Light blocking element for a covering for an architectural opening

1. A covering for an architectural opening, said covering comprising:

a first rail;

a movable rail movable towards and away from said first rail in an operating direction of said covering;

a light blocking element supported by at least one wall of said first rail;

a first magnetic member coupled to said light blocking element; and

a second magnetic member coupled to said movable rail;

wherein;

said first and second magnetic members are magnetically attracted and coupled to each other when said movable rail moves to a position adjacent to said first rail;

when said first and second magnetic members are coupled to each other, said light blocking element extends in the operating direction across an interface between said first and second magnetic members to block light from passing between said first rail and said movable rail.

2. The covering as in claim 1 , wherein:

said light blocking element is movably coupled to said first rail such that a portion of said light blocking element is at least partially received within an interior of said first rail; and

said interior is defined at least partially by said at least one wall of said first rail.

3. The covering as in claim 1 , wherein said light blocking element remains supported by said at least one wall of said first rail when said first and second magnetic members are magnetically decoupled from each other.

4. The covering as in claim 1 , wherein:

said at least one wall comprises opposed walls of said first rail; and

a portion of said light blocking element is received within a channel defined between said opposed walls.

5. The covering as in claim 4 , wherein:

said opposed walls comprise first and second lips of said first rail;

said light blocking element includes first and second wings extending within an interior of said first rail; and

when said movable rail is moved away from said first rail, said first and second lips retain said light blocking element relative to said first rail via engagement with said first and second wings.

6. The covering as in claim 5 , wherein said first and second wings of said light blocking element are configured to move relative to first and second lips when said movable rail moves to said position close to said first rail.

7. A covering for an architectural opening, said covering comprising:

a first rail;

a movable rail movable towards and away from said first rail;

a light blocking element movably coupled to one of said first rail or said movable rail such that said light blocking element remains non-magnetically engaged with said one of said first rail or said movable rail as said movable rail moves towards and away from said first rail;

a first magnetic member coupled to said light blocking element; and

a second magnetic member coupled to the other of said first rail or said movable rail;

wherein, when said movable rail moves to a position adjacent to said first rail, and first and second magnetic members are magnetically attracted and coupled to each other.

8. The covering as in claim 7 , wherein a portion of said light blocking element is received within an interior of said one of said first rail or said movable rail.

9. The covering as in claim 7 , wherein:

said movable rail is movable towards and away from said first rail in an operating direction of said covering; and

when said movable rail moves to said position close to said first rail, said light blocking element extends fully across a gap defined between said movable rail and said first rail in the operating direction to block light from passing through said gap.

10. The covering as in claim 7 , wherein said light blocking element is configured to engage at least one wall of said one of said first rail or said movable rail as said movable rail moves towards and away from said first rail.

11. The covering as in claim 10 , wherein:

said at least one wall comprises opposed walls of said one of said first rail or said movable rail; and

a portion of said light blocking element is received within a channel defined between said opposed walls.

12. The covering as in claim 11 , wherein:

said opposed walls comprise first and second lips of said first rail;

said light blocking element includes first and second wings extending within an interior of said first rail; and

when said movable rail is moved away from said first rail, said first and second lips retain said light blocking element relative to said first rail via engagement with said first and second wings.

13. The covering as in claim 12 , wherein, when said movable rail moves to said position close to said first rail, said first and second wings of said light blocking element are configured to move relative to said first and second lips.

14. A covering for an architectural opening, said covering comprising:

a first rail;

a movable rail movable towards and away from said first rail;

a light blocking element coupled to said first rail such that at least a portion of said light blocking element is received within an interior of said first rail;

a first magnetic member coupled to said light blocking element; and

a second magnetic member coupled to said movable rail;

wherein, when said movable rail moves to a position close to said first rail, said first and second magnetic members are magnetically attracted and coupled to each other.

15. The covering as in claim 14 , wherein:

said movable rail is movable towards and away from said first rail in an operating direction of said covering;

when said movable rail moves to said position close to said first rail, said light blocking element extends fully across a gap defined between said movable rail and said first rail in the operating direction to block light from passing through said gap.

16. The covering as in claim 14 , wherein said light blocking element is retained relative to said first rail via engagement between said light blocking element and at least a portion of at least one of wall of said first rail.

17. The covering as in claim 16 , wherein:

said at least one wall comprises opposed walls of said first rail; and

said light blocking element extends through a channel defined between said opposed walls such that said at least a portion of said light blocking element is received within said interior of said one of said first rail or said movable rail.

18. The covering as in claim 14 , wherein said light blocking element is configured to float relative to said first rail such that an amount of said at least a portion of said light blocking element that is received within said interior of said first rail is variable.

19. The covering as in claim 18 , wherein said amount of said at least a portion of said light blocking element that is received within said interior of said first rail increases as said movable rail is moved to said position close to said first rail.

20. The covering as in claim 1 , wherein said first rail comprises a headrail of the covering.

21. The covering as in claim 14 , wherein said first rail comprises a headrail of the covering.