Abstract: A telephone handset comprises elongated complementary upper and lower housing members that mate at their perimeters to form a hollow handset housing. The lower housing member includes a pair of spaced apart transducer receiving cavities, each being shaped to receive a cylindrical transducer surrounded by a flexible tubular gasket and form an acoustic seal therewith. Each gasket includes flanges around its circumference that project radially outward and in a direction opposite to the direction of insertion of the transducer/gasket assembly into its associated cavity. Such construction provides adequate mechanical retention between the transducer and the lower housing member and avoids the need for additional retaining hardware. The upper housing is joined to the lower housing using one or more pairs of side-mounted, interlocking hooks and latches. The upper housing further includes ribs, molded therein and positioned to maintain the transducers in place when it is joined with the lower housing.

Abstract: A transducer embodying the present invention is assembled on a discrete electrically conductive frame (100) that has been formed to provide both leads (120-140) and a backplate (110). An integrated circuit chip (200) is bonded to one of the leads, and a dielectric inner housing member (300) is molded about the backplate and the portion of the leads adjacent to it. The inner housing member encapsulates the chip, embraces the perimeter of the backplate, and provides a cylindrical opening (310) that extends on each side of the backplate. A conductive outer housing member (400) is subsequently molded about the perimeter of the inner housing member, and a spacer (500), electret diaphragm assembly (600), and conductive gasket (700) are sequentially positioned in the opening on one side of the backplate. Conductive front and back covers (800,900) are thereafter bonded to the outer housing to close the opening and to complete a conductive enclosure that provides electrostatic shielding for the transducer.