Pivotable work table

A pivotable work table for use with an electrical junction box is disclosed. The work table has a table member which is pivotally movable between a retracted position within the junction box and an extended position in which the table is oriented perpendicular to the box. The table member is hingedly connected to one or more retention pins which extend from the table member and slidably engage one or more respective bosses attached to the junction box. Coil springs coaxially disposed around the retention pins provide biasing forces which draw the table member toward the bosses and maintain the table member in either the retracted or extended positions.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to work tables which are movably attached to a 
device or structure to provide a work surface which can be stowed away 
when not in use. 
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
Junction boxes and other devices used for telecommunications, cable 
television, power distribution, control systems and the like often require 
servicing by technicians to, for example, add new telephone or cable 
service lines, replace malfunctioning components, polish and splice 
optical fibers, or replace circuit breakers or spent fuses. The technician 
must often use a number of tools or handle numerous small parts when 
servicing a box, and many technicians find it convenient to bring a 
portable work table which they set up near the box to provide a ready 
surface upon which to place their tools and components while they work. 
While the use of a work table may be convenient, carrying the table from 
one site to another, setting it up and breaking it down is not. 
Additionally, the junction box or other device to be serviced may be 
mounted high above the ground on a structure such as the side of a 
building, a utility pole, or a microwave or a radio transmission tower, 
where there is no convenient place to set up an extra table for use by the 
technician. 
Clearly there is a need to provide a convenient work table for use by 
technicians servicing equipment which would be useable under all 
conditions no matter where the device to be serviced was located. Ideally 
the work table should require only a minimum of time and effort to set up 
and break down, and it furthermore should not comprise an extra piece of 
equipment which a technician must transport to and from a work site. 
It is an object of the invention to provide a convenient work surface for 
use by a technician when servicing a device. 
It is an object of the invention to provide a work table which pivots 
between a retracted position where the table is out of the way, and an 
extended position in which the table provides a work surface to hold small 
tools and components. 
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a work table which is 
positioned to catch small parts or tools if they are dropped by the 
technician. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The pivotable work table according to the invention provides a solution to 
the above identified problems. The work table is designed to be 
permanently mounted on the housing of a junction box or other device, 
either as a retrofit to the box or as original equipment. The table pivots 
between a retracted position, in which the table is fully enclosed within 
the housing of the box and out of the way, and an extended position in 
which the table presents a work surface which extends substantially at a 
right angle to the housing convenient for the placement of tools, 
components and the like. The table thus positioned is idealy suited to 
catch small parts which fall from the device or are dropped by the 
technician. Fewer parts will be lost or damaged if the pivotable work 
table according to the invention is used. 
The pivotable work table has a table member comprising a substantially flat 
plate providing the work surface. A surface portion is disposed along one 
edge of the table member and oriented perpendicular to the plate. A hinge 
member is mounted on the plate adjacent to the surface portion. 
A mounting assembly preferably comprising a boss is attached to the housing 
on which the work table is to be mounted and the surface portion of the 
table member is arranged adjacent to the boss with the hinge member 
opposite the boss. The boss has a surface facing the hinge member. 
The mounting assembly further preferably comprises an interconnecting 
member hingedly attached to the hinge member and movably engaging the 
boss, thus providing a connection between the boss and the table member. A 
biasing member is disposed between the interconnecting member and the boss 
for biasing the table member toward the boss. The table member is 
pivotable via the hinge member between a retracted position in which the 
plate is oriented substantially parallel to the surface of the boss, and 
an extended position in which the plate is oriented substantially 
perpendicular to the surface of the boss. When the table member is in the 
retracted position the biasing member serves to urge an edge of the 
surface portion into contact with the surface of the boss and keep the 
table member in the retracted position. When the table member is in the 
extended position the biasing member serves to urge a region of the 
surface portion into contact with the surface of the boss and keep the 
table member in the extended position. 
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent upon 
consideration of the drawings and detailed description of the preferred 
embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 shows a cross sectional view looking down on a building entry 
protection unit (BEP) 1 shown in the open position as it would be accessed 
by a technician during servicing. BEPs are commonly used to connect 
telephone lines within a building to the external lines of a regional 
telephone system. BEPs typically contain wiring blocks, connectors, and 
electrical surge protection equipment, and can also house optical fiber 
junctions as well as other components. BEP 1 comprises a housing 2, a 
cover 3 which swings on a hinge 4, and an inner door 5 which swings on a 
hinge 6. Both the inner door 5 and the housing 2 contain the various 
components of the BEP which a technician will service. Housing 2 has a 
mounting surface 7 located at the bottom of the housing. 
A pivotable table 10 is shown mounted within BEP 1, table 10 comprising a 
table member 12 which is a substantially flat plate 13. Plate 13 has an 
end surface portion or flange 14, best seen in FIG. 4, comprising a curved 
segment 16 which extends from plate 13 through an arc of approximately 
90.degree., and a straight segment 18 which extends from curved segment 16 
and is oriented substantially perpendicular to plate 13. It is 
advantageous to provide sidewalls 46 entirely around the perimeter of 
plate 13. Sidewalls 46 extend substantially perpendicular to the plane of 
plate 13 and form a trough which prevents components on the table member 
from sliding or rolling off of the table member and being lost on the 
ground. 
