Patent Publication Number: US-2010126673-A1

Title: Window Covering Having at Least One Cord Release Device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation in part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/390,952 and also claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/118,227 which was filed on Nov. 26, 2008. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to window coverings such as Roman shades, and more particularly, to a child safety device and child safety kit that are used for such shades. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     One popular type of window covering is known as a Roman shade which may also be called a Roman blind, an Austrian shade, a Balloon Shade, or a Soft Shade. This type of shade consists of a panel or sheet of material attached along its top edge to a headrail and gathered at spaced intervals to provide a series of soft folds across the face of the fabric. Consequently, the typical Roman shade has a cascaded or softly pleated appearance. Such Roman shades are constructed so that when they are raised from an extended position, they gather from the bottom in generally horizontal folds or pleats until the entire shade resides near the top of the window covering in a retracted position. In some versions, the top of the window covering may also be lowered. The shades are operated by pulling on various lift cords which are used in conjunction with guides attached to the shade. 
     Most prior art Roman shades are formed either of a sheet of a flexible material such as a fabric or film or of a plurality of segments of material connected together. The material or interconnected segments are typically provided with a plurality of horizontal folds at points vertically spaced from one another to form folds when the shade is raised. A common method for making a Roman shade is to sew at least two sets of rings or connectors along vertical lines down the back of the fabric material as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,321,800. The spacing of the rings or connectors affects the aesthetic effect of the shade and how the window covering material may look when being raised or lowered. Lift cords pass through the rings and each lift cord is attached to a bottom rail or the lowermost fold. Opposite ends of the lift cords are wound on a spool or shaft in the headrail. The spool or shaft may be turned by a cord loop device or a spring motor to raise and lower the shade. Alternatively, the lift cords may pass through a cord lock and be moved by a user to turn the spool or shaft. 
     The shade may also include spacer cords that pass through the rings. The spacer cords are typically attached to the headrail of the shade and the rings and are configured to help improve the aesthetic effect of the shade when the window covering material is raised or lowered. 
     Roman shades may be fabricated by fabricators to make a Roman shade in a custom size to fit a customer&#39;s window opening. Fabricators may mistakenly measure or determine the necessary length of the window covering material of a Roman shade or the desired positioning of the rings on the back of the window covering material. For instance, a fabricator may want to adjust the position of the rings to achieve a different aesthetic effect for the raising and lowering of window covering material after reviewing the look provided by the initial positioning of the rings. Since rings are often sewn or affixed to the window covering material, such repositioning can be difficult and time consuming. 
     Ribs, such as the ribs disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,735, may be used by a fabricator instead of the rings to permit the fabricator to make adjustments to the locations of the ribs. The ribs may extend the width of the window covering material and are attached to spacer cords by fasteners. The ribs are configured to hold the window covering material at different spacing intervals and prevent the window covering material from falling vertically out of the ribs. The ribs are also configured to permit the material to be laterally slid out of the ribs so the positioning of the ribs can be changed by a fabricator. The spacing of the ribs acts similarly to the spacing of the rings and affects the look of the window covering material. For instance, spacing of the ribs can permit the material to have a cascading appearance when the shade is lowered and maintain this appearance when the shade is raised. 
     On occasion, children have been able to get behind a lowered Roman shade and become entangled in one of the lift cords. If the lift cord is around the child&#39;s neck and the child falls, the cord could act as a noose and strangle the child. Indeed, reports of such incidents have prompted a major retailer to issue a recall of one product line of Roman shades and the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning about the danger of child entanglement and hanging from the cords in Roman shades. 
     There have also been incidents of child entanglements in lift cords of venetian blinds and other types of window coverings. As a result, the art has developed various types of child safety devices that are intended to prevent deaths of children who become entangled in lift cords. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,261,138, 7,225,850, 7,117,918, 7,086,446, 7,000,672, 6,948,546, 6,918,425, 6,860,312, 6,637,493, 6,484,787, 5,630,458, 5,533,559 and 4,909,298 disclose child safety devices for blinds. Child safety devices may be configured to keep the lift cords taught so that the cords cannot be pulled away from the window covering material and form a noose or release the cord from the shade when a child becomes entangled in the shade. Most, if not all of the cord release devices are not well suited for use on Roman shades. Moreover, many conventional child safety devices for blinds are visible from the front of the shade and detract from the aesthetic effect of the shade. 
