Mobile telephone mount for a vehicle

Claim 2

A telephone mount for use in an automobile, comprising: a telephone unit storage housing having an access opening thereto; a telephone carriage including a telephone receiver mounted thereon, said carriage being movable between a storage position in which said carriage locates said telephone receiver carried thereon within said storage housing and a use position in which said carriage locates at least a portion of said telephone receiver carried thereon through said access opening; and means for mounting said carriage in said housing for movement in an arcuate path from said storage position to said use position, whereby said carriage moves the telephone receive between said storage position within said housing and a position at least partially extended from said housing to said use position in which an operator can operate the telephone receiver.

Claim 3

The telephone mount of claim 1, wherein: said carriage moving means comprises a means for biasing said carriage from said storage position to said use position, and means for selectively maintaining said carriage in said storage position.

Claim 4

The telephone mount of claim 2, wherein: said biasing means includes a spring coupled between said housing and said carriage.

Claim 5

The telephone mount of claim 1, wherein: said moving means includes a constant force spring coupling between said housing and said carriage, said constant force spring biasing said carriage from said storage position to said use position.

Claim 6

The telephone mount of claim 4, wherein: said constant force spring comprises a spring band coiled around a mounting axle, said axle mounted in said housing with one end of said spring band anchored to said axle and an opposite end coupled to said carriage.

Claim 7

A telephone mount for an automoble, comprising: a telephone unit storage housing having an access opening thereto; a telephone carriage movably mounted in said housing, said carriage having a telephone receiver mount thereon, and said carriage being movable between a storage position in which said carriage locates a telephone receiver carried thereon within said storage housing and a use position in which said carriage locates at least a portion of a telephone receiver carried thereon through said access opening, wherein one of said housing and said carriage includes an arcuate guide track on each side thereof, and the other of said housing and said carriage includes track followers on each side thereof that are slidably received by said arcuate guide tracks, whereby said carriage is provided with the ability to translate and rotate relative to said housing; and means for moving said carriage from said storage position to said use position, whereby said carriage moves the telephone receiver between a position protected by said housing and a position at which an operator can grasp the telephone receiver.

Claim 8

A telephone mount for an automoble, comprising: a telephone unit storage housing having an access opening thereto; a telephone carriage movably mounted in said housing, said carriage having a telephone receiver mount thereon, and said carriage being movable between a storage position in which said carriage locates a telephone receiver carried thereon within said storage housing and a use position in which said carriage locates at least a portion of a telephone receiver carried thereon through said access opening, wherein one of said housing and said carriage includes an arcuate guide track on each side thereof, and the other of said housing and said carriage includes track followers on each side thereof that are slidably received by said arcuate guide tracks, whereby said carriage is provided with the ability to translate and rotate relative to said housing; and means for moving said carriage from said storage position to said use position, whereby said carriage moves the telephone receiver between a position protected by said housing and a position at which an operator can grasp the telephone receiver.

Claim 9

The telephbne mount of claim 6, wherein: each said arcuate guide track comprises a single arcuate slot having two said track followers received therein.

Claim 10

The telephone mount of claim 6, wherein: each said arcuate guide track includes two slots, said two slots having different degrees of curvature relative each other, and one said track follower is received in each of said two slots.

Claim 11

The telephone mount of claim 4, further comprising: means for selectively latching said carriage in said storage position by depressing at least one end of said carriage and for unlatching said carriage from said storage position by depressing at least said one end of said carriage.

Claim 12

The telephone mount of claim 1, wherein: said housing is mounted in an automobile console.

Claim 13

The telephone mount of claim 1, wherein said housing is mounted in an automobile armrest.

Claim 14

A telephone mount for an automobile, comprising: a housing having an access opening thereon; a carriage slidably mounted on a track in said housing, said carriage including a telephone receiver cradle thereon; a constant force spring coupled between said housing and said carriage, said constant force spring biasing said carriage from a storage position in which said carriage disposes a receiver on said cradle within said housing to an access position in which said carriage disposes at least a portion of a receiver on said cradle through said access opening and wherein said track curves concavely upwardly such that said carriage both translates and rotates relative to said housing; and said means for selectively maintaining said carriage in said storage position.

Claim 15

A telephone mount for an automobile, comprising: a housing having an access opening thereon; a carriage slidably mounted on a track in said housing, said carriage including a telephone receiver cradle thereon; a constant force spring coupled between said housing and said carriage, said constant force spring biasing said carriage from a storage position in which said carriage disposes a receiver on said cradle within said housing to an access position in which said carriage disposes at least a portion of a receiver on said cradle through said access opening and wherein said track curves concavely upwardly such that said carriage both translates and rotates relative to said housing; and said means for selectively maintaining said carriage in said storage position.

Claim 16

The telephone mount of claim 12, wherein: said constant force spring comprises a band spring.

Claim 17

The telephone mount of claim 12, wherein: said housing is mounted in an automobile console.

Claim 18

The telephone mount of claim 12, wherein: said housing is mounted in an automobile armrest.

Claim 19

A telephone mount for an automobile, comprising: a housing having an access opening thereon; a telephone receiver carriage having a first end and a second end; an arcuate track slidably mounting said carriage in said housing, said arcuate track being configured so that said carriage slides therealong between a storage position and a use position, said carriage having said first end and said second end in said housing when in said storage position and said carriage having at least said first end positioned outside of said housing when in said use position; and means for shifting said carriage between said storage position and said use position.

Claim 20

A telephone mount for an automobile, comprising: a housing having an access opening thereon; a telephone receiver carriage having a first end and a second end; an arcuate track slidably mounting said carriage in said housing, said arcuate track being configured so that said carriage slides therealong between a storage position and a use position, said carriage having said first end and said second end in said housing when in said storage position and said carriage having at least said first end positioned outside of said housing when in said use position; and means for shifting said carriage between said storage position and said use position.

Claim 21

The telephone mount of claim 16, wherein: said arcuate track includes an upwardly concave zone and a substantially linear zone extending at an upward incline from said upwardly concave zone.

Claim 22

The telephone mount of claim 17, wherein: said arcuate track includes a guide slot in either side of said housing, said carriage having slot followers thereon received in said slots.

Claim 23

The telephone mount of claim 17, wherein: said arcuate track includes a pair of guide slots in either side of said housing, said carriage having slot followers thereon received in said slots.

Claim 24

The telephone mount of claim 17, further comprising: a spring coupled between said housing and said carriage, said spring biasing said carriage from said storage position to said use position.

Claim 25

The telephone mount as defined in claim 6 and further including means for selectively latching said carriage in said storage position by depressing at least one end of said carriage and for unlatching said carriage from said storage position by depressing at least said one end of said carriage.

Claim 26

The telephone mount as defined in claim 6 wherein said housing is mounted in an automobile console.

Claim 27

The telephone mount as defined in claim 6 wherein said housing is mounted in an automobile armrest.

Claim 28

The telephone mount as defined in claim 6 wherein said carriage moving means includes means for biasing said carriage from said storage position to said use position, and means for selectively maintaining said carriage in said storage position.

Claim 29

The telephone mount as defined in claim 24 wherein said biasing means includes a constant force spring coupled between said housing and said carriage.

Claim 30

The telephone mount as defined in claim 25 wherein said constant force spring comprises a band spring.