Kitchen helper folding step stool

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a step stool, and particularly to a foldable step stool. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a foldable step stool that can be collapsed to save storage space when the foldable step stool is not in use.

1 . A foldable step stool movable from an expanded use position to a collapsed storage position, the step stool comprising
 a step unit including rear frame made up of a left rear leg, a right rear leg, a lower step that extends from the left rear leg to the right rear leg, and a rear cross member that extends from the left rear leg to the right rear leg above the lower step,   a stabilizer unit including a front frame and a handle rail, the front frame being made up of a left front leg, a right front leg, and a front cross member that extends from the left front leg to the right front leg, and the handle rail including a left handle portion that is pivotably coupled to the left rear leg and the left front leg at spaced apart locations, a right handle portion that is pivotably coupled to the right rear leg and the right front leg at spaced apart locations, and a front handle portion that extends from the left handle portion to the right handle portion, and   a platform unit that is supported above a ground underlying the foldable step stool by the step unit and the stabilizer unit when the foldable step stool is in the expanded use position, the platform unit including a platform step panel coupled to one of the rear frame and the front frame to provide a step when the foldable step stool is in the expanded use position,   wherein the step unit further includes a rear crossbar having a first end pivotably coupled to one of the left rear leg and the right rear leg and a second end opposite the first end, the rear crossbar being configured to pivot about a crossbar axis at the first end from an entry position to a retention position,   wherein, when the rear crossbar is in the entry position, the rear crossbar is in parallel alignment with the right rear leg and extends downwardly along a length of the right rear leg to allow a user to step on to or step off the platform unit and, when the rear crossbar is in the retention position, the rear crossbar extends horizontally relative to the platform step panel between the right rear leg and the left rear leg to block a user that is stood on the platform unit from falling backwards and off the foldable step stool.   
     
     
         2 . The step stool of  claim 1 , wherein when the foldable step stool is in the expanded use position the platform step panel defines a platform plane parallel to and arranged at least in part beneath the handle plane. 
     
     
         3 . The step stool of  claim 1 , wherein the rear crossbar includes a crossbar latch configured to releasably fix the second end of the rear crossbar to the other one of the left rear leg and the right rear leg when the rear crossbar is in the retention position. 
     
     
         4 . The step stool of  claim 1 , wherein the platform unit further includes a platform latch configured to selectively fix the platform step panel in place relative to the front cross member to retain the foldable step stool in the expanded use position, the platform latch is coupled to the platform step panel to pivot relative to the platform step panel and configured to selectively engage the front cross member to fix the platform step panel to the stabilizer unit when the foldable step stool is in the expanded use position. 
     
     
         5 . The step stool of  claim 4 , wherein the platform latch is shaped to include a cam surface that is arranged to contact the front cross member during motion of the foldable step stool from the collapsed storage position to the expanded use position, and the cam surface is shaped to pivot the platform latch from a normally locked position to an unlocked position in response to contact with the front cross member until the foldable step stool reaches the expanded use position when the cam surface moves out of contact with the front cross member releasing the platform latch to return to the normally locked position in which it fixes the platform step panel to the step unit. 
     
     
         6 . The step stool of  claim 5 , wherein the platform unit includes a platform link configured to control relative movement of the front frame and the platform step panel as the foldable step stool is reconfigured between the expanded use position to the collapsed storage position, the platform link is coupled to the front frame to pivot about the front cross member, and the platform link is coupled to the platform step panel to pivot about an axis parallel to the front cross member. 
     
     
         7 . The step stool of  claim 1 , wherein the stabilizer unit includes a guide link pivotably coupled to the rear frame and the front frame to control relative movement of the front frame and the rear frame as the foldable step stool is reconfigured from the expanded use position to the collapsed storage position. 
     
     
         8 . The step stool of  claim 7 , wherein the guide link has a first end pivotably coupled to one of the right rear leg and the left rear leg of the rear frame and a second end pivotably coupled to a respective one of the right front leg and the left front leg, and wherein the guide link has a central portion between the first end and the second end that is spaced apart from the rear frame and the front frame to form a guide link assembly gap located laterally between the central portion of the guide link and the respective rear leg and the respective front leg and sized to prevent the user from trapping their fingers when the foldable step stool is reconfigured from the expanded use position to the collapsed storage position. 
     
     
         9 . The step stool of  claim 1 , wherein the rear crossbar includes a crossbar latch configured to releasably fix the second end of the rear crossbar to the other one of the left rear leg and the right rear leg when the rear crossbar is in the retention position. 
     
