Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for an overhead rail based HVAC system that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on May 16th, 2023, published on November 21st, 2024, and assigned serial number 0383311.
The Ford Authority
HVAC systems in automobiles have existed for a very long time now. Once seen as a luxury, we’ve just become accustomed to having heat and air conditioning at the push of a button, and those systems have also evolved quite a bit over the years. Ford has filed a few patents recently that aim to continue to do so, presenting us with ideas for things like a roof-mounted HVAC system for EVs, automatically adjusting air vents, and a dedicated HVAC system for third-row passengers. Now, this newly published patent adds another concept to that list – an overhead rail based HVAC system that may be used in future Ford vehicles, too.
As Ford points out in this patent filing, the air vents in automobiles today are generally located in fixed locations throughout a vehicle, but aren’t always able to be adjusted to the point where they deliver desired air flow to occupants. It notes that delivering air from a dynamic location that takes the occupant’s location in a vehicle in consideration would be beneficial in those cases, and that’s precisely what this system aims to do.
This air delivery system would utilize an air duct and a rail that holds a sliding vent, coupled with an array of sensors. Those sensors would be able to determine where a passenger is located inside a vehicle, as well as how far away they are from the vent, and adjust its position and airflow accordingly. Such a system is designed specifically to better heat or cool passengers in the second- or third-row of vehicles, where oftentimes, airflow leaves a lot to be desired, and as such, it could be viable for use in future Ford vehicles.
Comments
Please stop with all the nonsense, Ford. We KNOW you have better things to do.
A system like this between the 2nd and 3rd row seat is good. It is hard for passengers in the 3rd row to get the air from the HVAC. My parents had an air conditioning system that had a similar ceiling unit that hung from the 2nd and 3rd row seats on a 59 Plymouth Sports Suburban station wagon. It kept those in the 3rd seat nice and cool during the heat and humidity of a Houston summer.