Energy absorption unit for seat belts and the like

Claim 1

AN ENERGY ABSORPTION DEVICE COMPRISING A GENERALLY FLAT, RELATIVELY THIN, MALLEABLE METAL BODY HAVING OPPOSITE SIDE FACES, A RELATIVELY NARROW EDGE, AND SEPARATE PREFORMED FLANGES ALONG SAID EDGE TERMINATING IN EDGE FACES, RESPECTIVELY, AND DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A PREFORMED GROOVE EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID SIDE FACES, THE LENGTH OF SAID GROOVE BEING MANY TIMES THE MAXIMUM THICKNESS OF SAID FLANGES, A CABLE FITTED IN SAID GROOVE WITH ONE END OF THE CABLE EXTENDING BEYOND THE BODY, MEANS SECURING THE OTHER END OF THE CABLE TO SAID BODY, MEANS SAID FLANGES BEING BENT INWARDLY TOWARD ONE ANOTHER TO PLACE SAID EDGE FACES THEREOF IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OVER SAID CABLE AND THEREBY CONFINE THE LATTER IN SAID GROOVE, WHEREBY WHEN OPPOSING FORCES ARE EXERTED ON SAID ONE END OF SAID CABLE AND ON SAID BODY IN DIRECTIONS TO PULL SAID CABLE FROM SAID GROOVE, SAID FLANGES ARE PROGRESSIVELY SPREAD AND THUS DEFORMED BY THE CABLE, THEREBY ABSORBING ENERGY.