Expandable overbed table

Abstract

An overbed table with a primary table top may be expanded through the deployment of a secondary table top. Advantageously, by appropriately arranging the position of the manner by which the secondary table top is mounted to the overbed table, the top surface of the secondary table top can occupy the same plane as the top surface of the primary table top. Additionally, the overbed table may incorporate further features including equipment rails, power receptacles, networking receptacles and a computing device.

1 . An overbed table comprising:
 a base;   a vertical support with a first end attached to said base;   a primary table top attached to said vertical support at a second end of said vertical support; and   a secondary table top having a first position in which a top surface of said secondary table top is coplanar with a top surface of said primary table top.   
   
   
       2 . The overbed table of  claim 1  wherein said secondary table top has a second position in which said top surface of said secondary table top is perpendicular to said top surface of said primary table top. 
   
   
       3 . The overbed table of  claim 2  further comprising a hinge connecting said secondary table top to said primary table top. 
   
   
       4 . The overbed table of  claim 1  further comprising a support brace connecting an underside of said secondary table top to said vertical support adapted to releasably maintain said secondary table top in said first position. 
   
   
       5 . The overbed table of  claim 1  further comprising a support beam slidably extendable out from a first support position entirely under said primary table top to a second support position partially under said primary table top and partially under said secondary table top. 
   
   
       6 . The overbed table of  claim 1  further comprising a hinge connecting said secondary table top to said vertical support beam. 
   
   
       7 . The overbed table of  claim 6  wherein said vertical support beam includes a plurality of locations at which said hinge may be positioned. 
   
   
       8 . An overbed table comprising:
 a base;   a vertical support including:
 an inner beam with a first end attached to said base; and 
 an outer beam with a first end surrounding said inner beam, said outer beam including equipment rails allowing for attachment of equipment; and 
   a primary table top attached to said outer beam at a second end of said outer beam.   
   
   
       9 . The overbed table of  claim 8  wherein said equipment rails extend along a length of said outer beam. 
   
   
       10 . The overbed table of  claim 8  wherein said equipment rails extend generally perpendicular to a length of said outer beam. 
   
   
       11 . The overbed table of  claim 8  wherein said equipment rails comprise extruded aluminum secured to said outer beam. 
   
   
       12 . The overbed table of  claim 8  wherein said outer beam comprises an aluminum extrusion arranged to integrally include said equipment rails. 
   
   
       13 . An overbed table comprising
 a base;   a vertical support with a first vertical support end attached to said base;   a primary table top attached to said vertical support at a second vertical support end of said vertical support;   a power cord terminating at a first power cord end at a male electrical connector and terminating at a second power cord end at a power receptacle.   
   
   
       14 . The overbed table of  claim 13  further comprising a cantilever support attaching said primary table top to said vertical support. 
   
   
       15 . The overbed table of  claim 14  wherein said cantilever support defines an aperture in which is mounted said power receptacle. 
   
   
       16 . The overbed table of  claim 14  wherein said primary table top defines an aperture in which is mounted said power receptacle. 
   
   
       17 . The overbed table of  claim 13  further comprising:
 a cord retractor attached to said overbed table;   said power cord comprising:
 a retractable power cord portion terminating at a first retractable power cord portion end at said male electrical connector and terminating at a second retractable power cord portion end in said cord retractor; and 
 an internal power cord portion terminating at a first internal power cord portion end at a connection to said retractable power cord and terminating at a second internal power cord portion end at said power receptacle. 
   
   
   
       18 . The overbed table of  claim 17  wherein said cord retractor comprises:
 an axle to which said retractable power cord portion is attached;   a biasing component adapted to bias said axle to coil said retractable power cord portion around said axle.   
   
   
       19 . An overbed table comprising:
 a base;   a vertical support with a first vertical support end attached to said base;   a primary table top attached to said vertical support at a second vertical support end of said vertical support;   a power cord terminating at a first power cord end at a male electrical connector and terminating at a second power cord end at a division circuit adapted to provide power connections to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) receptacle.   
   
