Patent ID: 7775583

Claim:
A method for absorbing an impact energy of an object in a vehicle environment, comprising: sensing an impact event; triggering a force and deceleration delimiting device, wherein the force and deceleration delimiting device comprises an open celled material expandable from a non-expanded state to an expanded state, a support surface cooperatively positioned with the open celled material to cover a surface of the open celled material in the expanded and the non-expanded states; and expanding the open celled material to the expanded state, wherein triggering the force and deceleration delimiting device comprises activating an activation mechanism, wherein the activation mechanism comprises a compression spring in biased communication with first and second end cap members when the open celled material is in the non-expanded state; an opening in the first end cap member corresponding to a first shape; and a disk rotatably engaged with the opening of the first end cap member, wherein the disk is lockingly engaged with the first end cap member in the non-expanded state and is coaxially aligned with the opening in the expanded state; and a trigger in operative communication with the disk adapted to effect rotation of the disk.