Telephone apparatus

Claim 1

A telephone apparatus comprising a handset having a receiver part and a transmitter part, one of said receiver and transmitter parts including outer and inner sides having outer and inner engagement members respectively thereon; and a base unit for receiving said handset, said base unit including a housing having an inside and an outside; a fixed protrusion member for engaging said outer engagement member and a movable protrusion member for engaging said inner engagement member when said handset is mounted on said base unit, said movable protrusion member comprising a flange portion having first and second coplanar opposite sides and an abutment portion extending therefrom, said abutment portion having first and second opposite inclined surfaces converging toward a tip which projects through an opening in said housing to the outside thereof, the opening in said housing having a periphery; and support means including a compression spring for resiliently supporting said movable protrusion member within said housing and urging the tip of the abutment portion thereof through the opening in said housing and the flange portion thereof against the periphery of said opening; whereby said handset is lifted off said base unit by rotating it away from said base unit about said fixed protrusion member thereby causing said movable protrusion member to be rotatably retracted against the force exerted by said compression spring as the result of the first inclined surface of said movable protrusion member being pressed against said inner engagement member and the first side of the flange portion of said movable protrusion member being pivoted about a first pivot point on the periphery of the opening in said housing; said handset being replaced on said base unit by engaging said outer engagement member with said fixed protrusion member and rotating said handset toward said base unit thereby causing said movable protrusion member to be retracted against the force exerted by said compression spring as the second inclined surface of said movable protrusion member presses against said inner engagement member and the second side of the flange portion of said movable protrusion member pivots about a second pivot point located opposite said first pivot point on the periphery of the opening in said housing; the abutment portion of said movable protrusion member being forced by said compression spring into engagement with said inner engagement member when said handset is seated on said base unit.