Toyota Files Patent For Latest Airbag Innovation In The US

Previously, Toyota had developed the Toyota SRS Airbag in recent years. (Doc. Auto2000)

JAKARTA-Honda engineers have just received an award for the innovation design of Honda's latest airbag and it seems that the development of airbag designs has also continued to be carried out by all car manufacturers.

Recently, Toyota filed a patent for their latest airbag design at the US Patent Office and Trademark as quoted from CarBuzz, Tuesday, April 4. Toyota's new airbag design will not only protect the heads of motorists or passengers from injuries but will also protect and support the neck and shoulders when a collision occurs.

This airbag has a unique design because it uses two parts installed on either side of the car cabin, right above the front window. When the car crashes, the airbag opens and expands quickly to form a "head lock" that will hold the driver's and passenger's head tightly.

Toyota believes that this new technology will help reduce the risk of head and neck injuries in frequent traffic accidents. In testing, the airbag "headlock-style" is shown to be very effective in minimizing head and neck movements during collisions, which can ultimately reduce the risk of serious and fatal injuries.

However, there are some concerns about the effectiveness of this new airbag in an accident situation involving more than two passengers. In addition, the cost of producing this new airbag may be more expensive than the current conventional airbag model.

When compared to other airbag innovations, such as Hyundai airbags, the safety score from this design is higher.

According to the patent filing, the new airbag is designed to work together with the front airbags, side by side, so it will perform additional safety functions instead of replacing the currently available airbags.

Well, as production costs are quite expensive, it is estimated that Toyota's newest airbag will debut in high-end models, such as the future Lexus LS, and after that it will continue to another more affordable Toyota car model.