End cap for a rail for a window covering

1. An arrangement for a covering for an architectural opening, said arrangement comprising:

an elongated rail extending in a longitudinal direction, said rail having an elongated base wall and elongated legs projecting away from said base wall, said rail defining an end and including at least one track projecting away from an inner surface of said base wall at a location between said elongated legs;

an end cap configured to be coupled to said end of said rail, said end cap including first and second opposed edges and a wall extending between said first and second edges along a widthwise direction of said end cap;

a beam coupled to and extending away from said wall of said end cap between said first and second opposed edges of said end cap, said beam being configured to extend adjacent to said base wall of said rail when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail; and

at least one outrigger separate from said beam, said at least one outrigger coupled to and extending away from said wall of said end cap at a location between said beam and at least one of said first edge or said second edge of said end cap in the widthwise direction of said end cap, said at least one outrigger including an outrigger wall and a wing extending from said outrigger wall, said wing configured to be received within said at least one track of said rail and said outrigger wall configured to be positioned outside of said at least one track when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein:

said beam extends away from said wall of said end cap to a free end of said beam; and

said beam includes a projection at or adjacent to said free end that extends from said beam towards said inner surface of said base wall of said rail.

3. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein said projection of said beam abuts a retaining wall associated with said base wall of said rail to provide a positive stop for said beam when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail.

4. The arrangement of claim 3 , wherein:

said retaining wall is defined by an edge of said base wall positioned at an opening defined in said base wall of said rail; and

said projection of said beam is received within said opening of said base wall hen said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail.

5. The arrangement of claim 3 , wherein:

said retaining wall is defined by a body projecting outwardly from said inner surface of said rail; and

said projection engages said body when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail.

6. The arrangement of claim 3 , wherein a tapered surface is defined by at least one of said projection of said beam or said retaining wall that serves to pull said end cap against said end of said rail as said projection engages said retaining wall.

7. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein:

said wall of said end cap defines an arcuate shape between said first and second edges of said end cap prior to installation of said end cap relative to said end of said rail such that said first and second edges are offset from a central portion of said wall; and

said arcuate shape of said wall is flattened out as said end cap is pushed against said end of said rail and at least one of said beam or said at least one outrigger a portion of said rail such that a spring force is applied through said wall that maintains said end cap tightly against said end of said rail.

8. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein:

said end cap further includes third and fourth opposed edges;

at least one of said beam or said at least one outrigger extends away from said wall of said end cap along a lengthwise direction to a free end spaced apart from said wall;

prior to installation of said end cap relative to said end of said rail, said wall of said end cap is angled relative to a reference plane extending perpendicular to said lengthwise direction and passing through said third edge of said end cap such that said fourth edge of said end cap is offset from said reference plane; and

when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail, said fourth edge of said end cap moves closer to said reference plane as said end cap is pushed against said end of said rail and said at least one of said beam or said at least one outrigger engages a portion of said rail.

9. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein: said at least one track comprises first and second tracks projecting away from said inner surface of said base wall; and said at least one outrigger comprises a first outrigger coupled to and extending away from said wall of said end cap at a location between said beam and said first edge of said end cap; said at least one outrigger further comprises a second outrigger coupled to and extending away from said wall of said end cap at a location between said beam arid said second edge of said end cap; and said first outrigger is configured to be at least partially received within said first track and a second outrigger configured to be at least partially received within said second track.

10. The arrangement of claim 9 , wherein: said first outrigger includes a first outrigger wall and a first wing extending from said first outrigger wall, with said first wing configured to be received within said first track of said rail and said first outrigger wall configured to be positioned outside of said first track when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail; and said second outrigger includes a second outrigger wall and a second wing extending from said second outrigger wall, with said second wing configured to be received within said second track of said rail and said second outrigger wall configured to be positioned outside of said second track when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail.

11. The arrangement of claim 10 wherein:

said first wing is configured to be received within a space defined between a first portion of said first track and said inner surface of said base wall; and

said second wing is configured to be received within a space defined between a second portion of said second track and said inner surface of said base wall.

12. The arrangement of claim 11 , wherein:

said first wing is biased away from said inner surface of said base wall and into contact with said first portion of said first track when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail; and

said second wing is biased away from said inner surface of said base wall and into contact with said second portion of said second track when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail.

