Patent ID: 6863467

Claim:
A crash cushion system comprising: an array of resilient, self-restoring cylinders each having a substantially vertical longitudinal axis and an outer surface comprising a convex shaped curved portion, wherein said array comprises a plurality of said cylinders, and wherein said array of cylinders has a front, a side and a rear, wherein said side is defined at least in part by said curved portions of at least some of said plurality of said cylinders, wherein said outer surface of corresponding ones of said cylinders each define a perimeter of said corresponding ones of said cylinders; and at least one deflector skin comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein said inner surface has a concave shaped curved contour shaped to mate with and facing said convex shaped curved portion of said outer surface of at least one of said cylinders forming said side of said array, wherein said at least one deflector skin is mounted to said at least one of said cylinders on said outer surface thereof over at least a portion of said curved portion that defines part of said side of said array, and wherein said at least one deflector skin extends around only a portion of said perimeter of said at least one of said cylinders.