Patent Application
20210135406
The present disclosure relates to modification of existing telephone jacks, and more specifically, to modifying said jacks to make them more attractive and useful to modern home-owners and renters. In accordance with the disclosure, various telephone jack covers are disclosed that modify the telephone jack to provide functions advantageous and desirable functions to a user.
Most residences are still equipped telephone jacks. The use of wired telephones have, however, become obsolete in the wake of cell phones. Individuals rarely, if ever, use “land lines,” in their residence and instead favor the exclusive use of their cell phones. Telephone jacks are thus mainly considered an unsightly relic of the past and an eye sore to today's modern residents. Most residents would much rather that their telephone jacks, particularly those in visible and high traffic places, simply not exist or be replaced with something more useful. There thus exists a need for a device able to both mask existing telephone jacks and make them useful to modern consumers.
The present disclosure relates to systems for covering existing telephone jacks. In accordance with aspects and embodiments a bracket is provide that fits over existing telephone jacks and mates with decorative and functional devices that mask the existing jack.
In accordance with a first aspect, a telephone jack masking system is disclosed comprising a telephone jack fixed to a wall by a telephone jack covering, a bracket attached to the telephone jack covering; a masking device attached to the bracket and having a front face and a back, the front face having one of a decorative feature, a functional feature, or a combination thereof. In accordance with embodiments, the masking device may include a decorative feature including but not limited to a picture frame, a piece of art, or a mirror. In accordance with embodiments, the masking device may include a functional feature, including but not limited to one or more shelves, one or more hooks, one or more file folders, a jewelry or accessory holder, or a cork board, white board, or other message board. In accordance with other embodiments, the masking device may include a combination of decorative and functional features.
In accordance with embodiments, the telephone jack coverings may be fixed to the wall by a pair of screws that pass through a set of holes in the covering, and the brackets of the disclosure may have a corresponding set of through holes that align with the junction box holes. This may advantageously allow the brackets of the disclosure to be fixed to the telephone jack coverings without having to form additional holes in the wall surrounding the telephone jack.
The brackets of the present disclosure may further define a telephone jack frame between the bracket through holes such that when installed on the telephone jack covering, the telephone jack is unobstructed. The brackets may further comprise mounting fingers and the bracket mounting fingers may engage with a corresponding mounting hook of the masking devices of the disclosure. The masking devices contemplated by the disclosure may include a stabilization arm to ensure the devices remain a fixed distance from the bracket and/or wall.
In accordance with aspects and embodiments, a telephone jack charging system is disclosed, the system comprising a telephone jack fixed to a wall by a telephone jack covering, a bracket attached to the telephone jack covering, and a converter device attached to the bracket, where the converter device has a front face and a back face, and the back face has extending therefrom a telephone plug plugged into the telephone jack and the front face has a female USB port. In accordance with embodiments, the converter device comprises a voltage converter that converters voltage in the telephone jack line to current usable by a device plugged into the USB port. In accordance with aspects and embodiments, the converter device further comprises a shelf that extends from the front face and where a smart device can be stored while being charged.
The present disclosure relates to devices for covering and modifying existing telephone jacks. The telephone jacks covered and modified by the devices of the present disclosure may be located in any type of building, and may for example be in a residence, but the devices disclosed herein are suitable for telephone jacks in office and commercial spaces.
Telephone jacks may exist in a variety of configurations, including for example, jacks that are substantially flush with the wall and jacks that are in boxes protruding from the wall. The jacks themselves are fixed to the wall by telephone jack coverings, and these coverings may for example by wall plates or junction boxes. These coverings are further fixed to the wall by screws that pass through the covering and into the wall. Though jack configurations may vary, the jacks themselves are standardized, and most jacks receive a standard telephone plug. The most commonly used plus is an RJ11 modulator connector.
In a first aspect of the disclosure, a bracket is disclosed that is configured to fit over junction box 5. The bracket that fits over junction box 5 can then be used to hang any number of masking devices having decorative and functional features.
Referring to
Mounting arms 30 extend from the back face 10B of front plate 10 a distance substantially equal to that of a standard telephone junction box that protrudes from a wall, for example, the configuration of a telephone jack shown in
Referring now to
Bracket 100 thus advantageously mounts to telephone jacks via wall coverings without having to make holes into the surrounding wall. If only a single screw is present in a given telephone jack covering, a single bracket fixing screw can be used a second fixing screw can be fixed into the wall, if necessary. Configurations of bracket 100 may be further varied to accommodate different geometries of different telephone jack coverings.
