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 retaining sheet is used for retaining to a slat of a venetian blind. The slat has a through hole for penetration of a lifting cord. The retaining sheet includes a main body with an upper surface, a lower surface, a hole, and a slot. The hole and the slot pass through the upper and bottom surfaces of the main body and communicate with each other. The width of the slot is smaller than the width of the hole, wherein the main body is configured when the retaining sheet is retained to the slat of the venetian blind, the hole of the main body corresponds to the through hole of the slat, and the lifting cord is penetrated through the hole and inserted into the slot when pulled by an external force. This can prevent the lifting cord from being drawn out for enhancing the safety of use.

A blind is arranged such that minimal force is required to rotate the tilt drum to tilt the slats from the fully open to the fully closed position and back, with each of the front and rear tilt cables sharing the load nearly equally throughout the entire path from the fully open to the fully closed position and back.

A blind is arranged such that minimal force is required to rotate the tilt drum to tilt the slats from the fully open to the fully closed position and back, with each of the front and rear tilt cables sharing the load nearly equally throughout the entire path from the fully open to the fully closed position and back.

A retainer includes an abutting portion, a protrusion integrally extended from a side of the abutting portion and having a through hole for a lift pull cord to be slidably threaded therethrough, and two opposite upper cantilever portions and two opposite lower cantilever portions integrally extended from another side of the abutting portion. A first positioning groove is provided between the upper and lower cantilever portions for a slat to be embedded in the first positioning groove. Second and third positioning grooves perpendicularly communicating with the first positioning groove are provided between the upper cantilever portions and between the lower cantilever portions respectively for a tilt cord to be inserted in the second and third positioning grooves.

A retainer includes an abutting portion, a protrusion integrally extended from a side of the abutting portion and having a through hole for a lift pull cord to be slidably threaded therethrough, and two opposite upper cantilever portions and two opposite lower cantilever portions integrally extended from another side of the abutting portion. A first positioning groove is provided between the upper and lower cantilever portions for a slat to be embedded in the first positioning groove. Second and third positioning grooves perpendicularly communicating with the first positioning groove are provided between the upper cantilever portions and between the lower cantilever portions respectively for a tilt cord to be inserted in the second and third positioning grooves.

The disclosure provides roll-up coverings for an architectural opening, and various embodiments of ladder tapes. Embodiments of the roll-up covering include a roller, a first outer elongate tape, a first inner elongate tape and a plurality of slats disposed between the outer and inner elongate tapes. The first inner elongate tape can further defines a plurality of collapsible hinge segments disposed along the length of the first inner elongate tape. The collapsible hinge segments can be configured to collapse in order to decrease the effective length of the first inner elongate tape when the first inner elongate tape is rolled up around the roller. The collapsible hinge segments can further be configured to expand in order to increase the effective length of the first inner elongate tape when the roll-up covering is unrolled from the roller.

The disclosure provides roll-up coverings for an architectural opening, and various embodiments of ladder tapes. Embodiments of the roll-up covering include a roller, a first outer elongate tape, a first inner elongate tape and a plurality of slats disposed between the outer and inner elongate tapes. The first inner elongate tape can further defines a plurality of collapsible hinge segments disposed along the length of the first inner elongate tape. The collapsible hinge segments can be configured to collapse in order to decrease the effective length of the first inner elongate tape when the first inner elongate tape is rolled up around the roller. The collapsible hinge segments can further be configured to expand in order to increase the effective length of the first inner elongate tape when the roll-up covering is unrolled from the roller.

A venetian blind comprising a plurality of slats elongated in a horizontal direction, suspended via and evenly distributed along carriers elongated in directions with a vertical component. The carriers are in the form of flexible strings provided with stoppers permanently fixed to the strings in positions at a uniform pitch in longitudinal direction of the carrier between each pair of successive stoppers. The stoppers and the openings in the slats are dimensioned such that the carriers including the stoppers can be threaded through the openings in the slats. In operative condition, each support is carried by one of the stoppers. An assembly method is also described.

A venetian blind comprising a plurality of slats elongated in a horizontal direction, suspended via and evenly distributed along carriers elongated in directions with a vertical component. The carriers are in the form of flexible strings provided with stoppers permanently fixed to the strings in positions at a uniform pitch in longitudinal direction of the carrier between each pair of successive stoppers. The stoppers and the openings in the slats are dimensioned such that the carriers including the stoppers can be threaded through the openings in the slats. In operative condition, each support is carried by one of the stoppers. An assembly method is also described.