Ford readies inflatable seatbelts
Ford will begin rolling out inflatable rear seatbelts in its vehicles in 2010, which are claimed to provide higher levels of crash protection for passengersThe advent of airbags in cars in the 1970s was widely recognised to be one of the most important automotive safety systems since the seatbelt.
And now Ford has combined the two, in the form of what the Blue Oval claims is the world's first inflatable seat belt.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class ESF safety car concept previewed seatbelt airbags in June 2009, but Ford has been developing the systems for several years.
Ford has plans to offer the safety innovation in its 2010 Ford Explorer models in the US, where the inflatable seat belts will be offered for rear seat passengers. The thinking goes that front seat passengers already have a plethora of airbags, so that any effect inflatable airbags could deliver would be negated by conventional front airbags.
The Detroit-based automaker has indicated that inflatable airbags would be offered across its global line-up into the future, which could include the Australian-made Falcon.
"Ford's rear inflatable seat belt technology will enhance safety for rear-seat passengers of all ages, especially for young children who are more vulnerable in crashes," said Sue Cischke, Ford's group vice president of Sustainability, Environmental and Safety Engineering.
"This is another unique family technology that builds on our safety leadership, including the most top safety ratings of any automaker."
The seatbelts are activated in the event of a frontal or side collision and take just 40 milliseconds to fully inflate, using cold compressed gas that travels through a specially designed buckle from a gas cylinder below the seat. Most airbag systems today use a chemical reaction to inflate the bladder.
Ford says that the inflatable belt's "accordion-folded bag breaks through the belt fabric as it fills with air, expanding sideways across the occupant's body" and will cover around five times more surface area than a standard seatbelt, to better dissipate crash forces.
"It's a very simple and logical system, but it required extensive trial and error and testing over several years to prove out the technology and ensure precise reliable performance in a crash situation," explained Srini Sundararajan, the safety technical leader for Ford research and advance engineering.
Lexus also plans to offer inflatable seatbelts in its LFA supercar in 2010, so it remains to be seen if Ford or Lexus will be the first to market with the technology.
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