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Ford Has A Crazy Idea For The Seatbelt

Dec. 12, 2018 7:00 AM ET by John Tallodi / 6 Comments The Blue Oval has found another solution to keep you warm in the winter. Only a few days ago we covered Ford's SUV load bay conveyor belt patent. After such a flash of genius, one might assume that the boffins at their research and development center would take a well-deserved break. Well, they would be wrong because Ford has now filed another electrifying idea with the US Patent and Trademark Office, this time it involves the heating of seatbelts. How this idea got this far down the line is open to debate, perhaps someone high up in the command chain demanded that his Ford GT be fitted with a device that would keep a slim section of his chest and lap warm. Whatever the reason, the patent goes into some detail (over 30-pages of it) on exactly how the humble seat belt would be modified into a fancy heated item. To save you the agonizing read the basic idea is that electric heating elements would be weaved into the seat belt webbing which would receive an electric current once the occupant buckled up. Now there may be some merit in this system, but being wrapped up in electricity should you be involved in an accident just doesn't seem like a very good idea. They also don't mention what would happen if the seat belt frayed over time or if you were to accidentally spill some liquid on it while strapped in. Clearly, Ford leaves no rock unturned in their quest to cover every conceivable automotive development that may or may not exist with a patent. This particular one may never make it into production but the technology behind it may pop up elsewhere. After all, there are cars out there with heated seats, steering wheels, armrests and even heated gear knobs. Wouldn't it be great though if Ford built one prototype model that showcased every patent they have filed over the past few years? We are pretty sure everybody would want to see a Ford F-150 with a circular cabin featuring inward facing seats, conveyor belt load bay, deployable motorcycle from within the cabin as well as a rear wheel that can transform into an electric unicycle? That heated seat belt idea actually seems pretty tame now that we think of it.

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