Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/USPTO
I’ve never been a fan of taking a nap in a car, let alone lying flat on the back seat when the vehicle is parked on the side of the road. This doesn’t mean I didn’t do it. I did, but sleeping in a car is neither comfortable nor safe.
Ford wants to help deal with the latter part, as the carmaker has designed a cocoon airbag specifically to protect a sleeping occupant.
The company says its technology could work specifically when the passenger lies flat in the vehicle, admitting that the existing implementations don’t work in such a scenario. Most people sleep in the car in the standard travel position with a seatbelt on, and while this provides some sort of protection, it’s still not as advanced as Ford’s idea. Or at least, that’s what the carmaker claims.
If you park the car to take a quick nap, Ford’s system kicks in to protect you just like a typical airbag. The airbag cushion can be deployed even when the engine is turned off.
If you lie flat on the backseat, Ford says its airbag cushion can protect you from head to toe. It’s essentially an airbag that hugs you in case of a crash, regardless of the type of collision. The system can work for side, front, and rear collisions.
The patent, which covers a “cocoon airbag to protect a sleeping occupant," includes mostly technical details about how the technology would work when implemented into a production model. However, the drawings, also embedded in the gallery below, are rather straightforward and perfectly demonstrate how the airbag would deploy in case of an accident.
Ford explains that the cocoon airbag would deploy with a 360-degree circumferential coverage, essentially keeping the passenger in the middle of the cushion. This way, the vehicle occupant would also be protected from later impacts, especially if the initial impact is violent. The airbag remains active following the first crash, holding the occupant firmly inside.
The patent also describes energy-absorbing elements to reduce the forces acting on the occupant. As such, the cocoon airbag helps prevent the passenger from exiting the cushion due to the impact and offers additional protection to reduce the likelihood of injuries.
Needless to say, given its design, such an airbag would comprise multiple elements deploying at the same time to provide 360-degree circumferential coverage. As such, it would be integrated not only into the seats but also into doors to offer all-around protection.
For now, Ford’s idea is still in the patent stage, but given the investments in safety, it could make its way to production models sooner rather than later. In the meantime, if you want to sleep in a car, just make sure you park as far as possible from traffic.
The company says its technology could work specifically when the passenger lies flat in the vehicle, admitting that the existing implementations don’t work in such a scenario. Most people sleep in the car in the standard travel position with a seatbelt on, and while this provides some sort of protection, it’s still not as advanced as Ford’s idea. Or at least, that’s what the carmaker claims.
If you park the car to take a quick nap, Ford’s system kicks in to protect you just like a typical airbag. The airbag cushion can be deployed even when the engine is turned off.
If you lie flat on the backseat, Ford says its airbag cushion can protect you from head to toe. It’s essentially an airbag that hugs you in case of a crash, regardless of the type of collision. The system can work for side, front, and rear collisions.
The patent, which covers a “cocoon airbag to protect a sleeping occupant," includes mostly technical details about how the technology would work when implemented into a production model. However, the drawings, also embedded in the gallery below, are rather straightforward and perfectly demonstrate how the airbag would deploy in case of an accident.
Ford explains that the cocoon airbag would deploy with a 360-degree circumferential coverage, essentially keeping the passenger in the middle of the cushion. This way, the vehicle occupant would also be protected from later impacts, especially if the initial impact is violent. The airbag remains active following the first crash, holding the occupant firmly inside.
The patent also describes energy-absorbing elements to reduce the forces acting on the occupant. As such, the cocoon airbag helps prevent the passenger from exiting the cushion due to the impact and offers additional protection to reduce the likelihood of injuries.
Needless to say, given its design, such an airbag would comprise multiple elements deploying at the same time to provide 360-degree circumferential coverage. As such, it would be integrated not only into the seats but also into doors to offer all-around protection.
For now, Ford’s idea is still in the patent stage, but given the investments in safety, it could make its way to production models sooner rather than later. In the meantime, if you want to sleep in a car, just make sure you park as far as possible from traffic.
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