Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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17 BACXGROUND OF THE INVENTION
18 This invention relates generally to acoustic data
19 couplers, and particularly to the design of receiver and
transmitter element containing cups thereon for establishing
21 a mechanical and acoustical coupling with telephone handsets
22 of various sizes.
23 Data couplers are becoming widely used as a means for
24 connecting computer equipment to an ordinary telephone line
through a telephone handset. Such a coupler generally contains
26 audio transmitter and receiving elements on its case with the
27 elements being electrically connected therein so that
28 computing equipment can both receive and transmit computer
29 data over an ordinary telephone line. The telephone line is
connected to the receiving and transmitting elements by
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1 placing a handset of an ordinary telephone in close contact
2 therewith. In order to maintain the contact and also exclude
3 some background noise from interferring with the data
4 transmission, acoustic coupling cups are utilized at each of
s¦ the transmitter and receiver elements for contacting the
6 handset. Existing couplers of this type are exemplified by
7 the following United States Patents: 3,553,374 - Wolf (1971);
8 3,585,302 - Swan (1971); 3,719,783 - Kennedy (1973);
9 3,725,584 - Kilmer et al (1973); 3,733,437 - Keith (1973); and
3,992,583 - Davis et al (1976).
11 It is a principal object of the present invention to
12 provide an improved data coupler handset receiving cup that
13 holds a handset in place on the data coupler with improved
14 mechanical security, accepts a wider variation and sizes of
handsets and which provides a close contact between the
1~ receiving and transmitting elements of the acoustic coupler
17 and the handset being carried thereby.
18
19 SU;~MARY OF THE INVENTION
These and additional objects are accomplished by the
21 various aspects of the present invention, wherein, briefly,
22 according to one aspect, a thin flexible resilient rubber-like
23 lip is held by a cup structure and extends inward therefrom
24 to form a circular opening. The lip has a free space beneath ;~
it within the cup so that when a handset piece having a
26 diameter larger than the opening is pushed therethrough the
27 lip opening attaches to the handset and stretches. As the
23 handset is pushed into the opening the lip curls downward.
29 This securely holds the handset in place and when it i9 .
attempted to pull it out of the cup there is a resilient
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1 ¦ holding force established by the curled lip. This tightness
2 ¦ permits mounting of the handset on the side or bottom of a
3 ¦ device without any further attachment device or clip being
4 ¦ necessary. The tightness of the lip around the handset also
5 ¦ provides an improved acoustic isolation of a re~eiver or
6 ¦ transmitter element within from the surrounding background
7 noise outside of the cup.
8 According to another aspect of the present invention,
9 a receiver or transmitter element carried with a cup is
10 ¦ mounted on a bottom portion that is resiliently urged upward
11 to provide a close contact with a receiver or transmitter
12 end of a telephone handset that may be pla-ed into the cup.
13 This is provided, in a preferred form, by supporting the
14 ¦ bottom cup portion through a resilient lip of thin, flexible
rubber-like material. This permits a simplified, unitary
16 construction of the cup.
17 According to another aspect of the present invention,
1B the cup is rotatably mounted on the housing in a manner that i;
19 its axis of rotation is d~splaced from the center of the
¦ opening which receives the handset. The result is that the
- 21 distance between openings can be varied by rotating one or
22 both of the acoustical cups, thereby accepting different
23 length handsets with the single acoustical coupler.
24 According to another aspect of the present invention,
he portion of the cup that receives and contacts the handset
26 is mounted to a base portion attached to the case through a
27 resilient lip in a manner to permit tilting of the handset
23 receiving cup portion with respect to the base portion of the
29 cup. This feature provides an adjustment for handsets having .
different angular relationships and dimensions.
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1 Each of the various aspects of the present invention
2 summarized above may be combined into a single cup structure .
3 or provided as individual improvements in existing cup
4 ¦ designs. Additional objects, advantages and features of the .
5 ¦ various aspects of the present invention will become apparent
6 from the following detailed description of their preferred .
7 embodiments.
9 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 illustrates an acoustic data coupler having
11 coupling cups according to one particular design;
12 Figures 2a, 2b and 2c are sectional views of one of the
13 cups of the acoustic data coupler at Figure l taken at
14 section 2a-2a thereof;
Figure 3 illustrates another acoustic data coupler
18 having coupling cups according to another particular design; .
17 Figure ~ is a top view of one of the coupling cups of
18 Figure 3;
19 Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of one of the coupling
cups of the coupler of Figure 3 taken acxoss section ;-5
21 thereof; ..
22 Figure 6 is a partially cut away and sectional view of
23 the other coupling cup of the coupler of Figure 3 taken
24 across section 6-6 thereof; and
Figures 7a and 7b show in further sectional view the
26 acoustical cup of Figure 6 with handsets of widely varying
27 sizes held thereby.
