Inmate phone

• US 6,009,169 A
• Filed: 02/03/1998
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TIP Systems Holding Company Incorporated (TIP Systems LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mark Styron
• Inventors: Styron, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Application Number:
  US09/017,982
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 379/428, 379/447, 379/453, 379/420, 379/446, 379/454, 379/455
• US Class Current: 379/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0291 Door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/18 Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment H04M1/19 takes precedence

Abstract

An inmate phone (10) of the type having a housing (12) in an interior wall (14) of a prison (16). A push-button dialing pad (18) is mounted within a front wall (20) of the housing (12) with the push-button digits (22) of the push-button dialing pad (18) extending out of the front wall (20). A telephone handset (24) is provided, being a handle (26) with an earpiece (28) at one end and a mouthpiece (30) at an opposite end. A handset cord (32) is electrically connected between the push-button dialing pad (18) and the telephone handset (24). The improvement comprises a facility (34) for permanently mounting the telephone handset (24) vertically within the front wall (20) of the housing (12), so that the earpiece (28) positioned at top and the mouthpiece (30) positioned at bottom will permanently extend out through the front wall (20) of the housing (12) to be used by inmates within the prison (16) hands free. The handset cord (32) is permanently maintained within the housing (12), to prevent the inmates from having direct access to the telephone handset (24) and the handset cord (32), in which the inmates can no longer hang themselves with the handset cord (32) and break the handset cord (32) off and use the telephone handset (24) as a weapon.

Claims

1. An inmate phone of the type having a housing in an interior wall of a prison, a push-button dialing pad mounted within a front wall of the housing with the push-button digits of the push-button dialing pad extending out of the front wall, a telephone handset being a handle with an earpiece at one end and a mouthpiece at an opposite end, a handset cord electrically connected between the push-button dialing pad and the telephone handset, wherein the improvement comprises means for permanently mounting the telephone handset vertically within the front wall of the housing, so that the earpiece positioned at top and the mouthpiece positioned at bottom will permanently extend out through the front wall of the housing to be used by inmates within the prison hands free while the handset cord is also permanently maintained within the housing, to prevent the inmates from having direct access to the telephone handset and the handset cord, in which the inmates can no longer hang themselves with the handset cord and break the handset cord off and use the telephone handset as a weapon.

2. An inmate phone as recited in claim 1, wherein the improvement further comprises means extending through the front wall of the housing, for manually actuating the dial tone of the inmate phone independently of the telephone handset.

3. An inmate phone as recited in claim 1, wherein said permanently mounting means for the telephone handset includes:

a) the housing having two vertically spaced apart apertures through the front wall thereof;

b) at least one bracket assembly secured within the front wall of the housing, for permanently retaining the earpiece and the mouthpiece of the telephone handset through said two vertically spaced apart apertures in the front wall of the housing; and

c) a pair of annular seals, in which each said annular seal extends about the earpiece and the mouthpiece of the telephone handset within said two vertically spaced apart apertures in the front wall of the housing.

4. An inmate phone as recited in claim 3, wherein said at least one bracket assembly includes:

a) a U-shaped clamp strap being of a size to fit about the handle of the telephone handset;

b) a pair of flanges, in which each said flange having a hole therethrough is integral with and extends outwardly from one free end of said U-shaped clamp strap, so that said flanges can rest against an interior surface of the front wall of the housing;

c) a pair of threaded shanks, in which each said threaded shank is affixed at one end to the interior surface of the front wall of the housing, so as to extend through one hole in one said flange; and

d) a pair of nuts, in which each said nut is threaded onto one said threaded shank to hold one said flange securely to the interior surface of the front wall of the housing, so that said U-shaped clamp strap over the handle will keep the telephone handset permanently in place within the housing.

5. An inmate phone as recited in claim 4, wherein said U-shaped clamp strap and said flanges are fabricated out of a strong durable material.

6. An inmate phone as recited in claim 5, wherein said strong durable material is metal.

7. An inmate phone as recited in claim 5, wherein said strong durable material is plastic.

8. An inmate phone as recited in claim 2, wherein said dial tone actuating means includes a momentary on/off push-button switch mounted through the front wall of the housing and electrically connected between a phone line in the interior wall of the prison, the push-button dialing pad and the telephone handset.