     A new safety device is needed for Roman shades. Preferably, such a device can be sold in a kit to retrofit previously sold Roman shades or shades in a retailer&#39;s inventory. Moreover, such a safety device preferably does not detract from the aesthetic effect provided by the Roman shade. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An improved Roman shade is provided that includes a sheet of material connected to a headrail that is gathered at selected intervals to provide a series of transverse pleats or folds and lift cords for raising and lowering the shade. The Roman shade also includes a plurality of release devices attached to the sheet of material. Each of the release devices includes a male member and a female member releasably connected together. One of the members is attached to the sheet of material and the other member has an opening through which one of the lift cords pass. The male member and female member of each release device are sized and configured to separate when a release force acts on at least one of the female member and the male member. 
     Embodiments of my Roman shade can include cord operated Roman shades that have a cord lock attached to a headrail. The lift cords pass through the cord lock and may be raised or lowered to lift or lower the shade. 
     The female member of each release device may have various different configurations. In one embodiment, the female member may include a generally cylindrical body that defines an opening. The opening can be sized to receive and releasably hold a male member. The cylindrical body preferably has at least one slit formed in the body. The one or more slits may communicate with the opening. Other embodiments of my shade may include female members that have a body that defines an opening and a spring positioned in the opening. Preferably, the spring is a coil spring, a torsion spring, or an elastomeric spring. 
     It should be appreciated that embodiments of my Roman shade can include loops or rings attached to the sheet of material. Each female member may include a clip portion that is sized and configured to attach to one of the loops. The clip portion of the female member may be integral with a body portion of the female member. 
     Embodiments of my Roman shade may also include a bottom rail attached to the sheet of material and a plurality of receptacles attached to the bottom rail. The lift cords can be sized to extend to the bottom rail and each lift cord can have an end attached to a respective mateable body that is sized and configured to be inserted into an opening in at least one of the receptacles attached to the bottom rail. A releasable attachment is made after the mateable body is inserted into the opening in the receptacle. Release will occur when a predetermined release force acts on the mateable body. Preferably, the receptacles are female members and the mateable bodies are male members. 
     Some embodiments of my Roman shade include a plurality of loops attached to the sheet of material. The loops include a first series of rings that are aligned with each other and a second series of rings that are aligned with each other. A first lift cord may extend through the rings of the first series of rings and a second lift cord can extend through the rings of the second series of rings. The release devices may include a first series of release devices and a second series of release devices. Each release device of the first series of release devices can include a female member that is attached to a respective ring of the first series of rings to attach that female member to the sheet of material. Each release device of the second series of release devices may include a female member that is attached to a respective ring of the second series of rings to attach that female member to the sheet of material. 
     It should be understood that the sheet of material may be a fabric sheet, interconnected segments of material, a film, or a panel of woven wood or woven grass. The sheet of material may also include a series of bars or rods that are attached to the sheet of material or held within tubes or pockets sewn or otherwise formed in the sheet of material. 
     I additionally provide a Roman shade that includes a headrail, window covering material adjacent the headrail and a plurality of lift cords that extend from the headrail to the window covering material. Each lift cord is sized and configured to extend through one or more loops attached to the window covering material. The shade may be raised to retract the window covering material or lowered to extend the window covering material. A plurality of mateable bodies is also included in the Roman shade. Each mateable body is attached to one of the lift cords and is sized to pass through at least one of the loops. A plurality of receptacles are attached to at least one of a bottom portion of the window covering material and a bottom rail attached to a bottom portion of the window covering material. Each receptacle has an opening sized and configured to releasably hold one or more of the mateable bodies. 
