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Ford offers patented inflatable safety belt technology

Dubai, June 11, 2014

Ford Motor Company has offered its patented inflatable safety belt technology to other companies and industries, including competitive automotive manufacturers. 
 
The technology is potentially applicable to other forms of seated-passenger transportation, including military use and airborne passengers travelling by helicopter or airplane, and even for water level, said a statement.
 
Bill Coughlin, president and CEO, Ford Global Technologies, said: "Ford’s longstanding commitment to democratising technology goes beyond our customers.
 
“In this case, the wider adoption of inflatable safety belts has the potential to make travel safer and help mitigate passenger injuries – especially among children and the elderly.”
 
Inflatable safety belts operate like conventional safety belts in everyday use, but they deploy over a vehicle occupant’s torso and shoulder to help distribute crash forces up to five times more area than a traditional safety belt in a crash, said the statement. Spreading the pressure over a larger area helps reduce pressure on the passenger’s chest, and helps control head and neck motion.
 
The inflatable safety belt is currently available on Ford Explorer, Flex, Fusion and the upcoming 2015 F-150, as well as Lincoln MKT and MKZ for outboard second-row seating positions.
 
Other patented technologies available for license from Ford include Roll Stability Control, Surveillance mode technology for Ford Police Interceptor, Belt-Minder system and driver alert warning system. These and other technologies are available through Ford’s corporate Technology Licensing Portal.
 
Ford has also purchased additional inflatable safety belt patents from United Technologies Corp to help ensure that this technology could be broadly licensed. The effort was made easier with the help of AutoHarvest Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to accelerating the adoption of new technologies by providing unprecedented access to innovators and businesses.  
 
Ford is a member of the AutoHarvest Innovation Advisory Council along with other leaders in the automotive industry, government and academic research. - TradeArabia News Service



Tags: Ford | Safety | technology |

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