     
         10 . A foldable step stool movable from an expanded use position to a collapsed storage position, the step stool comprising
 a rear frame including a left rear leg, a right rear leg, and a lower step that extends from the left rear leg to the right rear leg,   a stabilizer unit including a front frame made up of a left front leg, a right front leg, and a platform support bar that extends from the left front leg to the right front leg, and   a platform step panel coupled to the rear frame of the step unit to pivot relative to the rear frame and configured to be supported on the platform support bar of the stabilizer unit when the foldable step stool is in the expanded use position,   wherein the stabilizer unit further includes a handle rail including a left handle portion that is pivotably coupled to the left rear leg and the left front leg at spaced apart locations, a right handle portion that is pivotably coupled to the right rear leg and the right front leg at spaced apart locations, and a front handle portion that extends from the left handle portion to the right handle portion,   wherein the left front leg is coupled to the left handle portion along a front pivot axis and the right front leg is coupled to the right handle portion along the front pivot axis, the handle rail pivots about the front pivot axis relative to the front frame during movement between the expanded use position and the collapsed storage position,   wherein the left rear leg is coupled to the left handle portion along a rear pivot axis and the right rear leg is coupled to the right handle portion along the rear pivot axis, the handle rail pivots about the rear pivot axis relative to the rear frame during movement between the expanded use position and the collapsed storage position, and   wherein the rear pivot axis is located between the front pivot axis and the platform step panel along a height of the foldable step stool when the foldable step stool is in the collapsed storage position.   
     
     
         11 . The step stool of  claim 10 , wherein the left handle portion, the right handle portion, and the front handle portion of the handle rail define a handle plane and the platform step panel defines a platform plane parallel to and arranged at least in part beneath the handle plane when the foldable step stool is in the expanded use position and parallel to handle plane in the collapsed storage position. 
     
     
         12 . The step stool of  claim 10 , wherein the stabilizer unit includes a guide link pivotably coupled at opposite ends to the rear frame and the front frame to control relative movement of the front frame and the rear frame as the foldable step stool is reconfigured from the expanded use position to the collapsed storage position. 
     
     
         13 . The step stool of  claim 12 , wherein a central portion of the guide link is spaced laterally outward from the rear frame and the front frame to form a guide link assembly gap sized to prevent the user from trapping their fingers when the foldable step stool is reconfigured from the expanded use position to the collapsed storage position. 
     
     
         14 . The step stool of  claim 12 , wherein a first end of the guide link is coupled to the rear frame for pivotable movement about a first guide link pivot axis and a second end of the guide link is coupled to the front frame for pivotable movement about a second guide link pivot axis, and wherein the first guide link pivot axis and the second guide link pivot axis are located below the front pivot axis and the rear pivot axis in the expanded configuration, the rear guide link pivot axis is located below the front pivot axis and the rear pivot axis in the collapsed storage configuration, and the front guide link pivot axis is located between the front pivot axis and the rear pivot axis in the collapsed storage configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The step stool of  claim 10 , wherein a lowermost end of the left front leg and the right front leg is spaced a first vertical distance from the rear pivot axis in the expanded configuration and a second vertical distance less than the first vertical distance in the collapsed storage configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The step stool of  claim 10 , wherein a forwardmost end of the handle rail is spaced a first vertical distance from a lowermost end of the left rear leg and the right rear leg in the expanded configuration and a second vertical distance greater than the first vertical distance in the collapsed storage configuration. 
     
     
         17 . The step stool of  claim 10 , wherein the left front leg and the right front leg are each shaped to have a primary portion and a top pivot portion that extends from the primary portion toward the rear frame forming an obtuse angle between the primary portion and the top pivot portion facing the rear frame when the foldable step stool is in the expanded use position, the top pivot portion of the left front leg is coupled to the left handle portion of the handle rail along the front pivot axis, and the top pivot portion of the right front leg is coupled to the right handle portion of the handle rail along the front pivot axis. 
     
     
         18 . The step stool of  claim 10 , wherein when the foldable step stool is in the expanded use position the front handle portion of the U-shaped handle has a forwardmost point spaced forward of a forwardmost point of the platform step panel. 
     
     
         19 . The step stool of  claim 18 , wherein the front pivot axis is located between the forwardmost point of the handle rail and the rear pivot axis along the height of the foldable step stool when the foldable step stool is in the collapsed storage position. 
     
     
         20 . The step stool of  claim 10 , wherein the rear frame further includes a rear crossbar having a first end pivotably coupled to one of the left rear leg and the right rear leg and a second end opposite the first end, the rear crossbar being configured to pivot about a crossbar axis at the first end from an entry position to a retention position, and
 wherein, when the rear crossbar is in the entry position, the rear crossbar is in parallel alignment with the right rear leg and extends downwardly along a length of the right rear leg to allow a user to step on to or step off the platform step and, when the rear crossbar is in the retention position, the rear crossbar extends horizontally relative to the platform step panel between the right rear leg and the left rear leg to block a user that is stood on the platform step panel from falling backwards and off the foldable step stool.