Electrical device and electrical transmitter-receiver particularly useful in a CT2 cordless telephone

• US 5,204,687 A
• Filed: 07/19/1990
• Issued: 04/20/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Galtronics Limited
• Original Assignee: Galtronics Limited
• Inventors: Elliott, Michael, Martiskainen, Matti
• Primary Examiner(s): Hille, Rolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US07/554,492
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/900, 343/901, 343/895, 343/883, 343/880
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/244 extendable from a housing along a given path

Abstract

An electrical transmitter-receiver, particularly useful as a CT2 cordless telephone, includes a quarter wavelength antenna rod carried by the housing, and a quarter wavelength antenna coil carried by one end of the antenna rod. The antenna rod is movably mounted through an opening in its housing to a retracted position wherein substantially only the antenna coil is disposed externally of the housing, or to an extended position wherein substantially the complete antenna rod and the antenna coil are disposed externally of the housing. When the antenna rod is in its retracted position an electrical switch connects the antenna coil to the electrical circuit, and when the antenna rod is in its extended position an electrical switch connects the antenna rod to the electrical circuit.

Claims

1. An electrical device, comprising:

a housing enclosing electrical circuitry of the electrical device;

an antenna rod carried by said housing for use in long-range operation of the device and pretuned to a predetermined frequency;

an antenna coil carried by one end of said antenna rod for use in short-range operation of the device and pretuned to the same predetermined frequency;

said antenna rod being movably mounted through an opening in the housing to a retracted position wherein substantially only the antenna coil is disposed externally of the housing, or to an extended position wherein substantially the complete antenna rod and the antenna coil are disposed externally of the housing;

an electrical switching means effective when the antenna rod is in its retracted position to connect the antenna coil to said electrical circuit and thereby to condition the device for short-range operation, and when the antenna rod is in its extended position to connect the antenna rod to said electrical circuit, to disconnect the antenna coil therefrom, and thereby to condition the device for long-range operation.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said electrical switching means comprises:

a fixed electrical connector fixed to said housing;

a first movable electrical connector electrically-connected to said antenna coil and carried by said antenna rod so as to be engageable by said fixed electrical connector when the antenna rod is in its retracted position to connect the antenna coil to said electrical circuit;

and a second movable electrical connector connected to and carried by said antenna rod so as to be engageable by said fixed electrical connector when the antenna rod is in its extended position to connect the antenna rod to said electrical circuit.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said fixed electrical connector is located adjacent said opening in the housing through which the antenna rod is movable to its retracted and extended positions.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein said first movable electrical connector is located at the juncture of the antenna coil with the antenna rod.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said second movable electrical connector is located at the end of the antenna rod opposite to that carrying the antenna coil.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said opposite end of the antenna rod carries a shoulder engageable with a stop fixed within the housing adjacent said opening for limiting the movement of the antenna rod when moved to its extended position.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said housing opening is circumscribed by an insulating bushing engageable with a stop carried by said antenna coil for limiting the movement of the antenna rod when moved to its retracted position.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said antenna rod and said antenna coil are both of quarter wavelength.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein said antenna coil is embedded within a dielectric medium.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein said antenna rod is enclosed within a dielectric sleeve.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said antenna rod is of a stiff coiled configuration.

12. An electrical transmitter-receiver, particularly useful in a CT2 cordless telephone comprising:

a housing enclosing electrical circuitry of the transmitter-receiver;

an antenna rod pretuned to a predetermined frequency carried by said housing;

an antenna coil pretuned to the same predetermined frequency carried by one end of said antenna rod;

said antenna rod being movably mounted through an opening in the housing to a retracted position wherein substantially only the antenna coil is disposed externally of the housing, or to an extended position wherein substantially the complete antenna rod and the antenna coil are disposed externally of the housing;

an electrical switching means effective when the antenna rod is in its retracted position to connect the antenna coil to said electrical circuit and to disconnect the antenna rod therefrom, and when the antenna rod is in its extended position to connect the antenna rod to said electrical circuit and to disconnect the antenna coil therefrom.

13. The transmitter-receiver according to claim 12, wherein said electrical switching means comprises:

a fixed electrical connector fixed to said housing;

a first movable electrical connector electrically-connected to said antenna coil and carried by said antenna rod so as to be engageable by said fixed electrical connector when the antenna rod is in its retracted position to connect the antenna coil to said electrical circuit;

and a second movable electrical connector connected to and carried by said antenna rod so as to be engageable by said fixed electrical connector when the antenna rod is in its extended position to connect the antenna rod to said electrical circuit.

14. The transmitter-receiver of claims 13, wherein said fixed electrical connector is located adjacent said opening in the housing through which the antenna rod is movable to its retracted and extended positions.

15. The transmitter-receiver of claim 14, wherein said first movable electrical connector is located at the juncture of the antenna coil with the antenna rod.

16. The transmitter-receiver of claim 15, wherein said second movable electrical connector is located at the end of the antenna rod opposite to that carrying the antenna coil.

17. The transmitter-receiver of claim 16, wherein said opposite end of the antenna rod carries a shoulder engageable with a stop fixed within the housing adjacent said opening for limiting the movement of the antenna rod when moved to its extended position.

18. The transmitter-receiver of claim 17, wherein said housing opening is circumscribed by an insulating bushing engageable with a stop carried by said antenna coil for limiting the movement of the antenna rod when moved to its retracted position.

19. The transmitter-receiver according to claim 12, wherein said antenna coil is embedded within a dielectric medium.

20. The transmitter-receiver of claim 12, wherein said antenna rod is of a stiff coiled configuration and is enclosed within a dielectric sleeve.