The present invention relates to an extendible ironing board comprising at least two interconnected boards which, in a retracted inactive position, are situ¬ ated substantially parallel to each other, one on top of or just above the other, and which, in an extended posi¬ tion for use, are situated in line with each other sub- stantially in one and the same horizontal plane, and a telescopic device connected to the boards and serving to extend said boards substantially horizontally to said position for use, as well as to retract said boards sub¬ stantially horizontally to said retracted position. DE-C-2,263,073 and its counterpart US-A-3, 880,094 disclose an extendible working table which comprises two interconnected boards and which, in principle, is compar¬ able with an ironing board of the above type.

It is a well-known fact that conventional ironing boards consisting of a one-piece board and an articulated stand adapted to support said board, are impaired by a number of inconveniences. For one thing, they take up quite a lot of space both in their folded state, e.g. in a kitchen cupboard, and in their unfolded state for use, standing on the floor. Furthermore, the folding and unfolding of these ironing boards is surprisingly often difficult, and the risk of getting one's fingers squeezed is considerable. In order to cope with these incon¬ veniences, ironing board manufacturers have in recent years begun to develop foldable ironing boards which are mounted adjacent to a kitchen worktop and which can be pulled out from a retracted position below said worktop to an extended horizontal position for ironing.

Usually, such an ironing board comprises two boards which are foldably interconnected by means of a central transverse hinge. Before ironing, the two boards, which in the retracted position are superimposed parallel to one

another, are pulled out and the front board is then un¬ folded. After that, the unfolded board must be locked in the ironing position and a special support underneath said front board be pulled out. DE-A-3,430,491 discloses an ironing board based on this principle.

However, ironing boards of this type have a number of inconveniences. Manoeuvering the boards between the re¬ tracted and the extended position requires unreasonably many operations, and the locking arms and other requisite locking functions make the ironing board unnecessarily complicated. Moreover, the risk of getting squeezed is considerable since the ironing board is foldable in the middle.

Since ironing boards of this type are mostly mounted beneath the kitchen worktop, they do not reach up to the recommended working height which is about 900 mm. They are therefore equipped with special guiding devices and link systems by means of which the pulled-out board is lifted up to said working height. Thus, prior art ironing boards are based on the assumption that ironing is to be carried out on a level with the upper side of the kitchen worktop which, in accordance with current standards, is situated 900 mm above the floor. The guiding devices and link systems are inconvenient in themselves, since they compli- cate the structure and increase the risk of the user getting his fingers squeezed. Some ironing boards are pro¬ vided on both sides with guiding devices which project from the kitchen worktop and which may stain or, at worst, tear the material being ironed and which, generally, are in the way during ironing. These ironing boards are furthermore difficult to lock in the position for use and therefore easily become instable, both horizontally and vertically.

Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a simple extendible ironing board which can be readily mounted beneath or adjacent to an existing kitchen worktop or the like and which, in the extended position,

is immediately ready for use and also obviates the other inconveniences discussed above.

Another object of the invention is that the ironing board should be mountable and operable as the top drawer in a kitchen furniture piece.

A further object of the invention is that the ironing board should be automatically locked in the extended posi¬ tion.

Yet another object of the invention is that the iron- ing board should be equipped with only a few locking, guiding and supporting means entailing no risks of the user getting squeezed.

According to the invention, these and other objects apparent from the following description are achieved by means of an extendible ironing board of the type mentione by way of introduction and characterised in that there is provided on the boards an ironing cloth which, in the re¬ tracted position, is loosely applied on top of the then upper board and which, in the position for use, is stretched over the extended boards.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the iron ing cloth is readily exchangeable and has an elastic band surrounding the boards and holding them in the position for use. Further embodiments of the invention are stated in the appended subclaims.

Thus, the invention is, inter alia, based on the in¬ sight that the ironing board need not, in the extended po sition for use, be exactly on a level with the horizontal plane of the kitchen worktop, i.e. the working height. As is well known, the handle of the iron is positioned about 70-100 mm above the bottom surface of the iron, for which reason the ironing board may be located that much below the working height. In actual practice, the ironing board according to the invention has proved very satisfactory, not least from an ergonomical point of view. The ironing board according to the invention puts less strain on the

user since the handle of the iron is held at the correct working height.

