Possible new integrated airbag roll-cage system for Defender

[landy]

Is, or should we say was, Land Rover and Ford working on an all-new airbag system for open top Defenders? According to a patent issued less than a year ago by Ford Global Technologies LLC, an innovative airbag system that’s integrated into an open top vehicle's roll-cage was explained in great detail. A couple of times in the patent's wording the roll-cage is described as a system application for such vehicles as "tractors and recreation vehicles such as those manufactured by Land Rover" and the vehicle in the schematic looks strikingly similar to an open top Land Rover Defender.

Land Rover is now owned by Tata Group but that doesn't necessarily mean Ford and Land Rover have severed ties completely. It will be interesting to see if this sort of technology will be integrated into the current Defender to meet new European regulations that are due in the next five years and possibly to meet strict U.S. safety requirements too. Or perhaps this airbag system is intended for an all-new Defender. As usually we will just have to wait and see.

To view the full patent description and schematics jump through the
http://www.google.com/patents?id=PgWAAA ... %22+airbag

Source: Google Patent Search via D-90.com
http://rovering.squarespace.com/journal ... m-for.html

Photo: Land Rover