Patent ID: 8136569

Claim:
Operating unit for operating a window covering, the operating unit including: a housing; a rotatable drive pulley having an axis of rotation and first and second mounting positions in the housing, with respect to the axis of rotation; an engagement device, rotatable about the axis of rotation; and a brake mechanism for, in use, arresting the engagement device when the drive pulley is not rotated and preventing the engagement device and drive pulley from being back driven by the window covering, wherein the engagement device has a plurality of circumferentially spaced pins parallel to the axis of rotation, wherein the drive pulley has a corresponding plurality of openings facing the pins and wherein in the first mounting position the rotatable drive pulley has a first orientation with a first side of the rotatable drive pulley facing the engagement device and a second side of the rotatable drive pulley facing the housing, the pins on the engagement device engage with the corresponding openings in the drive pulley and the engagement device rotates with the drive pulley, while in the second mounting position the rotatable drive pulley has a second orientation with the first side of the rotatable drive pulley facing the housing and the second side of the rotatable drive pulley facing the engagement device, the pins do not so engage and the engagement device thereby can rotate relative to the drive pulley.