Patent ID: 7883135

Claim:
An energy absorbing device for reducing acceleration resulting from a force of a high energy impact acting on one side of said device in an impact direction, the device comprising a first plate at said one side, a second plate at the other side thereof, both plates being transverse to said impact direction, and an energy absorbing mechanism extending between the plates, wherein said device further comprises a stabilizing mechanism comprising at least one pair of a projecting element and a receiving element, wherein said first plate comprises one of said projecting element and said receiving element of said pair, and wherein said second plate comprises the other one of said projecting element and said receiving element of said pair, wherein the or each said pair is configured for enabling the projecting element thereof to be at least partially received by the corresponding said receiving element in a manner to restrict relative displacement between said first plate and said second plate at least in one direction different from said impact direction and to allow substantially free displacement of said first plate relative to said second plate in said impact direction, wherein for the or each said pair, the respective projecting element is received in the respective receiving element and moves therein in said impact direction, while diminishing the possibility of movement in other directions, wherein said at least one pair of a projecting element and a receiving element comprises a first peripheral wall and a second peripheral wall comprised on said first plate and said second plate, respectively, one of said first or second peripheral wall configured for being at least partially nested within the other one of said first or second peripheral wall in a manner to restrict displacement of said first plate relative to said second plate at least in one direction different from said impact direction and to allow substantially free relative displacement in said impact direction, and wherein at least one of said first peripheral wall and said second peripheral wall comprises at least one through hole.