite ends with 3 document clips  12 D for, including but not limited to, paper materials (e.g. note pad, paper, card, photo, etc.) in the middle. The fence-shaped base is made movable by hinges  12 G for convenient position adjustments when the telephone set is placed on different surfaces.  
      (II) Under the cow-shaped telephone set and the fence-shaped design, the meadow-shaped base  12 MB is expanded in size (including length, width and depth) in order to contain another well-covered compartment  12 C in addition to  9 C. Such an addition provides more space for holding and storing different kinds of stationery and office implements. The cover of  12 C is kept closed by 2 magnetic stripes  12 MS, which can also be pulled open, with a hinge  12 GB at the opposite side to facilitate its movement.  
       FIG. 13  illustrates a perspective front view of another aesthetic embodiment of a telephone set designed in the shape of a house. The receiver  13 A with an antenna in the diagram is designed as the front door of the hose with a chimney. Decorative paintings of window and pillars are also on  13 A. Above the painted door (around the middle of  13 A), there is a tag  13 T 1  protected by a thin plastic layer, which can be removed from the receiver.  13 T 1  is left blank originally so that it can be inscribed with numbers, characters, or alphabets of simple words to personalize individual user&#39;s or family needs.  
      For example,  13 T 1  can be inscribed with the actual apartment or house number a person or family lives, the person&#39;s or family name who has bought the telephone set, the special date (e.g. date of buying or moving into a house, marriage date, etc) or characters a person or family celebrates or remembers, etc.  
      On both sides of  13 A, there are two symmetrical, window-shaped picture holders  13 H 1  and  13 H 2  with a tag  13 T 2  under each of them. A picture is held in place by a shutter-shaped or roman-shade, preferably but not exclusively, wooden clip fastener  13 F 1  at the top.  13 T 2  is covered by a plastic or glass layer, or is contained within 2. As  13 T 1 ,  13 T 2  can be removed for number, character, or words inscription.  
      Under  13 A, there is a step-like recessed handle  13 Q used to pull open the drawer-like compartment  13 C 1 , which can store small objects and thin materials, including but not limited to, cards, envelopes, note pads and pieces of paper.  13 C 1  can be designed to contain subdivisions. There can also be more drawer-like compartments designed under  13 A.  
      On the right hand side of the figure, there are two more window-shaped picture holders  13 H 3  and  13 H 4  with a tag  13 T 3  under each of them, too. A picture is held in place by 2 shutter-shaped fasteners  13 F 2  on the sides, which are alternative designs of  13 F 1 . Under  13 H 3  and  13 H 4 , there is a bigger picture holder  13 H 5 . The cross at the center  13 X is used as a divider to divide  13 H 5  into subdivisions. However,  13 X can be removed to allow one big picture to occupy the whole  13 H 5 . Pictures are held in place by the curtain-shaped clips, corner pinch or pocket  13 K as well as the cross.  13 H 5  can be modified to be used as a business card holder as shown in  FIG. 14 .  
      On the left hand side of the figure, there is a window-shaped pencil sharpener  13 P with a scrap container  13 SC, which can be removed for scrap disposal by pulling the scallop-shaped curtain handle  13 W up so that the hook above can be released, The operation of  13 W for scrap disposal is similar to that of  9 O explained in  FIG. 11 . Please refer to page 8, line 32-35 for detailed descriptions.  
      On each side of the house there is a well-covered compartment  13 C respectively with subdivisions to hold, store and organize stationery (e.g. stapler &amp; staples, rubber bands, paper clips, etc.) as well as writing implements (e.g. pens, pencils, markers, etc.). The cover can be slid open and closed by a lip lid  13 LL, which is designed as the shape of a gutter.  
       FIG. 14  illustrates the front view of an alternative variation to  FIG. 13 , indicating one of the possible modifications of the use of one of the picture holders—that is, changing it into a business card holder. All parts in  FIG. 14  remain the same as those in  FIG. 13  except the part for  13 H 5 , which is modified into a business card holder  14 H 5 .  14 H 5  can be designed with different shapes, colors, patterns &amp; decorations, including but not limited to, the (colorful) flower plants with irregular edges as shown in  FIG. 14 . It can also be designed with different materials, including but not limited to, wood, glass, plastics or ceramics, as long as it is compatible and looks consistent with other parts of the telephone set.  
      In  FIG. 14 ,  14 H 5 , including the part of the flower plant decorations  14 D is supposed to be made of plastics either transparent or color-tinted which is harmonized with other parts of the telephone set.  14 D is most desirable to be colored with different hues.  14 D, as well  14 H 5 , can also be designed with stain-glass effect decor when the use of materials changes as stated in the aforesaid.  
