Patent ID: 7108316

Claim:
A reversibly deployable energy absorbing assembly, comprising: a mechanical deployment mechanism comprising: a first element in contact with a flexible covering, wherein the flexible covering includes a surface facing a vehicle interior; a rigid support structure, wherein the first element is translatable relative to the rigid support structure, and wherein the first element is spaced apart from and substantially parallel to the rigid support structure; at least one second element having one end fixedly attached to the first element and an other end fixedly attached to the rigid support structure, wherein the second element is fabricated from a material adapted to release elastic energy along an unbuckling path from a curvilinear shape orientation to a substantially straight shape orientation during expansion, and upon compression, a selected one of a single modal and a multi-modal buckling path from the substantially straight shape orientation to the curvilinear shape orientation; and a releasable locking mechanism in operative communication with the first element and the rigid support structure.