Patent ID: 8182044

Claim:
Energy absorption apparatus for protecting occupants of different body weights from excessive G-force by absorbing energy imparted on a vehicle during an explosion occurring below the vehicle, the energy absorption apparatus comprising: a first mounting member attachable to a vehicle; a second mounting member attachable to a vehicle seat; an absorption mechanism attached between the first and second mounting members, the absorption mechanism comprising at least an attenuation strip provided on one of the mounting members, and anvils provided on the other of the mounting members, and wherein the attenuation strip is woven between the anvils such that when the vehicle is subjected to excessive G-force, the attenuation strip is bent and pulled through the anvils thereby producing a frictional attenuation force which controls movement of the seat relative to the vehicle and wherein an absorption adjustment mechanism is provided, the absorption adjustment mechanism being capable of adjusting the magnitude of attenuation by adjusting the frictional attenuation force created as a result of the action of the attenuation strip being bent and pulled through the anvils, depending upon the weight of the occupant such that a substantially similar length of attenuation strip is bent and pulled through the anvils, for a given G-force, regardless of the weight of the occupant.