Still referring to
Referring to
Masking devices 2000 of the present invention may include mounting tubes (not shown) that individually receive mounting arms 30 and/or fingers 25, depending on the orientation of mounting of bracket 100. The mounting portion of masking device 2000 may for example span a portion or the entire width of device 2000. The mounting portion may include several mounting tubes positioned in parallel to one another. The tubes may take the form of slots that closely mirror the size and shape of mounting arms 30/fingers 25. When device 2000 is mounted on bracket 100, only certain successive mounting tubes will receive mounting arms 30/fingers 25. This mounting feature enables device 2000 to be mounted on bracket 100 such that junction box 6 is not centered behind device 2000. For example, device 2000 may be mounted on bracket 100 at a far left or right, while still being held straight up and down by the mounting arms 30/fingers 25 which are engaged with the mounting tubes at the far left or right. This facilitates the positioning of mounting device 2000 on wall 4 in a variety of configurations and ensures that mounting device 2000 can be positioned in a manner that is most aesthetically pleasing and/or most accessible.
Masking device 2000 may include on front face 200A a decorative feature including but not limited to a picture frame, a piece of art, a mirror, or any other non-functional feature designed to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the telephone jack/the décor of the room in which it is located. Alternatively, Masking device 2000 may include on front face 200A a functional feature including but not limited to a file folder, a shelf, a hook or plurality of hooks, a jewelry or accessory holder, a magnetic board, a cork board, a white board or other message board, or any feature or set of features selected to provide a user with a desired functionality. For example and as shown in
Masking device 2000 may, in accordance with embodiments, include combinations of both decorative and functional features. In a non-limiting example, Masking device 2000 may have a file folder, shelf, and hooks extending from surface 200A that may be used to sort mail, hold small items, and store keys. Masking device 2000 may further include on front face 200A a mirror or picture frame, as well. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that masking device 2000 can include any number of decorative and functional features without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. These features may be selected by the user based in part on where the telephone jack the user seeks to mask is located. For example, a user masking a telephone jack in a kitchen may mask the jack with a device 2000 having a corkboard on front face 2000A suitable for pinning recipes. A user masking a telephone jack a eye level in their entry way may select a device 2000 having features suitable for mail sorting, and a user masking a telephone jack that is largely inaccessible may select a device 2000 with a purely decorative art piece on outer surface 200A.
In accordance with further aspect, a system is disclosed for converting a standard telephone jack into a system having a mounting bracket and masking device, where the masking device draws power. For example, in accordance with embodiments, a system is disclosed for converted a standard telephone jack into a USB charging port for a smart device. Alternatively, the jack may be used to power any other device, for example and including a small light. The light may, for example, be used as a nightlight or to illuminate an area not otherwise well-lit. In some embodiments, masking devices that convert standard telephone jacks into a power sources may be decorative and make use of the power source. A masking device may for example include a decorative feature, for example and including a piece of artwork, and may also include a powered feature, for example and including a light that is powered by the jack and illuminates the artwork.
Phone jacks receive power through dedicated wires. When the jack is not in use, i.e., a phone is not plugged into it and the number assigned to the phone jack is not receiving a call, the jack receives a constant direct current signal of about 50-60 volts. when a telephone line receives a telephone call, the signal is about 20 hertz AC. Smartphones, for example, requires about 5 volts to charge, and thus the voltage that runs through a phone jack provides more than enough electricity to charge a smart phone. By reducing the voltage output of the phone line with a voltage regulator, the telephone jack can be converted into a suitable charging station for a smart device. In some embodiments, the voltage regulator may include additional components, including for example a diode, to ensure that the converter is able to handle the AC signal incurred by the line if an incoming call is received.
Referring to
When installed and in operation, and turning to
Smartphone 400 is then charged via converter masking device 3000. USB cable 500 having an end 510 compatible with smart phone charging port 410 is connected to smartphone 400 by smartphone charging port 410. USB cord 500 having male USB end 520 is then inserted into female USB port 370. Converter 360 converts current from the lines of telephone jack 1 into usable current for USB charging, enabling smartphone 400 to charge. Smartphone 400 rests on shelf 375 while charging. Although certain representative embodiments and advantages have been described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the apparatuses and methods disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only.