The invention and its advantages will be described in more detail below, reference being had to the accompanying drawings of embodiments, in which

Fig. 1 is a part sectional side view of a retracted ironing board according to the invention,

Figs 2 and 3 are corresponding views of the ironing board in partly extended positions, Fig. 4 is a corresponding view of the ironing board in a completely extended position,

Figs 5 and 6 are enlarged views showing details from Figs 1 and 2 and illustrating a lifting function,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of details in Fig. 4 and illustrates a locking function,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view seen obliquely from below of a portion of the ironing board illustrated in Fig. 3,

Figs 9 and 10 are views similar to Fig. 8, illust- rating a slightly modified ironing board with an alter¬ native lifting function, and

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the ironing board according to the invention in extended position and with an ironing cloth. Thus, Figs 1-4 show an ironing board 1 in a com¬ pletely retracted position, in two partly extended posi¬ tions and, finally, in a completely extended position. The ironing board 1 is in two pieces and comprises two boards 2 and 3 which, in the retracted position, are situated substantially parallel to each other, one on top of or just above the other. The two boards are thus arranged inside a case 4 which, in this embodiment, is mounted as the top drawer in a furniture piece 5 which is shown schematically by means of dash-dot lines in Fig. 4. Pre- ferably, the two boards 2, 3 have such a length that they can only just be accommodated within the case 4 which, in this embodiment, has an inward depth of about 500-600 mm.

In this fashion, the space inside the case 4 is used to the full.

Also, a worktop, e.g. a kitchen worktop 6, is shown on top of the furniture piece 5 by means of dash-dot lines in Fig. 4. The upper side of said kitchen worktop 6 is situated at standard working height, i.e. about 900 mm above the floor, while the ironing board 1 in the extended position is located about 70-100 nun below said working height. The two boards 2, 3 of the ironing board 1 are sup¬ ported and interconnected by means of a telescopic device 7 which, in a manner known per se, consists of telescoping channel sections (see also Fig. 8.). The inner part of the telescopic device 7, as seen in the pulling-out direction, is mounted inside the case 4 by means of fasteners 8. The upper or outer board 2 is connected at its outer end with the outer end of said telescopic device 7.

An exchangeable ironing cloth 9, shown by means of dash-dot lines, is applied on top of the boards 2, 3. In the retracted position (Fig. 1), said cloth 9 is loosely arranged on top of the upper board 2. When the boards 2, 3 are pulled out by means of a front piece 10 which is fixed to the outer end of the telescopic device 7 and has a handle 11, the cloth 9 is gradually stretched over the boards 2, 3. In the extended position for use (Fig. 4), the cloth 9 is stretched over the boards 2, 3, and the ironing board 1 is ready for use. The inner end of said cloth 9 is fixed to the inner end of the lower board 3, while the outer end of said cloth 9 is. fixed to the front end of the outer board 2. It should also be noted that the front piece 10 preferably is detachable so as not to be in the way when the ironing board is used.

The case 4 (shown in Fig. 1) accommodating the tele¬ scopic device 7, the boards 2, 3 and the cloth 9 is readily mountable in the form of a drawer in a kitchen furniture piece 5. During the extension operation illust¬ rated in Figs 1-4, the following therefore occurs.

When the user pulls the handle 11, the telescopic device 7 is pulled out and the upper board 2 begins to slide on the lower board 3, at the same time as the cloth 9 is gradually stretched. Eventually, the outer board 2 (the firsl; to be pulled out) automatically drops into place in front of the inner board 3 (Fig. 3) and, finally, the two boards 2, 3 are pulled out together. To this end, the inner portion of the telescopic device 7 is slidable on a guiding device 12 inside the case 4. In the position for use shown in Fig. 4, the boards 2, 3 are situated in line with one another substantially in one and the same horizontal plane for ironing. In this position, the iron¬ ing board 1 is locked in a manner to be described later on. To position the ironing board 1 in the retracted in¬ active position, the above procedure is reversed, the outer board 2 being lifted up, by means of a specific lifting function, onto the inner board 3, as will be de¬ scribed below. Figs 5-6 illustrate a device for lifting the outer board 2 onto the inner board 3 when the ironing board 1 is retracted. The lifting device comprises two substantially V-shaped lifting arms 13 (see also Fig. 8), each of which is, in its centre, pivotably mounted on the underside of the inner board 3 by means of a transverse hinge pin 14. The two lifting arms 13 are spaced apart transversely of the inner board 3 and situated one on each side of the telescopic device 7 immediately below the boards 2, 3 (see Fig. 8). To retract the ironing board 1, the user pushes the telescopic device 7 inwards by means of the handle 11 from the position for use (see Fig. 4) in which the lifting arms 13, due to their own .weight, are pivoted slightly clockwise with respect to the positions shown in Figs 5 and 6. When the inner board 3 has been completely inserted into the case 4, a first limb 15 of each lifting arm 13 is made to engage an abutment which is fixedly mounted inside

the case 4 and which has the form of a transverse channel section 8' (see Fig. 8) of the same type as the above fastener 8. This position is shown in Figs 3 and 6.

