Energy absorbing device

Claim 1

AN ENERGY ABSORBING AND INERTIA LOAD DISSIPATING SYSTEM FOR ABSORBING THE KINETIC ENERGY OF DYNAMIC LOADS AND CONCURRENTLY DISSIPATING PEAK INITIAL ACCELERATION LOADS COMPRISING ELONGATED BENDABLE METAL STRIP MEANS HAVING A FIRST END PORTION FORMED INTO A FIRST COIL AND A SECOND END PORTION FORMED INTO A SECOND SHORTER COIL, A METAL BENDER ENERGY ABSORBER SUBASSEMBLY INCLUDING FIRST CONTAINER MEANS FOR STORING SAID FIRST COIL HAVING AN EXIT PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH SAID STRIP MEANS MAY BE EXTRACTED AND DEFORMING MEANS ALONG SAID PASSAGE TO ENGAGE THE STRIP MEANS AS IT PASSES FROM SAID FIRST CONTAINER RESPONSIVE TO EXTRACTING FORCES THEREON TO PROGRESSIVELY AND SUCCESSIVELY BEND INCREMENTS THEREOF BEYOND THEIR ELASTIC LIMIT, AND A LOAD LIMITER SUBASSEMBLY FOR DISSIPATING ENERGY OF PEAK INITIAL, ACCELERATION LOADS ON SAID STRIP MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND CONTAINER FOR STORING SAID SECOND COIL HAVING MEANS THEREIN TO RESIST EXTRACTION OF SAID STRIP MEANS THEREFROM WITH A PREDETERMINED RESTRAINING FORCE IN EXCESS OF THAT FORCE REQUIRED TO EXTRACT SAID STRIP MEANS FROM SAID FIRST CONTAINER.