Step stool

• US 6,026,933 A
• Filed: 09/11/1998
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dorel Home Furnishings, Inc. (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cosco Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: King, Raymond P., Schroer, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN SHUE, ALVIN C
• Application Number:
  US09/151,606
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 182/180.1, 182/165, 182/156, 182/161, 297/46
• US Class Current: 182/165
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 1/387 having tip-up steps
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 1/393 Ladders having platforms foldable with the ladder

Abstract

A step stool comprising a frame having a front leg and a rear leg, a step having a top surface and a bottom surface and an opening in the top surface extending through to the bottom surface wherein the step is coupled to the front leg and coupled to the rear leg, and wherein there is a step blocker movable between an engaged position in which the blocker engages the frame and a retracted position in which the blocker does not engage the frame and an actuator grip to operate the block which grip is accessible from the top surface of the step through the aperture.

Claims

1. A step stool comprising

a frame having a front leg and a rear leg,

a step having a top surface formed to include an aperture having an opening in the top surface, the step being coupled to the front leg and coupled to the rear leg, and

a step blocker having a blocker movable between an engaged position in which the blocker engages the frame and a retracted position in which the blocker does not engage the frame and an actuator grip accessible from the top surface of the step through the aperture, the actuator grip being coupled to the blocker.

2. The stool of claim 1, wherein the actuator grip is arranged to lie in an exposed position in the aperture formed in the step when the blocker is in the engaged position.

3. The step stool of claim 2, wherein the step blocker includes a rod and the blocker is connected to a first end of the rod and the actuator grip is connected to a second end of the rod.

4. The step stool of claim 3, further comprising a biasing seat attached to the step, a stop attached to the rod and a spring extending between the biasing seat and the stop to bias the blocker in the engaged position.

5. The step stool of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a pivot bracket having a leg end coupled to one of the front leg and the rear leg and a step end coupled to the step and the blocker engages the pivot bracket when in the engaged position and does not engage the pivot bracket when in the retracted position.

6. The step stool of claim 5, wherein the actuator grip is positioned in the aperture when the blocker is in the engaged position and when the blocker is in the retracted position.

7. The step stool of claim 5, wherein the blocker includes a tip and the tip of the blocker extends beyond the pivot bracket when in the engaged position.

8. The step stool of claim 5, wherein a portion of the blocker extends through the pivot bracket when in the engaged position.

9. The step stool of claim 5, and including a spring engaging the step and the step blocker to bias the blocker into contact with the frame.

10. The step stool of claim 9, wherein the actuator grip is positioned in the aperture when the blocker is in the engaged position and when the blocker is in the retracted position.

11. The step stool of claim 1, wherein the step-blocker further includes a second blocker movable between an engaged position in which the second blocker engages the frame and a retracted position in which the second blocker does not engage the frame and a second actuator grip accessible from the top surface of the step through the aperture, the second actuator grip being coupled to the second blocker.

12. The step stool of claim 11, wherein the step includes a bottom surface and the step blocker is mounted to the bottom surface for movement relative to the bottom surface.

13. The step stool of claim 12, wherein the step has a bottom surface and the step blocker is entirely positioned below the bottom surface.

15. The step stool of claim 12, wherein the step further includes a first side wall on the first side and a second side wall on the second side and the step blocker further includes a first rod and a second rod and the first blocker is connected to a first end of the first rod and the first actuator grip is connected to a second end of the first rod and the second blocker is connected to a first end of the second rod and the second actuator grip is connected to a second end of the second rod and the first rod extends through the first side wall and the second rod extends between the second side wall.

16. The step stool of claim 15, further comprising a first biasing seat attached to the step, a first stop attached to the first rod and a first spring extending between the first biasing seat and the first stop to bias the first blocker in the engaged position and a second biasing seat attached to the step, a second stop attached to the second rod and a second spring extending between the second biasing seat and the second stop to bias the second blocker in the engaged position.

17. The step stool of claim 16, wherein the position of the first blocker is independent of the position of the second blocker.

