Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for an inflatable pet harness that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on April 3rd, 2023, published on October 3rd, 2024, and assigned serial number 0324547.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has published multiple patents exploring ways that pet owners may be able to one day better secure their furry friends when taking them places, a list that includes a more evolved kind of pet restraint system, an inflatable pet enclosure, a vehicular pet restraint system, and a new type of dog harness. Now, that list continues to expand with this newly published patent, which outlines and idea for an inflatable pet harness that may be used in future Ford vehicles, too.
Here, Ford proposes using an inflatable harness for pets that has two loops of webbing and an inflatable tether, along with a latch plate. Much like an airbag, if the system detects that an impact with another vehicle or object is imminent, it would inflate the harness to provide a bit of extra cushion for the pet. This way, the pet would face a deceased risk of injury that might otherwise occur with a static harness, according to the patent filing.
This is notable because we’ve seen quite a few patent filings from Ford outlining potential airbags that would be used to protect pets in the event of a crash, as well as all different kinds of harnesses – yet, this is the first one that has somewhat combined those two concepts. Given how many pieces of intellectual property Ford has filed revolving around ways to keep our pets safe in its future vehicles, any one of them could easily wind up coming to fruition – which we imagine will make pet owners that frequently transport those animals pretty happy.
Comments
Thank you for thinking so much about our pets safety as I have a Bassett Hound that would need this protection in my next Maverick.
I am using a pet harness by Four Paws (sold at Amazon) for vehicular travel since 2006. The chest area has padding, and the harness is fixed in place by the seat belt, so the pet cannot move or slide in a panic stop or collision. No air bags needed.