Patent Publication Number: US-6209463-B1

Title: Medical examination table

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a medical examination table. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a medical examination table having an adjustable backrest, at least one self-adjusting drawer, a retractable footstep and a retractable leg rest. 
     2. Description of the Background 
     Many conventional medical examination tables have a backrest portion that is movable from a horizontal position to an inclined position. Typically, the backrest portion is supported by the top surface of the medical examination table when the backrest portion is in the horizontal position. When the backrest portion is in the inclined position, a rod that is pivotally connected to the backrest portion supports the backrest portion. Generally, the rod extends between the back surface of the backrest portion and the top surface of the examination table and further extends through a hole defined by a flag member. The flag member is fixedly mounted on a shaft that transverses and is rotatably mounted on the top surface of the medical table. By angling the flag member, the edges of the flag member that define the hole frictionally engage the rod passing therethrough and hold the rod in the inclined position. To move the backrest portion from the inclined position to the horizontal position, a knob mounted on the exterior surface of the medical table is rotated thereby rotating the shaft until the flag member disengages the rod. 
     One disadvantage of this type of medical examination table is that someone walking past the table could accidentally contact the knob resulting in the flag member being disengaged from the rod and the backrest moving from the inclined position to the horizontal position while a patient is on the examination table. 
     Additionally, existing medical examination tables usually have multiple drawers therein which hold medical paraphernalia such as bandages, blood pressure cuffs, etc. Typically, the drawer sizes are not standard thus, each drawer must be custom manufactured to fit within a specific drawer opening in the medical examination table. Furthermore, the drawers must be manufactured with very small tolerance because if the drawer does not fit within the opening, the material and time to make the drawer will be wasted. The disadvantage to this type of medical examination table is that the custom manufactured drawers are expensive to manufacture and can only be used in a specific drawer opening. 
     Some conventional medical examination tables also have retractable footstools that patients step on in order to lift themselves onto the examination table. Once the patient is lying on the table, the footstool can be retracted into the table thereby increasing the amount of floor space in the examination room and eliminating an obstruction that prevents the doctor or nurse from easily accessing the patient. The disadvantage with existing retractable footstools is that they cannot lock into their extended position while still having sufficient strength to support large patients weighing up to four hundred pounds. 
     Conventional medical examination tables also typically provide a support for the patient&#39;s legs. The support can take many forms such as a retractable shelf having a pad thereon. Many of these supports are uncomfortable to the patients in that the supports is not contiguous with the seat portion of the examination table resulting in the patient&#39;s legs not being solidly supported. Also, prior leg extension support may not be angularly adjustable. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a medical examination table that has a support apparatus for the backrest which has a lock mechanism that positively holds the backrest in place and minimizes the chance of the backrest inadvertently moving from the inclined position to the horizontal position, especially while a patient is on the table. 
     The need also exists for a medical examination table having self adjusting drawers that can be used in multiple-size drawer openings thereby eliminating the need to custom manufacture each drawer for a single drawer opening and also eliminating the need to custom manufacture the drawer and drawer opening of the medical examination table to very small tolerances. 
     Yet another need exists for a medical examination table having a retractable footstep that is strong yet lockable in an extended position. 
     Still another need exists for a medical examination table having a leg rest that continuously and comfortably supports the legs of a patient sitting or lying on the medical examination table. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a device for supporting a structure, such as the backrest of a medical examination table, from a horizontal position to an inclined position, wherein the support device includes an arm that supports the structure and that pivots from a horizontal position to an inclined position and a lock mechanism that prevents movement of the arm while in the locked position. 
     The present invention further provides a self-aligning drawer for a structure having a frame with two connected side panels and a resilient extension fixedly connected to each of the side panels, wherein the resilient extensions deform such that the drawer can fit within a variety of sized structure openings. 
     The present invention further provides a retractable footstep for a medical examination table including a runner fixedly attached to a cavity of the table and having slots, a platform slideably received within the runner and having a plurality of tabs that engage the slots preventing the platform from separating from the runner and a latch connected to the platform that limits the length of the platform extending from the examination table. 
