Patent Abstract:
A power and data station rotatably mounted in an opening in a work surface comprising, a base having sloped power and data receptacle panels, a pair of torus hinges rotatably attached to said base, a lock bolt having a lock tooth fixedly attached to said base, a lock button slidably attached to said lock bolt, a first lock strike slot in one of said torus hinges, said lock tooth adapted to engage said lock strike slot to hold said station in an open position.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a power and data station to supply electric, phone, video and data lines into a work surface, such as a conference table, boardroom table or office desk. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   There is a need for an aesthetically pleasing method of supplying electric, phone and data lines into conference and boardroom tables. Present solutions to this problem generally involve a metal box with or with out a lid, making it difficult for a designer to integrate it into furniture in a pleasing manner. Some designers solve this problem by recessing the box beneath a hinged access door, but this creates the problem of how to open the door, and how to avoid damaging the adjacent surface of the table while doing so. 
   Other designers offer interfaces that raise and lower the device, but these are all dependent on expensive electric devices to raise and lower the interface, resulting in a very expensive unit prone to failures of opening and closing. 
   BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention provides a station device, called herein a power and data station, for carrying electric, phone, video and data lines into work surfaces, such as conference and boardroom tables, which opens and closes manually and is entirely concealed below the work surface when closed. To open the unit, one has simply to depress one side of the top panel and the unit rolls over 180 degrees and stops against a concealed built-in stop block. To close the unit, one only has to depress the lock button and push on the same side and the unit will roll back to its closed position, coming to rest against the concealed stop block. 
   The design is such that the table work surface may be cut out in a rectangular aperture and the cutout panel used for the top cover on the interface. This cutout feature will work on a wide variety of tabletop thicknesses, without affecting the geometry of the rotating interface station base. The interface receptacles are mounted on both sloped “roof top” panels, allowing access from both sides of the table. 
   A lock bolt mechanism is provided internally in the station base to secure the unit in the open and closed positions. The unit is easily rotated 180 degrees from its open to its closed position. Wiring is fed into the station base through the center of torus hinges at each end of the outlet box. Plastic strain relief connectors, which pass through the torus hinges, are used to secure the wiring from being pulled out of the receptacles and insure that the wires rotate with the station. The torus hinges are fastened to the station base, which is screwed to the bottom of the work surface cutout panel, in a manner to align the station top panel into the work surface cutout aperture. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the invention to provide an electrical grommet to supply electric, phone and data lines into conference and boardroom tables. 
   Another object of the invention is to provide a method of supplying electric, phone and data lines into conference and boardroom tables, which opens and closes manually and is entirely concealed below the work surface when closed. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the power and data station of this invention in the open position; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the power and data station in the closed position; 
       FIG. 3A  is a section view in the open locked position; 
       FIG. 3B  is a detailed view of the lock button; 
       FIG. 3C  is a detailed view of the unit locked; 
       FIG. 4A  is a section view in the open unlocked position; 
       FIG. 4B  is a detail view of the lock button depressed to unlock; 
       FIG. 4C  is a detail view of the unit unlocked 
       FIG. 5  is a section view of the unit rotated 90 degrees; 
       FIG. 6A  is a section view of the unit closed; 
       FIG. 6B  is detail view of the unit semi-locked closed; 
       FIG. 7A  is an elevational view showing the hinge and station in the open position; 
       FIG. 7B  is a detail of the hinge; 
       FIG. 8A  is an elevational view showing the hinge and station in the closed position; 
       FIG. 8B  is a detail view of the hinge; and, 
       FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1-9 , there is shown power and data station  10  set into the tabletop of a work surface, such as a conference or boardroom table  12 . Station  10  is in the open position, exposing a plurality of power receptacles  14  and  15  and data ports  16  and  17 . Power receptacles  14 ,  15  are located in panels  18  and  20  and data ports  16 ,  17  are located in panels  18  and  20  of station  10 . Panels  18  and  20  are both sloped, set at an angle to the horizontal, which makes power receptacles  14 ,  15  and data ports  16 ,  17  easier to use and easier to access. 
