Ford patents roof-mounted airbags

Ford has filed a patent software for roof-mounted airbags that will deploy from a car’s headliner and encompass occupants for added crash safety.

The applying was filed with the US Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) on April 7, 2021, and revealed Oct. 13, 2022. It exhibits ring-like housings mounted above every of the seats, from which airbags would deploy.

“Airbag” would not fairly describe what Ford is proposing, although. As a substitute of typical airbags, the patent software’s drawings present ovoid components that will encircle car occupants, every coated with cylinders that will inflate and supply an impact-absorbing impact much like typical airbags.

Ford mentioned this know-how was designed to work in passenger and business automobiles of various physique types, together with sedans, coupes, pickup vehicles, SUVs, and minivans. However it’ll doubtless be simpler to bundle roof-mounted airbags in an Expedition than a Mustang.

The Blue Oval additionally mentioned these airbags have been designed with autonomous automobiles in thoughts. Among the drawings even present two rows of seats dealing with one another—a structure that appears to trace at a self-driving automotive. It is value noting that, shortly after this patent software was revealed, Ford and the Volkswagen Group pulled funding from autonomous-driving tech startup Argo AI, forcing it to close down.

Ford’s curiosity in self-driving vehicles is likely to be wavering, however the automaker is constant to experiment with new security tech for typical vehicles. Ford additionally not too long ago filed a patent software for an exterior airbag system that will deploy from behind a car’s grille throughout collisions. However a patent software would not routinely translate to manufacturing plans, so it is unclear if we’ll see both of those novel airbag programs on automobiles offered to clients.