Mercedes-Benz Patents External Pedestrian Airbags

Mercedes-Benz A Pillar Airbag Patent

These new airbags will essentially be fitted with sensors to detect a collision and then will be deployed from the edge of the windshield and from the inside edges of the bonnet. The airbags themselves will be fitted inside a fabric tube which will not be visible when the car is being used normally as there will be small plastic covers on them. The design of the airbags will let them adjust automatically with the hood as it rises. The airbags will also prevent pedestrians from banging into the windscreen or the side panels/metal surrounds of the windscreen and rather into the softer airbag structure, which will immediately reduce the risk of injury to a certain degree.

This external airbag design patent was originally filed by Mercedes-Benz with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in July 2015 but the official publishing for the same was a few days ago on August 3, 2017. Porsche too is said to have developed a similar external airbag patent especially for its convertible cars that help both the passengers of the car and the individual hit by the car.

Patent Image Source: Motor1.com