Patent ID: 8033574

Claim:
A collapsible steering column assembly for a vehicle, said assembly comprising: a column jacket moveable along a longitudinal axis in response to a collision event; a release module releasably coupled to said column jacket for coupling said column jacket to the vehicle prior to the collision event and releasing said column jacket from the vehicle in response to movement of said column jacket along said longitudinal axis; an energy absorption device coupled to one of said column jacket and said release module and defining a deformation channel and including a strap disposed within said deformation channel with said strap moveable through said deformation channel along a deformation path in response to movement of said column jacket along said longitudinal axis; a pin moveable in an axial direction from an axial position where said pin is not in said deformation channel to another axial position where said pin is disposed in said deformation channel such that said pin contacts said strap to alter said deformation path of said strap through said deformation channel for increasing a resistance force resisting movement of said strap through said deformation channel to increase an amount of energy absorbed; and an actuator for selectively moving said pin in the axial direction; wherein said energy absorption device includes an anvil defining said deformation channel; and wherein said anvil includes a first lobe and a second lobe and a depression disposed between said first lobe and said second lobe.