Retractable shade with collapsible vanes

A panel and roller for use in a covering for an architectural opening comprising in combination:

• a roller having a longitudinal axis and a system for reversibly rotating said roller about said longitudinal axis,
• a plurality of elongated, flexible elements disposed in parallel relationship in a common plane with one end of said elements secured to said roller such that said elements can be wrapped about or unwrapped from said roller, and
• a plurality of first and second strips of material positioned adjacent to said common plane, each of said first and second strips of material having first and second edges, said first edges of said first and second strips being secured together and being secured to less than all of said flexible elements along first juncture lines with the remainder of the flexible elements passing slidably through said first juncture lines, said second edges of said first and second strips being secured together and being secured to said remainder of the flexible elements, so that the first and second strips of material form a plurality of cells therebetween and the flexible elements are operative to selectively move said second edges of said strips of material toward and away from said first edges, said flexible elements and plurality of first and second strips of material being wrapped about or unwrapped from said roller on selected rotation of said roller.

A panel and roller for a covering for use in an architectural opening comprising in combination:

• a roller having a longitudinal axis and a system for reversibly rotating said roller about said longitudinal axis,
• a vertically suspended flexible support structure secured to said roller,
• a set of parallel operating elements disposed in substantially the same plane as said support structure and also secured to said roller at an upper end of said elements,
• at least one strip of material having first and second edges, said first edge being secured to said support structure and said second edge being secured to said operating elements such that movement of said operating elements by said roller in a first direction relative to said support structure causes the strip to be in a substantially flat position and substantially in the same plane as said support structure and said operating elements, and movement of said operating elements by said roller in an opposite direction relative to said support structure causes said second edge to be moved toward said first edge, said support structure, operating elements and at least one strip of material being wrappable about said roller.

A covering for an architectural opening movable between extended and retracted positions comprising in combination:

• a panel of vertically extendable, flexible material having an upper edge and a lower edge, said panel being comprised of a support structure and a plurality of horizontally extending strips of material supported thereon, said strips having an upper edge secured to said support structure and a movable lower edge;
• a headrail including a roller about which the panel of material can be wrapped, said upper edge of the panel being secured to the periphery of said roller;
• and
• a bottom rail connected to said lower edge and including at least two component parts pivotally connected together, said support structure being operatively connected to only one of said component parts and said horizontally-extending strips being operatively connected to only the other of said component parts.