Patent ID: 7905517

Claim:
A system for increasing occupant protection of an occupant in a motor vehicle during a lateral impact which provides a lateral input of energy against an exterior of a motor vehicle door which is directed toward an interior of the motor vehicle at which the occupant is sitting on a motor vehicle seat adjacent to an interior surface of the motor vehicle door comprising: an assembly including an area of the interior of the motor vehicle which is part of an interior door surface of the motor vehicle door when the assembly is in an initial state, the area in the initial state being received within the interior door surface before the lateral impact is imminent within an opening of the interior door surface of the motor vehicle door, a drive associated with the area for attachment to the interior of the motor vehicle door including a transducer material which is activated by an energy input for moving the area from the initial state within the opening of the interior door surface toward the occupant to an extended state at which the area is at least partially separated from the opening of the interior door surface to lessen space between the occupant and the area and at least one damper associated with the area or the drive for decelerating movement of the occupant toward the door after the drive has moved the area to the extended state; and wherein the area closest to the occupant does not change shape during movement from the initial state toward the extended state before any contact with the occupant.