Disposable sanitary cover for telephones

Feb. 9, 1965 _A. _M. wachs etal 3,169,171

DISPOSABLE SANITARY COVER FOR TELEPHONES

Filed July 17, 1962

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United States Patent Office „ 3,1*9,171

Patented Feb. 9, 1965

3,169,171

- DISPOSABLE SANITARY COVER FOR TELEPHONES

Allen M. Wachs, New York, and Albert Peck, Yonkers, N.Y. (both % Stephen R. Steinberg, 405 E. 63rd St., New York, N.Y.)

Filed July 17, 1962, Ser. No. 210,402

Claim. (CI. 179—185)

This invention concerns an improved cover or cap for telephone receivers and transmitters to keep the receivers and transmitters in a sanitary condition.

The invention is particularly applicable to cylindrical types of earpieces and mouthpieces employed in conventional telephone handsets.

According to the invention there is provided a cylindrical cap having an open side. The cap has a thickened, beaded rim. The cap is made of flexible, thin paper, or plastic material such as sheet vinyl, polyethylene or the like. This material is moistureproof, chemically stable, resistant to wear and repeated flexing. Both sides of the cap may be coated with a suitable germicide or disinfectant which may be pleasantly scented. The cap material is rather inelastic. To render the cap form-fitting on the telephone parts, there is provided an elastic rubber insert which is fused to the bead of the cap. The insert has a tab or tongue extension which can be grasped to facilitate mounting the cap on the telephone part and removal therefrom.

The cap is intended as an expendable item and after being used once or a limited number of times may be discarded. A plurality of caps may be provided in a dispenser container which has a slotted wall. The caps will stack compactly one on top of the other with the tabs extending outwardly of the container through the slotted wall. The tab of an end cap in a stack thereof can be grasped to remove the cap from the container. The slot in the wall of the container will guide removal of the cap. The caps may be disposed in any suitable package or container, such as a carton.

It is therefore one object to provide a sanitary cover or cap for a telephone mouthpiece or earpiece made of a thin inelastic sheet having a beaded edge with an elastic insert in the bead.

Another object is to provide a cover or cap as described wherein the insert has a tab extending radially of the cover or cap to serve as a handle.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a telephone handset provided with sanitary caps or covers according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2—2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sanitary cover showing the interior thereof.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the cover.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 5—5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a container packed with a plurality of covers according to the invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7—7 of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a conventional telephone handset 10 having a generally cylindrical mouthpiece 12 and generally cylindrical earpiece 14. Sanitary covers 20 embodying the invention are mounted on the mouthpiece and earpiece respec tively. Each cover as shown in FIGS. 1-5 and 7, has a closed generally circular end wall 22 and annular cylindrical side wall 24. At the free edge of the side wall 24,. at the open end of the cover, there is a bead 25.

This bead is substantially rectangular in cross section. An elastic ring 23 is seated at the juncture of the bead 25 and side wall 24. The bead extends around the edge of the side wall through approximately 330°. Inserted between spaced ends of the bead is an elastic insert 26.

This insert is secured by chemical bonding, cementing or other suitable means to the bead and side wall 24 so that it is integral therewith. The insert extends around through substantially 30° to complete the bead. The insert has a radially outwardly extending tab or tongue 31 15 which is narrower in the plane of the bead than the part 29 of the insert at the bead.

Normally the insert 26 in relaxed position slightly constricts the diameter of the cover forming folds 32 in the side wall 24 and folds 34 in the end wall 22; see FIGS.

4 and 5. When the cover is mounted on the earpiece or mouthpiece of the telephone handset, the insert part 29 expands elastically and the folds 32, 34 are smoothed out to fit the cover smoothly and snugly all around and over the telephone earpiece or mouthpiece, as shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2.

The tab or tongue 31 facilitates mounting the cover on the telephone parts and facilitates removal of the cover therefrom, since the tab or tongue can be manually grasped in performing either operation.

When the cover or cap is fitted on the mouthpiece or earpiece, the circular end wall 22 is stretched rather taut. It flexes during use of the telephone so that acoustic waves are freely transmitted by the end walls which act as nonresonant transducers. The taut end wall of the cover at the mouthpiece, has the acoustic characteristic of excluding remotely originated noises from the transmitter, which is a desirable advantage in using the cover in addition to its protecting the user from germs and bacteria on the transmitter or receiver.

⁴⁰ FIGS. 6 and 7 show a cylindrical container 40 having a removable cover 42 at its open end. The container has a longitudinal slot 44 formed in its cylindrical side wall 43. A stack or pile of covers 20 can be stacked on top of each other axially of the container. The tabs 31 will extend ^4i> outwardly of the container through slot 44. The slot guides the tab while it is manually grasped for removing the topmost cover from the pile. The container provides a convenient means for transportation, storage and merchandising of a plurality of covers 20. The container may be made of metal or plastic material.

The tab 31 of the cover may be made of natural or artificial rubber or paper. The body of the cover 20 may be made of thermoplastic or thermosetting plastic material such as vinyl, polyethylene or the like. It is comparatively inexpensive and can be discarded after being used once or a few times. If desired, the cover can be dipped or sprayed with a suitable germicide which may be lightly perfumed or scented. The cover can be made ₆θ up in various attractive colors if desired.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifica65 t*^ons may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.