Vehicle sash door and protector and center channel for the same

A center channel for a vehicle sash door on vehicle, the vehicle sash door including an H-shaped upper-end junction portion, the center channel comprising:

• a middle vertical-wall portion aligned in a lateral direction of the vehicle and inner and outer branch portions connected by the middle vertical wall portion so that the inner and outer branch portions and the middle vertical-wall portion define an H-shaped upper end surface;
• a bracket fixed to the middle vertical-wall portion, the bracket including an engagement hollow portion formed in the bracket to define a notch recessed inward with respect to the vehicle and facing outward with respect to the vehicle and a vertical slide guide formed above and adjacent to the engagement hollow portion;
• and
• a protector engageable between the H-shaped upper-end junction portion and the center channel, the protector having a branch covering portion configured for covering an upper-end surface of the outer branch portion of the center channel, and a hook extending from the branch covering portion to deflect elastically outward with respect to the vehicle while sliding in contact with the vertical slide guide during mounting on the center channel as the center-channel protector is pressed from above onto the center channel to cover the upper end surface of the outer branch portion of the center channel, and returning elastically and fit into the notch defined by the engagement hollow portion when the branch covering portion is mounted on the center channel, the hook defining a fastening mechanism by which the center channel protector is mechanically fastened to the center channel in cooperation with the notch defined by the engagement hollow portion.

A center channel assembly for a vehicle sash door on a vehicle, the center channel assembly comprising:

• a center channel having inner and outer branch portions facing one another in a lateral direction of the vehicle, a middle vertical-wall portion aligned along the lateral direction and connecting the inner and outer branch portions so that the inner and outer branch portions and the middle vertical-wall portion define an H-shaped upper end surface of the center channel;
• a bracket fixed to the middle vertical-wall portion, the bracket including an engagement hollow portion formed in the bracket to define a notch recessed inward with respect to the vehicle and facing outward with respect to the vehicle and a vertical slide guide on the bracket, the vertical slide guide being formed above and adjacent to the engagement hollow portion;
• and
• a protector attached on the center channel at a position between the center channel and a main sash of the vehicle, the protector having a bar-shaped branch covering portion covering an upper-end surface of the outer branch portion of the center channel and a hook extending from the branch covering portion to deflect elastically outward with respect to the vehicle while sliding in contact with the vertical slide guide during mounting on the center channel as the center-channel protector is pressed from above onto the center channel to cover the upper end surface of the outer branch portion of the center channel, and returning elastically and fit into the notch defined by the engagement hollow portion when the branch covering portion is mounted on the center channel, the hook defining a fastening mechanism by which the center channel protector is mechanically fastened to the center channel in cooperation with the notch defined by the engagement hollow portion.