      In  FIG. 14 , a dog-shaped tape dispenser  14 TD is added. It is not made integrated but harmonized with the design of the telephone set.  14 TD can be removed without affecting the integrity and the general appearance of the telephone set.  
      Therefore,  14 TD can also be present in  FIG. 13 .  
       FIG. 15  illustrates the front view of an alternative variation to  FIG. 1 —Telephone set designed in the shape of a sleeping bear on a bed, indicating one of the possible changes on the design of the picture holder, which is in front of the rectangular (stationery) holder  1 H 3 . All features in  FIG. 15  remain the same as those in  FIG. 1 ; the only difference is on the design of the picture holder  15 PH in front of  1 H 3 .  
      In  FIG. 1 , the picture holder is designed to be made of  4  decorative plastic latches  1 L in bear-foot patterns (which, in fact, can also be made of any other shape, color, material) and preferably but not necessarily covered by a transparent or color-tinted slide  1 TS to protect the picture. In  FIG. 15 , however, the picture holder  15 PH is designed to be made of stain-glass effect decor  15 G with, including but not limited to, fish and coral patterns. There is a slide  15 TS, which can either be transparent or color-tinted, attached with or put separately under the stain-glass designed patterns, which is supported or joined by pads  15 D and/or clip rings or eyehooks  15 E so that a picture or the like can be inserted under  15 TS. If possible, there can be a built-in slit within the front part of  1 H 3  so that the stain-glass effect decor can be made directly on it without using  15 TS and the supporting parts  15 D or joints  15 E. Please see  FIG. 16  for reference.  
       FIG. 16  illustrates the front view of a possible variation to  FIG. 15 , showing a built-in slit picture holder  16 PH with stain-glass effect decor  15 G of, including but not limited to, fish and coral patterns. The main difference between  FIG. 15  and  FIG. 16  is on the inserting part of the picture (or the like) as well as the supporting parts associated with it.  
      In  FIG. 15 , the picture holder  15 PH is composed of a transparent or color-tinted slide  15 TS with supporting pads  15 D or/and joints  15 E attached in front of the rectangular (stationery) holder  1 H 3  so that a picture (or the like) can be inserted into the slight slit opening between the front part of  1 H 3  and the slide  15 TS.  
      In  FIG. 16 , however, the picture holder  16 PH is created by having a built-in slit  161  made at the front part of  1 H 3  so that a picture (or the like) is inserted into the slight slit opening formed within the front side of  1 H 3 . This means  16 PH is embedded in the front edge of  1 H 3  while  15 PH is topped on the front side of  1 H 3 . As  16 PH is a built-in unit at the front edge of  1 H 3 , no supporting parts  15 D or joints  15 E used to construct  15 PH are needed. As a result, the stain-glass effect decor  15 G, the fish and coral patterns in this case, can be made directly on the front side of  1 H 3  for  16 PH while  15 G has to be made on a separate layer in front  15 TS for  15 PH.  
       FIG. 17  illustrates the front view of another possible variation to  FIG. 1  as on the design of the picture holder, indicating a rectangular frame  17 F (with pads or supporting materials underneath which are shown as dotted lines  17 M in the figure) and, including but not limited to, bear-foot prints as decorative design on it.  
      The frame  17 F with pads (or supporting material)  17 M can be designed into different shapes, colors and textures, and can have one or more patterns on it while the picture holder itself can be made to have subdivisions to hold more than one picture or the like.  
       17 M in  FIG. 17  have 2 main functions: First, they create an opening between  17 F and  1 H 3  to enable a picture or the like to be inserted, which constitute a picture holder  17 PH; second, they provide support for the picture to stay in and not to slip out from the bottom. Although the former patented invention, a wall telephone stand, by Genaro et al, does include a frame as one of the features in their invention, it neither includes any pad (or supporting material) for the frame nor states it can be used as a picture holder or the like. It just mentioned the frame in their invention was for decoration of the chalkboard or the like in their invention. In regard of this, the frame with pads or the like is actually an obvious and important modification to theirs, and should be regarded as one of the features in my invention.  
       17 M can be shaped in, including but not limited to, stripes (as shown in  FIG. 17 ) or small circles, which are situated behind the 3 edges of  17 F, forming a U-shaped pattern which creates an opening between  17 F and  1 H 3  for a picture (or the like) to be inserted, and provides support for the picture to stay within  17 F.  
      While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made. For example, the cylindrical holders  1 H 1  &amp;  1 H 2  can be expanded in size (i.e. wider in diameter) and made without the plastic rings  1 R, or made in other shapes with curvature or/and ornaments.