Patent ID: 7665502

Claim:
Architectural covering having a plurality of adjustable and retractable slats, the architectural covering further includes: a fixed stationary rail at one end of the plurality of slats; a movable rail at an opposite end of the plurality of slats and movable to and from the fixed rail to create extended and retracted positions of the architectural covering; at least one drive cord attached to the movable rail; at least one fixed cord return guide being stationary mounted in a plane extending through the fixed rail, the plurality of slats and the movable rail, and in a location spaced from the fixed rail and beyond the movable rail to an extent determined by a maximum extension required for the covering; at least one drive spool for raising or lowering the covering having a hollow interior and being selectively rotatable in opposite directions of rotation, the at least one drive cord being wrapped about the at least one drive spool to establish a driving engagement, the at least one drive cord extending from the at least one drive spool around the at least one fixed cord return guide and back to its attachment to the movable rail before returning to the at least one drive spool; an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the angle of said plurality of slats through a tilting movement; a drive shaft for rotatably driving the adjusting mechanism selectively in opposite directions, the adjusting mechanism being adapted to rotatably drive the at least one drive spool, and a lost motion drive connection is-operatively included between the adjusting mechanism and the at least one drive spool, said lost motion drive connection including a radially inwardly directed ridge on said drive spool which operatively cooperates with a cam on said drive shaft such that only after said adjusting mechanism completes a tilting movement is the drive spool driven by the adjusting mechanism to raise or lower the covering.