     I further provide a Roman shade that includes a headrail, window covering material adjacent the headrail and a plurality of lift cords that extend from the headrail to the window covering material. Each lift cord is sized and configured to extend through one or more loops attached to the window covering material. The shade may be raised to retract the window covering material or lowered to extend the window covering material. A plurality of receptacles is also included in the Roman shade. Each receptacle is attached to one of the lift cords and is sized to pass through at least one of the loops. A plurality of mateable bodies are attached to at least one of a bottom portion of the window covering material and a bottom rail attached to a bottom portion of the window covering material. Each mateable body is sized to be releasably held within an opening of a receptacle. 
     An embodiment of my window covering includes a headrail, a plurality of lift cords that extend from the headrail, and window covering material connected to at least one of the headrail and the window covering material. The window covering material is moveable from a raised position to a lowered position. The window covering also includes one or more cord release devices attached to the window covering material. Each cord release device includes a clip portion, a first member, and a second member. The clip portion is attached to the first member and the second member. The first and second members are sized and configured to releasably interconnect such that the first and second members at least partially define an opening sized to receive and releasably retain at least one lift cord when the first and second members are interconnected and the first and second members are configured to separate and release the at least one lift cord when a release force exerted by one or more lift cords that are within the opening act on at least one of the first and second members. 
     The release force that is exerted by the one or more lift cords within the opening is preferably between 4.4 pounds and 6.6 pounds. The opening of each release device is preferably a generally circular opening configured to releasably retain at least one cord. 
     The first and second members may be configured to move away from each other in a direction that is transverse or perpendicular to the window covering material when the release force acts on at least one of the first and second members. Preferably, the first and second members and the clip portion are composed of a polymeric material and are integrally molded together. 
     The window covering material may include woven wood or woven grass that is collected into segments. Each segment may include a plurality of flexible elongated members that hold the woven wood or woven grass in that segment. The clip portion of the at least one cord release device can be attached to one of the flexible elongated members. 
     Embodiments of my window covering may include both one or more cord release devices and one or more release devices. Each release device may include a male member and a female member releasably connected together such that one member is attached to the window covering material and the other member has an aperture through which one of the lift cords pass. The male member and female member of each release device can be sized and configured to separate when a release force acts on at least one of the female and male members. 
     I also provide a kit for Roman shades that includes a plurality of male members and a plurality of female members. The female members or the male members are sized and configured for attachment to a sheet of material and the other members each have an opening sized and configured to receive a lift cord. Each of the female members are sized and configured to release one of the male members after that male member is releasably connected to that female member when a release force acts on at least one of that female member and that male member. 
     In some embodiments of my kit, each female member may include a body that has an opening sized and configured to releasably hold at least one of the male members. One or more slits may be formed in the body. The one or more slits can communicate with the opening. 
     In other embodiments of my kit, each female member includes a spring positioned in the opening of a body that is sized to receive at least one of the male members. Preferably, the spring is a coil spring, a torsion spring or an elastomeric spring positioned in the opening. 
     A kit for a Roman shade is also provided that includes at least one cord release device configured for attachment to window covering material of a Roman shade. Each cord release device includes a clip portion, a first member and a second member. The clip portion is attached to the first and second members. The first and second members are sized and configured to releasably interconnect such that the first and second members at least partially define an opening sized to receive and releasably retain at least one lift cord when the first and second members are interconnected. The first and second members are also configured to separate and release the one or more lift cord when a release force exerted by one or more of the lift cords that are within the opening act on at least one of the first and second members. Embodiments of my kit may also include one or more release devices, one or more mateable bodies, one or more receptacles or a combination of release devices, mateable bodies and receptacles. 
     Other details, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of certain present preferred embodiments thereof and certain present preferred methods of practicing the same proceeds. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       Present preferred embodiments of my Roman shade having a child safety cord release and kit for providing a cord release on a Roman shade are shown in the accompanying drawings and certain present preferred methods of practicing the same are also illustrated therein. 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of the present preferred embodiment of my Roman shade having a child safety cord release in a raised, or retracted, position. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  in a raised position. 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in a fully lowered position. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view similar to  FIG. 2  showing the embodiment of  FIGS. 1  thru  3  in a lowered, or extended, position. 