     The present invention provides a retractable leg rest for a medical examination table including a shelf member slideably received within a cavity of the table and having a lip portion and a pad, wherein the lip portion prevents the pad from sliding off the shelf and the pad can be inclined such that the patient&#39;s legs are solidly supported. 
     The present invention further provides a medical examination table having an apparatus for supporting and securing the backrest in an inclined position, self-adjusting drawers that can fit within multiple sized drawer openings, a retractable footstep having a platform able to lock in an extended position, and a retractable leg rest having a shelf member with a lip and a pad for solidly supporting the patient&#39;s legs. 
     Other details, objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the present invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For the present invention to be understood and readily practiced, the present invention will be described in conjunction with the following Figures wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a medical examination table of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the medical examination table of the present invention shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the medical examination table shown in FIG. 1 with the backrest in the inclined position; 
     FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the medical examination table shown in FIG. 1 with the backrest in the inclined position; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the medical examination table taken along line  5 — 5  in FIG. 4 which illustrates the support apparatus of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the handle of the support apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the channel runner of the support apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the support apparatus of the present invention in the horizontal position; 
     FIG. 9 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the support apparatus of the present invention taken along line  9 — 9  shown in FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the support apparatus of the present invention in the inclined position; 
     FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the support apparatus of the present invention taken along line  11 — 11  shown in FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 12 is a plan view of a key member of the support apparatus of the present invention; 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a self-aligning drawer of the medical examination table of the present invention, shown in FIG. 1, wherein the drawer is in the open position; 
     FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view of the self-aligning drawer shown in FIG. 13 taken along line  14 — 14 , wherein the slide member is eliminated; 
     FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a portion of the medical examination table of the present invention, shown in FIG. 1, illustrating a retractable footstep thereof, wherein the runner and the latch of the retractable footstep are illustrated in hidden lines; 
     FIG. 16 is a side view of the platform of the retractable footstep of the present invention shown in FIG. 15 that also illustrates the tabs and the latch of the footstep; 
     FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the runner of the retractable footstep of the present invention shown in FIG. 15; 
     FIG. 18 is a partial perspective view of the medical examination table of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 that illustrates a leg rest thereof in an extended position; 
     FIG. 19 is a side view of the leg rest shown in FIG. 18; and 
     FIG. 20 is a back view of the leg rest shown in FIG.  18 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will be described below in terms of a medical examination table. It should be noted that describing the present invention in terms of a medical examination table is for illustrative purposes and the advantages of the present invention may be realized using other structures and technologies that have a need for a support apparatus that securely supports a structure in an inclined position, a self-aligning drawer that fits within multiple-sized drawer openings, a retractable leg rest that solidly supports a person&#39;s legs or a retractable footstep that can support large loads and be locked into an extended position. 
     It is to be further understood that the Figures and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention while eliminating, for purposes of clarity, other elements and/or descriptions thereof found in a typical medical examination table. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other elements may be desirable in order to implement the present invention. However, because such elements are well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, a discussion of such elements is not provided herein. 
     FIGS. 1 through 4 illustrate a medical examination table  10  of the present invention. The medical examination table  10  has a cabinet  12 , a backrest  14  and a seat portion  16 . FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the medical examination table  10  with the backrest  14  in a horizontal position and FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the medical examination table  10  with the backrest  14  in an inclined position. 
     The cabinet  12  has a top portion  15 , two side surfaces  17 , a front surface  19  and a back surface  21  which form a rectangular box structure. The cabinet  12  also has multiple drawers  18 , a retractable footstep  20  and a retractable leg rest  22 . Multiple drawers  18  are mounted on side surface  17  and the front surface  19 . The retractable footstep  20  and the retractable leg rest  22  are mounted on the front surface  19 . The cabinet  12  is manufactured form annealed steel with the top portion  15  being  18  gage annealed steel and the remaining portions of the cabinet  12  being 20 gage annealed steel. However, a person of ordinary skill will appreciate that many other materials can be used to manufacture the cabinet. For example, virtually any metal or composite may be used. 
