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US4385212A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Expandable communication terminal housing
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1981-10-05
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Granted: 1983-05-24
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Expires: 2001-10-05
Abstract
Abstract An expandable telephone housing has been developed which allows for easy lateral expansion. The housing contains front and rear slides and an end cap which is removable. For expansion the end cap is removed exposing a mating mechanism for locking to an expansion housing. The expansion housing contains a face plate having additional lamps or buttons. New, and longer, front and rear slides are positioned along the front and rear edges of the combined housing to secure the now elongated structure. When assembled, the combined housings give the appearance of a single housing. The rear slide may be arranged for securing an auxiliary display unit.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel W. Tyler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 12:20
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M1/00; H04M1/02; H04M1/0289
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
294 words
A housing having front, back, left and right edges, a first face plate, `a first set of locking members each having a length equal to the width of said terminal housing, one of said locking members adapted for interlocking with said terminal housing front edge and with an edge of said first face plate and the other of said locking members adapted for interlocking with said terminal housing back edge and with an edge of said first face plate, at lest one of said terminal housing edges including mating means, an end member removably attachable to one or the other side edges of said terminal housing and arranged to expose said mating means when removed, an extension housing having front, back, left and right edges, at least one of said extension housing edges including mating means complimentary to said housing mating means, a second face plate adapted for abutting said first face plate when said terminal housing and said extension terminal housing are in mated relationship, and a second set of locking members adapted for replacing said first set of locking members, each said second set locking member having a length substantially equal to the width of said housing plus the width of said extension housing, one of said second set of locking members adapted for concurrently interlocking said front edge of said housing with said front edge of said extension housing and with said first and second face plates when both of said housings are in mated relationship, and the other of said second set of locking members adapted for concurrently interlocking said back edge of said housing with said back edge of said extension housing and with said first and second face plates when both of said housings are in mated relationship.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
294 words
A housing having front, back, left and right edges, a first face plate, `a first set of locking members each having a length equal to the width of said terminal housing, one of said locking members adapted for interlocking with said terminal housing front edge and with an edge of said first face plate and the other of said locking members adapted for interlocking with said terminal housing back edge and with an edge of said first face plate, at lest one of said terminal housing edges including mating means, an end member removably attachable to one or the other side edges of said terminal housing and arranged to expose said mating means when removed, an extension housing having front, back, left and right edges, at least one of said extension housing edges including mating means complimentary to said housing mating means, a second face plate adapted for abutting said first face plate when said terminal housing and said extension terminal housing are in mated relationship, and a second set of locking members adapted for replacing said first set of locking members, each said second set locking member having a length substantially equal to the width of said housing plus the width of said extension housing, one of said second set of locking members adapted for concurrently interlocking said front edge of said housing with said front edge of said extension housing and with said first and second face plates when both of said housings are in mated relationship, and the other of said second set of locking members adapted for concurrently interlocking said back edge of said housing with said back edge of said extension housing and with said first and second face plates when both of said housings are in mated relationship.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said front and back housing edges and said front and back extension housing edges include a grooved top surface and a grooved bottom surface, said grooved surfaces adapted to accept mating protrusions on said first or second set of locking members.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of said locking members of said first or said second set includes means for supporting an auxiliary display unit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
118 words
The invention set forth in claim 3 wherein said supporting means includes a first mating member attachable to said locking member, a second mating member attached to said display unit, and a connector for mating with and between said first and second mating members, said connector adapted for holding said display unit at either a first or a second angle with respect to the plane of said housing face plate, said first angle being established by said connector mated in a first position with respect to said first and second mating members and said second angle being established by said connector being mated in a position between said first and second mating members reverse from said first position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
162 words
An expansion housing for use in conjunction with a basic housing, said basic housing including a first face plate, a first set of locking members each adapted to slide along a forward or rear surface of said basic housing to secure said first face plate to said basic housing, interlocking means on one end thereof, said expansion housing comprising second interlocking means on one end thereof, said second interlocking means arranged to mate with said first interlocking means when said expansion housing is positioned adjacent to and abutting with said basic housing, a second face plate, and a second set of locking members for replacing said first set of locking members, said second set of locking members each having a length substantially equal to the combined widths of said basic and expansion housings when said housings are in abutted relationship, said locking members adapted to slide along said forward and rear surfaces of said housings thereby interlocking said housings and said faceplates.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
162 words
