Patent ID: 9303450
Filing Date: 2016-04-05
CPC Classification: E06B

Claim Text:
1. A covering for an architectural opening, comprising: a first horizontal movable rail defining left and right ends and a midpoint midway between the left and right ends; an extendable covering material connected to said first horizontal movable rail, wherein movement of said first horizontal movable rail upwardly and downwardly extends and retracts the extendable covering material; a first taut cable having an upper first cable end fixed at a first fixed point located above said first horizontal movable rail and offset to the left of an imaginary vertical line extending through the midpoint of said first horizontal movable rail and having a lower first cable end fixed at a second fixed point located below said first horizontal movable rail, wherein there is no elastic tensioning member to keep said first cable taut between said first and second fixed points, said first cable extending from said first fixed point, beneath a first guide bearing on the left of said first horizontal movable rail, over a second guide bearing on the right of said first horizontal movable rail, and thereafter to said second fixed point; a second taut cable having an upper second cable end fixed at a third fixed point located above said first horizontal movable rail and offset to the right of the imaginary vertical line and having a lower second cable end fixed at a fourth fixed point located below said first horizontal movable rail, wherein there is no elastic tensioning member to keep said second cable taut between said third and fourth fixed points, said second taut cable extending from the third fixed point, beneath a third guide bearing on the right of said first horizontal movable rail, over a fourth guide bearing on the left of said first horizontal movable rail, and thereafter to said fourth fixed point; and a first brake mounted on said first horizontal movable rail, wherein said first brake applies a braking force only to one of said first and second taut cables in order to stop both of said first and second taut cables from moving along the respective guide bearings on said first horizontal movable rail in at least one direction, wherein there is no brake on said first horizontal movable rail which applies a braking force to the other of said first and second taut cables; wherein said first and second taut cables are taut enough to keep the first horizontal rail in a horizontal position as the first horizontal rail moves upwardly and downwardly but are not taut enough to hold the first horizontal rail in place without using said brake; and wherein there is no biasing member to assist with keeping the first horizontal movable rail in a horizontal position while raising and lowering the first horizontal movable rail.