A skew adjustment method and apparatus for adjusting the skewed condition of a movable rail of a window covering in which the movable rail is supported by lift cords wrapped around spools. A drive train disconnecting mechanism is used to disconnect a first spool from a second spool, the first spool is rotated relative to the second spool, thereby changing the length of the first lift cord relative to the second lift cord until the movable rail is in the desired position; and then the first and second spools are reconnected so the first and second spools rotate together. An end cap may be used to enable multiple disassemblies and reassemblies of the end cap to access the skew adjustment mechanism. In one embodiment, there are two movable rails, and the lift cords for both movable rails extend through the same rout holes in the covering. Disconnecting the first spool from the second spool may activate a mechanism that prevents the second spool from rotating.

A retractable cover for architectural openings having collapsible vanes includes a support structure in the form of a sheet of material, monofilaments, tapes, ribbons, cords, or the like, supporting an upper edge of a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally extending vanes with the lower edges of the vanes in most embodiments of the invention being connected to operating elements adapted to raise the lower edges of each vane toward the upper edges to define openings or gaps between the vanes through which vision and light can pass in an open condition of the covering. Variations of the covering do not require movement of a lower edge of a vane relative to an upper edge but simply movement of some vanes relative to other vanes. The vanes can be made of materials having different flexibilities and where more rigid materials are used, creased fold lines can be established for desired operability.

A sun protection apparatus includes a shading device, including an upper bar, a lower bar and a screen disposed between the upper and lower bars. The apparatus also includes a motorized drive device, designed to deploy and fold away the screen, including a first electromechanical actuator, configured to move the upper bar, a second electromechanical actuator, configured to move the lower bar, and a control unit, configured to control the first and second actuators. The control unit controls the first actuator so as to move the upper bar then the second actuator so as to move the lower bar depending on the position and/or movement of the upper bar, or vice versa.

A mechanical device is comprised of a master wheel assembly, one or multiple slave wheel assemblies, a control rod, a shaft assembly, as well as multiple pairs of cord holders and cords. The master and slave wheel assemblies are connected by a shaft assembly and are mounted at the edge of a top slat of a conventional Venetian blind. The master wheel assembly is driven by a control rod and provides rotational power to slave wheel assemblies through the shaft assembly. One end of the paired cords is tightened to the master and slave wheel assemblies, and the other end is tightened, with cord holders, to a user-selected slat that divides the Venetian blind into an upper and a lower region. Manual manipulating the control rod causes the master and slave wheel assemblies to make synchronic bi-directional tilting of slats in lower region of the Venetian blind without interfering operation of the Venetian blind. Combining with operation of slat-adjusting system of Venetian blind, this device enables selective control of slat tilting in lower and upper regions of Venetian blind for privacy and maximum natural lighting adjustments.

A multisectional blind and solar collector combination device includes a plurality of parallel and vertically spaced housings. A back face of a primary one of the housings is a fixed solar panel. A power module is positioned in the primary housing and operationally coupled to the fixed solar panel. Each of a plurality of sections is coupled to a respective one of the housings and has a plurality of slats. Each housing holds a respective slat spacing motor and a respective slat rotation motor operationally coupled to the power module and the slats to adjust positioning and rotation of the slats within each section.

A new motorized two-layer structure shade, includes a bottom beam (1); and a shell (2), a top of the shell (2) equipped with a first lifting component, a light-filtering fabric (3) installed on the first lifting component, and located between the bottom beam (1) and the shell (2), a first driving component is set on the shell (2), and a controller (27) electrically connected to the driving component also installed on the shell (2), the controller (27) configured to receive feedback data about position data of a distance between the bottom.

An end cap for use on a rail for a covering for an architectural opening. At least one securement leg secures the end cap to the rail.

A device for aid in feeding a cord through an opening wherein a U-shaped trough wall is provided at the inlet end of the opening to help collect and consolidate any loose ends of the cord.

A roller blind assembly includes a roller, a generally rectangular panel formed from a flexible sheet material having an upper marginal edge secured to the roller and a free lower marginal edge, a screen in the form of a web of flexible material being detachably mounted on the free lower marginal of the panel edge via a releasable fastening device, the releasable fastening device comprising cooperating first and second fastening components being respectively provided on the lower marginal edge of the panel and an upper edge of the screen, wherein the first and second fastening components comprise mating elongate members each having a substantially U shaped cross section to define cooperating hook-like members adapted to releasably engage one another to support the screen from the panel.

A daylighting slat (4) includes: a daylighting plate (51); and a support member (24) that supports the daylighting plate (51), in which the daylighting plate (51) includes; a base that has light transparency; and a plurality of daylighting parts that are provided on a first surface of the base, have light transparency, and form a gap portion between the plurality of daylighting parts, in which a part of a side surface of a daylighting part, which is in contact with the gap portion, functions as a reflecting surface that reflects light entering the daylighting part, and the support member (24), at least a part of which has light transparency, includes a gripping portion (25) that grips at least a part of a peripheral part of the daylighting plate (51) and has light absorbability, and a protective plate (26) formed of a plate body that is provided so as to face a first surface or a second surface of the daylighting plate (51).