The invention relates to a device showing various aspects, which device is formed by a main body and a shielding body showing different aspects, and on which is placed at least one accessory that can be connected to at least one contact provided on the main body.

Such a device finds applications in the field of industrialization of products which have the same function or a similar function. One often wishes these products to show different aspects either for commercial reasons or for reasons of adaptation. For example, a telephone set may have its handset on the left or on the right, without this resulting in too high manufacturing costs.

Such a device is known from United States Patent No. 4,692,571.

The invention also relates to a telephone set or similar apparatus formed on the basis of such a device.

This known apparatus has front faces with different aspects which front faces meet on an identical connecting plate for all the faces. The only accessories provided in this known apparatus are push buttons and indicator lights.

The present invention proposes a device of the type defined in the opening paragraph for which the different aspects relate to accessories having features other than indicator lights and push buttons. Therefore, such a device is characterized in that a certain number of these contacts are at least arranged twofold.

Thus, with the same main body which contains all the circuits ensuring the expensive functions, shielding bodies can be associated thereto, which give the device these different aspects. These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a device according to the invenuon in an exploded view,

Fig. 2 shows two aspects which the device according to the invention may adopt, and

Fig. 3 shows an accessory to which a flexible connection means is linked.

Within the framework of the described example, Fig. 1 shows a device in accordance with the invention in the form of a telephone. This telephone is formed by a main body 1 containing all the electric and electronic circuits which are necessary for its operation. A shielding body 2 is provided for covering the main body 1. On the shielding body 2 is provided a handset rest 4 shown in a dotted line for a handset 5 of the cordless type. Thus, when the handset is placed on its rest 4, the accumulator 6 it contains can be recharged by the electric power which is rendered accessible on the contacts 10 and 11 which are applied to the charging accesses 12 and 13 provided in the handset 5.

In accordance with the invention, the contacts 10 and 11 can be connected to one of at least two contacts. These contacts are referenced 15 and 16 in the Figure. These two contacts 15 and 16 are connected both to a charging device (not shown in the Figures) when the main body 1 is manufactured. When the contact 15 is used, the shielding body is that shown in Fig. 1, or that shown in Fig. 2 in A. When it is the contact 16, the shielding body is that of Fig. 2 in B. Thus, with the same main body one may have two telephones showing different aspects: one with the handset 5 on the left and another one with the handset on the right. Thus, the telephone may be adapted to left-hand or right-hand people.

According to one aspect of the invention, if the contacts 10 and 11 are to protrude, an intermediate element 20 can be provided. This part thus has on one side said contacts 10 and 11 which connect to the charging accesses 12 and 13 while passing through the openings 21 and 22 provided in the shielding body and, on the other side, contacts 25 and 26 which are capable of being plugged into the contact 15 or 16.

In addition to the handset 5, other accessories can be placed on the shielding body 2: for example, a keypad 30 shown in Fig. 3. This keypad 30 is connected to the main body 1 by a flexible flat cable 35 which branches off to a connector 38. The keypad 30 can thus be put on the right or on the left, without twisting the flat cable 35 too much. The keys are then turned as shown by the positions A and B in Fig. 3. The software managing the operation of this keypad is consequently to be modified. The keys of the keypad are accessible through a set of openings 40 and 40' provided in the shielding body 2 and 2' shown by A and B respectively, of Fig. 2.

Due to the invention, it is easy to have different aspects for opening the

loudspeaker via the same main body. Thus the shielding body 2 has a loudspeaker opening 50 in a rectangular form, whereas the shielding body 2' has a circular loudspeaker form 50'.

Although a telephone has been described, it will be obvious that the invention may relate to any other apparatus which is to have different aspects for commercial reasons.