Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for an active air dam notification system that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on October 23rd, 2020, published on May 16th, 2023, and assigned serial number 11651629.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has filed quite a few patents in recent months that aim to use sensors for all sorts of things, including one for a vehicle damage identification system, a changed driving conditions detection system, a vehicle defect detection system, and a harmful gas detection system in vehicles. Now, this newly filed patent introduces an idea for an active air dam notification system that may be used in future Ford vehicles.
The Blue Oval has utilized active aero in a number of vehicles over the years, including the new-for-2021 current-gen Ford F-150, which features active grille shutters and an automatically deploying active air dam to reduce drag and improve fuel consumption. The idea behind this patent, however, is to create an alert for users letting them know that the air dam is transitioning from a lowered position to a raised position, or vice versa.
This alert could come in the form of a visual or audible warning, in the instrument cluster, infotainment screen, or any number of notification methods. In some cases, this transition is notable based on the type of terrain that one is encountering, the need to turn, or to drive over rough terrain.
As such, the user may need to be notified that the air dam is transitioning, as that particular unit sits higher vertically when it’s in the first position as opposed to the second position – which could cause a potential issue with ground clearance. As such, the driver would be warned before tackling tough terrain and possibly damaging the air dam before it can move out of the way, which makes it a pretty simple yet potentially useful feature for future Ford vehicles.
We’ll have more on this and all Ford patents soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford patent news, Ford business news, and continuous Ford news coverage.
Comments
Hmmmm…..sounds a patent for job justification. Grill shutters should always be active and work. What is the driver supposed to do if the readout says “grill shutters at 40%”? The driver can’t change it. Calibration should be seamless and account for it. Unbelievable what people get patents for now….
Ford needs to make reliable vehicles again and forget the gadgetry!!
Good job