• 10 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Roller Shade

A chain roller shade half drawn in a window, then the two ways to mount one.

Parts of a Roller Shade

Name Date

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Fabric
  2. Bead chain
  3. Brackets
  4. Bottom rail (hem bar)
  5. Roller tube
  6. Clutch
  7. Idle end (pin end)
  8. Tie-down (chain tensioner)
  9. Inside mount
  10. Outside mount

Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-24. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: another window covering, the plantation shutter

All 10 parts on the diagram

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Start here: 6 main parts 6

  1. Fabric Winds onto the roller tube as the shade goes up.
  2. Bead chain Pulled one way it raises the shade, the other way lowers it.
  3. Brackets Screwed to the window frame or wall to hold the roller.
  4. Bottom rail (hem bar) Weights the fabric so it hangs straight.
  5. Roller tube The tube the fabric winds round.
  6. Clutch Turns the tube when the chain is pulled. Holds it still when let go.

From the front 2

  1. Idle end (pin end) The plain end, whose sprung pin clips into its bracket.
  2. Tie-down (chain tensioner) Fixed to the frame so the chain loop stays taut.

Inside or outside mount 2

  1. Inside mount Fixed inside the window recess, to the top of the frame.
  2. Outside mount Fixed on the wall or frame face, covering the opening.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-24. (1) A shade maker's roller shade installation guide (archive.org, https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-5981313 ): pin bracket and tab bracket, clutch and chain, the roller and the end with the round pin, fabric, bottom rail or bottom bar, the tie-down device that secures the chain loop, inside and outside mount. (2) A component maker's roller shade range, https://www.rolleaseacmeda.com/us/products/rollers : clutches, brackets, a spring-loaded pin end, hem bars, chains and chain tension devices. (3) A spring-roller blind maker's fitting instructions (archive.org, https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-6895163 ): brackets, the tube, the pin end and the idle end. (4) A furniture maker's assembly sheet (archive.org, https://archive.org/details/ikea-90257411 ): the bead chain. (5) Wikipedia, Window blind (Roller), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Window_blind : fabric wrapped round a roller, a chain at one side that raises or lowers it, mounted outside the window recess or at its top. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-24. Licence: own work

How it works

A roller shade is fabric wound on a roller tube that sits in two brackets. The clutch at one end turns the tube when the bead chain is pulled; the idle end turns freely at the other.

Read the full guide

Which end does what

The clutch end carries the chain and fits one bracket; the idle end, or pin end, has a sprung pin that clips into the other. The tie-down holds the bottom of the chain loop against the frame.

Inside or outside mount

Inside mount puts the brackets under the top of the window opening. Outside mount fixes them to the wall or frame face above it, so the shade covers the whole opening.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a window shade called?

On a roller shade: the fabric, the roller tube it winds on, two brackets, the clutch and bead chain that work it, the idle end, the bottom rail or hem bar, and a tie-down for the chain.

What is the clutch on a roller shade?

The mechanism in one end of the tube that the bead chain runs over. Pulling the chain turns the tube; let go, and the clutch holds the shade where it stopped.

What is the bar at the bottom of a roller shade called?

The bottom rail, also called the bottom bar or hem bar. It runs along the bottom edge of the fabric and weights it so it hangs straight.

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