A wand for operating a cord driven roller blind assembly having a retractable screen. The wand includes a longitudinal operating stork securable to an operating cord extendable from a clutch assembly of the roller blind assembly. The stork is pulled downwardly a first predetermined distance to extend the retractable screen and a second predetermined distance to retract the screen. The wand further includes a sleeve assembly disposed within the stork and including a connector for connecting the wand to the clutch assembly. The connector includes a flexible neck region to allow the wand to pivot relative to the clutch assembly from a substantially upright position. The sleeve assembly includes a passage therethrough configured for passage of the operating cord from the clutch assembly to the stork. The sleeve assembly conceals the cord between the clutch assembly and the stork when the stork is pulled to operate the blind.

A cover for a chain or cord is provided, that is used to manually operate a window treatment. The cover includes a plurality of chain guide segments, each segment comprising a pair of rigid tubular members to permit passage of the chain or cord therethrough during operation of the window treatment. A total length of the plurality of segments is less than each vertical run of the chain or cord to permit separation of adjacent ones of the segments to expose a portion of the chain or cord to manually operate the window treatment. A chain separator to be coupled to a lowermost one of the segments is also provided.

In one aspect, a power assist module for covering for an architectural structure may include a spring and a spring shaft extending through the spring. Additionally, the power assist module may include a threaded shaft member coupled to the spring shaft and a follower member rotationally coupled to the threaded shaft member such that the follower member is moved axially along the threaded shaft member as the follower member is rotated relative to the threaded shaft member.

A manual drive assembly for a manually-operated window treatment based on a drive chain formed as a loop, may incorporate one or more intermediate tensioners disposed between two ends of the loop. The loop may be formed between a manual clutch mechanism coupled to the window treatment and an end tensioner. The one or more intermediate tensioners may serve to limit slack in the loop such that sides of the loop cannot be pulled to create a large loop, for example, having a gap of four inches or greater, between the hanging sides of the cord.

An apparatus supports two blind rollers from a headrail in one of at least eight configurations. Each blind roller has a first end coupled to a first blind control mechanism and a second end coupled to a second blind control mechanism. The apparatus includes a bracket having a top flange for coupling the bracket to an end of the headrail. An inner face of the bracket has an upper engagement projection configured to secure at least one of: the first blind control mechanism for the upper blind roller in one of two mechanism orientations, and the second blind control mechanism for the upper blind roller. The inner face also has at least two lower engagement recesses, each configured to receive a lower engagement connector, the projection configured to secure at least one of the first blind control mechanism and the second blind control mechanism for the lower blind roller.

A winder for a blind system, comprising a drive member rotatable in a drive direction and a free direction; a driven member to engage a blind cylinder; a transmission mechanism to selectively transmit rotation of the drive member to the driven member, the transmission mechanism including an intermediate transmission member and an intermediate resistor to provide resistance to rotation of the intermediate transmission member, wherein the transmission mechanism has a drive state when the drive member is rotated in the drive direction to overcome the resistance of the intermediate resistor and transmit rotation of the drive member through the intermediate transmission member to the driven member, and a free state when the drive member is rotated in the free direction, wherein transmission is broken between the drive member and the intermediate transmission member and intermediate resistor.

A clutch having a clutch housing and a drive sprocket coaxially and rotationally mounted about a drive housing that is coaxially mounted about a shaft portion. The clutch housing has one or more drive sprocket engaging members with a locked and an unlocked position. When locked the drive sprocket engaging members lock the drive sprocket to the drive housing. When unlocked the drive sprocket engaging members permit the drive sprocket to rotate independently from the. A return drive mechanism includes a tether, a tether base and a return spring. The tether has a first end secured to the tether base and a second end secured to the clutch housing. The clutch housing, tether base and return spring are axially aligned and coaxially mounted about the shaft portion to present an overall compact clutch structure to facilitate mounting in confined locations.

A control apparatus for controlling rotation of a shaft about an axis includes a roller releasably and rotatably connected to a rear housing mount of a housing that is firmly secured to a wall, an operating cord looped on the roller, a front coupling member co-rotatably coupled with the shaft, and a rear coupling member releasably connected to the roller by a rearward resilient force of a resilient member and movable and non-rotatable relative to the front coupling member. The roller is moved, upon an excess downward pulling force, to a releasing position, where the rear coupling member is moved forwardly to release connection with the roller so as to permit removal of the roller from the housing.

A spring loaded tensioning device for tensioning a flexible blind control element loop to be secured in position on a building, and having a housing shell; a hinged door on the housing shell operable between an open position for insertion of the control element and a closed position, a moveable lock in the housing shell, moveable between a locking position in which it clamps onto the element, and a released position in which the lock is free of the control element; and, a spring urging the lock to clamp onto the control element.

A blind having a blind operating mechanism and a blind control element and having an enclosure for the blind control element, with the element completely enclosed, a connector supporting the enclosure on the blind, and depending downwardly, and a drive device at the lower end of the enclosure for operating the element.