Extendable and retractable telephone cord apparatus

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention pertains to telephone apparatus. More specifically, the present invention pertains to telephone cord apparatus which allows a telephone cord to be extended from or retracted into a wall mounting.

#2. Description of the Prior Art

#FIG. 1 is a partially exploded view of the extendable and retractable telephone cord apparatus of the present invention as viewed from the mounting plate by which the apparatus is attached to a wall, according to a preferred embodiment thereof;

#FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the extendable and retractable telephone cord apparatus of the present invention from behind the mounting plate thereof, according to a preferred embodiment thereof;

#FIG. 3 is a view from one side of a cord reel which is one component of the extendable and retractable telephone cord apparatus of the present invention, according to a preferred embodiment thereof;

#Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an extendable and retractable telephone cord apparatus A, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Parts of it are disassembled and portions of one of the parts is broken away in FIG. 1 so as to better understand the components thereof. The apparatus A is provided with a wall mounting plate 1 which is provided with holes 2 and 3 for receiving screws (not shown) for mounting the apparatus A in a wall (not shown). The sheetrock or other material of the wall would have a hole cut therein to allow portions of the apparatus A behind the mounting plate 1 to be inserted therethrough. The hole would be smaller than the mounting plate 1 so that it would be totally covered by the mounting plate 1. The mounting plate 1 would have an aperture 4 therethrough, at opposite edges of which are recessed areas 5 and 6 for manually grasping a telephone plug 7 extending from the wall mounting plate 1. At the lower end of the mounting plate 1 is a semi-spherical raised area 8 having an aperture 9 through which is inserted a coil spring 10 and mounted in which is a button or cap 11 which has ribs 12 thereon. When inserted through the rear of the mounting plate 1, the cap or button 11 is biased outwardly by the spring 10 but remains within the aperture 9 because of the engagement of the radial ribs 12 thereon. It should be noted that there is a central projection 13 from the cap 11 which can be moved inwardly of the mounting plate 1 upon compression of the spring 10 by manually engaging the cap 11.

#Projecting rearwardly of the mounting plate 1 is a mounting web 14 to which a reel housing 15 may be affixed in any suitable manner. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, pins 16, 17 and 18 extend from the side of the reel housing 15 for mating with corresponding holes 19, 20, etc. provided on the web 14 to which the reel housing 15 would be attached by gluing or any other means. The reel housing 15 provides a recess or enclosure which provides a flat inner surface 21 of the housing (see FIG. 2).

#Mounted within the housing recess is a cord reel 22 (see also FIGS. 1-3) including a central drum 23, mounted for rotation about a central axis which is perpendicular to the flat inner surface 21 of the housing 15. The cord reel 22 will be more fully described hereafter.