The present invention relates to a collapsible iron¬ ing board mounted on a frame and adapted, in drawer-like fashion, to be pushed into and pulled out of a space below a worktop, and comprising a first board mounted in verti¬ cally adjustable manner on said frame and adapted, before the ironing board is pushed into said space, to be lowered towards the frame and, after the ironing board has been pulled out of said space, elevated to the level of the worktop, and a second board pivotably connected to the first board about a first transverse axis to be pivoted between an unfolded working position in which it forms, together with the first board, the working surface of the ironing board, and a folded push-in position in which it is folded in over the first board.

Several designs of such ironing boards are available. In one prior art construction, the ironing board is pulled out of the space on its frame, and then is raised by hand to the level of the worktop. In another prior art con¬ struction, the ironing board is raised automatically when pulled out. Then, the ironing board is pressed by hand towards the worktop in such manner that the inner edge of the first board is applied aginst the front edge of the worktop. In this position, the first board is clamped against the front edge of the worktop, and the ironing board is locked in extended position by means of an ope¬ rating arm arranged in the frame and cooperating with a clamping and locking unit fixedly arranged in said space. Subsequently, a support member provided at the underside of the first board is pulled out, and the second board is unfolded so that it is applied against the support member, which thus supports the second board when in unfolded position. However, this form of support is rather rickety; to store the ironing board in its space, it is first fold¬ ed by pivoting the second board into folded position on the first board, whereupon the support member is pushed in

and the operating arm is actuated to release the ironing board. Then the ironing board is lowered towards the frame and finally pushed into said space.

As will be realised, the pushing-in and pulling-out of the known ironing board is a complicated procedure requiring special manipulations for clamping the ironing board against the front edge of the worktop. Furthermore, the support of the second board is, as mentioned above, rather rickety. The object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible ironing board which has a stabilising device so designed that the above inconveniences are obviated.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a collapsible ironing board which is of the type de- scribed in the introduction to this specification and which is characterised by a stabilising device comprising a substantially L-shaped angle lever whose one leg extends in the longitudinal direction of the ironing board and, at its free end and about a second transverse axis, is hingedly connected to the first board at the underside thereof, and whose other leg is located slightly outwardly of the outer end of the first board and directed upwards; an arm which, at one end and about a third transverse axis, is hingedly connected to the second leg of the angle lever at the free end of this leg and, at the other end and about a fourth transverse axis, is hingedly connected to the second board at the under¬ side thereof; and a tensioning lug fixed to the angle lever and projecting downwardly therefrom and having a cam surface which is adapted to cooperate with a support member forming part of the frame and which is designed in such manner that it, when the second board is being un¬ folded, will engage the support member and press the first board against the front edge of the worktop and, in the unfolded position, will form, together with said support member, a vertical support for the second board.

Preferably, said one leg of the angle lever is hingedly connected to the first board in the vicinity of the inner end thereof, and said other leg of the angle lever has a length substantially equal to the total thick- ness of the two boards.

In a simple embodiment of the invention, the support member is a crossbeam in the frame.

The invention will be described in more detail below, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an inventive ironing board in pulled-out but not unfolded position,

Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the ironing board in pulled-out position and in the pro- cess of being unfolded, and

Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the ironing board in pulled-out and unfolded position.

The ironing board shown in the drawings is mounted in a table-top cupboard of which only the upper part compris- ing an upper table-top or worktop 1 is shown.

The ironing board proper consists of two substan¬ tially rectangular boards 2 and 3 which are covered by a single heat-reflecting cloth 4. The boards 2 and 3 are arranged after one another, short side against short side, in the longitudinal direction of the ironing board (see Fig. 3) and are, pivotably interconnected about a trans¬ verse axis in such manner that the outer board 3 is pivotable between an unfolded working position (Fig. 3), in which it forms, together with the inner board 2, the horizontal working surface of the ironing board, and a folded push-in position (Fig. 1), in which it is folded over the inner board 2. The undersides of each of the boards 2 and 3 have a circumferential stiffening frame 5 and 6, respectively, as well as a stiffening lath 7 and 8, respectively, arranged in said stiffening frame and extending along the mid-portion of the respective board.

The inner board 2 is mounted on a frame 9 which is made up of two longitudinal side members 10 and two cross¬ beams 11 and 12 serving to interconnect the side members. A front member 13 with a handle 14 is pivotably connected about a transverse axis to the two side members 10, at the outer ends thereof.

At their lower ends, two outer link arms 15 are hingedly connected to the outer crossbeam 11 about a common transverse axis, and, at their upper ends, they are hingedly connected to the stiffening frame 5 of the inner board 2 about a common transverse axis. At their lower ends, two inner link arms 16 slightly angled outwards are hingedly connected, about a common transverse axis, to the inner crossbeam 12, and, at their upper ends, hingedly connected, about a common transverse axis, to the stiffen¬ ing frame 5 of the inner board 2.