     The backrest  14  has an upholstered top portion  24  and a bottom surface  26  and is pivotably connected to the top portion  15  of the cabinet  12  at  25  by a plurality of hinges (not shown). A padding (not shown) such as foam is covered with a water resistant material  28  such as vinyl to form the backrest top portion  24 . The backrest top portion  24  is fixedly connected to the bottom wooden surface  26  by any type of fastener such as adhesive or screws. The medical examination table  10  may also have mounting brackets  23  fixedly connected to the back surface  26  for holding a roll of paper (not shown) such that a clean sheet of paper is placed on the backrest  14  and seat portion  16  for each new patient. 
     The seat portion  16  has an upholstered top portion  30  and a bottom surface (not shown). The seat portion  16  is also pivotally attached to the top portion  15  of the cabinet  12  at  25  by a plurality of hinges (not shown). Like the backrest top portion  24 , the top portion  30  of the seat portion  16  includes padding (not shown) covered with a water resistant material  32  which is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the seat portion  16 . 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the medical examination table  10  taken along line  5 — 5  in FIG.  4  and illustrates the support apparatus of the present invention. The support apparatus substantially comprises a handle  34 , a cable  36 , a cable conduit  38 , a channel runner  40 , an arm  42 , a containment box  44 , a biasing member  46 , a shaft  49  and a lock mechanism  48 . 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the handle  34  of the support apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG.  5 . The handle  34  extends across and is pivotally connected to mounting brackets  23  of the backrest  14 . The mounting brackets  23  also support a rod (not shown) that extends across the width of the backrest  14 , wherein the rod is a paper roll holder. Specifically, the handle  34  has a U-shaped handle portion  50  with a flange  52  extending from each of the ends of the handle portion  50 . Each flange  52  has openings  54  which receive fasteners that pivotally connect the handle  34  to the mounting bracket  23 . 
     The cable  36 , shown in FIG. 5, is attached to the handle  34 , by a connector and is received within and passes through the cable conduit  38 . The cable  34  and cable conduit  38  extend along and are attached to the back surface  26  with several small U-shaped clips  39 . The cable  34 , cable conduit  38  and connector can be purchased from Cable Manufacturing and Assembly Company, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio; however, it can be appreciated by one of ordinary skill that the cable can be made from a variety of other materials. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the channel runner  40  of the support apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG.  5 . The channel runner  40  is also fixedly connected to the back surface  26  of the backrest  14 . The channel runner  40  comprises an elongated C-shaped channel  56  with end returns  58  extending from the channel  56 . The channel  56  has an intermediate portion  62  with a leg section  60  extending from each end of the intermediate portion  62 . Screws (not shown) extending through the intermediate portion  62  along the length thereof fixedly connect the channel runner  40  to the back surface  26 . The channel runner  40  is made from twenty (20) gage 304 stainless steel; however, it can be made from various other materials. 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the support apparatus of the present invention in the horizontal position. FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate the support apparatus of the present invention in the inclined position. The arm  42  is an elongated member having a first end  66  and a second end  68  and an angled portion  70 . One roller is rotatably connected on either side of the arm  42  at the first end  66 . The rollers  72  can be made of nylon or any anti-friction material. The second end  68  of the arm  42  is pivotally connected at  76  to guide blocks  74 . The arm is made from one-quarter inch  304  stainless steel plate, but can be made of various other materials such as flat iron. 