   
       20 . The overbed table of  claim 19  further comprising a cantilever support attaching said primary table top to said vertical support. 
   
   
       21 . The overbed table of  claim 20  wherein said cantilever support defines an aperture in which is mounted said USB receptacle. 
   
   
       22 . The overbed table of  claim 20  wherein said primary table top defines an aperture in which is mounted said USB receptacle. 
   
   
       23 . The overbed table of  claim 19  further comprising:
 a cord retractor attached to said overbed table;   said power cord comprising:
 a retractable power cord portion terminating at a first retractable power cord portion end at said male electrical connector and terminating at a second retractable power cord portion end in said cord retractor; and 
 an internal power cord portion terminating at a first internal power cord portion end at a connection to said retractable power cord portion and terminating at a second internal power cord portion end at said division circuit. 
   
   
   
       24 . An overbed table comprising:
 a base;   a vertical support with a first vertical support end attached to said base;   a primary table top attached to said vertical support at a second vertical support end of said vertical support;   a data cable terminating at a first data cable end at a male data connector and terminating at a second data cable end at a data receptacle.   
   
   
       25 . The overbed table of  claim 24  wherein said data receptacle is an RJ45 Ethernet port. 
   
   
       26 . The overbed table of  claim 24  further comprising:
 a cord retractor attached to said overbed table;   said data cable comprising:
 a retractable data cable portion terminating at a first retractable data cable portion end at said male data connector and terminating at a second retractable data cable portion end in said cord retractor; and 
 an internal data cable portion terminating at a first internal data cable portion end at a connection to said retractable data cable portion and terminating at a second internal data cable portion end at said data receptacle. 
   
   
   
       27 . An overbed table comprising:
 a base;   a vertical support with a first vertical support end attached to said base;   a primary table top attached to said vertical support at a second vertical support end of said vertical support, said primary table top defining an aperture;   a video display monitor mounted in said aperture; and   a computing device attached to said overbed table, said computing device including:
 a central processor; 
 a video processor in communication with said central processor, said video processor adapted to provide output to said video display monitor; and 
 an input component in communication with said central processor. 
   
   
   
       28 . The overbed table of  claim 27  wherein said primary table top is attached to said vertical support in a manner that allows said primary table top to be tilted away from horizontal. 
   
   
       29 . The overbed table of  claim 28  further comprising an accelerometer mounted to said primary table top, said accelerometer in communication with said video processor to facilitate automatic orientation, by said video processor, of an image displayed by said video display monitor, said automatic orientation dependent upon a direction of tilt of said primary table top. 
   
   
       30 . The overbed table of  claim 27  further comprising a secondary table top. 
   
   
       31 . The overbed table of  claim 27  further comprising a retractable power cord adapted to provide electrical power to said computing device. 
   
   
       32 . The overbed table of  claim 27  further comprising a rechargeable battery adapted to provide electrical power to said computing device. 
   
   
       33 . The overbed table of  claim 27  wherein said input component is incorporated into said video display monitor so that said video display monitor is adapted to provide input to said central processor responsive to a touch on said video display monitor. 
   
   
       34 . The overbed table of  claim 27  further comprising a translucent top surface mounted on a top surface of said primary table top. 
   
   
       35 . The overbed table of  claim 27  wherein said input component comprises a keyboard. 
   
   
       36 . The overbed table of  claim 35  further comprising:
 a shelf positioned under said primary table top, said shelf sized to accommodate said keyboard;   a sensor adapted to sense a direction in which said keyboard is extracted from said shelf, said sensor in communication with said video processor to facilitate automatic orientation, by said video processor, of an image displayed by said video display monitor, said automatic orientation dependent upon said direction.   
   
   
       37 . The overbed table of  claim 27  further comprising a button located on said primary table top, said button in communication with said video processor to facilitate orientation, by said video processor, of an image displayed by said video display monitor, said orientation toggled responsive to receipt of an indication of a press on said button.