Ford in UK Brings Help to Prevent Dents

The feature, called Door Edge Protector, will debut in early 2012 on the Ford Focus. The system – designed by Ford engineers in Cologne, Germany – works automatically when the door is opened. A protective flap concealed in the door moves into position in a fraction of a second as the door opens providing a buffer that prevents damage to paint and body work.

“The Door Edge Protector will be one of those features that we think will make customers say ‘Why didn’t someone think of this sooner?’” said Matthias Tensing, product development system engineer. “It will help parents with children in the backseat or anyone who needs to park in a tight spot.”

Ford’s Door Edge Protector helps prevent damage for these car owners by fully extending into its protective position at a door opening gap of less than 15cm. The feature defends against more than 90 per cent of variously positioned obstructions to the front doors and 85 per cent at the rear doors.

Offering maximum protection with minimal impact on weight and without affecting existing mechanisms or side impact performance, the Door Edge Protector retracts in just 60 milliseconds to allow for doors being slammed shut and includes a clutch mechanism that prevents damage if the flap is obstructed when returning. A special rubber compound is used that can withstand thousands of usage cycles and creates a minimum of noise as it springs into position. The protective flap is quickly and easily replaced by heavy users, with the unit simply clipping into place.

Credits: wilswong