Although pivotable table 10 is shown in conjunction with a BEP, it is 
understood that the invention is not limited to this use and that table 10 
could be used in conjunction with a wide range of housings, junction boxes 
and other devices or structures. 
Hinge brackets 20 are mounted to plate 13, a plurality of hinge brackets 20 
being shown and preferred, but it being understood that a single hinge 
bracket could also suffice. As seen in FIG. 4, each hinge bracket 20 
preferably comprises a mounting flange 22 which provides an interfacing 
surface for attachment of hinge bracket 20 to plate 13. Any manner of 
attachment is possible, for example, by bolts, welding or adhesive as are 
commonly known in the art. Extending from each mounting flange 22 is a 
pair of gussets 24 which provide a mount for a hinged attachment. Through 
the gussets 24 are apertures 26 through which an axle 28 passes for 
rotational motion. 
The flange 14 of table member 12 is disposed adjacent to a mounting 
assembly which preferably comprises a plurality of bosses 30 which are 
attached to housing 2, preferably near the bottom of the housing on or 
adjacent to the mounting surface 7 as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. Although a 
plurality of bosses are preferred and shown, a single boss could be used. 
As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, each boss 30 is arranged opposite from one 
of the hinge brackets 20 and includes a surface 32 which faces the 
oppositely sited hinge bracket 20. An aperture 34 passes through each 
surface 32. The mounting assembly further comprises one or more elongated 
retention pins 36, a pin extending from each boss 30, each pin passing 
through a respective aperture 34. Pins 36 are slidably housed within each 
respective boss. One end of each pin 36 is pivotally attached to the hinge 
bracket 20 opposite the boss in which the pin is housed, pins 36 being 
rotatably attached via respective axles 28. The other end of each pin 36 
has an enlarged head 38 best seen in FIG. 5. One or more biasing members 
are operatively associated with the mounting assembly, the biasing members 
preferably comprising coil springs 40. Each spring 40 is disposed 
coaxially about each pin 36 and trapped between enlarged head 38 and inner 
surface 32a of boss 30 opposite surface 32. Each spring 40 is compressed 
between a head 38 and an inner surface 32a of a boss 30 to provide biasing 
forces urging table member 12 toward the bosses 30. 
When the table is in the retracted position as seen in FIG. 3 and in detail 
in FIG. 4, biasing forces from springs 40 acting through pins 36 urge an 
edge 18a of straight segment 18 against surfaces 32 of bosses 30. The 
biasing forces and the impingement of edge 18a against boss surfaces 32 
creates torque or twisting force which tends to keep table member 12 in 
its retracted position. Sidewall 46 located at the end 42 of table member 
12 impinges on a similar boss structure 43 to prevent table member 12 from 
further rotating. 
However, table member 12 can be pivoted into the extended position as seen 
in the sequence of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. To extend table member 12 a traction 
force is applied at the end 42 of table member 12 opposite the hinge 
brackets 20, thereby pulling the end 42 of table member 12 outwardly from 
housing 2. Table member 12 pivots about axles 28 drawing pins 36 outwardly 
from bosses 30 and compressing springs 40 between heads 38 and boss 
portions 32a. Edge 18a rides upwardly along surfaces 32 as seen in FIG. 5. 
Preferably, edge 18a is rounded so as not to gouge surfaces 32 and allow 
table member 12 to pivot smoothly. Curved segment 16 also facilitates the 
smooth pivoting of table member 12 as readily seen in FIG. 5 where the 
curved shape of segment 16 passes easily and naturally over mounting 
surface 7 of housing 2. 
Once table member 12 has pivoted into the extended position as seen in FIG. 
2 and in detail in FIG. 6, biasing forces from springs 40 draw table 
member 12 toward bosses 30 so that the outer surface region 18b of 
straight segment 18 is brought into contact with surfaces 32 of bosses 30. 
Straight segment 18 has cutouts 44 which allow pins 36 to pass through 
straight segment 18 which is preferably substantially continuous except 
for the cutouts. Table member 12 is maintained in its extended position at 
substantially a right angle to housing 2 by the biasing forces drawing 
outer surface region 18b against surfaces 32 as well as pins 36 impinging 
on straight segment 18 at the bottom 44a of cutouts 44. 
With table member 12 in the extended position as seen in FIG. 2 the 
technician servicing BEP 1 has a convenient table on which to place tools 
and components and to perform tasks such as polishing and splicing optical 
fibers, using a wire wrap gun and the like. 
It is preferred to construct the table member from sheet metal, although 
other materials, e.g., plastic materials such as PVC, would also serve 
equally well. 
When the technician has completed his tasks table member 12 can be easily 
pivoted into its retracted position within BEP 1, out of the way but 
conveniently ready for use the next time the BEP needs servicing. 
Incorporation of a pivotable work table according to the invention in BEPs 
and other types of junction boxes or devices provides clear advantages to 
technicians servicing the device and eliminates the need for the 
technician to bring a separate table, in addition to the tools and 
components which he will need to perform his tasks.