     The containment box  44 , shown in FIG. 8, is an elongated tunnel member having a rectangular cross section. The box  44  has two opposing wall members  79 , a top surface  80 , four flanges  61  extending from the wall members  79  and a divider  77 . The divider  77  is fixedly attached within the box  44  by welding. The guide blocks  74  are fixed mounted onto the top surface  80  of the box  44  by welding. The box  44  also defines an aperture  67  throughwhich the cable  36  extends. The containment box  44  is fixedly attached to the top surface  15  of the medical table  10  by fasteners (not shown) extending through and securing together the flanges  61  and partitions  63 , shown in FIG.  5 . The box  44  is made of cold rolled steel. 
     The biasing member  46 , shown in FIG. 9, comprises a spring  89  mounted around a spring rod  81  and extending between the divider  77  and an aligner member  83 . The rod  81  has a threaded end  84  and a hook-shaped end  85 . The threaded end  84  extends through a hole in the aligner member  83  and is fixedly attached thereto by a nut  87 . The spring  89  can be compressed or relaxed by tightening the nut  87  thereby giving more or less strength, respectively, to the lift of the backrest  14 . The spring  89  can be compressed or relaxed by tightening the nut  87 . The spring is made of music wire and exhibits approximately ninety-two pounds per inch (92 lbs./in). 
     A stabilizing bracket  86  is pivotally attached to the arm second end  68  using a pin  99  and rigidly attached to the hook-shaped end  85  of the rod  81 . The hook-shaped end  85  extends around a pin member  90  that extends from the stabilizing bracket  84 . The stabilizing bracket is a substantially elongated plate member with curved edges. The stabilizing bracket  86  is made of steel. 
     The shaft  49  has a first end  96  and a second end  97 . A U-joint member  95  is welded to the shaft first end  96  and, thus, is fixedly attached thereto. The U-joint member  95  has two legs  98  that extend on either side of the arm  42 . Pin  99  extends through the arm  42  and the legs  98  of the U-joint member  95  as well as through the stabilizing bracket  86  thus, pivotally connecting the arm second end  68  to both the U-joint member  95  and the stabilizing bracket  86 . 
     The lock mechanism  48  comprises a key holder  101 , key members  103 , a tube  121  and a biasing member  105 . The key holder  101  is attached to the containment box  44  by pin member  123  and defines apertures  107  through which the shaft  49  extends and is movable therewithin. The key holder  101  has a substantially square configuration. 
     Each key member  103  is a T-shaped body and defines a shaft hole  109  and a cable hole  111 . See FIG.  12 . The shaft  49  extends through the shaft hole  109  such that the key members  103  are movably received on the shaft  49  and can freely be positioned at an angle with the shaft  49 . The cable  36  is movably received within the cable holes  111  of the key members  103 . The key members are stamped out of one-eighth inch thick  304  stainless steel. 
     The tube  121  is positioned within the key holder  101  such that the tube  121  will keep the key members  103  adjacent to one another. The tube  121  is welded to the key holder  101 . Although not illustrated, the tube  121  can take any form that would act to keep the key members  103  adjacent to one another. 
     The biasing member  105  is a spring received around the shaft  49 . The spring is made of music wire and exhibits 35.9 lbs./in 2  force. The spring abuts the key holder  101 . Although not illustrated, one of ordinary skill will appreciate that other types of biasing members can be substituted for the spring. 
     When the backrest  14  is in the horizontal position (FIGS. 1 and 2) and fully inclined position (FIGS.  3  and  5 ), the lock mechanism  48  is in a locked position. In the locked position, the biasing member  105  urges the key members  103  in contact with the shaft  49  preventing the shaft  49  from moving. The biasing member  105  exerts a force on the key members  103  such that the key members that define the shaft hole exert a frictional force on the shaft  49  preventing the shaft  49  from moving. 
