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Ford has filed a second patent application for a roof-mounted airbag that aims to offer added crash protection for vehicle occupants.
The automaker filed a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 2021 (issued in late 2022) showing a roof-mounted airbag that exits the vehicle’s headliner and surrounds the passenger. Now a second application has emerged that demonstrates a similar concept.
Ford roof-mounted airbag patent drawing (from second application)
Issued on January 26, 2023, this second patent application focuses on an airbag that can cover the space between the front seats and the dashboard. Unlike the previous application, which depicted an elaborate round cover that would fall over the headliner and cover occupants, this version shows a simpler curtain-like airbag that will deploy in front of the driver and front seat passenger.
While the app seems to be focused on front row use cases, it looks like this design can also be used on the second and third row. Ford even shows the interior of the three-row vehicle in one of the attached images.
Ford roof-mounted airbag patent drawing (from second application)
Unlike the previous version, this design appears to be less aimed specifically at autonomous vehicles, something Ford mentioned in the first patent application. The app also describes a roof-mounted airbag in a vehicle with the seats facing inward, something we don’t see here. Ford has curtailed its autonomous driving research since the first applications were published, including ending investment in Argo AI.
This second application may be an attempt to retool the technology for conventional vehicles. Ford is still working on this, having also filed a patent application for a system of external airbags that would deploy from behind the vehicle’s grille in the event of a crash. However, it remains to be seen whether either of these new airbag systems will reach production.
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