DETROIT – A newly-discovered patent plan from Ford Motor Company could be a game-changer, as it takes away the clutch. Wait? Isn’t that an automatic car? Not exactly. This new Ford idea kills the physical connection between the pedal and the throw-out bearing. Basically, the car’s clutch would engage by an electronic control based on sensor inputs to an algorithm.
Imagine that feature for the S650 Ford Mustang, a Ford Bronco, or something as rad as a Focus ST. Muscle Cars and Trucks Magazine reported on the patent.
Simple Search Revealed Ford’s Little Secret
The magazine reported that the clutch system would have a control module to engage the clutch by letting the driver shift gears by moving the gear stick by itself.
The patent involves the driver grasping the lever and moving by a shift knob sensor that disengages the clutch. Soon after, the clutch would reengage when the vehicle understood the shift was over.
This new system would make the Ford driver’s clutch obsolete.
But for those the “I got to have my clutch” folks, you could still get one. The clutch would connect through the control module instead of a physical hookup to the clutch master cylinder if you got to have it. Think of it like the throttle pedals and how there’s no direct connection to the throttle plate anymore.
Another option would call for an override button on the shifter knob to make the manual clutch work. It could either come in a pedal or a button. Oh, I’d love to see an automatic car-stealing thief figure that out.
The plan would still mean you could dump the clutch. Shoot, the patent spells out a way to touch the gear lever and still feel the clutch pressure. You may be able to slip the clutch by the act of gripping the lever.
The document even states clutch pressure could be sensed by how much pressure is on the gear lever. This design would allow modulation or slipping the clutch as a function of your grip.
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