Patent ID: 8186413

Claim:
A retractable covering for an architectural opening including in combination: a flexible fabric movable between extended and retracted positions, a roller about which said fabric can be wrapped in said retracted position or unwrapped in said extended position, and a control system for reversibly rotating said roller to move said fabric between said extended and retracted positions, said control system comprising an operating cord; and a shift arm operably associated with the roller and said operating cord, said shift arm including a stirrup defining a vertically extending passage and having a cross member, and extending from a first end of said shift arm, a pawl extending from a second end of said shift arm, said operating cord received through said vertically extending passage; and wherein said operating cord is pulled substantially straight downwardly to move said pawl to an engaged position and allow said roller to rotate in a first direction and said operating cord is pulled downwardly and away from said fabric in a plane substantially perpendicular to said fabric to engage said operating cord with said cross member and move said pawl to a disengaged position and allow said roller to rotate in the opposite direction.