Children's vanity step-stool

• US 5,014,818 A
• Filed: 08/17/1990
• Issued: 05/14/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Schulz
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Schulz
• Inventors: Schulz, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): MACHADO, REINALDO
• Application Number:
  US07/568,755
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 182/90, 182/92, 182/88, 182/129, 182/21, 182/20, 182/35, 182/151, 182/228
• US Class Current: 182/90
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 12/02 requiring conversion between the step and seat functions

Abstract

A step-stool for enabling a child to climb up to the top surface of a cabinet made of a top piece, a bottom piece and a middle step or platform piece adapted to slide out from between the top piece and the bottom piece to form a step. Two T-shaped spacers, one on each side, provide a channel for the middle platform piece to move outward and form the step. Screws, nails, or nuts and bolts act as fasteners to fit through the top piece, the two spacers and the bottom piece to hold them together, leave room for the middle slidable platform piece to be pulled out and to anchor the step-stool to a cabinet or other floor. The components of the step-stool of the invention may be marketed as a kit, put together to form an unanchored step-stool or anchored to a cabinet or other floor.

Claims

1. Step stool apparatus comprising, in cooperating constructable combination and adapted to be put together as a pull-out cabinet step,

(1) a rectangular top shelf member,

(2) a rectangular bottom supporting member of substantially the same width from side to side as said top shelf member,

(3) a slidable middle platform member of less width from side to side than said top shelf member and said bottom supporting member and adapted to be slidably positioned below said top shelf member and above said bottom supporting member so as to form a step when pulled out along part of the length from back to front of said top shelf member and said bottom supporting member,

(4) two T-shaped spacer members when turned sideways having stems adapted to form ledges, one along one side of said slidable middle platform member and one along the other for supporting said top shelf member, whereby said middle platform member may slide inward and outward along part of the lengths of said bottoms of said stems of said T-shaped spacer members between said top shelf member and said bottom supporting member, said bottom supporting member being adapted to fit under said ledges on each side, and

(5) fasteners for assembling said members together as a step-stool and attaching them securely to a floor whereby said slidable middle platform member when pulled partway out becomes a step which will hold up the weight of a child.

2. The step-stool apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fasteners comprise a plurality of screws long enough to fit through said top shelf member, said T-shaped spacer members and said bottom supporting member and into a subjacent floor.

3. The step-stool apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fasteners comprise a plurality of nuts and bolts.

4. The step-stool apparatus of claim 1 forming a kit.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said top member has a groove along part of its length from front toward back, said bottom member has a groove along part of its length from front toward back and said middle platform member has a dowel partway along its length from front toward back positioned so as to slide along said grooves.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said top member has a groove along part of its length from front toward back and said middle platform member has a dowel partway along its length from front toward back positioned so as to slide along said grooves.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bottom supporting member has a groove along part of its length from front toward back and said middle platform member has a dowel partway along its length from front toward back adapted to fit in said groove when said apparatus is put together as a step-stool.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said top member has a cut-out portion at a front end thereof and said middle member has a side-toward-side notch therein, whereby said middle shelf member may be pulled partway out when said apparatus is assembled as a step-stool and also when it is installed on the floor of a cabinet.

5. A kit comprising as separate components thereof adapted to be put together and installed as a working step-stool

(1) a rectangular top shelf member,

(2) a rectangular bottom supporting member of substantially the same width from side to side as said top shelf member,

(3) a slidable middle platform member of less width from side to side than said top shelf member and said bottom supporting member and adapted to be slidably positioned below said top shelf member and above said bottom supporting member so as to form a step when pulled out along part of the length from back to front of said top shelf member and said bottom supporting member,

(4) two T-shaped members when turned sideways having stems adapted to form ledges, one along one side of said slidable middle platform member and one along the other for supporting said top shelf member, whereby said middle platform member may slide inward and outward along part of the lengths of bottoms of stems of said T-shaped spacer members between said top shelf member and said bottom supporting member, said bottom supporting member being adapted to fit under said ledges on each side, and

(5) fasteners for assembling said members together as a step-stool and attaching them securely to a floor whereby said slidable middle platform member when pulled partway out becomes a step which will hold up the weight of a child.

6. The kit of claim 5 wherein said fasteners comprise a plurality of screws long enough to fit through said top shelf member, said T-shaped spacer members and said bottom supporting member and into a subjacent floor.

7. The kit of claim 5 wherein said fasteners comprise a plurality of nuts and bolts.

12. A step-stool comprising a rectangular top shelf member, a rectangular bottom supporting member of the same width from side to side as said top member, a slidable middle platform member of less width than said top shelf member and said bottom supporting member slidably positioned below said top shelf member and said bottom supporting member and adapted to form a step when pulled out along part of the length from back to front of said top shelf member and said bottom supporting member, and two spacer members in the shape of a T turned sideways with each having the bottom of a stem thereof not quite touching a side of said middle platform member, said top shelf member resting on two ledges formed by the stems of the T'"'"'s and said bottom supporting member fitting under each ledge and under said middle platform member, and a plurality of fasteners fitting along each edge of said top shelf member through said top shelf member, said two ledges and said bottom supporting member.

13. The step-stool of claim 12 wherein said plurality of fasteners comprises screws.

14. The step-stool of claim 12 wherein said plurality of fasteners comprises nuts and bolts.

15. The step-stool of claim 12 installed on a cabinet floor underneath a cabinet counter and having said plurality of fasteners holding said step-stool firmly in place by extending into said cabinet floor.

16. The step-stool of claim 12 wherein said middle slidable platform member has a dowel thereon and a groove for it to slide along in said bottom supporting member.

17. The step-stool of claim 12 wherein said middle slidable platform member has a dowel thereon with a groove for it to slide along in said top shelf member.

18. The step-stool of claim 12 wherein said middle slidable platform member has a dowel thereon with grooves for it to slide along in said bottom supporting member and in said top shelf member.

19. The step-stool of claim 12 wherein said top shelf member has a cutaway at the front end thereof which reveals a crosswise slot in said middle slidable platform member whereby it may be pulled out partway along bottoms of T'"'"'s turned sideways on each side.