Ford Patents Roof-Mounted Airbags
Ford has filed a patent application for roof-mounted airbags that would deploy from a vehicle's headliner and surround occupants for added crash protection.
The application was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on April 7, 2021, and published Oct. 13, 2022. It shows ring-like housings mounted above each of the seats, from which airbags would deploy.
"Airbag" doesn't quite describe what Ford is proposing, though. Instead of conventional airbags, the patent application's drawings show ovoid elements that would encircle vehicle occupants, each covered with cylinders that would inflate and provide an impact-absorbing effect similar to conventional airbags.
Ford said this technology was designed to work in passenger and commercial vehicles of different body styles, including sedans, coupes, pickup trucks, SUVs, and minivans. But it will likely be easier to package roof-mounted airbags in an Expedition than a Mustang.
