Hardwire airplane telephone apparatus

• US 4,727,569 A
• Filed: 02/18/1986
• Issued: 02/23/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kutrieb
• Original Assignee: Wolfgang A. Kutrieb
• Inventors: Larson, John A., Robinson, Scott L., Dobrowolski, Alan E., Kurschner, John M., Kutrieb, Wolfgang A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/830,197
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 379/63, 379/91, 379/144, 379/60, 379/96, 379/438, 379/437, 235/375, 235/376, 235/379, 235/380, 235/381, 381/86, 340/825.34, 358/86, 455/90
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/02 Constructional features of telephone sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/11 Supports for sets, e.g. incorporating armrests
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/15 Protecting or guiding telephone cords

Abstract

Telephone apparatus mounted on an airplane food and beverage tray which is pivotable from a storage position nearly flush with the back of a seat of an airplane to a position of use, and includes a telephone handset that in a storage position in a tray recess is substantially flush with the surface of the tray that the recess opens through, the handset including a microphone portion and a combination credit card reader and speaker portion resiliently urged to an inclined condition relative to the microphone portion, latch mechanism to releasably retain the handset in the tray recess, a reel mounted in the tray that is resiliently retained in a datum position that the telephone cord connected to the handset is tightly wound and the second telephone cord that is electrically connected in the reel to the first cord is loosely wound, the second cord being connected to a terminal on a wall of the airplane which in turn is electrically connected through a computer to the primary telephone transmitter. The telephone apparatus may also be used on a desk to in a non-use condition be flush with the desk top.

Claims

1. Airplane telephone apparatus comprising a a bulkhead, an airplane passenger seat having a back portion that has a back surface, a food and beverage tray recess opening through the back surface, a food and beverage tray having a tray supporting surface and an opposite surface, means for mounting the tray on the seat back for movement between a storage position in the seat recess with the tray opposite surface facing rearwardly and a serving position with the tray opposite surface facing downwardly, the tray having a tray recess, a telephone handset having a microphone portion and a speaker portion, said handset being movable between a storage position in the tray recess and a use position outwardly of the tray recess, a telephone terminal mounted on the bulkhead, a reel mounted in the tray for rotation and resiliently retained in a datum wound condition, a telephone cord having a first cord portion that has one end attached to the handset and an opposite end portion connected to the reel for being unwound as the handset is moved away from the tray recess and a second cord portion having one end electrically connected to the first cord portion and a second end portion electrically connected to the terminal, the handset including pivot means for pivotally connecting the speaker portion and microphone portion together for limited pivotal movement between a limit use position that the microphone portion extends at an inclined angle relative to the speaker portion and a limit storage position that the microphone portion extends generally linearly away from the speaker portion, the microphone and speaker portions having cooperating means for limiting pivotal movement from the storage position toward the use position and resilient means for urging the microphone and speaker portions to their use position and resiliently retaining them in their use position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that the first cord portion has part thereof wound in one direction on the reel and the second cord portion has part thereof wound in the opposite direction on the reel whereby as the handset is moved away from the tray recess the first cord portion is unwound and the second cord portion is more tightly wound.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that there is provided operative means for releasably latchingly retaining the handset in the tray recess in the storage position of the microphone and speaker, and that the microphone portion has a generally planar surface and that the speaker portion has a generally planar surface, said microphone and speaker portion surfaces being substantially flush with the tray opposite surface when the handset is latchingly retained in the tray recess.

4. Telephone apparatus adapted to be connected to a telephone terminal comprising a handset having a microphone portion and a speaker portion, means for mountingly supporting the handset and permitting movement of the handset away therefrom, a reel rotatably mounted within the mounting means that is resiliently retained in a datum handset cord wound condition, a handset telephone first cord that has one end portion and in part being wound on the reel to rotate the reel in an unwinding direction as the handset is moved away from the handset mounting means, a second telephone cord that has a first end portion and a second end portion adapted to be connected to said terminal and that in part is loosely wound on the reel in an opposite direction from the winding of the first cord to be more tightly wound when the handset is moved away from the handset mounting means and means mounted on the reel for movement therewith and that is joined to the first cord second end portion and joined to the second cord first end portion to form a hardwire telephone connection therebetween, and characterized in that the handset includes a credit card reader and a credit card slot.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further characterized in that the handset includes means for hingedly connecting the microphone and speaker portions to permit relative movement between a position that they extend generally linearly relative to one another and a second position extending at an inclined angle relative to one another and constantly resiliently urging them to their second position, and that the latching means, when the handset is latchingly retained in the recess, retains the handset so that the microphone and speaker portion are retained in their relative first position.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 further characterized in that the means defining the generally planar surface comprises an airplane seat food and beverage tray that has the reel mounted therein, and that the handset mounting means includes an airplane passenger seat having the tray mounted thereon.

7. Airplane telephone apparatus comprising a bulkhead, an airplane passenger seat having a back portion that has a back surface, a food and beverage tray recess opening through the back surface, a food and beverage tray having a tray supporting surface and an opposite surface, means for mounting the tray on the seat back for movement between a storage position in the seat recess with the tray opposite surface facing rearwardly and a serving position with the tray opposite surface facing downwardly, the tray having a tray recess, a telephone handset having a microphone portion and a speaker portion, said handset being movable between a storage position in the tray recess and a use position outwardly of the tray recess, a telephone terminal mounted on the bulkhead, a reel mounted in the tray for rotation and resiliently retained in a datum wound condition, a telephone cord having a first cord portion that has one end attached to the handset and an opposite end portion connected to the reel for being unwound as the handset is moved away from the tray recess and a second cord portion having one end electrically connected to the first cord portion and a second end portion electrically connected to the terminal, the speaker portion including a magnetic card reader and means defining a slot for a credit card.

8. Telephone apparatus adapted to be connected to a telephone terminal, comprising a handset that includes a microphone portion having a generally planar surface and a speaker portion having a generally planar surface, means for mountingly supporting the handset that includes a generally planar surface and a handset recess opening to the means for mountingly supporting the handset planar surface for having the handset positioned therein with the microphone and speaker portions surfaces generally coplanar to the mounting surface, a reel rotatably mounted within the mounting means that is resiliently retained in a datum handset telephone cord wound condition, a handset telephone cord having one end portion attached to the handset and an opposite second end portion attached to the reel and in part being wound on the reel to rotate the reel in an unwinding direction as the handset is removed from said recess, the handset including a magnetic credit card reader and a credit card slot for having the credit card moved therethrough to be sensed by the card reader.