Abstract:
A chair and step stool assembly includes a seat, a seat back, and a plurality of legs coupled to the seat. The seat and step stool further include a retractable step stool that is coupled to the chair frame and, when activated, allows the step stool to move to a storage position nested within the plurality of legs under the seat.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   The present disclosure relates to chairs, and particularly to a chair associated with a step stool. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a step stool mounted for movement relative to a chair. 
   Step stools have a step that people use for elevation when reaching for objects, painting walls, washing windows, or any everyday task where additional elevation is helpful. It is desired to associate a step stool with a chair to provide a multi-function apparatus for use in the home or elsewhere. 
   SUMMARY 
   In accordance with the present disclosure, a chair assembly includes a seat, a step stool, and means for connecting the step stool to the chair for movement to a first position under the seat, and a second position in front of the seat. 
   In illustrative embodiments, the chair includes a seat, a back, and a plurality of legs. The step stool includes a plurality of steps coupled to a step stool frame having a plurality of legs. Each step includes a step surface and a side wall coupled to a perimeter of the step surface. 
   The connecting means includes a guide track situated below the seat at one or both sides of the chair or step stool. Each guide track defines a channel for guided movement of an associated pin. Illustratively, the guide track may be mounted on the chair and the pin mounted on the step stool. The guide pin travels within the length of the channel when a user moves the step stool from the first position under the seat to the second position in front of the seat. The guide track is formed to have an arcuate shape bowed upwardly toward the seat. Since the pin is coupled to the step stool, it travels the length of the channel in an arcuate path when moved by a user. Thus, the step stool is elevated such that typically the rear legs of the step stool avoid contact with the floor when moved from the first position to the second position. 
   Retention means is provided so that the step stool is retained in either the first or second position when so moved by a user. The retention means may illustratively be a retainer situated at each end of the floor of the guide track. The retainer is formed to receive the pin coupled to the step stool for keeping the step stool in either the first or second position when moved there by a user. 
   A series of horizontal brackets coupled to the chair legs form a band around an outside perimeter of the legs of the chair. When the step stool is in the first position situated under the seat, the front legs of the step stool are arranged so that they remain outside of the band formed by the horizontal brackets. When a user moves the step stool to the second position in front of the seat, the rear legs of the step stool remain inside the band formed by the horizontal brackets and abut or confront a horizontal bracket coupled to a lower portion of a left and right front leg of the chair. The front horizontal bracket acts to prevent rotational movement of the step stool about an axis formed by the pin. 
   Additional features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a chair assembly including a retractable step stool assembly having a plurality of upwardly facing step surfaces supported in a generally horizontal position by a step frame and nested underneath the seat; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the step stool assembly of  FIG. 1  with the step stool assembly moved in front of the seat; 
       FIG. 3  is a partially sectional side elevation view of the step stool assembly, taken along line  4 — 4  of  FIG. 1 , coupled to a guide track, and a motion arrow in phantom indicating the movement required to return the step stool assembly to the position nested underneath the seat; and 
       FIG. 4  is a fragmentary perspective view of the stool with portions broken away, with the step stool assembly moved to a position in front of the seat. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   A chair assembly  10  in accordance with this disclosure comprises a chair  12 , a step stool  30 , a guide track  50  at each side of chair  12 , and a pin  40  at each side of step stool  30  as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . Chair  12  comprises a seat  14 , a seat back  16 , seat back supports  18 , and a plurality of legs  20 . Each leg  20  is coupled to a bottom surface of seat  14 . Seat  14  is formed having a side wall  22  coupled at an upper edge  22  to a perimeter of seat  14 . Seat back supports  18  are coupled to legs  20  and to seat back  16  as shown best in FIG.  1 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , step stool  30  comprises a plurality of steps  32 . Each step  32  has a step surface  34  and a side wall  36  coupled at an upper edge of side wall  36  to a perimeter edge of step surface  34 . Step stool  30  further comprises a plurality of legs  38  coupled at their upper ends to the bottom surface of steps  32 . 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , each guide track  50  is configured with a ceiling  52 , a floor  54 , and a side wall  56 . Ceiling  52  and floor  54  cooperate to define a pin-receiving channel  62  therebetween. Each guide track  50  is situated below seat  14  and coupled to an upper portion of front leg  20  at a front end and coupled to an upper portion of rear leg  20  at a rear end. 
