Retractable drawer stand for children

Abstract

The present invention is for a foldable child stand that retracts in and out of a cabinet like a drawer. It has walls that fold up and a support that folds down. The device is intended to hold the weight of a child and contain them at a height to allow interaction with caregivers at the counter. The lop portion of the walls are encased in foam, and the walls lock into place. The bottom support is held in place with magnets and folds down to supplement the stability and load capacity of the drawer slides. The device can be disassembled into a standard drawer once children have outgrown the need for elevation assistance.

Claims

1. A retractable device contained within a cabinet drawer that is designed to support a child at counter/table height. It consists of: a. 3 walls that fold up using hinges that secure the foldable containment walls to the immobile drawer walls b. A bottom support/leg that folds down using a hinge and then has lateral leaves that hinge inwards to provide an additional dimension of support

2. The device from claim 1 slides out on full extension ball bearing slides. When in use, it cannot slide in or out for safety purposes. The drawer must be in its maximally expanded position to allow the walls to fold up. The side walls fit snuggly against the counter overhang at maximal expansion of the drawer. This tight fit prevents the drawer from sliding in either direction when in use.

3. The foldable, containing walls from claim 1 lock into place. The side walls fold up first, then the back wall folds up after to tightly wedge between them. The side walls are prevented from folding in by opposition of the back wall and prevented from folding outwards by the lateral drawer box walls. The back wall locks into place with bolt action locking mechanisms. It is prevented from folding forwards by these locks and prevented from folding backwards by the opposition of the drawer box.

4. The top edge of the foldable walls from claim 1 are encased in foam, providing a safe place for children to play.

5. The bottom support from claim 1 is held against the drawer base with magnets when not in use. The bottom support is a rectangular structure that is the full width of the device. It folds downwards on hinges to support the drawer. It has rubber feet that protect the floor and prevent sliding. The lateral portions of this bottom support are on hinges which swing inwards and allow the drawer to be supported in more than 1 plane, increasing stability.

6. Regarding the device in claim 1, after all children in the household grow out of the device, the foldable components can be unattached at 4 hinge sites, leaving behind a standard functioning drawer.

Description

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0005] This invention is a retractable stand for children. It elevates them to a height that enables them to safely assist in the kitchen. It is currently made from finished wood, metal hardware, and safety foam. The product could also be made from similar rigid materials such as plastic or metal. The invention slides out on full extension ball bearing drawer slides. It can be stored in a cabinet drawer or behind cabinet doors. Once extended from the cabinet, the walls fold up and the support folds down. The walls fold up in a particular order that allows them to be wedged into place with support from the other walls and the walls of the drawer. They are then locked into place with 2 metal locks. The ball bearing drawer slides allow a small amount of vertical movement that lets the bottom support piece be rotated into place when applying upward traction on the drawer. Once the upward force is released and the support leaves are folded inwards, the weight of the drawer, the weight of the child, and the grip on the bottom of the support keep it firmly in place. If all children in the house grow out of the need for vertical assistance, the device can be quickly disassembled into a standard drawer by detaching 4 hinges.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The drawings show the components from multiple angles and in all steps of operation. Going from left to right in FIGS. 1-4, you can see the 5 steps of opening and setting up the drawer. FIGS. 5-7 show the back of the drawer. FIG. 8 shows the bottom and how it folds. FIG. 9 shows the top of the drawer. Not shown in the drawings are ball bearing drawer slides that would be on the lateral portion of the fixed drawer wall. The gray portions on top of the upright walls are a foam material that protects children, and the black material on the bottom of the bottom support/leg is a rubberized grip material. The 4 black circles on the underside of the drawer represent the magnets, and the rectangular structures beneath the gray foam toppers represents the metal bolt locks.