Innovate, innovate, and innovate. This is the motto every car manufacturer follows to stay at the top of the industry. We're currently immersed in electrification , but it's not the only area where the brands' engineering teams are working. Autonomous driving and new active driving aids are vitally important, but there are also more "mundane" innovations. The latest one might seem trivial, but it's not...
Do you love off-roading and enjoy driving in the countryside? If so, you might have a recurring fear: scraping the undercarriage of your car and wrecking it. To avoid this unpleasant situation, there are countless solutions, such as metal skid plates. These types of off-road accessories may or may not be from car manufacturers, but they are also involved. Proof of this lies in the patent that Ford has registered , which you'll definitely want on your SUV.
Ford could offer this retractable exhaust tail in its all-terrain and pick-up's...
Has it ever happened to you that when going uphill you've hit the exhaust pipe on the ground ? Okay, maybe a scratch isn't a huge loss, but it definitely hurts. And if it had a chrome finish or some other material, it loses all its appeal. Well, Ford has decided to solve this problem by patenting a retractable exhaust outlet that, when driving off-road, can "hide away from scrapes . "
The patent application was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and its title is quite clear: " Retractable Tailpipe for Vehicle Exhaust Systems ." Looking at the submitted image, we can partially see the electromechanical mechanism that operates it. Essentially, it consists of guides actuated by a series of gears concealed within the inner housing.
However, this is a patent that may or may not see the light of day in production models . If we delve into the documents, we see that the application dates back to 2020 but was archived and hasn't been revived until now. We don't know Ford's intentions for it, but perhaps they're about to introduce it in one of their numerous pickup trucks or off-road vehicles. We'll keep an eye on it, because even if it's something simple, it could find its audience…
Source – United States Patent and Trademark Office – USPTO – United States Patent Application 20210310400