Garnish assembly for fluid management on a vehicle
An A-pillar garnish assembly for fluid management on a vehicle includes a windshield, an A-pillar structural member extending along a side edge of the windshield for supporting the windshield, and an A-pillar garnish member secured to the A-pillar structural member to define an open trough extending along the side edge of the windshield. The garnish member has at least one lateral fluid channel defined therein for directing fluid from the open trough into a closed pillar channel disposed behind the garnish member along the side edge of the windshield.
1 . An A-pillar garnish assembly for fluid management on a vehicle, comprising:
a windshield;
an A-pillar structural member extending along a side edge of the windshield for supporting the windshield; and
an A-pillar garnish member secured to the A-pillar structural member to define an open trough extending along the side edge of the windshield, the garnish member including an overlap portion defining one side of the open trough with a front surface of the windshield defining another side of the open trough, and a base portion extending from the overlap portion toward the windshield to define a base side of the open trough,
the garnish member having at least one lateral fluid channel extending through the base portion at a proximal end of the base portion adjacent the overlap portion for directing fluid from the open trough into a closed pillar channel disposed behind the garnish member along the side edge of the windshield.
2 . The A-pillar garnish assembly of claim 1 wherein the closed pillar channel extending along substantially an entirety of the side edge of the windshield.
3 . The A-pillar garnish assembly of claim 2 wherein the at least one lateral fluid channel is a plurality of spaced apart lateral fluid channels.
4 . The A-pillar garnish assembly of claim 1 wherein the overlap portion overlaps the front surface of the windshield by a lateral distance sufficient to direct fluid from the windshield into the open trough.
5 . The A-pillar garnish assembly of claim 1 wherein each lateral fluid channel extends through the base portion of the garnish member at an oblique angle relative to the front surface of the windshield.
6 . The A-pillar garnish assembly of claim 5 wherein a seal is disposed on a distal end of the base portion in sealing contact with the front surface of the windshield.
7 . The A-pillar garnish assembly of claim 5 further including a windshield mounting flange member secured to the A-pillar structural member on which the windshield is mounted, the closed pillar channel partially defined by the windshield mounting flange member.
8 . The A-pillar garnish assembly of claim 7 wherein a seal is disposed between a rear side of the windshield and the windshield mounting flange member.
9 . The A-pillar garnish assembly of claim 7 wherein the closed pillar channel is further defined by the garnish member.
10 . The A-pillar garnish assembly of claim 1 further including a windshield mounting flange member secured to the A-pillar structural member on which the windshield is mounted, the closed pillar channel defined by the windshield mounting flange member and the garnish member.
11 . The A-pillar garnish assembly of claim 1 wherein the garnish member further includes a mounting portion secured to the A-pilar structural member, and wherein the mounting portion, the overlap portion, and the base portion are integrally formed as a single molded component so that the at least one lateral fluid channel forms an enclosed conduit within the garnish member.
12 . The A-pillar garnish assembly of claim 3 wherein the plurality of spaced apart lateral fluid channels are disposed at the proximal end of the base portion adjacent the overlap portion and are configured to promote even fluid distribution into the closed pillar channel.
13 . A pillar garnish assembly for managing fluids on a vehicle windshield, comprising:
a pillar structural member extending along a side edge of the vehicle windshield; and
a garnish member secured to the structural member along the side edge of the vehicle windshield, the garnish member defining an open trough with an open side thereof facing laterally inwardly, the garnish member including a base portion defining a base side of the open trough with at least one lateral fluid channel extending through the base portion to direct fluids received in the open trough therethrough,
wherein the base portion has at least one lateral fluid channel extending obliquely therethrough to direct fluid received in the open trough into a closed pillar channel disposed behind the garnish member, whereby discharge of the collected fluid into the closed pillar channel enables a reduced trough size and greater design flexibility for the garnish member,
wherein the garnish member further includes a mounting portion secured to the pillar structural member and an overlap portion extending from the mounting portion laterally and overlapping a front side of the vehicle windshield to define the open trough together with the windshield, and
wherein the at least one lateral fluid channel is disposed at a proximal end of the base portion adjacent the overlap portion.
14 . The pillar garnish assembly of claim 13 wherein the garnish member also defines a closed pillar channel disposed behind the garnish member along the side edge of the vehicle windshield which is fluidly connected to the open trough by the at least one lateral fluid channel.
15 . The pillar garnish assembly of claim 14 wherein the at least one lateral fluid channel is a plurality of spaced apart lateral fluid channels, and wherein the closed pillar channel extends along substantially an entirety of the side edge of the vehicle windshield.
16 . An A-pillar garnish member for managing fluids from a vehicle windshield, comprising:
a mounting portion secured to a pillar structural member;
an overlap portion extending from the mounting portion laterally and overlapping a front side of the vehicle windshield to define an open trough together with the windshield; and
a base portion extending from the overlap portion toward the windshield to further define the open trough, at least one lateral fluid channel extending through the base portion at a proximal end of the base portion adjacent the overlap portion to direct fluid out of the open trough.
17 . The A-pillar garnish member of claim 16 wherein the at least one lateral fluid channel is a plurality of spaced apart lateral fluid channels extending along a substantial length of the base portion.