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1 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBOOIMENT :
2 Referring to Figure 1, an acoustic data coupler instrument
11 contains on one side surface thereof a receiver coupling cup
4 13 and a transmitter coupling cup 15 spaced apart in a manner
to receive an ordinary ~elephone handset 17 illustrated in
6 ¦ dotted outline. The side of the data coupler 11 on which the
7 coupling cups 13 and 15 are installed is sùbstantially vertical.
8 ¦ Referring to Figure 2a, the cup 13 i5 described. The cup
13 is a single unitary element molded from a rubber-like plastic
material. A wall portion 19 is generally circular and is made
11 thick enough to be fairly rigid and stay in substantially one
12 place with respect to the case 11 to which it attaches in a
1S circular groove 21 extending around the outside of the cup 13
14 and its wall 19. The wall portion 19 is angularly shaped so
that the cups can be installed on a flat surface. This is made
1B possible by the wall portion 19 holding the transducer at an
17 angle with respect to the cover 11.
18 A circular base 23 of the cup 19 carries a generally
19 circular receiving transducer element 25, shown in dotted out-
line in Figures 2a, 2b and 2c. The base portion 23 is made of
21 thick material and thus is relatively stiff. The circular base
22 23 is permitted some degree of movement within a circular
23 opening 27 provided at the bottom of the walled portion 19. The
24 hase portion 23 is connected to the walled portion 19 by a
thinner molded resilient fold 29 that bridges the gap between
28 the elements 23 and 19. As is shown in dotted outline in
27 Figure 2a, the base portion 23 is thus permitted to be pushed
28 downward with respect to the side portions 19. This occurs whe
29 a telephone handset element of sufficient size is placed into a
central cavity 31 of the cup 13. This assures a close physical
31 contact and improved acoustical coupling between the handset
32 and the element 25 since the fold 29 resiliently urges the
33 element 25 upwards against the handset.
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1 ¦ At the top of the generally circular side wall portion
2 ¦ 19 and extending inward thereof is a thin, flexible circular
3 ¦ lip 33 extending part way across the open cavity 31 to form
4 a circular opening 35 therethrough. The diameter of the
5¦ circular opening 35 is chosen to be smaller than the outside
6¦ diameter of the telephone handset portion designed to be
7 fit thereinto. '
8¦ Referring to Figure 2b, the operation of the lip 33 is
I illustrated when a receiving end of the handset 17 is placed
10 ¦ through the opening 35 into the cavity 31. The circular
11 edge of the lip 33 forming the opening 35 stretches radially ,~
12 outward as the handset is pushed therethroush, forms a tight
13 frictional engagement with the handset and rolls downward
14 into the cavity 31 as the handset 17 is pushed fur~her
thereinto, as shown in Figure 2b. The depth of the cavity
1~ 31 is made sufficient, and the diameter of the opening 35
17 cooperatively sized, all relative to the diameter of the end
18 of the handset 17, so that the lip so rolls downward as
19 shown in Figure 2b when the handset is inserted.
The advantages of the lip 33 are shown with reference
2i to Figure 2c where the handset 17 is shown to be partially
22 ¦ withdrawn from the cavity 31. The elastic gripping force of
23 the lip 33 still holds when the handset 17 is partially `'
24 ¦ withdrawn as shown in Figure 2c. Because of the roll of the
lip 33, as there shown, the force of the lip 33~tends to
26 pull the handset 17 backward into the cavity 31. Only when
27 sufficient force is applied to the handset 17 to withdraw
28 ¦ it even further from the cavity 31 does this positive engagement
23 with the lip 33 break. This has the advantage that the .
31 h;ndset 17 is held firmly in place, thus making it possible
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1 ¦ to place it on the side of an instrument as shown in Figure 1
2 or even on the bottom of an instrument if desired. It has
3 ¦ the further advantage of firmly holding the handset 17 into
4 ¦ the cup 13 in close contact with the receiving element 25
5 ¦ of the acoustic data coupler 11.
6 Referring to all of Figures 2a, 2b and 2c, a thin,
7 ¦ flexible flange 37 is provided on the inside of the walls 19
81 ex.ending into the cavity 31 a short distance to form yet
9 another circular opening through which a handset, such as the 1,
10 handset 17, may tightly fit as best shown in Figure 2b. This
11 ¦ second flange provides an additional amount of acoustic
12 isolation of the coupling between the receiver 25 and the t
13 ¦ handset 17 from external noise surrounding the data coupler 11.
14 ¦ The receiving cup 13 has been described. The transmitter
15 cup lS is preferably of essentially the same design. As an
16 ¦ alternative to this, it will be understood that only one of
17 the cups 13 and 15 need have structure described with
18 respect to Figures 2a, 2b and 2c for some applications. The
19 other cup could be of a conventional existing design.
