Abstract:
A stool is provided for placement in a closet and which may be selectively extended or stored away. The stool comprises a horizontal support and a seat rotatably attached to the horizontal support. A first leg is attached to the horizontal support, and a swing arm is rotatably attached to the horizontal support. A second leg is attached to the swing arm at an end opposite from the horizontal support. A mounting flange pivotally connects the horizontal support to a closet partition or wall. The three pivot points (i.e., the seat, the swing arm, and the horizontal support) allow for the stool to be selectively moved between a storage position in which the stool is stored in the closet and a use position.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to stools. More specifically, the invention relates to a stool for a closet that can be extended for seating or folded away for storage. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Walk-in and other types of closets for the storage of clothing and personal items have greatly increased in popularity. These closets afford more room to store items and in which to walk. Additionally, people have begun to furnish large closets with elaborate shelving for shoes, shirts, sweaters, etc., drawers for socks, under garments and other clothing, and storage systems. As a result, people spend more time in their closets selecting clothing and even using the area as a dressing room. The closet areas are generally not so expansive as to allow seating to be permanently placed within the room. However, because people spend an increasing amount of time performing their daily dressing tasks, people have a desire for seating within their walk-in closets. 
   As a result, there is a need for seating for a walk-in closet that does not permanently occupy floor space within the closet. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention comprises a stool for placement in a closet that may be selectively extended or stored away. The stool comprises a horizontal support and a seat rotatably attached to the horizontal support. A first leg is attached to the horizontal support, and a swing arm having a second leg attached at one end thereof is rotatably attached to the horizontal support at an opposite end thereof. A flange is rotatably attached to the horizontal support at an opposite end of the horizontal support from the first leg. The flange is attachable to a partition such that the partition provides support for the stool and a user seated on the stool when in an extended position and allows the support, seat and legs of the stool to be rotated to a stored position adjacent the partition. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is perspective view of a stool according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is another perspective view of a stool according to an embodiment of the present invention having the seat removed; 
       FIG. 3  is a front plan view of a mounting flange for a stool according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a side plan view of a mounting flange for a stool according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is perspective view opposite that of  FIG. 2  of a stool according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 6A  is front perspective view of a stool in an extended position according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 6B  is side perspective view of a stool in an extended position according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is perspective view of a stool with a seat in a vertical position and swing arm rotated to be collinear with a horizontal support of the stool according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 8  is perspective view of a stool in a storage position according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 9  is an enlarged view of the area A of  FIG. 8 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , the present invention comprises a stool  10  for a closet area  12  and which may be attached to a wall or partition  14  of the closet  12 . The stool comprises a seat  16 , first and second legs  18 ,  20  and a horizontal support  22 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , the stool  10  is shown without the seat  16 . As can be seen from  FIG. 2 , a hinge  24  is attached to the horizontal support  22  by one leaf of the hinge. A second leaf of the hinge is attachable at to the seat  16 . The preferred hinge  24  is a spring-loaded piano hinge that is spring biased into a closed position, as shown in  FIG. 2 . Also attached to the top surface of the support  22  is a seat support plate  26  upon which the seat  16  may rest. The first leg  18  is attached to a bottom surface of the support  22  and a swing arm  28  is rotatably attached to the top surface of the horizontal support  22 . The swing arm  28  can pivot from a storage position in which it is generally co-linear with the horizontal support  22  to a support position in which the swing arm  28  is substantially perpendicular to the support  22 . The seat support plate  26  is slightly wider than the swing arm  28 , such that the top surface of the support plate  26  is slightly higher than the top surface of the swing arm  28 . This slight difference in height substantially reduces the possibility of the swing arm from wiping against the bottom of the seat when the stool is moved to a use position, and hence facilitates pivoting of the swing arm from a storage poison to a supporting or use position. The support plate  26  also acts as a stop for the swing arm  28  such that the swing arm  28  can rotate from the position shown in  FIG. 2  to a position that is 180 degrees about the first leg  18 . The second leg  20  is attached to the swing arm  28  at the free end of the swing arm and extends downwardly from the swing arm  28 . 
