Patent ID: 7810602

Claim:
An energy-absorbing system for a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the energy-absorbing system being adapted to cover an interior surface of a structural component and adapted to provide energy absorption for reducing passenger injury during a vehicle crash where the passenger is thrown against and impacts the interior surface, comprising: an energy-absorbing component shaped to cover at least a portion of the interior surface of the structural component and defining a thickness extending generally perpendicular to the interior surface, the energy-absorbing component having crush box structures constructed to crush along a shorter first crush stroke distance and absorb energy based on a first energy absorbing profile when impacted in a direction generally parallel the thickness; and an activator connected to the crush box structures and constructed to telescopingly expand the crush box structures to an increased thickness to thus crush along a longer second crush stroke distance and absorb energy based on a second energy absorbing profile when a vehicle impact is sensed, the first and second energy absorbing profiles being different shapes and absorbing energy at different rates.