Portable terminal with self-contained collapsible stand

Abstract

A compact portable terminal for use with a telephone handset and providing a highly stable acoustically isolated mechanical support for the telephone handset when in an opened position. An upper housing member having a keyboard, a visible display and function switches on the upper portion thereof and a bottom portion incorporating an acoustical coupler device for removably receiving a telephone handset is pivotally connected at one end to a lower housing member having a top portion incorporating a spring-loaded telephone handset cradle means for supporting the telephone handset received by the coupler device when the cradle mechanism is in an operative position. The cradle mechanism includes a spring-biased cradle plate pivotally mounted in a central cavity in the lower housing member which is automatically extended to the operative position when the device is opened. The free end of the cradle plate is contoured conformably with the side and back surfaces of the telephone handset handle to provide a stable mechanical support therefor. A latching mechanism comprising a latching dog slidably mounted in the opposite end of the upper housing member, a spring-biasing means for normally urging the latching dog to the latching position and a button for enabling momentary movement of the latching dog to an unlatching position; and a corresponding latching slot formed in the lower housing member maintains the device in a closed position when the device is not in use.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.