An expansion housing for use in conjunction with a basic housing, said basic housing including a first face plate, a first set of locking members each adapted to slide along a forward or rear surface of said basic housing to secure said first face plate to said basic housing, interlocking means on one end thereof, said expansion housing comprising second interlocking means on one end thereof, said second interlocking means arranged to mate with said first interlocking means when said expansion housing is positioned adjacent to and abutting with said basic housing, a second face plate, and a second set of locking members for replacing said first set of locking members, said second set of locking members each having a length substantially equal to the combined widths of said basic and expansion housings when said housings are in abutted relationship, said locking members adapted to slide along said forward and rear surfaces of said housings thereby interlocking said housings and said faceplates.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The invention set forth in claim 5 wherein said housings each have grooves in said forward and rear surfaces to accept a mating structure of said locking members.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
147 words
A basic housing for use in conjunction with an exapnsion housing, said expansion housing including a first face plate, a first set of locking members each adapted to slide along a forward or rear surface of said expansion housing to secure said first face plate to said expansion housing, interlocking means on one end thereof, said basic housing comprising second interlocking means on one end thereof, said second interlocking means arranged for mating relationship with said first interlocking means when said expansion housing is positioned adjacent to and abutting with said basic housing, a second face plate, and a second set of locking members for replacing said first set of locking members, said second set of locking members each adapted to slide along a forward or rear surface of a combined basic and expansion housing to secure said first and second face plates to said combined housing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
147 words
A basic housing for use in conjunction with an exapnsion housing, said expansion housing including a first face plate, a first set of locking members each adapted to slide along a forward or rear surface of said expansion housing to secure said first face plate to said expansion housing, interlocking means on one end thereof, said basic housing comprising second interlocking means on one end thereof, said second interlocking means arranged for mating relationship with said first interlocking means when said expansion housing is positioned adjacent to and abutting with said basic housing, a second face plate, and a second set of locking members for replacing said first set of locking members, said second set of locking members each adapted to slide along a forward or rear surface of a combined basic and expansion housing to secure said first and second face plates to said combined housing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
The invention set forth in claim 7 wherein said housings each have grooves in said forward and rear surfaces to accept a mating structure of said locking members.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
167 words
The method of expanding a communication housing where the housing has a supporting base and a face plate for attachment to said supporting base, said method comprising the steps of removing an end cap from said supporting base and exposing a mating mechanism, removing a set of sliding members from the front and from the rear of said supporting base thereby freeing said face plate, attaching a second supporting housing adjacent to and abutting said supporting base by interlocking said exposed mating mechanism with a like mating mechanism on one side of said second supporting base, placing a second face plate on said second supporting base, substituting said sliding members with a second set of sliding members having a length substantially equal to the combined lengths of said face plate and said second face plate, replacing said substituted sliding members on the front and on the rear of said interlocked supporting bases, and replacing said end cap on the now exposed end of said second supporting base.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
167 words
The method of expanding a communication housing where the housing has a supporting base and a face plate for attachment to said supporting base, said method comprising the steps of removing an end cap from said supporting base and exposing a mating mechanism, removing a set of sliding members from the front and from the rear of said supporting base thereby freeing said face plate, attaching a second supporting housing adjacent to and abutting said supporting base by interlocking said exposed mating mechanism with a like mating mechanism on one side of said second supporting base, placing a second face plate on said second supporting base, substituting said sliding members with a second set of sliding members having a length substantially equal to the combined lengths of said face plate and said second face plate, replacing said substituted sliding members on the front and on the rear of said interlocked supporting bases, and replacing said end cap on the now exposed end of said second supporting base.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
46 words
The invention set forth in claim 9 further comprising the steps of substituting for one of said sliding members a display sliding member having a support for a display unit, and connecting said display unit to said housing by attaching said display unit to said support.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
The invention set forth in claim 10 wherein said last-mentioned step includes the use of a reversible connector between said support and said display unit, said connector being adapted to change the angle between said housing and said display unit.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
109 words
The method of expanding a communication housing where the housing has a supporting base and a face plate for attachment to said supporting base, said method comprising the steps of removing an end cap from said supporting base, removing one of a set of sliding members from the rear of said supporting base thereby freeing said face plate, substituting said removed sliding member with a second sliding member having a support for a rear hung display unit, replacing said substituted sliding member on the rear of said supporting base, replacing said end cap, and connecting said display unit to said supporting base by attaching said second sliding member support.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
109 words
The method of expanding a communication housing where the housing has a supporting base and a face plate for attachment to said supporting base, said method comprising the steps of removing an end cap from said supporting base, removing one of a set of sliding members from the rear of said supporting base thereby freeing said face plate, substituting said removed sliding member with a second sliding member having a support for a rear hung display unit, replacing said substituted sliding member on the rear of said supporting base, replacing said end cap, and connecting said display unit to said supporting base by attaching said second sliding member support.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
41 words
The invention set forth in claim 12 wherein said last-mentioned step includes the use of a reversible connector between said support and said display unit, said connector being adapted to change the angle between said supporting base and said display unit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-05-23 | 1986-11-22 | 1987-05-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-05-23 | 1990-11-22 | 1991-05-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-05-23 | 1994-11-22 | 1995-05-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |