Patent ID: 7374231

Claim:
A force and deceleration delimiting device for a vehicle, the device comprising: an open celled material expandable from a non-expanded state to an expanded state, wherein the open celled material is sandwiched between a first end cap member and a second end cap member; a support surface cooperatively positioned with the open celled material to cover a surface of the open celled material in the expanded and the non-expanded states; an activation mechanism adapted to regulate selective expansion of the open celled material from the non-expanded state to the expanded state in response to a triggering event; a protection shield cooperatively positioned with the open celled material to cover a surface of the open celled material in the expanded and non-expanded states; said protection shield being characterized by a compact shape when the open celled material is in the non-expanded state; said protection shield being characterized by a coiled or folded configuration in said compact shape; wherein the activation mechanism comprises: a compression spring in biased communication with the first end cap member and the second end cap member when the open celled material is in the non-expanded state; an opening in the first end cap member corresponding to a first shape; a disk rotatably engaged with the opening of the first end cap member, wherein the disk is lockingly engaged with the first end cap member in the non-expanded state and is coaxially aligned with the opening in the expanded state; and a trigger in operative communication with the disk adapted to effect rotation of the disk in response to the triggering event.