Referring to Figure 3, another data coupler 50 contains ,~
21 a receiver coupling cup 51 and a transmitter cup 53. These
22 cups are mounted on housing surfaces 55 and 57, respectively,
23 which are angularly displaced with respect to a flat top
24 housing surface 59. A handset 61, shown in dotted outline,
is positioned in both of the cups 51 and 53.
26 In order to accommodate a widely varying set of telep~one
27 handset sizes and shapes, the cups 51 and 53 are provided with
28 additional adjustments that the cups described above with
respect to Figures 1 and 2 do not contain. Referring to .
Figure 4, one of these additional adjustment features is
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llustrated by a top view of the cup 53, although the same can be
said for the cup 51. The cup 53 has a flange 63 upon which are
formed numbers around its circumference. An arrow 65 is attached
to the flat surface 59 of the acoustic data coupler 50. The cup
53 is attached to the coupler 50 in a manner that a telephone
handset receiving opening 35' and a lip 33' moves laterally with
respect to the other acoustic cup 51 when the acoustic cup 53 is
rotated. -The arrow 65 and the numbers on the cup flange 63 provide
an indication of its rotatable position and thus also of the
lateral position of the opening 35'. The range of lateral positions
is shown in Figure 4 in dotted outline, having a maximum lateral
displacement indicated by the distance 67 of Figure 4.
The particular structure of the transmitter acoustical
cup 53 can be observed from the sectional view of Figure 5,
wherein components and elements thereof having the same structure,
function and operation as other elements of embodiments described
earlier are given the same reference number with a prime (') or
double prime ('') added thereto in order that a repeated description
of their operation can be avoided. All of the shapes and elements
of the cup 51 shown in Figure S and to be described are made from a
single continuous molded element.
A base flange 69, carrying the rotational numbers on
its top surface 63', is attached in a circular slot 71 to the
portion 57 of the data coupler SO. The rest of the cup 53 is
attached thereto by a resilient lip 73 made of thinner material than
is the base portion 69 or most of the remaining portions of the cup
53, as is quite apparent from the sectional view of Figure 5. The
curved nature of the lip 73 allows it
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1 to be stretched straight in some areas while at the same time ~,
2 to be given a higher degree of curvature in other areas.
3 This capability thus makes it possible to tilt the top part
4 of the cup ~ with respect to the base 69 and thus with
respect to the cover of the acoustic coupler ~t. Arrows 70
6 indicate this motion. This provides additional flexibility
7 in receiving telephone handsets of various sizes.
8 Although not shown in Figure 5, a transmitter element
9 is positioned within the cup ~r at a lower depression 75.
It is covered by a screen 77 shown in dotted outline in
11 Figure 5.
12 Referring to Figure 6, the receiver cup 51 is shown.
13 It is constructed generally~the same as the transmitting cup
14 53, so similar components thereof are given the same reference
numbers with a prime (') added. The lip 33'' and opening 35''
lff coopera~e with a telephone handset in the same manner as the
17 elements 33 and 35 as previously explained with respect to
18 Figures 1 and 2. The slot 71' and the base 69' of the cup
19 53 is made eccentric to the opening 35''. That is, the
2~ center of the circular slot 71' is displaced a lateral t
21 distance with respect to the center of the circular opening
22 35''. The centers are displaced a lateral distance in a
23 direction toward or away from the centers of the other
24 acoustical cup 53, thereby converting rotary motion of the
cup 53 into axial displacement of its opening 35' in a lateral
28 direction toward or away from the other acoustical cup 51.
27 Referring to Figures 7a and 7b, the receiving cup 51 is
2~ shown with a receiving transducer element 81 therein. Also
29 illustrated are the extreme dimensions of a receiver end of .
33l a telephone handset that can be utilized with the particular
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1 lip structure that has been described herein. ~he cup
2 embodiment of Figures 3-7 is preferable for use in European
3 countries where the handsets vary considerably in size. The
4 acoustic cup illustrated with respect to Figures l and 2 is
less flexible in the variation of handset sizes that it can
6 handle but is satisfactory for marXets in the United States
7 and Canada.
8 It will be recognized that the various features
9 described herein with respect to its preferred embodiments can
be combined in other ways than those particular examples shown
11 and described herein. For example, only one of a pair of 1 .
12 acoustical cups need have the telephone handset gripping lip I
13 feature described initially with respect to Figures l and 2. 1~;
14 As another example, the rotatable and bendable acoustical cup
described with respect to Figures 3-7 may be used as only one
18 of the acoustical cups with some other type being used as the
17 other in a given acoustical data coupler. Therefore, even
18 though the various aspects of the present invention have been
19 described with respect to its preferred embodiments, it will
be understood that the invention is entitled to protection
21 within the full scope of the appended claims.
22
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