     To move the backrest  14  from the horizontal position to the inclined position, the user need only lift the backrest  14  using very little force in order to decrease the weight of the backrest  14  on the arm  42 . The handle  34  need not be actuated due to the angular configuration of the key members  103 , the shaft  49  is able to move in the D direction thereby allowing the backrest  14  to be elevated. The force of the spring  89  is now the dominant force. The spring  89  will move from its compressed state, shown in FIG. 9, to its relaxed state, shown in FIG.  11 . Because the aligner  83  is free to move within the containment box  44 , the expansion of the spring  89  will move the aligner  83  in the D direction resulting in the spring rod  81  also being moved in the D direction. The spring rod  81  will move the stabilizing bar  86  in the D direction resulting in the arm second end  68  pivoting at  76  in a clockwise direction thus, moving to the inclined position. As the arm  42  is moving to the inclined position, arm  42  supports the backrest thus, moving the backrest  14  to the inclined position. The rollers  72  roll within the channel runner  44 . 
     To move the backrest  14  from the inclined position to the horizontal position, the user must lift the handle  34  at the handle portion  50  which will unlock the lock mechanism. By lifting the handle  34  the handle portion  50  will also pivot about thirty degrees (30°) resulting in a 0.5 inch stroke and the cable  36  being pulled 0.5 inches in the C direction. See FIG.  5  and FIG.  11 . This movement of the cable  36  will cause the key members  103  at the cable holes  111  to also move in the C direction and the key members  103  will compress the biasing member  105  and become disengaged from the shaft  49 . The shaft  49  will then be able to move. The force applied to the backrest by the patient or another person will then force the arm  42  and thus, the backrest  14  into the horizontal position. 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a portion of the medical examination table  10  of the present invention having multiple self-aligning drawers  18 , wherein one of the drawers  18  is in the open position. The drawers  18  are slideably received in openings  100  of the cabinet  12 . Each of the drawers  18  comprises a front panel  102 , a back panel  104 , a bottom panel  106 , two side panels  108  and a resilient extension  110  connected to each of the side panels  108 . A slide member  112  is slideably attached to each of the resilient extensions  110  and fixedly attached to the cabinet  12  within the opening  100 . 
     The front panel  102 , the back panel  104 , the bottom panel  106  and the two side panels  108  form a box structure. The side panels  108  and the bottom panel  106  form one unitary structure. The front panel  102  and the back panel  106  are connected to this unitary structure by welding. The bottom panel  106  and the side panels  108  are manufactured of, for example, A526 galvannealed steel of twenty-four (24) gage. The front and back panels  102  and  104  are preferably manufactured from A526 galvannealed steel of twenty (20) gage. One of ordinary skill will appreciate that other materials can be used to manufacture the drawer  18  such as various other metals or composites. 
     The slide member  112  enables the drawer  18  to slide smoothly within the opening  100 . The slide member  112  is an elongated member having a first track member  113 , a second track member  115  and ball bearings (not shown) positioned between the first track member  113  and the second track member  115 . The ball bearings allow the first track member  113  and the second track member  115  to slide relative to one another. The first track member  113  is fixedly attached on the interior of the cabinet  12  within the opening  100  using any conventional fastener. The second track member  115  is fixedly attached to the resilient extension  110  by a bayonet connection (not shown). The slide member  112  can be any conventional drawer slide such as drawer slide model No. 8600 purchased from Knape and Vogt of Grand Rapids, Mich. 
     FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view of the self-aligning drawer  18  shown in FIG. 13 taken along line  14 — 14 , wherein the slide members  112  are eliminated for purposes of clarity. As can be seen in FIG. 14, the resilient extensions  110  are connected to the side panels  108  and form a unitary body therewith. However, the resilient members  110  can be a separate component of the drawer  18 . The resilient extensions  110  extend from the side panels  108  and bend back toward the bottom panel  106  to form a U-shape configuration with the side panels  108  and define gap  109 . The resilient extensions  110 , like the side panels  108  are manufactured from, for example, A526 galvannealed steel of twenty-four (24) gage. However, one of ordinary skill will appreciate that the resilient extensions  110  can be made from many other materials taking into consideration its intended use such as various metals or composites. 
