Patent Publication Number: US-2005123130-A1

Title: Flat panel telephone

Description:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates generally to the field of telephones and in particular to flat panel telephones.  
      There are many existing telephone sets with different designs and shapes.  
      Telephone construction, operation, and design have changed dramatically since the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in U.S. Pat. No. 174,465. Early telephones were cumbersome, crank operated and utilized a separate earpiece connected by a cord to a stationary telephone box. The telephone box was mounted on a wall and had a speaker cone with a mouthpiece. In the 1950s, black bulky telephones were in use with a stationary base with a rotatable dial. A movable handset with an earpiece and mouthpiece was connected by a cord to the stationary base. In the  1980 s, lighter weight white and colored handsets were developed with pushbuttons between the earpiece and mouthpiece or with pushbuttons on the base. Pushbutton telephones have generally replaced rotary telephones.  
      Despite the progress in the telephone&#39;s operation and structure over the years, conventional telephones are still generally bulky and consume limited available space on flat surfaces, such as desk tops or counter tops, and walls. Particularly, wall-mounted telephones are typically obtrusive since they must protrude at least several inches from a wall. Also, because of their bulk and weight, wall-mounted telephones generally require mounting plates which require forming additional holes in the wall, as well as, additional hardware, i.e., screws, nuts, etc., for securing the mounting plate to the wall.  
      Moreover, conventional telephones are generally not esthetically attractive or eye-catching. They are not decorative items.  
      Telephones having flat structures are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,598 to Böck discloses a telephone having a flat laminate construction formed of several compressed plastic films. Telephonic parts, including, telephone keys, a microphone, a speaker, and a circuit board, are housed in recesses formed in the laminated film layers.  
      Also, a combined thin mouse pad and telephone device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,446 to Lester, et al. The device has a three layer key pad connected to a control unit which is configured as a curved wrist rest. The three layer pad comprises a top Mylar® layer, a middle layer of telephone keys and a bottom non-skid layer. The telephone keys, conventional capacitor touch switches, are adhered to the top surface of the bottom layer. Copper traces connect the telephone keys to a telephone controller stored in the control unit.  
      It is desirable to provide telephones which have a simpler construction, are lighter in weight, flatter and thinner and which act as a decorative display item. One telephone which seeks to provide some of these features is embodied in a relatively flat, panel telephone sold by Tiger Electronics division of Hasbro, Inc. under the name POSTER PHONE. The Tiger phone has a paper cover over a foam panel in which sensors for the telephone dial numbers and wiring are embedded. The Tiger phone is provided with a housing containing telephone electronics and a speaker extending from the rear of the panel. Several projections are provided around the perimeter of the panel back side so that the panel and housing are supported above a surface, or away from a vertical wall if the phone is wall-mounted. The Tiger phone sensors are not raised buttons, but are substantially flush with the panel below the paper cover.  
      However, the Tiger phone has some drawbacks including positioning of the telephone speaker to face away from a user, the dial number sensors can be difficult to operate and require successive presses to activate once, and construction requires a method of forming channels for wiring and sensors in the panel. Thus, there is room for improvement over this solution.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is an object of the present invention to provide a light weight, durable telephone having a flat, thin structure.  
      It is a further object of the present invention to provide a telephone which appears as a decorative item.  
      It is still further an object of the present invention to provide a telephone with minimal moving parts so that it is not susceptible to easy breakage.  
      Accordingly, a flat panel telephone is provided comprising a flat panel having a front surface, a rear surface and thin side edges. A plurality of touch sensors are adhered on the front surface of the flat panel. The number of sensors corresponds to the number of telephone dial buttons plus any desired function buttons, such as “#” and “*” buttons, among others. An electrical unit containing a telephone circuit is recessed in the rear surface of the flat panel. A speaker and microphone are disposed proximate the front surface of the flat panel. Wiring connects the touch sensors, speaker and microphone to the electrical unit. A cover covers the flat panel, along with the touch sensors and wiring.  
