Roller shades, or roller blinds as they are sometimes referred to, are commonly mounted on windows, doors and other structures for privacy, for aesthetic purposes, and for noise and light control. Most modern roller shades employ a clutch mechanism that permits the shade to be raised or lowered through pulling on one end of a looped chain or cord that is received around the clutch. The cord or chain typically engages the clutch mechanism, which in turn drives a roller, upon which blind fabric is received, in one direction or the other. Commonly, the clutch is also utilized to retain the roller tube in a locked position when a desired amount of fabric has been unrolled therefrom, or when the fabric has been returned fully to the roller tube.
While such clutch mechanisms have been widely used in both commercial and residential applications, they often present elongate loops of cord or chain that hang downwardly from the blind headrail. Often a chain clamp or tensioning device is mounted to the window frame or other structure adjacent to the blind in order to hold the chain in position against the window frame or wall structure and to help minimize the chance of the cord becoming entangled with individuals, pets or other objects. The cord or chain will also often include a breakaway or separation link that would cause the loop to become broken upon the application of a predetermined force.
The potential threat of strangulation through the loop of chain or cord becoming wrapped around the neck of an infant or small child has caused regulators to legislate the use of such cord guides, tensioning devices and/or breakaways. Although such devices can be effective in, first minimizing the likelihood of a cord becoming wrapped around the neck of an infant or small child, and secondly allowing the looped chain or cord to become broken to help prevent strangulation in such circumstances, the use of these additional components may require drilling or otherwise securing guides or tensioners to a window frame, etc. which increases the labour involved when installing a roller blind. The use of such guides, tensioners, or breakaways, further adds to the number of component parts of the blind and to overall cost.