         FIG. 5  is top view of a first present preferred embodiment of my child safety cord release device in a separated position with the male portion connected to one end of a lift cord and the female portion connected to the shade material. 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged side view of the first present preferred embodiment of my child safety cord release device connected between the shade material and a ring through which a lift cord runs. 
         FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of a second present preferred embodiment of my Roman shade. 
         FIG. 8  is a fragmentary view of the second present preferred embodiment of my Roman shade illustrating the female and male members of the release device in a separated position. 
         FIG. 9  is a rear perspective view of a third present preferred embodiment of my Roman shade. 
         FIG. 10  is a fragmentary view of the third present preferred embodiment of my Roman shade illustrating the female and male members of the release device in a separated position. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a first present preferred embodiment of my child safety kit. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the first present preferred embodiment of my child safety kit with the female members and male members releasably connected. 
         FIG. 13  is a rear perspective view of a fourth present preferred embodiment of my Roman shade. 
         FIG. 14  is a rear view of a fifth present preferred embodiment of my Roman shade. 
         FIG. 15  is a rear view of a sixth present preferred embodiment of my Roman shade. 
         FIG. 16  is a top view of a first present preferred cord release device that has the first and second members in an interconnected position. 
         FIG. 17  is a view similar to  FIG. 17  illustrating the first and second members separated from each other. 
         FIG. 18  is a fragmentary rear view of a present preferred window covering. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PRESENT PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1  thru  6 , an embodiment of my Roman shade  1  with child safety cord release devices includes a sheet of fabric material  2  which is not pleated. A plurality of loops or rings is attached to the sheet of shade material  2 . A top edge of the sheet of material  2  is connected to a headrail  4  and the bottom edge of the sheet of material  2  may be connected to a bottom bar or rail  5 . The sheet of material  2  has a series of horizontal folds creating tabs  11  on the back of the shade. In some embodiments, each of the tabs  11  may include a rod or bar that is held within a pocket sewn into the sheet of material. The tabs  11  may define segments  16 . The segments  16  could be made of separate strips of material with adjacent strips being sewn together at each tab  11 . A skirt  9 , shown in dotted line in  FIG. 2  may extend from the bottom rail  5 . Lift cords  6  pass through a cord lock  7 , run down the back of the shade and are attached to the bottom bar  5 . 
     Although I prefer that the sheet of shade material  2  be a woven or non-woven fabric, the sheet of material  2  could be a panel of woven woods, a panel of woven grasses or a film. The sheet of shade material  2  may include multiple interconnected segments of material or be a unitary sheet of material. 
     Cord release devices  3  are attached to the sheet of shade material  2 . As may be best seen in  FIGS. 2 ,  5  and  6 , each release device includes a male member  30  and a female member  20 . The male member  30  can have an elongated body  31  with a ball  34  at one end. The ball  34  may be spherical or polygonal in shape. I prefer that the ball  34  and opening  24  have a circular or oval cross-section through its longitudinal axis. However, the ball  34  and opening  24  may also have cross-sections that are square, rectangular, triangular or other polygon shapes. 
     The female member  20  has a generally tubular portion  21  having a series of longitudinal slits  22  creating a series of fingers  23  arranged side by side around a circle to form a basket. The slits  22  communicate with an opening  24  defined by the tubular portion. The opening  24  is sized to receive the ball portion  34  of the male member  30 . The opening  24  may be a cavity that has a circular or oval cross-section along its longitudinal axis. Preferably the cross-section of the opening  24  along an axis normal to the longitudinal axis is circular. A tab portion  28  extends from the tubular portion  21  and has a slot  26  through which passes a loop  40  sewn in a tab  11  of the shade material  2  or other portion of the shade material  2 . Loops  40  could also extend from the bottom rail  5 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the male member  30  is attached to one end of the lift cord  6 . The fingers  23  defined in the tubular portion  21  are sized and shaped to hold the ball  34  of the male member  30  securely enough that the connection will be maintained while the Roman shade is raised and lowered. However, should a child become entangled in the cord the male member will release from the female member. 
