Ford's New Inflatable Seatbelts to Launch with Next-Gen Explorer
November 06, 2009
Hoping to mitigate crash-related injuries to a vehicle's rear-seat passengers, Ford Motor Co. 
unveiled what it is calling the auto industry's first seatbelts with integral air bags that inflate in an accident to provide additional protection.
The new rear-seat inflatable seatbelts will be offered for the new-generation Ford Explorer crossover, which begins production next year, said Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president of sustainability, environmental and safety engineering.
Although several automakers and safety-systems suppliers have in recent years shown concepts for inflatable belts, Ford claims it will be the first to use them in a production vehicle.
Ford safety engineers said at a media event to display the new technology that the inflatable belts are ideal for reducing injuries for children, who often are riding in the rear. The inflatable belts spread the impact force over an area five times larger than a conventional seat belt and are completely compatible with any child seat.
Comfy, Too
But although Ford researchers and medical doctors from the nearby University of Michigan say children and seniors are more susceptible to injuries from auto crashes, the new inflatable seatbelts will reduce head, neck and torso injuries for anyone using the belts. After trying them on, the inflatable belts feel more comfortable and plush than standard seatbelts - they practically could be marketed as a luxury upgrade.
In addition, the special anchoring system dictates two retractor reels - one near the base of the seat and the more standard retractor mounted on the body pillar - that combine to make the motion to tug and attach the belt easier and more fluid. The buckle itself is heavier and hollow (the gas to inflate the belt passes through the buckle) and clicks home with a more reassuring - and also a surprisingly more "premium" feel.
Ford said more than 90 percent of those researched to test the inflatable seatbelt said the new belts felt similar to or better than standard seatbelts, a factor that could contribute to higher rates of belt use than the 61 percent of occupants currently using rear-seat belts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lists the usage rate for front seatbelts at markedly higher at 82 percent.
New Tech But Not Costly
The special inflator cartridge for the belts uses cold compressed gas and is located under the seat frame. Most air bags used a heat-generating chemical reaction to produce the inflating gas, but engineers said the cold gas for the new inflating seatbelts mean there's no worry about excess heat from an inflated belt that rests directly against the body.
Cischke said Ford, which first showed a concept inflatable-belt system in 2001, will offer the bags on other models after their launch in conjunction with the new Explorer. She said a vehicle does not have to be all-new to incorporate the inflatable seat belts and they can be retrofitted to existing models, but because of the dual-retractor layout and other design considerations, it is helpful if the vehicle is either new or is being substantially re-engineered.
The belts are triggered by the same crash-force parameters as other onboard airbags. Engineers said any collision that would trigger the seatbelts' pretensioners also will fire the inflatable airbags, said Steve Rouhana, senior technology leader for safety. Once the inflatable seatbelts are activated, the belts have to be replaced, but Cishke said the cost will be minimal.
Cischke would not say how much extra the rear-seat inflatable seatbelts will cost, but said Ford intends to make the price "very affordable, very reasonable for people, particularly families."
She said Ford chose to launch the inflatable belts in conjunction with the new 2011 Explorer - which sheds its truck-based roots in favor of a car-based architecture - because the Explorer is such a family-oriented vehicle. - Bill Visnic, Senior Contributing Editor
Photo by Ford
Inflatable rear seatbelt shows the broader coverage area that helps mitigate upper-body injuries, particularly for children and older adults.
Posted by Michelle Krebs at 4:36 AM under Featured , Ford , Technology | Comments (1) | digg this | Seed Newsvine
During an abrupt hard stop from about 60 mph to avoid a deer in our 2009 Mercury Mariner wABS, it felt like the belt pre-tensioner locked. I did hit the deer apparently at enough of an angle to avoid triggering the airbags. But I am quite sure the seatbelt tightened before striking the deer. The Mariner sustained minor damage-mostly cosmetic. My point is, would sudden deceleration alone in a vehicle equipped with these new belts be enough to "pop" them?
Trubelt lists their 3-point seatbelt at $66.19 incl. hardware kit, so maybe the inflatables will be a modest cost.
Posted by: fulcrumb | November 06, 2009 at 12:33 PM