Ford nonetheless operating on roof-mounted airbags, information one other patent

Ford has filed a 2nd patent software for roof-mounted airbags geared toward providing added crash coverage to car occupants.

The automaker filed a patent software with the USA Patent and Trademark Administrative center (USPTO) in 2021 (it used to be revealed in overdue 2022) appearing roof-mounted airbags that deploy from a car’s headliner and encompass the occupants. Now a 2nd software has gave the impression appearing a identical thought.

Ford roof-mounted airbag patent symbol (from 2nd software)

Revealed on Jan. 26, 2023, this 2nd patent software specializes in airbags that would duvet the gap between the entrance seats and dashboard. In contrast to the former software, which described elaborate spherical enclosures that will drop down from the headliner and blanket occupants, this model presentations a more practical curtain-like airbag that will deploy in entrance of the motive force and front-seat occupant.

Whilst the applying turns out to concentrate on a front-row use case, it sort of feels like this design might be utilized in the second one and 3rd rows as smartly. Ford even presentations the inner of a three-row car in one of the most accompanying drawings.

Ford roof-mounted airbag patent symbol (from 2nd software)

In contrast to the former model, although, this design turns out much less particularly geared toward self sufficient cars, one thing Ford discussed within the first patent software. That software additionally depicted roof-mounted airbags in a car with inboard-facing seats, one thing we are not seeing right here. Ford has curtailed its autonomous-driving analysis reasonably because the first software used to be revealed, together with finishing funding in Argo AI.

This 2nd software may constitute an try to re-tool the generation for standard cars, then. Ford continues to be operating in this, having additionally filed a patent software for an exterior airbag device that will deploy from in the back of a car’s grille all the way through collisions. It is still observed if any of those novel airbag techniques will succeed in manufacturing, on the other hand.