     One could provide only a limited number of cord release devices  3 . For instance, there could be a male member  30  on an end of each lift cord that is releasably connected to a female member  20  attached to the bottom rail  5 , as shown in  FIGS. 7-8 . In embodiments of Roman shades that only include two lift cords, only two release devices  3  would then be needed. However, I prefer to provide a cord release device on each ring or loop  40  the lift cords pass by, as may be appreciated from  FIGS. 2 ,  5  and  6 . 
     Preferably, both the male member  30  and the female member  20  of the release device  3  are made of the same material. Preferably, the members are composed of plastic such as ABS plastic. Of course, the male and female members could be made of any one of dozens of other plastics including polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride and acetyl polymers. It is contemplated that the male and female member could also be composed of metal or other materials as long as the geometry of the parts is in accordance with the considerations mentioned below to account for the material&#39;s mechanical properties and dimensions of the parts. 
     There are several inter-related material properties and dimensions which determine the breakaway force, or release force. These include the flexural modulus of the material, tensile yield strength of the material, coefficient of static friction between the male member and the female member, thickness of the fingers, length of the fingers or slits, ratio of size of the cavity and the diameter of the ball end of the male member and the angle formed by a center line through the male member and a centerline through the female member. 
     I prefer to provide a release device that has the male members configured to separate from the female members when three pounds more than the weight of the shade held by the lift cords act on at least one of the members of the release device. However, the cord release device can be configured to provide separation of the members at lower or higher release forces. For instance, the release force may be as low as three pounds or a force as high as twenty pounds. It should be understood that the “release force” is a force that is in addition to the weight of the shade material and other portions of the shade being held by the lift cords when the shade is mounted to a window opening. Preferably, each cord release device is designed for compliance with ANSI standard A1.3.4.4.2.3.4. 
     It is possible to adjust the release force by changing the size or configuration of the female members or male members. For instance, I have found that the release force can be changed by adjusting the length of the slits  22 . Longer slits would cause the male members  20  to separate from the female members  30  at a lower force than shorter slits. 
     A second present preferred embodiment of my Roman shade  50  is shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . The Roman shade includes a headrail  51 , window covering material  53  that extends from the headrail to a bottom rail  58  and lift cords  52  that extend from the headrail  51  to the bottom rail  58 . The lift cords  52  pass through rings  57  that are attached to the window covering material. The rings  57  are arranged in two series of rings  57  that are each vertically aligned with each other. Each lift cord  52  passes through a respective set of aligned rings  57 . An end of each lift cord  52  is attached to a male member  61  of a release device  59 , which is sized to pass through the rings  57 . A female member  62  of each release device  59  is attached to the bottom rail  58 . The male member  61  is releasably held within an opening  65  in a body portion  66  of the female member  62 . A clip portion  66  of each female member is attached to a loop that extends from the bottom rail  58 . 
     The release devices  59  are configured to release the lift cords  52  and male members  61  when a release force acting in an upward direction acts on the male members  61 . Preferably, the release force is between three pounds and twenty pounds. A spring (not shown) may be positioned within the opening  65  of each female member to configure the female member to release a respective male member upon an application of a particular release force. Preferably, the spring is a coil spring, an elastomeric spring or torsion spring. The spring may also be configured to receive a portion of the male member  61  and releasably retain that portion of the male member in the opening  65  until a release force acts on the male member. 
     A first present preferred child safety kit  71  is shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . The safety kit  71  includes a plurality of safety devices  73 . Each of the safety devices  73  include a male member  75  and a female member  76 . The male members  75  each have a body that defines an opening  74  to receive a lift cord. The female members  76  each include a clip portion  77  that is integral with a body portion  78 . The clip portions  77  each define an opening  81  that is sized and configured to releasably attach to a ring or loop of a Roman shade. The body portion  78  of each female member  76  defines an opening  79 . The opening  79  retains a spring  80 . The spring is sized and configured to releasably retain a portion of the male member within the opening  79 , as may be appreciated from  FIG. 12 . Preferably, the spring  80  is a coil spring, torsion spring or elastomeric spring. The male members  75  and female members  76  of the kit  71  may be sold or packaged separately or sold and packaged together. It should be understood that the male members  75  or female members  76  may be sized so that they can pass through rings or loops of a Roman shade. 