13. An arrangement for a covering for an architectural opening, said arrangement comprising:

an elongated rail extending in a longitudinal direction, said rail having an elongated base wall and first and second legs projecting away from said base wall, said rail defining an end and including at least one track projecting away from an inner surface of said base wall at a location between said elongated legs;

an end cap configured to be coupled to said end of said rail, said end cap including first and second opposed edges and a wall extending between said first and second edges along a widthwise direction of said end cap, said first edge configured to extend along said first leg of said rail and said second edge configured to extend along said second leg of said rail when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail, said wall defining an arcuate shape between said first and second edges of said end cap prior to installation of said end cap relative to said end of said rail such that said first and second edges are offset from a central portion of said wall;

a beam coupled to and extending away from said wall of said end cap between said first and second opposed edges of said end cap, said beam being configured to extend adjacent to said base wall of said rail when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail; and

at least one outrigger separate and spaced apart from said beam in the widthwise direction of said end cap such that said at least one outrigger is disposed between said beam and at least one of said first edge or said second edge of said end cap, said at least one outrigger including a wing configured to be received in said at least one track when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail;

wherein said arcuate shape of said wall is flattened out as said end cap is pushed against said end of said rail and at least one of said beam or said at least one outrigger engages a portion of said rail such that a spring force is applied through said wall that maintains said end cap tightly against said end of said rail.

14. The arrangement of claim 13 , wherein:

said at least one track comprises both a first track and a second track projecting away from said inner surface of said base wall;

said at least one outrigger comprises both a first outrigger configured to be received within said first track and a second outrigger configured to be received within said second track;

said first outrigger is coupled to and extends away from said wall of said end cap at a location between said beam and said first edge of said end cap in the widthwise direction of said end cap; and

said second outrigger is coupled to and extending away from said wall of said end cap at a location between said beam and said second edge of said end cap in the widthwise direction of said end cap.

15. The arrangement of claim 13 , wherein:

said beam extends away from said wall of said end cap to a free end of said beam; and

said beam includes a projection at or adjacent to said free end that extends towards said inner surface of said base wall of said rail.

16. The arrangement of claim 15 , wherein said projection of said beam abuts a retaining wall associated with said base wall of said rail to provide a positive stop for said beam when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail.

17. The arrangement of claim 13 , wherein:

said end cap further includes third and fourth opposed edges;

at least one of said beam or said at least one outrigger extends away from said wall of said end cap along a lengthwise direction to a free end spaced apart from said wall;

prior to installation of said end cap relative to said end of said rail, said wall of said end cap is angled relative to a reference plane extending perpendicular to said lengthwise direction and passing through said third edge of said end cap such that said fourth edge of said end cap is offset from said reference plane; and

when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail, said fourth edge of said end cap moves closer to said reference plane as said end cap is pushed against said end of said rail and said at least one of said beam, said first outrigger, or said second outrigger engages a portion of said rail.

18. An arrangement for a covering for an architectural opening, said arrangement comprising:

an elongated rail extending in a longitudinal direction, said rail having an elongated base wall and elongated legs projecting away from said base wall, said rail defining an end and including first and second tracks projecting away from an inner surface of said base wall at a location between said elongated legs;

an end cap configured to be coupled to said end of said rail, said end cap including first and second opposed edges and a wall extending between said first and second edges along a widthwise direction of said end cap;

a beam coupled to and extending away from said wall of said end cap between said first and second opposed edges of said end cap, said beam being configured to extend adjacent to said base wall of said rail when said end cap is installed relative to said end of said rail;

a first outrigger cantilevered off of said beam towards said first edge of said end cap, said first outrigger including a first leg portion extending towards said first edge of said end cap at an angle such that a distance defined between said first leg portion and said inner surface of said base wall increases as said first leg portion extends away from said beam, said first outrigger further including a first wing portion configured to be received within said first track such that said first wing portion is retained within a space defined between said first track and said inner surface of said base wall; and

a second outrigger cantilevered off of said beam towards said second edge of said end cap, said second outrigger including a second leg portion extending towards said second edge of said end cap at an angle such that a distance defined between said second leg portion and said inner surface of said base wall increases as said second leg portion extends away from said beam, said second outrigger further including a second wing portion configured to be received within said second track such that said second wing portion is retained within a space defined between said second track and said inner surface of said base wall.

19. The arrangement of claim 18 , wherein:

said first outrigger further comprises a first connector portion extending between said first leg portion and said first wing portion; and

said second outrigger further comprises a second connector portion extending between said second leg portion and said second wing portion.

20. The arrangement of claim 19 , wherein:

said first wing portion is positioned closer to said inner surface of said base wall than an end of said first leg portion from which said first connector portion extends such that said first connector portion extends towards said inner surface of said base wall from said first leg portion to said first wing portion; and

said second wing portion is positioned closer to said inner surface of said base wall than an end of said second leg portion from which said second connector portion extends such that said second connector portion extends towards said inner surface of said base wall from said second leg portion to said second wing portion.

21. The arrangement of claim 18 , wherein:

said first and second outriggers are configured to flex relative to said beam; and

when said end cap is being installed relative to said end of said rail, said first and second outriggers engage said first and second tracks, respectively, such that said first and second outriggers flex toward each other in a squeezing direction that causes said end cap to move relative to said rail in a direction perpendicular to the squeezing direction.

22. The arrangement of claim 21 , wherein movement of said end cap in the direction perpendicular to the squeezing direction causes said beam to move toward and press against said inner surface of said base wall.