Patent ID: 6869132

Claim:
A beam system for absorbing energy from an impact to a side of the body of an automotive passenger vehicle, said vehicle body comprising a passenger compartment with a floor, at least one set of upstanding opposing passenger side doors at opposite sides of said floor, and at least one passenger seat affixed to said floor between said doors; an outer tube attached to said vehicle body and having a telescoping inner tube in at least one end of said outer tube, said inner tube having an inner end within said outer tube and an outer end, said inner tube being movable from a retracted position to an extended position with its outer end bearing against said side of said body; a piston assembly attached to said inner end of said inner tube, said piston assembly having an inclined surface for carrying rolling elements for inertial wedging against the inner surface of said outer tube upon an impact on said side of said body driving said inner tube from said extended position into said outer tube; and means within said outer tube for acting on said piston to move said inner tube from said retracted to said extended position.