14. A step stool comprising

a frame having a first side having a first front leg and a first rear leg and a second side having a second front leg and a second rear leg,

a step having a first side, a second side, and a top surface formed to include an aperture having an opening in the top surface, the step being positioned to lie between the first side of the frame and the second side of the frame, the step being coupled at the first side of the step to the first front leg and the first rear leg and at the second side of the step to the second front leg and the second rear leg, and

a step blocker having a first blocker movable between an engaged position in which the first blocker engages the first side of the frame and a retracted position in which the first blocker does not engage the first side of the frame, a first actuator grip accessible from the top surface of the step through the aperture, a second blocker movable between an engaged position in which the second blocker engages the second side of the frame and a retracted position in which the second blocker does not engage the second side of the frame, and a second actuator grip accessible from the top surface of the step through the aperture, wherein the first actuator grip being coupled to the first blocker and the second actuator grip being coupled to the second blocker.

18. A step stool comprising

a frame,

a step mounted for movement on the frame, the step being formed to include an aperture, and

a step blocker including a blocker movable to engage the frame to block movement of the step relative to the frame and an actuator grip coupled to the blocker and arranged to lie in an exposed position in the aperture formed in the step.

19. The step stool of claim 18, wherein the step further includes a top surface and a bottom surface and the actuator grip is coupled to the blocker along the bottom surface.

20. The step stool of claim 19, wherein the step blocker further includes a stop to limit the motion of the blocker so that the actuator grip always remains in an exposed position in the aperture.

21. The step stool of claim 20, wherein the step blocker includes a rod and the blocker is connected to one end of the rod and the actuator grip is connected to a second end of the rod.

22. The step stool of claim 18, wherein the step blocker further includes a spring arranged to bias the blocker to engage the frame.

23. The step stool of claim 22, wherein the step blocker further includes a stop to limit the motion of the blocker so that the actuator grip always remains in an exposed position in the aperture.

24. The step stool of claim 18, wherein the step blocker further includes a second blocker movable to engage the frame to block movement of the step relative to the frame.

25. The step stool of claim 24, wherein the frame includes a first side and a second side displaced from the first side, the step includes a first side edge wall, an oppositely facing second side edge wall, and a top surface disposed between and connecting the first side edge wall and the second side edge wall and wherein the first side edge wall of the step is coupled to the first side of the frame and the second side edge wall of the step is connected to the second side of the frame, and the blocker is movable to engage the first side of the frame and the second blocker is movable to engage the second side of the frame.

26. A step stool comprising

a frame,

a step having a top surface and a bottom surface, and an opening extending between the top and bottom surfaces, the step being coupled to the frame, and

means mounted to the bottom surface for selectively blocking movement of the step relative to the frame upon shifting to a blocking position from a non-blocking position and said means being engageable from the top surface through the opening in the step for shifting between the blocking position in which movement of the step relative to the frame is blocked and a non-blocking position in which movement of the step relative to the frame is not blocked.

27. The step stool of claim 26, wherein the means includes a rod having a blocker at one end and an actuator at the other end.

28. A step stool comprising

a frame,

a step having a top surface, a bottom surface, and an edge extending between the top surface and bottom surface, the stop having an opening extending between the top and bottom surfaces, the step being coupled to the frame, and

means mounted to the bottom surface for movement relative to the step for selectively blocking movement of the step relative to the frame, the means including an actuator grip and a blocking member coupled to the actuator grip, the actuator grip being positioned in an interior region of the step spaced apart from the edge, and the actuator grip being accessible through the opening in the step.

29. A step stool comprising

a frame,

a step having a top surface, a bottom surface, and an outer edge, the step having an opening extending between the top and bottom surface, the step being coupled to the frame, and

means including an actuator grip and a blocking member mounted for movement relative to the bottom surface for selectively blocking movement of the step relative to the frame, the actuator grip being spaced apart from the outer edge and being actuated by a user through the opening in the stop step.

30. The step stool of claim 29 further comprising a rib extending along the bottom surface of the step the rib being positioned to lie between the actuator grip and the outer edge of the step.

31. The step stool of claim 30 wherein movement of the actuator grip induces movement of the blocking member between a blocking position in which movement of the step relative to the frame is blocked and a non-blocking position in which movement of the step relative to the frame is not blocked.