Cordless balanced window covering

A window covering of the type including a headrail, a bottom rail and window covering material located therebetween, the bottom rail being moveable between a fully raised and fully lowered position with respect to the headrail and intermediate positions, comprising in combination:

• a spring motor attached to one of said headrail and bottom rail and including a flexible line storage spool with flexible line spooled thereon and connected to the other of said headrail and bottom rail;
• and,
• an adjustable friction member engageable with one of said spring motor, line storage spool and said flexible line to adjustably alter the force necessary to effect movement of said bottom rail towards and away from said headrail by way of said line member wherein said adjustable friction member includes the application of a lubricant.

A window covering of the type including a headrail, a bottom rail and window covering material located therebetween, the bottom rail being moveable between a fully raised and fully lowered position with respect to the headrail and intermediate positions, comprising:

• a flexible line storage spool with flexible line spooled thereon and coupled to one of the headrail and bottom rail;
• and,
• an adjustable friction member coupled to the line storage spool and the flexible line to adjustably alter the force necessary to effect movement of the bottom rail towards and away from the headrail by way of the line member wherein the adjustable friction member includes the application of a lubricant.

A window covering of the type including a headrail, a bottom rail and window covering material located therebetween, the bottom rail being moveable between a fully raised and fully lowered position with respect to the headrail and intermediate positions, comprising in combination:

• a means of motoring attached to one of the headrail and bottom rail and including a means for storing line with flexible line spooled thereon and connected to the other of the headrail and bottom rail;
• and,
• a means for adjusting friction engageable with one of the means for motoring, means for storing line and the flexible line to adjustably alter the force necessary to effect movement of the bottom rail towards and away from the headrail by way of the line member wherein the means for adjusting friction includes the application of a lubricant.

In a window blind that includes a headrail and a bottom rail with a window covering therebetween, a friction device, and a line storage spool with flexible line coupled thereon, with the flexible line operatively coupled to the headrail and bottom rail, a method for balancing forces in the window blind until an external force is applied sufficient to effect relative displacement of the bottom rail from the headrail, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a lubricant;
• and,
• applying the lubricant to one of the line storage spool and flexible line to effect retention of the bottom rail relative to the headrail at a point when the external force is removed.

A method for balancing the forces in a window blind that includes a headrail and a bottom rail with a window covering therebetween, and a flexible line operatively coupled to one of the headrail and bottom rail, the method comprising the steps of:

• applying a first force to the flexible line in a direction tending to move the bottom rail toward the headrail;
• and,
• adjusting a frictional force within the window blind by adding a lubricant sufficient to effect retention on the bottom rail relative to the headrail at any point between a first raised position where the bottom rail is proximate the headrail and a second position where the bottom rail is remote from the headrail.