Future Ford SUVs Could Feature A Liftgate With An Airbag

Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a liftgate with an airbag that may be used in future Ford SUVs, Ford Authority has learned.

The patent was filed on March 9^th, 2023, published on July 23^rd, 2024, and assigned serial number 12043197.

The Ford Authority Take

Ford has filed a large number of patents revolving around the concept of adding airbags in places they aren’t currently located in vehicles over the years. This list includes ideas for airbags that would protect occupants laying down in autonomous vehicles, airbags placed between the cargo and passenger areas, airbags for child seats, on the hood, and in the center console, to name just a few. Now, this newly filed patent adds yet another idea to that list – this time, for a liftgate with an airbag that may be used in future Ford SUVs, specifically.

The idea here, as one might imagine, is a fairly simple one – to place a special sort of airbag in the liftgate of an SUV, which in this case would consist of multiple segments. In the event of a crash, the airbag would inflate and basically surround the the heads of rear seat occupants, helping to protect them from injury.

Shaped almost like a wide “U,” this special airbag would wrap around the sides and front of the rear occupants’ heads, which could also help prevent whiplash, it seems. In any event, it’s clear that Ford intends to continue to explore ways to add more and more airbags to its future vehicles in general, which could make them safer to operate – particularly since airbags have helped reduce injuries for quite a few years now.

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