     When the drawer  18  is mounted within the openings  100  of the cabinet  12 , the resilient extensions  110  can deform either away from the side panels  108  (i.e., in direction A), which increases the width of the drawer  18  or towards the side panels  108  (i.e., in direction B), which decreases the width of the drawers. The resilient extensions  110  are generally able to deform up to approximately 0.125 inches in either the A or B direction, thus, effectively increasing or decreasing the overall width  118  of the drawer  18 . The resilient extensions  110  of the drawer  18 , shown in FIG. 14, are in an undeformed state. If the width of the opening  100  is larger than the overall width  118  of the drawer  18  in its undeformed state, the resilient extensions  110  can be deformed such that the overall width  118  of the drawer  18  can be increased to correspond to the width of the opening  100 . Furthermore, if the width of the opening  100  is smaller than the overall width  118  of the drawer  18  in its undeformed state, the resilient extensions  110  can be deformed such that the overall width  118  can be decreased to fit within the opening  100 . The ability of the resilient extensions  110  to deform and fit within multiple sized openings  100 , enables the drawers  18  to be manufactured with lower tolerances than were previously necessary and also enables the drawers  18  of the medical table  10  to be interchangeably mounted within various sized openings. Furthermore, the drawer  18  construction of the present invention exhibits more flexibility and strength than conventional drawer configurations resulting from the slide member  112  being substituted for ball bearings that are conventionally mounted within the drawer  18 . 
     FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a portion of the medical examination table  10  of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 illustrating a retractable footstep  20  thereof, wherein a runner  120  and a latch  122  of the retractable footstep are illustrated in hidden lines. The retractable footstep  20  comprises a platform  124  and a runner  120 . The runner  120  is welded to a ledge  129  within the cabinet  12 . The retractable footstep  20  is slideably received within a cavity  126  of the cabinet  12  positioned approximately five (5) inches from the floor. 
     FIG. 16 is a side view of the retractable footstep  20  of the present invention shown in FIG. 15 that illustrates tabs  128  and the latch  122  of the footstep  20 . The footstep  20  comprises a platform  132  having a first end  134 , a second end  136 , a top side  138  and an underside  140 . The platform  132  is slideably received within the runner  120 . The platform  132  is manufactured from mild steel and is approximately 24 inches in length by 17 inches wide by 2.5 inches in height. The platform  132  can include a stainless steel rim (not shown) that covers the edges of platform  132  and is for decorative purposes. 
     Tabs  128  are fixedly attached to the first end  134  by spot welding and extend substantially perpendicular from the top side  138  of the platform  132 . Like the platform  132 , the tabs  128  are preferably manufactured of 304 stainless steel. It is important that the tabs  128  be manufactured of a material that is resistant to wear and is flexible such as stainless steel. As the platform  132  is moved from a retracted position to an extended position, the tabs  128  contact the runner  120 . Thus, the tabs  128  are susceptible to wear from this contact. 
     The latch  122  extends from and is pivotally connected to the underside  140  of the platform  132 . A weld attaches the latch  122  to the underside  140  of the platform  132 . The latch has a first leg  135  and a second leg  137 , wherein the two legs  135  and  137  are positioned at an angle relative to one another and form a unitary member. The latch  122  may be made of A526 galvannealed steel of eighteen (18) gage. 
     FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the runner  120  of the retractable footstep  20  of the present invention shown in FIG.  15 . The runner  120  is received within cavity  126  and fixedly attached to the ledge  129  of the cabinet  12  by welding. The runner  120  is a substantially a U-shaped member having a first leg  138 , a second leg  140  and an intermediate portion  142 . A channel  144  runs along the interior surface of the first leg  138 , the second leg  140  and the intermediate portion  142 . The channel  144  has an upper leg  146  and a lower leg  148 . The upper leg  146  of the channel  144  defines slots  150  in the first and second legs  138  and  140  of the runner  120 . The runner  120  is manufactured of galvannealed steel of fourteen (14) gage. However, one of ordinary skill will appreciate that the runner  120  as well as the platform  132  and any components thereof can be manufactured from other materials than those specified herein by considering what the intended use of the components. 
