Patent ID: 7389860

Claim:
An energy-absorbing device, comprising; a single sheet of material formed into a section having a plurality of crush zones along a longitudinal length thereof; each crush zone comprising: a pair of vertical bends formed in a first side and a second side of the section; a pair of horizontal bends formed in a top and a bottom of the section; and a plurality of notches formed proximate the intersections of the vertical bends and horizontal bends, each notch comprising a cutout formed in a selected one of the first side, second side, top, or bottom, each cutout resulting from a removal of a portion of the selected one of the first side, second side, top, or bottom from an edge of the selected one of the first side, second side, top, or bottom; and the vertical bends projecting in a direction that is one of inward and outward and the horizontal bends projecting in a direction opposite that of the vertical bends.