      The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      In the drawings:  
       FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of the telephone of the invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the panel and touch sensors of the invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the sleeve of the invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the panel with a printed pattern of the invention;  
       FIG. 5  is an exploded top perspective view of the touch sensors adhered to the panel of the invention;  
       FIG. 6  is a front view of the touch sensor bundles of the invention;  
       FIG. 7  is a front view of the speaker incorporated in the electronics unit of the invention;  
       FIG. 8  is a front view of the speaker electrically connected to the electronics unit;  
       FIG. 9  is a side perspective view of the microphone collar of the invention;  
       FIG. 10  is a side sectional view of the view of the microphone collar of the invention;  
       FIG. 11  is a rear perspective view of the telephone of the invention;  
       FIG. 12  is a side sectional view of the electronics unit of the invention;  
       FIG. 13  is a front view of the removable cover of the electronics unit of the invention;  
       FIG. 14  is a side elevational view of the telephone line connection to the telephone of the invention;  
       FIG. 15  is a front perspective view of the tin overlay of the invention; and  
       FIG. 16  is a side sectional view of the thin overlay of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to the same or similar elements,  FIG. 1  shows a telephone  100  having a flat thin housing  10 . The housing  10 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , comprises a panel  20  having a front surface  22 , a rear surface  24  and side edges  26 . The panel  20  is preferably formed of cardboard, but can also be formed of foam or another rigid substrate capable of supporting the telephone components mounted thereon, as will be described further herein. The substrate should preferably resist bending or breaking when pressed.  
      The panel preferably has a height ranging from about 6 to 40 inches and a width between about 6 to 30 inches. The thickness of the panel  20  is preferably in the range of 0.125 inches to 1.0 inches. The panel may be of any size, including thinner or thicker as needed for the material forming panel  20 , and larger or smaller depending on the sizes and shapes of the components mounted on panel  20 . The panel  20  can have a myriad of shapes, such as a bell, rectangle, oval, circle, square, among others. The panel  20  can be shaped to simulate particular objects for decorative effect as well.  
      Touch sensors  40  and connected wiring  42  are adhered onto the front surface  22  of the panel  20 . The touch sensors  40  are preferably conventional pressure sensitive sensors as are known for detecting when pressure is applied. The sensors  40  may be a type having a semi-spherical bubble made wholly or partly of a conducting material positioned over two conducting leads, for example, so that when the bubble is pressed down, the conducting leads are joined and a circuit is completed.  
      The panel  20  preferably has a printed pattern  28 , shown in  FIG. 4 , on its front surface  22  for guiding the placement of the touch sensors  40  and the wiring  42 . Glue is preferably used to adhere the touch sensors  40  and the wiring  42  to the panel  20 . However, other adhesion methods can be used, such as double-sided tape  43 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , for attaching the touch sensors  40  and wiring  50  onto the front surface  22  of the panel  20 .  
      A sleeve  30 , shown in  FIG. 3 , covers the panel  20 , touch sensors  40  and wiring  42 . The sleeve  30  is preferably formed of a soft but durable material, such as vinyl. The sleeve  30  has an opening  32 , preferably at its bottom end, for receiving the panel  20 . The opening  32  is heat sealed along its edges to encase the panel  20  inside the sleeve  30 . A telephone keypad design (not shown) is printed on the sleeve  30 . The sleeve  30  preferably has other decorative designs or images, such as art work and/or photographs (not shown), so that the telephone  100  simulates a decorative item, such as artistic wall hanging or a poster. The keypad design can be incorporated as part of the decorative designs or images. The type of decorative designs or images are unlimited and can depend on the location of the telephone  100 . For example, the decorative designs can consist of fruits and/or vegetables images if the telephone  100  is displayed in a kitchen, or alternatively, a toy design if the telephone is displayed in a child&#39;s room.  
      The touch sensors  40  are preferably arranged in fanciful patterns, as shown in  FIG. 6 . The fanciful patterns correspond with the keypad design and/or other decorative designs displayed on the sleeve  30 .  
