BACKGROUND

For improved performance and efficiency, vehicles are incentivized to adopt aerodynamic shapes featuring a smooth exterior surface, including the exterior surface between a windshield and side windows. For improved driver visibility through side windows in raining weather conditions, vehicles are also incentivized to adopt elements such as gutter channels interposed between the windshield and the side windows along the exterior surface. Gutter channels interposed between the windshield and a side window are configured for preventing rain from sliding across the exterior surface of the vehicle, from the windshield to the side window.

Known gutter channels are formed from static incongruities in paneling along the exterior surface of the vehicle to catch rain water between the windshield and a window, and guide the caught rain water over a top of the vehicle using the headwind of the vehicle. While known gutter channels may successfully prevent rain on the front of the vehicle from sliding to the side windows in raining weather conditions, the static incongruities forming the gutter channels disrupt the otherwise smooth exterior surface and reduce an aerodynamic aspect thereof, even when the vehicle is driven outside raining weather conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

According to one aspect, a fin assembly for a vehicle includes a fin supported on an A-pillar and disposed along the A-pillar at a location that is interposed between and separates a side window and a windshield in a lateral direction of the vehicle, with a first lateral side of the fin being located closer to the side window as compared to the windshield, and with a second lateral side of the fin being located closer to the windshield as compared to the side window. The fin is configured for being driven to a retracted condition with respect to the A-pillar such that an exterior surface of the vehicle at least partially formed along an exterior surface of the windshield, an exterior surface of the fin, and an exterior surface of the side window substantially conforms to an aerodynamic shape. The fin is configured for being driven to an extended condition with respect to the A-pillar such that the exterior surface of the vehicle is at least partially formed along the exterior surface of the windshield, an exterior surface of the A-pillar located behind the fin in a front-back direction of the vehicle, and the exterior surface of the side window, and such that at least one of the first lateral side of the fin and the second lateral side of the fin is spaced outward from the exterior surface of the A-pillar to prevent liquid from traveling around the A-pillar from the windshield to the side window.

According to another aspect, a fin assembly for a vehicle includes a fin supported on an A-pillar and disposed along the A-pillar at a location that is interposed between and separates a side window and a windshield in a lateral direction of the vehicle, with a first lateral side of the fin being located closer to the side window as compared to the windshield, and with a second lateral side of the fin being located closer to the windshield as compared to the side window. The fin is configured for being driven to a retracted condition with respect to the A-pillar such that an exterior surface of the vehicle is at least partially formed along an exterior surface of the windshield, an exterior surface of the fin, and an exterior surface of the side window in the lateral direction of the vehicle, the exterior surface of the fin being flush with the exterior surface of the windshield and the exterior surface of the side window. The fin is configured for being driven to an extended condition with respect to the A-pillar such that the exterior surface of the vehicle is at least partially formed along the exterior surface of the windshield, an exterior surface of the A-pillar located behind the fin in a front-back direction of the windshield, and the exterior surface of the side window, and at least one of the first lateral side of the fin and the second lateral side of the fin is spaced outward from the exterior surface of the A-pillar to prevent liquid from traveling around the A-pillar from the windshield to the side window.

According to one aspect, a method of operating a fin assembly for a vehicle includes providing a fin supported on an A-pillar such that the fin is interposed between and separates a windshield from a side window in a lateral direction of the vehicle, wherein a first lateral side of the fin is located closer to the side window as compared to the windshield, and a second lateral side of the fin is located closer to the windshield as compared to the side window, and providing a sensor disposed on the windshield, wherein the sensor is configured to detect an amount of liquid on the windshield. The method also includes driving the fin to a retracted condition with respect to the A-pillar in response to at least one of a first user command and an input from the sensor such that an exterior surface of the vehicle at least partially formed from an exterior surface of the windshield, an exterior surface of the fin, and an exterior surface of a side window substantially conforms to an aerodynamic shape, and driving the fin to an extended condition with respect to the A-pillar in response to at least one of a user command and an input from the sensor such that that the exterior surface of the vehicle is at least partially formed along the exterior surface of the windshield, an exterior surface of the A-pillar located behind the fin in a front-back direction of the vehicle, and the exterior surface of the side window, wherein at least one of a first lateral side of the fin and a second lateral side of the fin are spaced outward from the exterior surface of the A-pillar.

