Energy absorbers and posts including energy absorbers

A post system for use in fall protection, comprising:

• an extending post member;
• a first end member in operative connection with a first end portion of the extending post member;
• a second end member in operative connection with a second end portion of the extending post member;
• a first connector in operative connection with the first end member to connect the first end member to a structure;
• a second connector in operative connection with the second end member to connect a lifeline system to the second connector;
• and
• an energy absorber in operative connection between the first end member and the second end member, the energy absorber comprising a monolithic length of a ductile material, the monolithic length of the ductile material forming a body, the body comprising a first end and a second end, the body defining a first connector passage in the first end and a second connector passage in the second end, the body comprising, in a first configuration, one or more longitudinally extending sections being deformed out of a plane running through the first end and the second end, a first discontinuous section extending longitudinally from the first end toward the second end and being deflected relative to the first end with a distal end portion of the first discontinuous section extending out to the plane in a first direction, and a second discontinuous section extending longitudinally from the second end toward the first end and being deflected relative to the second end with a distal end portion of the second discontinuous section extending out of the plane in a second direction opposite the first direction, a portion of the first discontinuous section abutting a portion of the second discontinuous section, the first discontinuous section and the second discontinuous section being breakably coupled such that the first and second discontinuous sections are configured to be decoupled in response to an applied force satisfying a threshold force,
• wherein, in an instance in which the applied force satisfies the threshold force, the body is configured to absorb at least some of the applied force by transitioning from the first configuration to a second configuration in which the one or more longitudinally extending sections and the first and second discontinuous sections are substantially in line with the plane extending through the first end and the second end of the body, and the extending post member is configured to tilt relative to the first end member.

A method of forming an energy absorber, the energy absorber having a monolithic length of a ductile material, the monolithic length of the ductile material forming a body, the body comprising a first end and a second end, the method comprising:

• forming the body, the body comprising one or more longitudinally extending sections extending continuously between the first end and the second end, a first discontinuous section extending longitudinally from the first end toward the second end, and a second discontinuous section extending longitudinally from the second end toward the first end;
• deforming the one or more longitudinally extending sections out of a plane running through the first end and the second end such that the first discontinuous section is deflected relative to the first end with a distal end portion of the first discontinuous section extending out of the plane, the second discontinuous section is deflected relative to the second end with a distal end portion of the second discontinuous section extending out of the plane, and at least a portion of the first discontinuous section abuts at least a portion of the second discontinuous section;
• and
• connecting the first discontinuous section and the second discontinuous section using a shear pin, such that the energy absorber is configured, upon experiencing an applied force satisfying a threshold force between the first end and the second end, to disconnect the second discontinuous section from the first discontinuous section by shearing the shear pin such that the one or more longitudinally extending sections are thereafter free to deform under the applied force to absorb energy by moving the first end of the body away from the second end of the body as the one or more longitudinally extending sections are displaced toward the plane and the second discontinuous section is space apart from the first discontinuous section and becomes substantially coplanar with at least one of the first end and the second end.