      An electronics unit  50  is supported in an opening  27  preferably formed in the rear surface  24  of the panel  20 , as shown in  FIG. 11 . The electronics unit  50  has a removable cover  51 , shown in  FIG. 13 , which is flush with the rear surface  24  of the panel  20  and a front wall  52  which projects through the front surface  22  of the panel  20 . The removable cover  51  is attached to the electronics unit  50  by conventional fasteners, preferably screws. The removable cover  51  also has a recess  55  for receiving a telephone line  80 , shown in  FIG. 11 . The recess  55  allows the telephone line  80  to lay flush against the wall.  
      A conventional electronic circuit  51  used for telephone communications, illustrated in  FIG. 11 , is housed in the electronics unit  50 . The electronic circuit  51  can include “DTMF” or touch-tone dialing capability to send and receive voice communications via telephone wire. It is envisioned as well that the electronic circuit  51  could be enabled for wireless communications such as cellular telephone transmissions, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.  
      The electronic circuit  51  is preferably a powered circuit receiving power from a power source  53 . The power source is preferably batteries, but other AC or DC sources can be used instead with appropriate conversion for use with the circuit  51 . Alternately, the electronic circuit  51  can be powered like a conventional telephone directly from the telephone wires. A conventional jack  58  is electrically connected to electronic circuit  51 .  
      A conventional speaker  54 , shown in  FIG. 12 , is housed inside the electronics unit  50 . The speaker  54  is electrically connected to the electronic circuit  51  and an integral part of the electronics unit  50 . The electronics unit  50  may have one or more sound holes, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , for permitting the speaker  54  to function normally, while protecting the speaker from external damage. The speaker  54  projects through one or more openings in the sleeve  30 . For example, the sleeve  30  can have a plurality of pin holes  34 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , which correspond with the speaker  54  and openings in electronics unit  50  to allow sounds to exit unmuffled from the speaker  54 .  
      In another embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the speaker  54  extends from the electronics unit  50  via a wire  42 . In this embodiment, the speaker  54  is placed at a location which is closer to the user than the electronics unit  50 .  
      The speaker  54  can be secured to the panel  20  using grommets through the panel  20  and/or other fasteners, such as threaded fasteners, clips, etc.  
      Preferably, the speaker is supported in a frame having a protective cover over the diaphragm to prevent possible puncture or unintended deformation. The frame may have pin holes like those of the electronics unit  50 , and the sleeve  30  can have corresponding openings in the same manner as well. When the speaker  54  is not integral with the electronics unit  50 , the rear of the speaker can be mounted through an opening in the panel  20  to reduce the protrusion of the speaker  54  from the panel  20  and protect the speaker  54  components. The speaker frame cover can be mounted to the panel  20  using fasteners as described above to secure the speaker  54  in place.  
      Using either speaker mounting, the phone  100  remains relatively thin and flat, while providing undistorted sound to the user.  
      A conventional microphone  60  projects through the front surface  22  of the panel  20  and the sleeve  30 . The microphone  60  connects to the electronic circuit  51  via wiring  42 . A collar  62 , illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , supports the microphone  60  on the panel  20 . The collar has a flange  63  which rests on the front surface  22  of the panel  20  and a post  65  which extends into the panel  20 . A groove  67  for receiving the wiring  50  extends longitudinally through the flange  63  and the post  65 . The groove  67  allows the wiring  50  to exit the microphone  60  flush with the front surface  22  of the panel  20 .  
      In another embodiment, a thin overlay  29 , as shown in  FIGS. 15 and 16 , is adhered by conventional means to the front surface  22  of the panel to provide additional depth to the housing  10 . The thin layer  29  is preferably formed of foam and has openings  29   a  for receiving the touch sensors  40 , the speaker  52  and the microphone  60 .  
      The telephone  100  can be placed on a flat surface, such as a desk, or hung on a wall. The telephone  100  presents a substantially flat support surface when mounted, so that the panel  20  is not bent or deformed during use, thereby making operation of the sensors  40  easier and more reliable. The removable cover  51  has a hinge  56 , preferably a pivoting hinge, for mounting the telephone  100  onto a wall.  
      While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.