     Embodiments of my safety kit may be used to retrofit existing Roman shades to provide child safety features. For instance, the female members provided in embodiments of my kit may be attached to the bottom rail of a Roman shade or bottom portion of the shade material and the male members may be attached to the ends of lift cords. Such a retrofitted shade could appear similar to the second present preferred embodiment  51  shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . 
     Of course, embodiments of my safety kit may also include more than two safety devices. For instance, a user could provide a safety device on each loop or ring of a Roman shade such that each male member is attached to a lift cord and each female member is attached to respective loop or ring. As another example, each female member may be attached to one of the lift cords and a male member may be attached to a respective ring or loop. 
     Referring to  FIG. 13 , an embodiment of my Roman shade  81  can include a headrail  82  that is attached to a valance  83  and window covering material  84 . The bottom portion of the window covering material is attached to a bottom rail  89 . Each segment of the window covering material has a plurality of rings, or loops  86 . The loops  86  include two sets of loops that are vertically aligned. A safety device  87  is attached to each loop  86 . Each safety device includes a female member that is attached to the loops  86  and a male member that is releasably retained within an opening in the female member. Lift cords  85  extend from a cord lock (not shown) attached to the headrail  82 . Each lift cord passes adjacent one set of vertically aligned loops to the bottom rail. The lift cords  85  pass through holes formed in the male members of the safety devices  87 . The male member of each safety device may release from its respective female member independently of the other safety devices upon a release force acting on that male member. 
     Of course, other embodiments of my Roman shade may have release devices that include male members attached to the shade material or loops of the shade material and female members attached to the lift cords. Such an embodiment may be seen in  FIG. 14 , which illustrates a shade  103  that has male members  100  attached to the shade material  102  of the roman shade  103 . The female members  104  each include an opening that is sized to receive a portion of a lift cord to attach the lift cord to the female member. Each female member  104  also has an opening sized and configured to releasably connect to a respective male member  100 . The female member  104  will release the male member  100  when a release force acts on the female member, the male member, or both members. 
     Referring to  FIG. 15 , a Roman shade  131  may also be provided with cord release devices  132  that are attached to the window covering material  135  of the shade. The window covering material  135  may include segments  139  that have transverse folds or pleats  136  formed at the interconnection of the segments  139 . The shade  131  includes lift cords  134  that extend from the headrail of the shade  131  to a bottom segment of the window covering material  135 . The lift cords  134  pass through openings in the cord release devices  132 . Release devices  137  are attached to the bottom window covering segment. 
     The release devices  137  may be sized and configured to operate similarly to the release devices discussed above. Preferably, the release devices  137  each include a male portion that is attached to an end of a lift cord that is sized to pass through openings formed in the cord release devices  132 . The male portion is also releasably attached to a female portion connected to the bottom segment of the window covering material  135 . 
     The cord release devices  132  may be attached to the window covering material of the shade by having a clip portion attached to the window covering material by being attached to loops  138  or rings extending from the window covering material. The cord release devices are configured to release the lift cords after a release force acts on the lift cords. By releasing the lift cords, the cord release devices  132  can prevent the formation of loops that a child may become entangled in or strangled in. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 16-17  cord release devices  142  may include a clip portion  150  that defines an opening  152  that is configured for attachment to rings or loops of a Roman shade. As may be appreciated from  FIG. 18 , the clip portion  150  may also be configured for attachment to cords, tape, or other flexible elongated members that may be used to collect woven wood or woven grass of a window covering material or window covering material segments. The clip portion  150  is attached to a first member  144  and a second member  146  that at least partially define an opening  148 . The opening  148  is sized to receive or releasably retain at least one lift cord. 