9. An inmate phone as recited in claim 8, further including means electrically connected to the telephone handset for increasing and decreasing sound coming out of the earpiece and sound going into the mouthpiece of the telephone handset.

10. An inmate phone as recited in claim 9, wherein said sound increasing and decreasing means is an amplifier built into the push-button dialing pad.

11. An inmate phone as recited in claim 9, wherein said sound increasing and decreasing means includes:

a) said momentary on/off push-button switch having a built-in volume control circuit with a rotatable control knob; and

b) an amplifier electrically connected between said volume control circuit and the telephone handset, so that when said control knob is manually rotated in a clockwise direction the sound coming out of the earpiece and the sound going into the mouthpiece will be increased, and when said control knob is manually rotated in a counterclockwise direction the sound coming out of the earpiece and the sound going into the mouthpiece will be decreased.

12. An inmate phone of the type having a housing in an interior wall of a prison, a push-button dialing pad mounted within a front wall of the housing with the push-button digits of the push-button dialing pad extending out of the front wall, a telephone handset being a handle with an earpiece at one end and a mouthpiece at an opposite end, a handset cord electrically connected between the push-button dialing pad and the telephone handset, wherein the improvement comprises:

a) means for permanently mounting the telephone handset vertically within the front wall of the housing, so that the earpiece positioned at top and the mouthpiece positioned at bottom will permanently extend out through the front wall of the housing to be used by inmates within the prison hands free while the handset cord is also permanently maintained within the housing, to prevent the inmates from having direct access to the telephone handset and the handset cord, in which the inmates can no longer hang themselves with the handset cord and break the handset cord off and use the telephone handset as a weapon; and

b) means extending through the front wall of the housing, for manually actuating the dial tone of the inmate phone independently of the telephone handset.

13. An inmate phone as recited in claim 12, wherei n said permanently mounting means for the telephone handset includes:

a) the housing having two vertically spaced apart apertures through the front wall thereof;

b) at least one bracket assembly secured within the front wall of the housing, for permanently retaining the earpiece and the mouthpiece of the telephone handset through said two vertically spaced apart apertures in the front wall of the housing; and

c) a pair of annular seals, in which each said annular seal extends about the earpiece and the mouthpiece of the telephone handset within said two vertically spaced apart apertures in the front wall of the housing.

14. An inmate phone as recited in claim 13, wherein said at least one bracket assembly includes:

a) a U-shaped clamp strap being of a size to fit about the handle of the telephone handset;

b) a pair of flanges, in which each said flange having a hole therethrough is integral with and extends outwardly from one free end of said U-shaped clamp strap, so that said flanges can rest against an interior surface of the front wall of the housing;

c) a pair of threaded shanks, in which each said threaded shank is affixed at one end to the interior surface of the front wall of the housing, so as to extend through one hole in one said flange; and

d) a pair of nuts, in which each said nut is threaded onto one said threaded shank to hold one said flange securely to the interior surface of the front wall of the housing, so that said U-shaped clamp strap over the handle will keep the telephone handset permanently in place within the housing.

15. An inmate phone as recited in claim 14, wherein said U-shaped clamp strap and said flanges are fabricated out of a strong durable material.

16. An inmate phone as recited in claim 15, wherein said strong durable material is metal.

17. An inmate phone as recited in claim 15, wherein said strong durable material is plastic.

18. An inmate phone as recited in claim 15, wherein said dial tone actuating means includes a momentary on/off push-button switch mounted through the front wall of the housing and electrically connected between a phone line in the interior wall of the prison, the push-button dialing pad and the telephone handset.

19. An inmate phone as recited in claim 18, further including means electrically connected to the telephone handset for increasing and decreasing sound coming out of the earpiece and sound going into the mouthpiece of the telephone handset.

20. An inmate phone as recited in claim 19, wherein said sound increasing and decreasing means is an amplifier built into the push-button dialing pad.

21. An inmate phone as recited in claim 19, wherein said sound increasing and decreasing means includes:

a) said momentary on/off push-button switch having a built-in volume control circuit with a rotatable control knob; and

b) an amplifier electrically connected between said volume control circuit and the telephone handset, so that when said control knob is manually rotated in a clockwise direction the sound coming out of the earpiece and the sound going into the mouthpiece will be increased, and when said control knob is manually rotated in a counterclockwise direction the sound coming out of the earpiece and the sound going into the mouthpiece will be decreased.