Patent ID: 6942250

Claim:
An energy absorber for use with a motor vehicle steering column of a motor vehicle, the steering column having a tubular mast jacket, the tubular mast jacket having an upper end and a lower end, the mast jacket being centered along a longitudinal center line, the mast jacket further having a top line parallel to the center line and located at a top of the mast jacket, comprising: a sleeve having a first end and a second end and forming a sleeve bore for receiving the lower end of the mast jacket; a lower mounting bracket mounted on a body structure of the motor vehicle, the lower mounting bracket defining a lower mounted bracket bore for receiving the second end of the sleeve; a convex anvil located at the second end of the sleeve, the convex anvil being generally centered along the top line; a generally J-shaped strap having first and second legs and a concave web therebetween and being generally centered along the top line, the concave web bearing against the convex anvil, the first leg being coupled to the lower mounting bracket, linear translation of the mast jacket relative to the lower mounting bracket in the direction of the centerline of the mast jacket in response to an impact on the steering column being operative to effect relative sliding of the strap across the convex anvil to plastically deform the strap and convert into work a fraction of the kinetic energy of the impact on the steering column.