US 5,222,132 AGranted

Support bracket for telephone

OwnerRobert A. Rioux, Jr.inventor

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Abstract

A telephone support device attaches to a hospital bed-rail or similar assembly, and holds a one-piece telephone. The holder comprises an upper female and lower male member that are adapted to interlock in a guided detent mechanism to form a two-part bracket of adjustable length that mounts on the rail assembly. Upper and lower hooks respectively disposed on the upper and lower plates extend rearward over the upper rail and under the lower rail, firmly attaching the bracket to the rail assembly. One or more shelves projecting forward from the front surface of the rear wall defined by the two plates serve as a telephone rest. A pair of lateral retaining members project forward from opposite edges of the rear wall and are adapted receive a telephone instrument. The bracket is stiffened and reinforced by dimples embedded in the members and by suitably placed longitudinal ribs.

In combination, a one-piece telephone instrument and a hospital room telephone support for supporting the one-piece telephone instrument from a bed side unit that has first and second horizontal rails spaced a distance apart;

the telephone instrument comprising an elongated body having an earpiece, a mouthpiece, and a hook switch;
and
the telephone support comprising a two part bracket mountable on the rails, said bracket comprising
an upper member having front and rear surfaces, and a rearwardly projecting upper hanger means for engaging said first rail;
a lower member having front and rear surfaces, and rearwardly projecting lower hanger means for engaging said second rail, said upper member and said lower member being slidably related to form an adjustable bracket means;
means for interlocking said upper member and said lower member, comprising
a pair of open-sided flanges, disposed on opposite lateral edges of the rear surface of one of said members, the open sides of said flanges facing each other and being arranged to slidably receive therein the other of said member;
said rear surface of said other member having a plurality of perforations adjacent said lateral edges, said perforations arranged to engage detent pins mounted inside the open-sided flanges of said one member;
and
a pair of retaining elements disposed on opposite side edges of said two part bracket and extending generally forward therefrom, each retaining element having a front retaining section that extends toward the other retaining element, said retaining elements being formed of a resilient semirigid material, said retaining elements and said front surface of said two part bracket defining a channel for slidably receiving said telephone instrument, whereby said retaining elements embrace said telephone instrument and urge said telephone instrument against said front surface so that the hook switch is held depressed against said two part bracket when said telephone instrument is retained in said channel.

7 more elements

Abstract

Claims15