Expandable Play Set

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an activity play set including an upper cabinet portion telescopically movable with respect to a lower cabinet portion. The play set is reconfigurable between a collapsed, lower configuration and an extended, higher configuration. A latch mechanism secures the upper cabinet portion in position relative to the lower cabinet portion. The latch mechanism is fixed to the lower cabinet portion and includes outwardly-biased slide members. As the upper cabinet portion and lower cabinet portion slide relative to each other, the outwardly-biased slide member ends contact and slide along slide walls of the upper cabinet portion. Furthermore, the slide walls of the upper cabinet portion include lock openings to receive the slide member ends. To release the latch mechanism to permit the upper cabinet portion to slide relative to the lower cabinet portion, the slide members are compressed inward to retract the slide member ends from the lock openings in the slide walls.

1 . A toy kitchen play set comprising:
 a cabinet reconfigurable between an extended configuration and a collapsed configuration, the cabinet including an upper cabinet portion and a lower cabinet portion, the upper cabinet portion adapted for telescopic movement relative to the lower cabinet portion and being provided with a latch for selectively preventing relative telescopic movement between the upper cabinet portion and the lower cabinet portion, the upper cabinet portion including a toy kitchen countertop mounted thereon, the toy kitchen countertop including at least one toy kitchen accessory mounted thereto, the toy kitchen accessory comprising at least one of the group consisting of a sink, a blender, a cook top, and a faucet, wherein in the collapsed configuration, the upper cabinet portion is telescopically collapsed relative to the lower cabinet portion to position the toy kitchen countertop in a lowered arrangement and wherein in the extended configuration, the upper cabinet portion is telescopically extended relative to the lower cabinet portion.   
   
   
       2 . The toy kitchen play set of  claim 1 , wherein the toy kitchen accessory mounted to the toy kitchen countertop is a sink. 
   
   
       3 . The toy kitchen play set of  claim 2 , wherein the sink includes a toy faucet mounted in proximity thereto. 
   
   
       4 . The toy kitchen play set of  claim 1 , wherein the toy kitchen accessory mounted to the toy kitchen countertop is a cook top. 
   
   
       5 . The toy kitchen play set of  claim 4 , wherein the cook top includes individual toy burner elements mounted thereto. 
   
   
       6 . The toy kitchen play set of  claim 1 , wherein the toy kitchen accessory mounted to the toy kitchen countertop is a blender. 
   
   
       7 . The toy kitchen play set of  claim 6 , wherein the blender includes a motor adapted to rotate a portion of the blender with respect to the toy kitchen countertop. 
   
   
       8 . The toy kitchen play set of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the upper cabinet portion and the lower cabinet portion includes at least one of a door, a drawer, or a shelf. 
   
   
       9 . The toy kitchen play set of  claim 1 , further including a sensor for detecting one of a first condition wherein the play set is configured in the collapsed configuration or a second condition wherein the play set is configured in the extended configuration. 
   
   
       10 . The toy kitchen play set of  claim 9 , wherein a first sensory stimulating electronic output is generated if the first condition is detected by the sensor and wherein a second, different, sensory stimulating electronic output is generated if the second condition is detected by the sensor. 
   
   
       11 . The toy kitchen play set of  claim 8 , wherein both the upper cabinet portion and the lower cabinet portion include at least one of a door, a drawer, or a shelf. 
   
   
       12 . A reconfigurable toy kitchen play set adjustable between a lowered configuration to accommodate a younger child and an extended configuration to accommodate an older child, the play set having an overall height, the overall height being greater in the extended configuration than in the lowered configuration, the play set comprising:
 a base member including an upper portion and a lower portion;   a toy kitchen countertop mounted to the upper portion of the base member;   means for repositioning the upper portion relative to the lower portion,   at least one toy kitchen accessory associated with the toy kitchen countertop, the toy kitchen accessory comprising at least one of the group consisting of a sink, a blender, a cook top, and a faucet,   wherein a younger child can play with the at least one toy kitchen accessory in the lowered configuration and wherein when the younger child becomes an older child, the play set can be reconfigured via the means for repositioning the upper portion relative to the lower portion from the lowered configuration to said extended configuration by raising said upper portion of the base member relative to the lower portion of the base member to raise the toy kitchen countertop to a height more comfortable for an older child.   
   
   
       13 . The reconfigurable toy kitchen play set of  claim 12 , wherein the toy kitchen accessory associated with the toy kitchen countertop is a sink, the sink further including a faucet mounted in proximity thereto. 
   
