Article published November 06, 2009
2011 Ford Explorer to offer air bags in its rear seat belts
Edward DeSmet, left, and Srini Sundararajan adjust crash-test dummies at Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Mich. Ford says its seat belts with air bags are the industry's first to be mass produced.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT - Air bags long have been mounted in the steering wheel, dashboard, and sides of vehicles. Now, they're in the seat belts.
Ford Motor Co. plans to introduce seat belt-mounted air bags in the back seat of the 2011 Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle, which will hit the market next fall. Ford says it's the first automaker to mass produce the technology.
The belts have a cylindrical air bag that stretches from the buckle to the shoulder and fits inside a pocket sewn into the belt. If the bag is needed, a signal releases the bag. It inflates more gently and with cooler air than a front air bag, so it's safer for children.
Srini Sundararajan, the Ford engineer chiefly responsible for developing the seat belts, said the wider belts and bags help distribute crash forces across the occupant's chest, so there's less chance of a serious injury. They also help support the occupant's head and neck.
"The top two lifesaving devices today are the seat belt and the air bag. This combines them into one great feature," he said.
Ford has been working on the technology for a decade and had to overcome numerous challenges bringing it to market.For example, front air bags are powered by a pyrotechnic device that generates hot gas. They deploy quickly because they need to cover a greater distance before they reach the driver or passenger. Seat belt air bags don't have that distance to cover, so they can deploy more gently, although the engineer said they're still fully deployed in a tenth of a second. They also use cold gas technology.
Ford introduced a back-seat air bag concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 2001, but the inflator was in the trunk and it rattled around too much, bothering drivers, Mr. Sundararajan said.
Ford did a significant amount of testing to make sure the bags would protect children, even if they're sleeping and their heads are drooping. The belt also works with booster seats.
Sue Cischke, Ford's group vice president for sustainability, environmental, and safety engineering, wouldn't say how much the belts with air bags will cost, but because she said the technology is expensive, they will be available as an option at first.
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