     The first and second members  144  and  146  may be configured so that their distal ends  145  and  147  abut one another to form opening  148  when no force is acting on either member  144 ,  146 . Alternatively, these ends may overlap one another as indicated by the dotted line in  FIG. 16 . Either interconnection will cause the members  144  and  146  to completely encircle opening  148 . 
     Preferably, the first and second members  144  and  146  and the clip portion  150  are integrally molded as a unitary structure and are composed of a polymeric material, such as plastic, polycarbonate or ABS. Most preferably, the material of the cord release device  142  is clear so that the impact the device may have on the aesthetic effect of the shade is minimized. 
     The first and second members  144  and  146  are configured to separate when a release force acts on the members  144  and  146 , as may be seen in  FIG. 17 . When the first and second members  144  and  146  are separated, a lift cord retained within the opening  148  may pass out of the opening  148 . After the release force stops acting on the members, the first and second members may move back into an interconnected position, as shown in  FIG. 16 , due to the size, configuration or resiliency of the members. 
     Preferably, the first and second members are configured to separate upon a release force that acts transverse or perpendicular to the window covering material of a shade. The release force may be exerted through or by one or more lift cords positioned within the opening defined by the first and second members. 
     When a force acts on one or both members  144  and  146 , ends  145  and  147  may separate from one another by moving one or more different directions. They may move in a direction that is within a plane passing through the two members. They may move in a direction that is perpendicular to the plane passing through the two members. Or they may move in both directions. Furthermore, only one end  145 ,  147  need move to release the cords. 
     The first and second members  144  and  146  may be configured to separate upon different release forces. Preferably, the first and second members are configured to separate when a force that is less than 10 pounds, but greater than 4 pounds acts on the members. Most preferably, the release force is between 4.4 pounds and 6.6 pounds. 
     The release force of the cord release device  142  may be determined by securing the device  142  so that it is stationed in one place and does not move. A cord can then be inserted into the opening  148  and made it into a loop with a tied end. The cord may then be pulled to determine that amount of force, or weight, that must be exerted until the cord is released from the opening  148 . The amount of the force being applied to the cord can be measured during the pulling of the cord to determine the amount of the release force. 
     It should be understood that cord diameters can affect the amount of the release force necessary to separate the first and second members  144  and  146 . For instance, I have found that a cord that is 1.8 millimeters (mm) to 2.4 mm require a maximum of 5.5 pounds of force before the cord is released from the opening  148 . Thinner cords, such as cords with a diameter of 1.5 mm, may only need 4.4 pounds of force to separate the first and second members  144  and  146  and release from the opening  148 . 
     It should be appreciated that embodiments of my safety kit may use one or more cord release devices, such as cord release devices  132  or  142 . The cord release devices may be sold separate from the safety devices or release devices or may be sold together with those safety devices. Further, embodiments of my safety kit may only include one or more cord release devices  142  or  132 . 
     Embodiments of my safety kit and embodiments of my Roman shade can provide a Roman shade that includes one or more safety devices that can prevent child entanglement within the lift cords of the shade. The safety devices preferably include both release devices and cord release devices that are provided on the back of the shade so they do not detract from the aesthetic effect provided by the front of the shade. Further, the safety devices can be sized to be relatively small so they are not readily apparent to a typical homeowner from the rear of the shade. As a result, the safety devices may not detract from the aesthetic effect provided by the rear of the shade, which may be seen through a window. 
     It should be appreciated that other variations of the present preferred embodiments discussed above may be made. For example, the number of lift cords required for any particular Roman shade can vary according to the size and weight of the shade material as well as the release force required to separate the cord release device attached to the shade. As another example, safety devices may include male members that have mateable bodies of different shapes or sizes than those described above. As yet another example, the safety devices may also include female members that have receptacles that are configured for releasable connection to the male members that have different sizes or shapes than those described above. 
     While certain present preferred embodiments of my Roman shade and certain embodiments of methods of practicing the same have been shown and described, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.