   
       14 . The reconfigurable toy kitchen play set of  claim 12 , wherein the toy kitchen accessory associated with the toy kitchen countertop is a cook top. 
   
   
       15 . The reconfigurable toy kitchen play set of  claim 14 , wherein the cook top includes individual toy burner elements mounted thereto. 
   
   
       16 . The reconfigurable toy kitchen play set of  claim 12 , wherein the toy kitchen accessory associated with the toy kitchen countertop is a blender. 
   
   
       17 . The reconfigurable toy kitchen play set of  claim 16 , wherein the blender includes a motor adapted to rotate a portion of the blender with respect to the toy kitchen countertop. 
   
   
       18 . The reconfigurable toy kitchen play set of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the upper portion of the base member and the lower portion of the base member includes at least one of a door, a drawer, or a shelf. 
   
   
       19 . The reconfigurable toy kitchen play set of  claim 12 , wherein the upper portion of the base member is adapted for telescopic movement relative to the lower portion of the base member, and the means for repositioning the upper portion of the base member relative to the lower portion of the base member comprises a latch adapted to selectively fix the upper portion of the base member in at least two distinctive telescopic positions relative to the lower portion of the base member. 
   
   
       20 . The reconfigurable toy kitchen play set of  claim 12 , further including a sensor for detecting one of a first condition wherein the play set is configured in the lowered configuration or a second condition wherein the play set is configured in the extended configuration. 
   
   
       21 . The reconfigurable toy kitchen play set of  claim 20  wherein a first sensory stimulating electronic output is generated if the first condition is detected by the sensor and wherein a second, different, sensory stimulating electronic output is generated if the second condition is detected by the sensor. 
   
   
       22 . A method of reconfiguring a toy kitchen play set comprising the steps of:
 providing a base member, the base member including an upper cabinet portion and a lower cabinet portion, the upper cabinet portion adapted for telescopic movement relative to the lower cabinet portion;   providing a toy kitchen countertop mounted to the upper cabinet portion of the base member, the toy kitchen countertop including at least one toy kitchen accessory associated therewith, the toy kitchen accessory comprising at least one of the group consisting of a sink, a blender, a cook top, and a faucet;   engaging a latch on the play set and adjusting the height of the toy kitchen countertop upward to an extended configuration by telescopically moving the upper cabinet portion away from the lower cabinet portion; and   re-engaging the latch on the play set and adjusting the height of the toy kitchen countertop downward to a collapsed configuration by telescopically moving the upper cabinet portion toward the lower cabinet portion.   
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the toy kitchen accessory associated with the toy kitchen countertop is a sink, the sink further including a faucet mounted in proximity thereto. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the toy kitchen accessory associated with the toy kitchen countertop is a blender, the blender including a motor adapted to rotate a portion of the blender with respect to the toy kitchen countertop. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the kitchen play set includes a sensor for detecting one of a first condition wherein the toy kitchen play set is configured in the collapsed configuration or a second condition wherein the toy kitchen play set is configured in the extended configuration. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , further including the step of producing a first sensory stimulating electronic output when the first condition is detected by the sensor and producing a second sensory stimulating electronic output when the second condition is detected by the sensor. 
   
   
       27 . A toy role play set comprising:
 a base member reconfigurable between an extended configuration and a collapsed configuration, the base member including an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion adapted for telescopic movement relative to the lower portion and being provided with a latch for selectively preventing relative telescopic movement between the upper portion and the lower portion,   a toy role play surface mounted to the upper portion, the toy role play surface including at least one toy role play accessory mounted thereto, the toy role play accessory comprising an accessory typically associated with the real-life activity from which the role toy play set emulates, wherein in the collapsed configuration, the upper portion is telescopically collapsed relative to the lower portion to position the toy role play surface in a lowered arrangement and wherein in the extended configuration, the upper portion is telescopically extended relative to the lower portion.   
   
   
       28 . The toy role play set of  claim 27 , wherein the toy role play surface comprises a kitchen countertop and wherein the toy role play accessory comprises toy kitchen accessory comprising at least one of the group consisting of a sink, a blender, a cook top, and a faucet. 
   
   
       29 . The toy role play set of  claim 28 , further including a sensor for detecting one of a first condition wherein the role play set is configured in the collapsed configuration or a second condition wherein the play set is configured in the extended configuration. 
   
   
       30 . The toy kitchen play set of  claim 29 , wherein a first sensory stimulating electronic output is generated if the first condition is detected by the sensor and wherein a second, different, sensory stimulating electronic output is generated if the second condition is detected by the sensor.