   Ceiling  52  is generally formed in a registered relationship with floor  54 , with channel  62 , therebetween, providing means for receiving associated guide pin  40 . Each pin  40  is coupled to side wall  36  generally in alignment with and adjacent to a rear leg  38  of the top step  32 . It is within the scope of this disclosure that, alternatively, each guide pin  40  may be coupled to inside facing surfaces of each front leg  20  of chair  12  and each guide track  50  may be coupled to the side of top step  32 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the illustrative ceiling  52  and floor  54  are arcuate in shape and bowed upwardly toward seat  14 . The arcuate shape of guide track  50  and pin-receiving channel  62  provides means for guiding step stool  30  from the first position under chair  12  to the second position in front of chair  12  and back without feet  39  of rear legs  38  snagging on, for example, carpeting  13  or other flooring surfaces. Typically, when a user moves stool  30  to the first or second position, they will grasp a front portion of a lower step  32  of stool  30  and slightly rotate the stool in a counter-clockwise direction along an axis  41 . This slight rotation causes front legs  38  of stool  30  to lift off of flooring surface  11  for forward or rearward movement of stool  30 . As pin  40  moves along channel  62  in an arcuate path, feet  39  of rear legs  38  elevate slightly to avoid contact with flooring  11 . This action allows stool  30  to move in a smooth motion as feet  39  avoid snagging on carpeting or other flooring materials. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a series of horizontal brackets  24  coupled to the chair legs form a band  26  around an outside perimeter of the legs  20  of chair  12 . When step stool  30  is in the first position situated under seat  14  as suggested in  FIG. 1 , front legs  38  of step stool  30  are arranged so that they remain outside of the perimeter formed by horizontal brackets  24 . When a user moves step stool  30  to the second position in front of chair  12  as suggested in  FIG. 2 , rear legs  38  of step stool  30  remain inside band  26  formed by horizontal brackets  24  and abut or confront horizontal bracket  24  coupled between a lower portion of a left and right front leg  20 . Front horizontal bracket  24  acts to prevent rotational movement of step stool  30  along axis  41  formed by pins  40 . 
   As shown best in  FIG. 3 , guide track floor  54  further comprises a retainer  58  situated at each end of floor  54 . Each retainer  58  is configured to define an upwardly facing, concave-shaped hollow on floor  54 . Each retainer  58  acts to provide means for retaining pin  40  in a pre-determined position associated with a user moving step stool  30  to the first position under chair  12  or the second position in front of chair  12 . 
   Seat and step stool  10 , according to the present disclosure, may be fabricated from a variety of materials which may be formed into the desired configurations. For example, in some embodiments of seat and step stool  10 , chair  12  and step stool  30  are each made of one-piece plastic construction. In such embodiments, pin  40  may be formed monolithically with or otherwise attached to the top of the steps  32 . Likewise, guide track  50  may be formed monolithically with chair  12 . Suitable plastic materials include thermoplastics, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, acrylics, and the like. Seat  14 , back  16 , and step  32  may be made from a material that is the same as or different from the material from which other portions of the associated apparatus are made. Portions of legs  20  and  38 , pin  40 , and guide track  50  may be made from metal, composite materials, fiber glass, fiber board, cardboard, paper board, or any other type of material having suitable strength and/or desirable aesthetic characteristics. Different portions of seat and step stool  10  may be made from different materials. For example, step  32  may be made from plastic materials while leg  38  is fabricated from metal.