A-pillar surface of a vehicle

An A-pillar surface of a vehicle, the A-pillar surface comprising:

• a cover disposed over an A-pillar such that the cover at least partially forms an exterior surface of the vehicle with a windshield and a side window at a location that is interposed between and separates the windshield and the side window along the exterior surface of the vehicle, the cover being elastically deformable between an inflated position and a deflated position,
• wherein the cover includes an outer surface extended between a first lateral side and a second lateral side of the cover, the first lateral side is located closer to the side window as compared to the windshield and is fixed to the A-pillar, the second lateral side is located closer to the windshield as compared to the side window and is fixed to the windshield,
• wherein when the cover is in the inflated position, the exterior surface of the vehicle formed from the cover substantially conforms to the exterior surface of the vehicle formed from the windshield and the side window such that an airflow path is attached to the exterior surface of the vehicle from the windshield to the side window across the cover, and
• wherein when the cover is in the deflated position, the outer surface of the cover forms both a gutter surface in the second lateral side of the cover and a flow re-attachment surface in the first lateral side of the cover such that:
• the gutter surface is recessed inward of an exterior surface of the windshield and is disposed along the windshield, between the windshield and the flow re-attachment surface in the lateral direction of the vehicle, the gutter surface being configured to separate the airflow path from the exterior surface of the vehicle and collect liquid traveling with the airflow path between the windshield and the side window, and
• the flow re-attachment surface is disposed along the side window, between the gutter surface and the side window along the exterior surface of the vehicle, and the flow re-attachment surface is positioned to receive the airflow path such that the airflow path re-attaches to the exterior surface of the vehicle at the flow re-attachment surface.

A method of operating an A-pillar surface of a vehicle, the method comprising:

• elastically deforming a cover to a deflated position in response to one of a user command and a sensor input indicating liquid on a windshield, the cover being disposed over an A-pillar such that the cover at least partially forms an exterior surface of the vehicle with the windshield and a side window at a location that is interposed between and separates the windshield and the side window in a lateral direction of the vehicle, with a first lateral side of the cover located closer to the side window as compared to the windshield and fixed to the A-pillar and a second lateral side of the cover located closer to the windshield as compared to the side window and fixed to the windshield,
• wherein when the cover is in the deflated position an outer surface of the cover forms both a gutter surface in the second lateral side of the cover that is recessed inward of exterior surface of the windshield and a flow re-attachment surface on the first lateral side of the cover such that:
• the gutter surface separates an airflow path from the exterior surface of the vehicle and collects liquid traveling with the airflow path between the windshield and the side window in the lateral direction of the vehicle, the gutter surface being disposed along the windshield, between the windshield and the flow re-attachment surface in the lateral direction of the vehicle, and
• the flow re-attachment surface is positioned to receive the airflow path such that the airflow path re-attaches to the exterior surface of the vehicle at the flow re-attachment surface, the flow re-attachment surface being disposed along the side window, between the gutter surface and the side window in the lateral direction of the vehicle.