Cradle for a handset

Abstract

A cradle 13 for a handset for a telephone or other electronic apparatus is dimensioned to fit within a chair arm, for example an aircraft seat arm. The cradle includes an integral cord spool 16 having a rewind bias spring 34 , and a catch (not shown) for maintaining the handset in the cradle. The cord is locked in an extended condition by a braking cam 53 , releasable for rewinding the cord by a pushbutton 36 . Latching means 54 are provided for maintaining the pushbutton depressed until the cord is rewound. Other brake and latching means, including a ratchet and pawl arrangement, are disclosed.

1 . Independent  claim 1  refers to “a pair of cradles mounted back to back at least partially within opposed sides of ” a passenger seat arm. Noted in the application is that 
 By choice of a suitably compact reel . . . it is possible to mount two cradles back to back and in the side of an aircraft chair arm to allow two passengers to use the handsets simultaneously.  
 See published PCT application (Tab A) at p. 9,11. 25-27. Existing commercial cradles, by contrast are not so mounted in passenger seats.  
 
     
     
         2 . In the parent application, the Examiner rejected independent  claim 2  under 35U.S.C. § 103(a) as purportedly being obvious in view of the Shields PCT Publication. Recited in the claim is a subassembly for mounting in an aperture, with the subassembly including both a handset-receiving cradle and a “a cable reel rigidly carried by the cradle.” Although expressly acknowledging that the Shields PCT Publication “does not explicitly teach” this aspect of the claimed invention, see Office Action at p. 4(emphasis added), the Examiner nevertheless speculated that one skilled in the art would somehow know to have the cable reel rigidly carried by the cradle. Such speculation was not based on any teaching of the Shields PCT Publication, but rather, according to the Examiner, solely on an inference she drew from Figure  8  of the publication.