Patent ID: 7182176

Claim:
A step stool comprising a frame including a U-shaped front leg unit comprising a left leg having an upper end, a right leg having an upper end and lying in spaced-apart relation to the left leg, and a top cross member interconnecting the upper ends of the left and right legs, each of the left and right legs including a lower end adapted to contact ground underlying the frame and a mid-section located between the lower and upper ends thereof, a top step arranged to lie between the left and right legs and coupled to the mid-sections of the left and right legs of the U-shaped front leg unit at a top step pivot point on each of the left and right legs for pivotable movement about a first step pivot axis, the frame further including a rear leg unit coupled to the mid-sections of the left and right legs at leg pivot points located above the top step pivot points and below the top cross member for pivotable movement about a leg pivot axis relative to the front leg unit between an opened position away from the left and right legs and a closed position alongside the left and right legs, a tray mounted for pivotable movement on the top cross member about a tray pivot axis, and a tray pivot controller comprising a tray-mover link pivotably coupled to the tray at an upper link pivot axis and to the top step at a first lower link pivot axis and configured to maintain the tray in substantially parallel relation to the top step during movement of the rear leg unit between the opened and closed positions.