Patent ID: 7570757

Claim:
A communication device, comprising: a housing; a communication element incorporated in said housing, said communication element comprising at least one of a telephone, a PDA, and a VOIP phone; a base rotatably mounted to said housing at one end thereof; a tilt mechanism incorporated in said housing, said tilt mechanism comprising: (i) a foot having a first end rotatably connected to said housing and a second end selectively placed in a set position within said base to place said housing in a desired angular position with respect to said base; (ii) a ratchet integral with said foot; (iii) a tilt block selectively engageable with said ratchet, said tilt block including a pawl that engages teeth formed on said ratchet; (iv) a plunger rod operatively connected to said tilt block for moving said tilt block between a locked and unlocked position, said locked position created by releasing said plunger rod causing said pawl to engage a selected gap between the teeth on said ratchet, said unlocked position created by activating said plunger causing separation of said tilt block from said ratchet thereby releasing said pawl from said ratchet; and (v) a spring placed between a distal surface of said tilt block and a feature incorporated in said housing, wherein said spring compresses to bias movement of said tilt block, thereby urging said tilt block to the locked position.