   A mounting flange  32  is provided at the end of the horizontal support  22  opposite the swing arm  28 . The mounting flange  32  is adapted to be connected to a closet partition  14  to mount the stool  10  to the closet. Therefore, as can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the legs  18 ,  20  together with the partition  14  provide support for a person seated upon the stool  10 . The seat  16  is substantially centered over the swing arm  28 , and hence the legs  18  and  20  provide substantially all the support for the seat  16 . Thus, substantially no vertical forces are applied to the connection of the flange  32  to the partition when the seat is in use. Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the mounting flange  32  comprises a flat portion  34  having a lip  36  extending 90 degrees therefrom. The lip  36  has a width approximately equal to the width of the partition to which the flange is to be connected. Screw holes are provided in both the lip  36  and the flat portion  34 . Hence, the flange is connected or mounted to the partition  14  along the front edge of the partition and along the side surface of the partition. A dowel  38  extends perpendicularly from the flat portion  34 . As seen in  FIG. 5 , the mounting flange dowel  38  passes through aligned openings in the opposite sides of the horizontal support  22 . The dowel  38  can be provided with an internally threaded bore at its free end. A fastener  40  (such as a bolt) is threaded into the dowel bore to secure the horizontally support  22  to the mounting flange  32 . The dowel  38  is sized to allow the horizontal support  22  to pivot about the dowel  38 . The opposite ends of the horizontal support  22  can be closed with end caps  42  if the support  22  is made from a hollow stock material. 
   Although the dowel  38  is shown and described to have an internally threaded bore at its free end which receives the fastener  40 , the dowel could, alternatively, have an externally threaded shaft which receives the fastener. In this instance, the fastener would be in the form of a nut. 
   The stool  10  is be operated (to be moved from an open or “use” position to a storage position) as shown in  FIGS. 6A–8 . In  FIGS. 6A and 6B , the seat  16  of the stool  10  is placed such that it is supported by the swing arm  28  and the support plate  26 . In this position one may safely sit on the seat  16 , as it is supported by the two legs  18 ,  20 . As noted above, substantially all a user&#39;s weight will be borne by the legs  18  and  20 . Hence, the horizontal support  22  and the partition  14  will form a third “leg” for the stool. However, substantially no load will be applied against the connection between the flange  32  and the partition  14 . This will reduce the possibility of the flange being pulled out of the partition. To place the stool  10  in a storage position, the swing arm  28  is rotated 90 degrees to the position shown in  FIG. 7 . This allows the seat  16  to be rotated to the position shown in  FIG. 7 , as the swing arm  28  no longer supports the seat  16 . The spring mounted hinge will automatically move the seat from the horizontal position seen in  FIGS. 6A , B to the generally vertical position seen in  FIG. 7 . Next, the legs  18 ,  20 , seat  16  and support arm  22  are rotated about the dowel  38  of the mounting flange  32  (which is attached to the partition  14 ). In this manner, the stool  10  is stored closely to the partition  14  and out the way of the user.  FIG. 9  is an enlargement of the circle A of  FIG. 8 . In  FIG. 9 , it can be seen that a pin  44  has been inserted into the partition  14  to provide a stop for the stool  10  when the stool  10  is in the stored position. This pin  44  is preferably positioned so as to prevent the end of the swing arm  28  from hitting (and thus marring) the back wall of the closet. In the stored position, the stool has a width of about 4″. Thus, as can be appreciated, the stool can be placed in a closet and will take up very little space in the closet. In fact, the stool can be placed in a clothing storage area of the closet (i.e., a portion of the closet in which clothes hang from a bar), and the clothes would simply hang next to the stool  10 . As seen in  FIG. 8 , the clothes would contact the stool seat  16 , and hence, would not be dirtied by the stool hinge or the bottom side of the seat  16 . 
   While the several views of the Figures show the stool attached to the left side of a partition, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art from the present disclosure that if the swing arm were rotated 180 degrees from the view of  FIG. 6A , for example, and the hinge  24  located on the right side of the support, the stool would be properly configured to be attached to the right side of a partition wall  14 . 
   While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention, and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims.