Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a deployable assist handle, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on May 27th, 2022, published on August 29th, 2023, and assigned serial number 11738677.
The Ford Authority Take
Oddly enough, more than one Ford patent has been filed outlining some sort of idea for a new kind of handle that could be used in future Blue Oval models over the past few months. This list largely pertains to various potential uses for the passenger grab handle located in the current, sixth-generation Ford Bronco – including an advanced handle assembly that can adjust vehicle settings based on that person’s comfort level, a handle assembly with a display built into it, and a handle with a built-in inductive charger.
Now, this newly filed Ford patent keeps that trend going by introducing another idea for a new type of vehicle handle, but this one is quite a bit different than the aforementioned units. In fact, the purpose of this deployable assist handle is arguably more important, as it can be used to help those with physical limitations get in a vehicle.
Most vehicles these days come with an assist handle that’s fixed in place and typically located on the side of the dash or the pillars, but in this case, the proposed handle would be able to identify if a person has physical limitations, take an image of that person and use it to determine how far down the handle should extend, and then reel it out toward them.
It’s a relatively simple idea that could potentially provide useful assistance to a lot of people, particularly those that have a hard time getting in an out of a vehicle – especially taller ones, like trucks and SUVs. Thus, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this new type of handle come to fruition in future Blue Oval 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 ongoing Ford news coverage.
Comment
Nothing new, I have looked into this since the 80s.