Telephonic communications – Terminal accessory or auxiliary equipment – Hood or enclosure
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-03
2001-08-14
Chiang, Jack (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Terminal accessory or auxiliary equipment
Hood or enclosure
C379S145000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275584
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to pay telephones and in particular relates to a pay telephone housing with a vault in a lower portion thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a typical prior art telephone housing, the coin vault (or simply the “vault”) is located in the lower part of the housing for storing a coin box which receives money from the coin escrow mechanism of the pay telephone. Existing housings tend to be of a standard size and configuration such that only a certain volume remains for use as the coin vault. Furthermore, known coin vaults typically are strengthened against vandalism and damage by various security measures. For example, it is very typical for vaults to have a front opening in which a removable door is locked. A rim runs around the opening and receives the removable door. Holes are formed in the rim for receiving removable locking bars which can be extended through the holes and locked in place to prevent the removable door from being removed or pried off by a vandal. To further strengthen this arrangement, a second rim or inner rim is positioned within the first (outer) rim such that when the locking bars are locked they extend through openings in the inner rim, then extend through openings in the sides of the removable door, then extend through the openings formed in the outer rim of the vault. This results in a very strong structure, which is very resistant to the removable door being pried off. An example of this arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,515. This is also shown in
FIG. 1C
of the present application.
One major disadvantage to the arrangement just described is that inner rim makes the opening of the vault that much smaller, thereby reducing the maximum volume of a coin box which can be inserted through the opening. Thus, it can be seen that a need yet remains in the art for a telephone housing with a large capacity vault, which at the same time provides good security against vandalism. It is to the provision of such a telephone housing that the present invention is primarily directed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly described, in a first preferred form the present invention comprises a pay telephone housing which includes a vault having a floor, a back wall, and first and second side walls. The vault also has a front opening and a single rim is adjacent the front opening and extends therearound. A removable door is provided for covering and uncovering the opening and includes first and second locking members, which are movable between a retracted, unlocked position and an extended, locked position. In the extended, locked position, portions of the first and second locking members traverse a distal end of the rim to prevent the removable door from being removed from the opening. The telephone housing further includes a lock assembly mounted to one of the sidewalls for locking the first and second locking members of the door in the extended, locked position.
Preferably, the rim has a plurality of openings formed therein and the removable door includes a plurality of locking bars which are movable between a retracted, unlocked position and an extended, locked position in which the locking bars extend into the plurality of openings. In this way, two different means are used for securing the removable door in place (the locking members and the locking bars), thereby providing enhanced security against vandalism.
Also preferably, a cam means is provided for operating the first and second locking members simultaneously with the plurality of locking bars. Also preferably, the first and second locking members are substantially plate-like. Also, a flange is preferably mounted to a lower portion of the removable door and is adapted to be slipped over a lower portion of the rim as the removable door is placed in the opening.
The present invention has a very decided advantage over what is known in the prior art. Namely, by eliminating the inner rim which ordinarily is positioned inside the outer rim of the opening, the full size of the opening can be utilized in each direction. In this way, the maximum useful volume of the lower vault is maximized. This is so because by removing the inner rim, a larger size coin box can be fitted through the opening, without the changing the basic size of the opening. The increase in coin box size can be dramatic. For example, in one commercial product, the useful opening size (with the inner rim still provided) is approximately 21 square inches. By removing the inner rim thereof, the useful opening size can be increased to more than 27 square inches, an increase of approximately 30%. By increasing the useful opening size in this way and by also increasing the depth (front-to-back) of the coin box as well, the coin carrying capacity or volume of the coin box can be increased approximately 50%.
While the capacity of the coin vault can be increased for accepting a larger coin box according to the above description of the invention, it nonetheless maintains excellent security inasmuch as a redundant locking mechanism is provided wherein the known locking bars extend through the removable vault door and the rim of the vault. Further, the locking plates engage the back of the rim to keep the removable door from being removed by unauthorized personnel. Thus, there is a form of redundancy in the security measures. The result is a large capacity coin vault, which can accept a large capacity coin box, while maintaining excellent security for the contents of the coin vault.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a telephone housing with an enlarged capacity coin vault for accepting a large capacity coin box, while at the same maintaining excellent security for the vault.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pay telephone housing which is rugged and vandal-resistant, while at the same time providing increased coin collection capacity.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3884515 (1975-05-01), Ashkenazi
patent: 5802172 (1998-09-01), Ingalsbe et al.
patent: 43 42 350 C1 (1993-11-01), None
patent: 0 394 600 A2 (1989-11-01), None
Chiang Jack
Gardner Groff Mehrman & Josephic P.C.
Quadrum Telecommunications Inc.
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