Patent ID: 7984790

Claim:
A step stool comprising: a front leg unit, a rear leg unit pivotably coupled to the front leg unit for movement relative to the front leg unit, a first step pivotably coupled to the front leg unit, a tray mounted for pivotable movement on the front leg unit, and a tray-step controller coupled to the tray and to the first step such that when the step stool is folded toward a collapsed position, the first step and the tray move in unison, the first step in an upward direction and a free end of the tray extending above the rear leg in a downward direction and wherein the tray pivots around a first tray pivot axis in a first rotational direction and the first step pivots around a first front pivot axis in a second, opposite rotational direction in a single folding motion, wherein the tray-step controller includes a slider mounted on the front leg unit and arranged to move slidably on, along, and relative to the front leg unit, a tray-mover pivotably coupled at a first end to the tray and pivotably coupled at a second end to the slider, and a step-mover pivotably coupled at one end to the slider and pivotably coupled at a second end to the first step such that when the first step pivots in the first rotational direction, the step-mover, the slider and the tray-mover cooperate to move the free end of the tray in the downward direction toward the front leg unit between an extended, use position and a retracted, storage position, and wherein the tray-mover is pivotably coupled to the tray and to the step, the tray-mover being configured to push a first portion of the tray upward thereby causing a second portion of the tray to move downward when the first step pivots in the first rotational direction toward a retracted, folded position.