Knuckle swivel antenna for portable telephone

A swivel antenna and connection with an antenna mounting, which comprises:

• a connection member for securing an antenna to a housing, said connection member defining means for connection with said housing and a first bearing face, said antenna having a base which defines a second bearing face, spring means carried by said connection member continually urging said first and second bearing faces together, said first and second bearing faces continually abutting each other in sliding, rotary bearing relation for relative movement as said antenna swivels.

A portable telephone which comprises a telephone housing, a connection member having a longitudinal axis attached to said housing and communicating outwardly therefrom, an antenna carried on said connection member, and means, to permit said antenna to swivel in a plane substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, associated with said connection member, said means associated with the connection member defining a first bearing face, said antenna having a base which defines a second bearing face, said first and second bearing faces abutting each other, continuously in area contact, in sliding, rotary bearing relation as said antenna swivels;

• said bearing faces being defined by electrically conductive materials, whereby electrical signals to and from said antenna pass across said abutting faces and through said connection member;
• and, spring means, carried by said connection member, urging said first and second bearing faces together with sufficient strength to retain said antenna in one of a plurality of swivel positions.

A portable telephone which comprises a telephone housing, a connection member defining a first electrically conductive bearing face and a first longitudinal axis, said connection member being attached to said housing and communicating outwardly therefrom, a head member defining a second longitudinal axis perpendicular to said first longitudinal axis and a second electrically conductive bearing face abutting, continuously in area contact, said first electrically conductive bearing face of said connection member in sliding rotary bearing relation for relative movement as said antenna rotates and a third electrically conductive bearing face, a first spring, carried proximate to said first and second bearing faces, urging said first bearing face and said second bearing face together, an antenna defining a fourth electrically conductive bearing face, rotationally attached to said head member and abutting, continuously in area contact, said third electrically conductive bearing face of said head member in sliding rotary bearing relation for relative movement as said antenna pivots, and a second spring, carried proximate to said third and fourth bearing faces, urging said third bearing face and said fourth bearing face together allowing said antenna to pivot about said second longitudinal axis and rotate about said first longitudinal axis.

A portable telephone which comprises a telephone housing, a connection member defining a first bearing face and a first longitudinal axis, said connection member being attached to said housing and communicating outwardly therefrom, a head member defining a second longitudinal axis perpendicular to said first longitudinal axis and a second bearing face abutting, continuously in area contact, said first bearing face of said connection member in sliding rotary bearing relation for relative movement as said antenna rotates and a third bearing face, and an antenna defining a fourth bearing face, rotationally attached to said head member and abutting, continuously in area contact, said third bearing face of said head member in sliding rotary bearing relation for relative movement as said antenna pivots, allowing said antenna to pivot about said second longitudinal axis and rotate about said first longitudinal axis said portable telephone having first spring means, carried proximate to said first and second bearing faces, urging said first and second bearing faces together and second spring means, carried proximate to said third and fourth bearing faces urging said third and fourth bearing faces together.