     FIG. 2  shows station  10  rotated 180 degrees to its closed position in table  12 . Panel  22  of table  12 , was cut out from the work surface to form the cavity for placement of station  10 , or is a separate panel made to fit the cut-out area and match its color and texture, if desired. Station  10  is affixed to one side of panel  22 , so that when station  10  is rotated 180 degrees, panel  22  fits flush with, and completely fills the opening in table  12 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  3 C, there is shown a cross-section of station  10  in the locked-open mode. The base or body of station  10  comprises vertical panels  11  and  11 ′ to which are attached sloped panels  18  and  20 and end plates  68  and  70 . Vertical panels  11  and  11 ′ are fixedly attached to table piece  22 , making the entire station  10  fixedly attached to table piece  22 . Station  10 , affixed to table piece  22 , stays fixed together, even during rotation of station  10 , providing a stable support for the electrical and data connections. 
   A lock bolt  24  locks station  10  in the open position. Lock bolt  24  is held in position by lower lock bolt guides  25  and  25 ′ and upper lock bolt guides  40  and  40 ′. Lock button  26  is slidably attached to lock bolt  24  and fits through slot  29  in ridge panel  27 . In the hinge locked position, lock bolt tooth  30  fits into lock strike slot  31  of torus hinge  32 . When lock button  26  is depressed, lock bolt tooth  30  moves downward into space  34 , out of lock strike  31 , releasing station  10 , allowing it to rotate 180 degrees on torus hinges  32  and  32 ′. When pressure is released on lock button  26 , spring  28  urges lock button  26  to its upward position, shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . 
   Two flexible seal wing members  36  and  38  act as loose fitting seals to prevent foreign objects from falling into the gap between station  10  and the table top aperture when the unit is open. 
   Wiring is fed to an outlet from the power and data panels  18  and  20  through center holes  35 ,  37  of torus hinges  32 ,  32 ′ at each end of the base outlet box. Plastic strain relief connectors, which pass through the torus hinges, may be used to secure the wiring from being pulled out of the receptacles and insure that the wires rotate with the outlet box. Torus hinges  32 ,  32 ′ are fastened to end panels  68 ,  70 , which attach to vertical panels  11 ,  11 ′ and panels  18 ,  20 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4A ,  4 B, and  4 C, there is shown the hinge unlocked position in which lock bolt tooth  30  is pushed out of lock strike slot  31  by depression of lock button  26 , which moves lock bolt  24  downward. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 5 ,  6 A and  6 B, there is shown station  10  as it is rotating 90 degrees clockwise ( FIG. 5 ) from its open position to 180 degrees rotation ( FIG. 6A ) to its closed position. The rotation is accomplished by pushing down on lock button  26 , moving lock bolt tooth  30  out of lock strike slot  31  and by then pushing down on side  20 . 
   Lock strike  50  is more shallow than lock strike  31  and is also curved, concave, so that station  10  can be returned to the open position by simply pushing panel  22 , rotating station  10  countercloskwise, back to the open position. Lock bolt tooth  30  rides up and out of lock strike  50 , which is shallow and has a curved surface, with a small amount of pressure applied. This is done since it not possible to depress lock button  26  when the station is in its closed position. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 7A ,  7 B,  8 A and  8 B, there is shown an end view of torus hinge  32  which has stop block  52  affixed thereto. When station  10  is rotated 180 degrees to both the open and closed position, stop block  52  impacts either adjustable stop screw  54  or  56 , which stops the rotation of station  10  in the proper level, horizontal position. Screws  58  and  60  attach stop block  52  to end plate  70 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 9 , there is shown an exploded view of station  10 . Clips  64  and  66  hold torus hinges  32  and  32 ′ in place in end plates  68  and  70 . End plates  68 ,  70  have center holes  110  and  111 , which line up with center holes  35  and  37  of torus hnges  32 ,  32 ′ and with center hole  39  of lock bolt  24 . Cans  60  and  62 , which attach underneath panels  18  and  20 , hold the power and data components. 
   The components of the station are preferably made of metal, such as aluminum or steel.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8