Hunter Douglas Inc.

An architectural-structure covering including a covering moveable between extended and retracted positions, a rotatable member coupled to the covering, an operating system coupled to the rotatable member, an operating element manipulatable by a user for rotating the rotatable member, and a track coupled to the operating element to restrain the operating element from being moved away from the track. In some embodiments, the operating element is a bead chain including a plurality of beads and a plurality of dog-bone shaped beads including first and second beads wherein the first bead is positioned within, and forms part of, the bead chain and the second bead is positioned within a channel formed in the track.

In one aspect, a cellular slat for a covering for an architectural structure includes a slat core forming a cellular structure having opposed first and second sides extending between opposed first and second edges of the slat core. Additionally, the cellular slat includes a blackout layer provided in association with only one of the first side or the second side of the cellular structure of the slat core.

A brake assembly for use in an architectural-structure covering. The architectural-structure covering includes a rotatable member and a covering movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The brake assembly is operatively coupled to the rotatable member. The brake assembly is arranged and configured to permit rotation of the rotatable member in a first direction and to inhibit rotation of the rotatable member in a second or opposite direction to maintain a desired position of the covering. For example, the brake assembly is arranged and configured to prevent, or at least inhibit, unwanted extension of the covering due to the force of gravity. In some embodiments, the brake assembly includes a hub, a wrap spring, a drum, a one-way gear (e.g., a running gear such as, for example, a pinion or spur gear), and a housing.

A lighted architectural-structure covering is disclosed. In one example of an embodiment, an architectural-structure covering includes a light source arranged and configured to illuminate at least a portion of the architectural-structure covering. The architectural-structure covering may include first and second coverings. The light source is arranged and configured to direct light onto the second covering, which is arranged and configured to reflect, redistribute, etc. the received light toward the interior space of the room in which the architectural-structure covering is located. Thus arranged, the architectural-structure covering may be used to create, for example, diffused-lighting effects.

In one aspect, a covering for an architectural structure includes a multi-panel shade formed form a plurality of panel sections arranged relative to one another to form a continuous sheet, with at least one of the panel sections having different shade properties from the other panel section(s) forming the multi-panel shade. By adjusting the extent to which the panel sections are exposed along the drop length of the covering, the covering may be configured to provide various different shade configurations.

Techniques including transmitting a first signal to a plurality of architectural structure coverings, wherein a first architectural structure covering of the plurality of architectural structure coverings includes a mechanically movable material. The techniques further including receiving, from the first architectural structure covering, a second signal indicating a proximity of the first architectural structure covering. The techniques further including maintaining an ordered list of the plurality of the architectural structure coverings based on the second signal. The techniques further including displaying at least a portion of the ordered list on a display of the device, the portion indicating the first architectural structure covering in an order that is based on at least one of: architectural structure covering proximities, architectural structure covering types, or architectural structure covering installation areas.

A system for adjusting a skewed rail in a window covering includes first and second spools to allow first and second lift cords, respectively, to be wound around and unwound from the respective spools. The system also includes a lift rod coupled between the first and second spools and a skew adjustment assembly configured to adjust the first spool between an engaged state, in which the first spool is rotationally engaged with the lift rod such that the first and second spools rotate together, and a disengaged state, in which the first spool is rotationally disengaged from the lift rod to allow the first spool to be rotated relative to the second spool. When in the disengaged state, rotation of the first spool relative to the second spool adjusts an effective length of the first lift cord relative to the second lift cord.

The present disclosure is generally directed to a fabric laminate for architectural coverings. The laminate generally contains a polymer film, optionally metallized on one or more sides, with at least one layer of a nonwoven web disposed on each side of the film. In one embodiment, at least one nonwoven web on each side of the film may contain a majority of fibers oriented in one direction, and, in some cases, the orientation direction of at least one web on one side of the film coincides with the orientation direction of at least one web on the opposite side of the film. In this manner, the fabric may demonstrate improved stiffness in one direction, such as the machine direction.