     In its retracted position, the second end  136  of the platform  132  extends a short distance from the front surface  19  of the cabinet  12 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The footstep  20  moves from its retracted position to an extended position, shown in FIG. 15, by pulling the platform  132  out of the cavity  126 . As the platform  132  is pulled out of the cavity  126 , the weight of the platform  132  causes the platform  132  to dip down at its second end  136  where it is not supported and also causes the first end  134  of the platform  132  to tilt upward such that the tabs  128  will contact the runner until they engage the slots  150  at which point the tabs  128  extend substantially perpendicularly from the top side of the platform  132 . The distance that the platform  132  can extend from the front surface  19  is limited by the latch  122  and the tabs  128 . At its fully extended position, the tabs  122  engage the slots  150  of the runner  120  and the latch  122  engages the cabinet  12  thus, preventing the platform  132  from extending further than its fully extended position and becoming disengaged from the cabinet  12 . The platform  132  can extend a maximum of thirteen (13) inches from the cabinet front surface  19 . 
     FIG. 18 is a partial perspective view of the medical examination table of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 that illustrates a leg rest thereof. FIG. 19 is a side view of the leg rest shown in FIG.  18  and FIG. 20 is a back view of the leg rest shown in FIG.  18 . FIGS.  18  through FIG. 20 illustrate the pad  156  in an inclined position. The leg rest  22  comprises a shelf member  154  and a pad  156  that rests on the shelf member  154 . The leg rest  22  is retractable within a second cavity  158  of the table  10 . The leg rest  22  can be extended from its retracted position, shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, to an extended position, shown in FIG.  18 . 
     The shelf member  154  has a top surface  158 , a bottom surface  160 , two sides  162  and a lip  164 . The shelf member  154  further has a first end  166  and a second end (not shown), which extends within the second cavity and wherein the lip  164  is positioned at the first end  166  along the edge thereof. The shelf member  154  is slideably received by the runners  180 . See FIGS. 2 and 5. The runners  180  extend two-thirds of the length of the cabinet  12 . 
     The shelf member  154  is formed from one elongated piece of 304 stainless steel of twenty-two (22) gage. First, a distance equal to the length of the bottom surface  160  is measured from an end of the elongated piece of stainless steel. Then the elongated piece of stainless steel is bent at a right angle at the measured distance to form the lip  164 . The piece of steel is then bent 180 degrees such the lip  164  has a double thickness. The piece of steel then is bent at a right angle to form the top surface  158  of the shelf member  154 . The sides of the piece of steel forming the top surface  158  are then bent at right angles to form the sides  162  of the shelf member  154 . This results in the shelf member  154  having no seams or open areas where fluids can penetrate thus, preventing the material from corroding. Furthermore, stainless steel is chosen because it is resistant to corrosion. 
     The pad  156  has a rigid bottom surface  168 , a prop rod  170 , tubular connectors  173  and a stuffed body  172  on which the patient&#39;s legs rest. The stuffed body  172  comprises stuffing (not shown) such as plastic foam covered with a vinyl material. The bottom surface  168  is made of wood. The bottom surface  168  is attached to the stuffed body  172  by any fastener such as adhesive or screws. 
     The tubular connectors  173  are secured to the bottom surface  168  by screws. The prop rod  170  fits within and is rotatably attached to the tubular connectors  173 . The prop rod  170  is a 0.25 diameter rod having a U-shaped configuration. In its inclined position, the prop rod  170  forms an angle with the bottom surface  168  such that the stuffed body  172  substantially meets the seat portion  16  and the legs of the patient are solidly supported. See FIG.  18 . To collapse the pad  156  from the inclined position to the horizontal position, the prop rod  170  is rotated within the tubular connectors  173  towards the bottom surface such that the prop rod  173  is substantially parallel to the bottom surface. 
     Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, however, that many modifications and variations of the present invention may be implemented without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The foregoing description and the following claims are intended to cover such modifications and variations.