REVERSIBLY EXPANDABLE ENERGY ABSORBING ASSEMBLY UTILIZING ACTIVELY CONTROLLED AND ENGINEERED MATERIALS FOR IMPACT MANAGEMENT AND METHODS FOR OPERATING THE SAME

摘要

Reversibly expandable energy absorbing assemblies (10) that utilize an actively controlled and engineering material to reversibly change a shear stress or a flexural modulus property. The actively controlled and engineering materials include magnetorheological fluids, electrorheological fluids, magnetorheological elastomers, and electrorheological elastomers. Methods of operating the energy absorbing assemblies are also disclosed.