Telephone handset cushion

• US 5,136,639 A
• Filed: 04/11/1990
• Issued: 08/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ronald L. Brito
• Original Assignee: Ronald L. Brito
• Inventors: Brito, Ronald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Jason
• Application Number:
  US07/507,990
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 379/441, 379/447, 379/451, 379/437, 379/452, 381/183, 381/187, 381/189, 381/61, 381/25, 381/74, 181/129, D14/250
• US Class Current: 379/441
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/19 Arrangements of transmitters, receivers, or complete sets to prevent eavesdropping, to attenuate local noise or to prevent undesired transmission; Mouthpieces or receivers specially adapted therefor circuit arrangements for preventing eavesdropping H04M1/68; telephone cabinets E04H1/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly

Abstract

A cushion for application to a telephone handset. The cushion is made from a low density, high resiliency flexible foam to make the telephone'"'"'s receiver or transmitter more comfortable when pressed against the ear or mouth of the user. The cushion has a main body which defines a funnel shaped channel for guiding sound between the handset and the user. A diaphragm with sound ports completely cover the channel to dampen the sounds passing between the handset and the user. The cushion is shaped to match the receiver or transmitter of the telephone handset and can include a groove to allow the cushion to hang from a wall mounted base and tabs to conduct electricity from recharging pins to rechargeable batteries in the handset. A variety of coverings can be placed over the cushion for aesthetic or functional purposes.

Claims

1. An ear cushion for application to a telephone handset having a sound generating transducer and a transducer housing registrable with an ear of a user, the housing having an outer surface in which is a sound aperture for allowing sound to pass to the user from the transducer, the cushion comprising:

a main body of resilient foam material adapted at an inner face thereof to be attached to the outer surface of the transducer housing for covering the outer surface around the sound aperture, the inner face of said main body having an outline configuration which corresponds substantially to the outline configuration of the outer surface of said transducer housing in which the sound aperture is present, the cushion body having an outer face for facing the user and a channel through the body between the inner and outer faces thereof, the channel having an opening in the inner face sized to substantially match the sound aperture, the cushion body defining a diaphragm extending across the channel between the body inner and outer faces and having a plurality of ports therethrough for allowing sound travelling through the channel to pass through the diaphragm.

2. The cushion of claim 1 wherein the diaphragm is proximate the outer face of said main body.

3. The cushion of claim 1 comprising an adhesive on the inner face of said main body for holding the main body to the transducer housing of said telephone handset.

4. The cushion of claim 1 comprising a cover for covering the main body.

5. The cushion of claim 1 in which a central portion of the diaphragm is reinforced by having increased thickness in a direction toward the outer face, of said main body said centeral portion of the diaphragm being engagable with a telephone plunger when the telephone handset to which the cushion is applied is placed on hook.

6. The cushion of claim 1 in which the main body has an edge face between the inner and outer faces of the body at a location on the body which faces toward a mouthpiece of said telephone handset upon application of the body to the transducer housing of said telephone handset, and a recess defined in the edge face of said main body.

7. A cushion for application to a telephone handset having a transducer and a transducer housing, the housing having an outer surface in which is a sound aperture for allowing sound to pass to a user from the transducer, the cushion comprising:

a main body adapted to be attached to the transducer housing, the main body having an inner face facing the transducer housing, an outer face facing the user and a channel extending through the main body between the inner and outer faces to guide sound between the sound aperture and the user through the main body; and

a diaphragm extending across the channel having a plurality of ports for allowing sound traveling through the channel to pass through the diaphragm, a central portion of the diaphragm comprising a reinforced portion adapted to engage a telephone plunger when the telephone handset is placed on hook.

8. A cushion for application to a telephone handset having a transducer and a transducer housing, the housing having electrically conductive plates and a sound aperture for allowing sound to pass to a user from the transducer, the cushion comprising:

a main body adapted to be attached to the transducer housing, the main body having an inner face facing the transducer housing, an outer face facing the user and a channel extending through the main body between the inner and outer faces of the body to guide sound between the sound aperture and the user through the main body; and

electrically conductive tabs mounted to the main body, adapted to engage the corresponding electrically conductive plates on the transducer housing, for conducting electricity to the telephone handset.