Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2011/09/22/ford_introduces_anti_prang_pop_out_door_shield/

Ford spins pop-out anti-prang door shield

Close to the edge

By Tony Smith

Posted in Science, 22nd September 2011 11:38 GMT

Time was when many car doors were fitted with a rubber doohickey to stop drivers and passengers opening them too rapidly and scratching the paint or denting the car they were parked next to.

The notion fell out of favour in the 1990s, but now Ford has revived it in a slightly more hi-tech form.

Prosaically dubbed the Door Edge Protector, the system features a flip-out rubber strip that pops out automatically only when the door is opened.

Ford Door Edge Protector

Careful, kids

The rest of the time, it's concealed behind the outer edge of the door panel so it doesn't spoil the clean lines of your door.

Ford Door Edge Protector

Out it comes...

Close the door, and the DEP slips back in in under 60 milliseconds - handy for you door-slammers out there. A clutch mechanism prevents damage if the flap is obstructed when the door's being closed, said Ford.

Ford Door Edge Protector

...and in it goes

The DEP will debut on the updated Ford Focus the company will be releasing early next year. The car, in other respects the Focus released this year, will also feature Ford Sync, the firm's new in-car voice-activated control system. ®