The side members 10 of the frame 9 are displaceably arranged in horizontal guide rails 17 which in turn are displaceably mounted in the table-top cupboard. In the drawings, both the side members 10 and the guide rails 17 are shown in fully extended position. Each guide rail 17 supports a guide member 18 with a guiding track 19. At its angular portion, each inner link arm 16 supports a roller 20 engaging a guiding track 19. When the ironing board is to be pushed into the table-top cupboard from the position shown in Fig. 1, the front member 13 is pressed inwards, so that the frame 9 is pushed into the guide rails 17, while the inner board 2, on which the outer board 3 is folded, is lowered towards the frame 9 by the cooperating rollers 20 and guiding tracks 19. Upon further inward-pushing movement, the guide rails 17, into which the frame 9 has been pushed, are urged into the table-top cupboard, and the entire ironing board is thus stowed away. When the ironing board is to be pulled out of the table-top cupboard, the front member 13 is pulled out¬ wards, so that the guide rails 17, into which the frame 9

has been pushed, are pulled out. Upon further pulling movement, the frame 9 is pulled out of the guide rails 17, the rollers 20 travelling in the guiding tracks 19 and raising the inner board 2, on which the outer board 3 is folded, from the frame 9 to the level of the worktop 1. In the final phase of the pulling-out operation, the rollers 20 cause the inner board 2 to make a short backward move¬ ment towards the front edge of the worktop 1.

Further, the ironing board has a stabilising device consisting of an L-shaped angle lever 21, an arm 22, and a tensioning lug 23.

The angle lever 21 (actually, two juxtaposed levers) has a long leg 21a extending in the longitudinal direction of the ironing board and having substantially the same length as the inner board 2. At its free end, the long leg 21a is, about a transverse axis, hingedly connected to the stiffening lath 7 of the inner board 2, at the inner end of this lath. The second leg 21b of the angle lever 21, which is much shorter than the leg 21a, is directed up- wards and has a length substantially equal to the total thickness of the two boards 2 and 3 (see Fig. 1).

The arm 22 is in the form of a substantially U-shaped yoke of circular cross-section whose web portion extends in the transverse direction through the short leg 21b of the angle lever 21, at the free end of this leg. Thus, the arm 22 is, about a transverse axis, hingedly connected to the leg 21b. The legs of the yoke extend in the longi¬ tudinal direction of the ironing board and are, at their free ends, bent and inserted into a transverse hole made in the stiffening lath 8 of the outer board 3, at a point located somewhat closer to the articulated connection between the two boards than the outer end of the outer board. Thus, the arm 22 is, about a transverse axis, hingedly connected to the stiffening lath 8 of the outer board 3.

The tensioning lug 23 is fixed to the long leg 21a of the angle lever 21, between the levers forming said angle lever. The tensioning lug 23 is located in the vicinity of the short leg 21b and projects at the underside of the long leg 21a to cooperate with the outer crossbeam 11. For this purpose, the tensioning lug 23 has an outwardly fac¬ ing cam surface 24 with a lower portion inclined upwards and outwards, and a flat upper portion also inclined up¬ wards and outwards but much less than the first portion. In the transitional area between the lower and the upper portion, the cam surface 24 is formed with a minor recess. The lower portion of the cam surface 24 constitutes the tensioning portion of the tensioning lug 23, the upper portion constitutes the support portion of the tensioning lug 23, and the recess may be said to form the locking portion of the tensioning lug 23.

When the outer board 3 is unfolded from the folded position in Fig. 1, the angle lever 21 is pivoted down¬ wards by the arm 22, as is apparent from Figs 2 and 3. The lower portion of the cam surface 24 'will, in the final phase of this pivoting movement, engage the inner edge portion of the outer crossbeam 11. The angle lever 21 fixedly connected to the tensioning lug 23 urges the inner board 2 against the front edge of the worktop 1, thereby stabilising the ironing board properly in the lateral direction. When the outer board 3 is altogether unfolded and forms, together with the inner board 2, a flat horizontal working surface, the tensioning lug 23 with the upper portion of the cam surface 24 is applied against the upper side of the outer crossbeam 11, thereby stabilising the ironing board properly also in the vertical direction. In this position, the recess between the upper and lower portions of the cam surface 24 has come to engage, by snap-in action, the inner edge of the outer crossbeam 11 to maintain the outer board 3 in unfolded position and keep the inner board 2 urged against the front edge of the worktop 1.

As is apparent from the foregoing, no manipulation other than the unfolding of the outer board 3 is needed to properly clamp the inner board 2 against the front edge of the worktop 1.