Retractable antenna for portable telephone

A portable radio telephone comprising:

• a housing having a first portion and a second portion, the second portion being pivotally connected to the first portion by an elongated guide rod disposed between said first portion and said second portion;
• an elongated first slide track disposed within said first portion, said elongated first slide track being non-movably affixed to an antenna and having first engaging means disposed along at least a portion of said elongated first slide track;
• and
• a gear affixed to said guide rod, said gear having means for interlocking engagement with said first engaging means.

An antenna for a telephone having a telephone housing including a second housing portion pivotally attached to a first housing portion and being selectively pivotable between an open position and a closed position, the antenna comprising:

• a flexible slide track having a plurality of first gear teeth thereon and being slidably supported within the first housing portion;
• an antenna having a portion thereof received within the first housing portion and non-movably attached to said flexible slide track;
• and
• a gear rotatably supported within the first housing portion and in intermeshing engagement with said first gear teeth, said gear constructed to rotate in a first direction when the second portion is pivoted to the open position and said gear constructed to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the second portion is pivoted to the closed position.