Patent ID: 7922202

Claim:
An energy-absorbing apparatus for occupant protection in vehicles, the energy-absorbing apparatus comprising: a flow zone having a sheathing formed of a magnetically conductive material; a receptacle containing a magnetorheological fluid being pressed through said flow zone in an event of an impact; a device for generating a variable magnetic field having a core being wound around by a coil, the variable magnetic field acting on the magnetorheological fluid for regulating flow properties, said coil together with said core being disposed in said flow zone, said coil having an axis lying perpendicularly to a direction of flow of the magnetorheological fluid; said flow zone being subdivided into at least two flow routes by said core surrounded by said coil; and partitions having planar polar faces, each of said flow routes being subdivided by at least one of said partitions defining subdivided flow routes.