A retractable covering for an architectural opening includes a headrail in which a control system is mounted and a fabric suspended from the headrail. The fabric is mounted to be moved laterally between a rolled up retracted position and an extended position across the architectural opening. At least one roller about which the fabric can be wrapped is mounted at an end of the headrail for rotation about a vertical axis, and the system includes a flexible control element that is substantially horizontally disposed for moving the covering between extended and retracted positions.

The automatic window blind system provides gear driven window blind control. A solar power with back up battery provides energy to operate the window blinds and a light emitting diode strip that changes light colors depending upon daylight and night conditions. A plurality of toothed rack drives is driven by and drives rack gears in ensuring a positive operation of window blind hooks in pivoting window blinds that snap into the window blind hooks. A printed wiring board assembly controls functions and is accompanied by a rack sensor that cooperates with an optical sensor. The optical sensor and the rack sensor automatically position window blinds based upon light intensity.

A nut stacking mechanism (-1-) for the displacement of slats between a stacking zone (L2) and a sliding zone (L1), comprising a spindle (2), on which a nut (3) is displaceable between the stacking zone (L2) and the sliding zone (L1), a rotation stop element (4), to form in the sliding zone (L1), in the rotational direction of the spindle (2), an obstacle for the movement of the nut (3), and a stacking element (5), to form in the stacking zone (L2), in the longitudinal direction of the spindle (2), an obstacle for the movement of the nut (3), wherein, by displacement of at least a part of the rotation stop element (4) and the stacking element (5), the boundary between the stacking zone (L2) and the sliding zone (L1) is provided displaceably in the longitudinal direction of the spindle (2).

A multi-partition blind system include a system of mechanisms that cause slats on a covering for an architectural opening to be partitioned into multiple operational sections. Partitions may be created to the extent of controlling each individual slat. Various embodiments and mechanisms are used to control, stabilize, and cause the opening and closing movement of one group of partitioned slats independent of others or individual slats independent of others.

A retractable covering for an architectural opening includes a headrail in which a control system is mounted and a fabric suspended from the headrail. The fabric is mounted to be moved laterally between a rolled up retracted position and an extended position across the architectural opening. At least one roller about which the fabric can be wrapped is mounted at an end of the headrail for rotation about a vertical axis, and the system includes a flexible control element that is substantially horizontally disposed for moving the covering between extended and retracted positions.

A modular shade includes at least one module that consists of a head rail unit, a foot rail unit, at least one intermediate rail unit, and a plurality of slat components. A top slat may be coupled to the head rail unit and the intermediate rail unit, and a bottom slat component may be coupled to the intermediate rail unit and the foot rail unit. Further, additional intermediate rail units and intermediate slat components may be added to the module to alter the shape and size of the module, and the module may be coupled to one or more additional modules to change the overall shape and size of the modular shade.

An actuating device (10) actuates a shading system with a string element (44). An unintended detachment of a first partial structure (12) from a second partial structure (13) in the intended use is avoided as much as possible and a detachment of the first partial structure (12) from the second partial structure (13) is possible with low forces for avoiding injuries. The actuating device (10) includes a first coupling element (26, 27) that in the released position does not mesh with a second coupling element (28, 29), and in the locking position, with an interaction of the first coupling element (26, 27) with the second coupling element (28, 29), a detachment of the first partial structure (12) from the second partial structure (13) is prevented because of a positive-locking connection between the first coupling element (26, 27) and the second coupling element (28, 29).

The present invention relates to a method for changing the envelope structure of a building to improve functions or facilitate modifying same of a building in accordance with user requests without any reduction to the usable interior space of the building, the method comprising the steps of: a) separating, from an exterior structure, the target exterior enclosure the function of which is to be changed; b) sliding and pulling out the target exterior enclosure, like a drawer, along a guide frame to the outside of the exterior structure; (c) removing a cartridge inside the target exterior enclosure and inserting a cartridge having a new function; and (d) inserting the target exterior enclosure back into the exterior structure by sliding the target exterior enclosure, like a drawer, along the guide panel.

The present invention relates to a louver apparatus with independent top and bottom, the louver allowing being opened and closed from the top or bottom independently. The louver apparatus comprises: a rail means comprising an upper rail and a lower rail; a turning means installed in accommodating spaces of the upper and lower rails so as to be operated independently; and a louver means positioned between the upper rail and lower rail to rotate the slats according to the operation of the turning means.

The view changer includes a frame detachably fitted into a window so as to be optionally reversible in a left-and-right direction, a plurality of indoor reflectors vertically aligned in parallel between a top frame and a bottom frame of the frame, and a plurality of outdoor reflectors arranged at rear sides of the respective indoor reflectors and primarily reflecting incident light from an external view to adjacent indoor reflectors, wherein the outdoor reflectors are configured so that a reflection angle for reflecting the light from the external view is adjustable relative to an angle of the indoor reflectors, and the indoor reflectors blocks a forward view and secondarily reflects the light from the external view already reflected by the outdoor reflectors, thereby allowing the light from the external view to enter an interior space so that the external image is seen in the form of vertically parallel-segmented views.