Patent ID: 7967111

Claim:
A stepladder comprising a frame unit including steps, a utility tray, tray-controller means for supporting the utility tray for pivoting movement about a pivot axis during a first stage of movement relative to the frame unit and for sliding movement relative to the pivot axis during a second stage of movement relative to the frame unit so that the utility tray can be moved by a user relative to the frame unit, in sequence, from a horizontal use position pivoting through an acute angle to attain an extended intermediate position, and then moving along an inclined path to attain a retracted storage position, and wherein the utility tray is formed to include first and second post-receiver slots, the tray controller means includes a first tray mount that includes a first pivot post attached directly to a first leg of the frame, the first pivot post arranged to extend into the first post-receiver slot for movement therein, the tray controller means further includes a second tray mount that includes a second pivot post attached directly to a second leg of the frame, the second pivot post arranged to extend into the second post-receiver slot for movement therein and arranged to lie in axial alignment with the first pivot post to establish the pivot axis, each of the first and second post-receiver slots respectively has a first post receiver in a back end portion of the utility tray and a second post receiver formed in an opposite front end portion of the utility tray, the first pivot post lies within the first post receiver in the first post-receiver slot and the second pivot post lies within the first post receiver of the second post-receiver slot upon movement of the utility tray to attain each of the horizontal use position and the extended intermediate position, and the first pivot post lies within the second post receiver in the first post-receiver slot and the second pivot post lies within the second post-receiver in the second post-receiver slot upon movement of the utility tray to attain the retracted storage position alongside the step frame.