Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for front bumper mounted airbags that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on July 27th, 2023, published on January 30th, 2025, and assigned serial number 0033593.
The Ford Authority Take
As vehicle-on-pedestrian injuries and deaths continue to rise, many countries around the world have sought to improve safety in that area – along with automakers. Many companies have begun coming up with ways to soften the impact of vehicles if they do come into contact with pedestrians, whether that be via a specially designed bumper or hood. Ford has filed a number of patents outlining potential ways to do precisely that, including ideas for an underhood airbag, a bumper assembly with an integrated airbag, and resettable energy absorbing bumpers. Now, this newly published patent gives us another idea for front bumper mounted airbags that may be used in future Ford vehicles, too.
In the case of this new patent, the front bumper of a vehicle wouldn’t just contain one big airbag, but rather, a number of smaller units placed along the length of that part. In the event of an accident, inflators would deploy the airbags not only outward, but also upward, specifically to provide protection for the legs of pedestrians that it might come into contact with. Given the fact that many governments around the globe are increasingly requiring additional pedestrian protection safety measures in new vehicles, such a concept makes a lot of sense, and may one day come to fruition – in this manner, or perhaps something totally different.
“Submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property,” Ford said in a statement. “The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans. No matter what the patent application outlines, we will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services.”
Comments
WHY DON’T F O R D FILE FOR A “QUALITY CONTROL” PATENT??? THAT WOULD BE JOB “1” AT THIS POINT!!!!
Instead of airbags, why not an airchair so the pedestrian will fall sitting in the chair and suffer no injuries?
Just what we need.
Another unnecessary safety device to make unaffordable vehicles even more expensive.
Ford should be focused on bulletproof quality and reducing costs. Period.
Amazing the amount of time and money this company spends on nonsense. And avoids the real issues.