In consequence of the engagement between the limbs 15 of the lifting arms 13 and the transverse section 8', a second limb 16 of each lifting arm 13 is pivoted anti¬ clockwise and made to engage the underside of the outer board 2, such that it automatically lifts up said board when the user continues to push the telescopic device 7 inwardly. In Fig. 6, this position of engagement is shown by means of a continuous line, and it is also illustrated, by means of a dash-dot line, how the outer board 2 is automatically lifted up onto the inner board 3 by means of said lifting device. The telescopic device 7 and the lifting device make it possible to retract the ironing board 1 in a single inwardly directed pushing motion. As described above, it is just as easy to extend the ironing board, since the outer board 2 automatically drops into place in front of the inner board 3. It should be observed that the front of the inner board 3 is provided with an edge 17 for supporting the rear edge portion of the outer board 2, as is best shown in Figs 6 and 8.

Fig. 7 illustrates a function for locking the ironing board 1 in the extended position for use. To this end, two locking arms 18 are fixedly mounted inside the case 4, just inwardly of the transverse section 8'. Each locking arm 18 is L-shaped and its short limb 19 is directed in¬ wardly towards the telescopic device 7. In the position for use, these two inwardly directed limbs 19 engage up- wardly directed ridges 20 provided on the underside of th inner board 3 near to the longitudinal edges thereof. Due to a spring function which is not described in detail, th telescopic device 7 exerts an inwardly directed resilient pressure urging the ridges 20 against the fixed limbs 19 of the locking arms 18 to promote said engagement. Thus, the ironing board 1 is locked in a highly stable manner i the position for use. When the ironing board 1 is to be

retracted, all that is required is a slight pushing motion by the user, whereby the inner board 3 is slightly inclined such that the ridges 20 can slide under the limbs 19 of the locking arms 18, and the board 3 can be pushed into the case 4.

Figs 9 and 10 show an alternative lifting device cor¬ responding to the lifting arms 13. Components having the same functions as before have the same reference numerals. This embodiment comprises a slightly different fastener 26 which corresponds to the fasteners 8, 8' and which has a fixed abutment 22 against which the edge of the outer board 2 abuts when this is being retracted in the direc¬ tion of the arrow (see Fig. 10). Therefore, the edge 17 of the inner board 3 is formed with a groove 23 for said abutment 22. Since the abutment 22 has an oblique cam por¬ tion 24 on which the edge of the board 2 slides, the outer board 2 is lifted onto the inner board 3, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 10. Although the previously described lift¬ ing arms 13 thus can be dispensed with in this embodiment, the lifting function is in principle the same as before. Figs 9 and 10 also illustrate a slightly modified guiding or telescopic device 25 which corresponds to the telescopic device 7 but which is somewhat wider, resulting in an increased stability and a more secure support of the boards 2,3. Also, a modified fastener 26 in the form of telescoping channel sections which, after being set as de¬ sired, are clamped by means of a clamping screw 27. With this adjustable fastener 25, it is extremely simple to adapt, when mounting the ironing board 1, the fasteners to the space available in the case 4.

Fig. 11 shows the ironing board 1 in the extended po¬ sition. An elastic band 28 is provided round the circum¬ ference of the cloth 9 for securely holding said cloth on the boards 2, 3. Thus, the cloth 9 is pulled onto the boards 2, 3 from above, whereupon the band 28 is placed under said boards slightly inwardly of the edges thereof, which are drawn by dash-dot lines in the figure. To this

end, the circumferential portion of the cloth 9 is folded and sewn together with a seam 29 which is shown by means of a broken line. The band 28 (also shown by means of a broken line) is positioned in the circumferential channel formed by the folding of the cloth 9 and the seam 29. Pre¬ ferably, the cloth 9 also has pockets 30 into which the corners of the boards are introduced.

In addition to the resilient action of the telescopic device 7 or 25, also the cloth 9 serves to maintain the boards 2,3 securely in place in the extended position. This is due to the elastic band 28 of the cloth 9, which surrounds the boards 2,3 and maintains these in the posi¬ tion for use.

Thus, the present invention provides an ironing board which is both extendible and retractible substantially in a horizontal plane and which, furthermore, is extremely simple and reliable. A special advantage of the ironing board is that the telescopic device supporting the two boards of said ironing board is positioned in the centre, which reduces the risk of tearing or staining the material being ironed.

It should be observed that the invention is by no means restricted to the embodiment described above, and that numerous modifications are conceivable within the scope of the appended claims. For instance, it is appre¬ ciated that the ironing board may consist of more than two boards and that the telescopic device may be of some other type. Also, other lifting devices may naturally be used. Furthermore, it is appreciated that the invention is not restricted to only the type of ironing cloth shown.

Finally, the case accommodating the boards, the cloth, and the telescopic device may, of course, be mounted on any suitable means whatsoever.