Vandal proof intercom system for apartment buildings

• US 7,113,578 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronic Locking Specialties, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Electronic Locking Specialties, Inc.
• Inventors: Unger, John, Fitzpatrick, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, BARRY W
• Application Number:
  US10/292,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20040091092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 37916701-176
• US Class Current: 379/167.01
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/00 Arrangements for interconnection not involving centralised switching

Abstract

An electronic apartment station intercom unit, housed in a vandal proof enclosure, providing a means for a tenant to communicate with apartment building main entrance door panel and means to unlock said door. This unit has a power storage unit that enables this unit to be compatible with existing apartment building switching units. This power storage unit can be in the form of capacitors. In addition, this unit also contains a timer to shut the intercom unit off after a preset period of time.

Claims

1. An intercom system unit which interfaces with an intercom system of a building comprising:

a) at least one push to talk button which when pressed allows power to flow from the power source to the remaining components of the intercom unit allowing a user to communicate through the intercom;

b) at least one time out circuit which is in communication with the power source wherein said at least one time out switch starts in a closed position allowing power to flow from the power source and then switches open after a preset period of time to disable the intercom after a preset time; and

c) a circuit coupled to said push to talk button which is in the form of half of a duplex communication link wherein the transmit and receive functions are mutually exclusive such that the pressing of said push to talk button outside of an initiation from an outside guest cannot initiate communications since there is no power present in the unit when idle.

2. An intercom device which can be secured to a wall in a tamper proof manner, the device comprising:

a) at least one intercom housing;

b) at least one back cover plate;

c) at least one wall mounting plate;

d) at least one tamper resistant screw coupled to said at least one front plate;

e) at least one additional tamper resistant screw coupled to said at least one back plate wherein said at least one tamper resistant screw is disposed in front of said at least one additional tamper resistant screw and is for obscuring said at least one additional tamper resistant screw, wherein said at least one tamper resistant screw couples said at least one intercom housing to said at least one back plate and said at least one additional tamper resistant screw couples said at least one back plate to the wall.

3. The device as in claim 2, wherein said at least one intercom housing has a hole and said at least one back plate has a hole, wherein when said at least one intercom housing is secured to said at least one back plate, said hole in said intercom housing is aligned with said hole in said back plate.