Patent ID: 8511745

Claim:
A bumper structure, comprising: a bumper; an actuator member coupled to said bumper; and a crash structure integrated within a vehicle side rail, wherein said vehicle side rail extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction, said crash structure comprising: a hollow housing separate from said vehicle side rail and configured to be inserted into said vehicle side rail, wherein a section of said actuator member passes into and is slidably disposed within said hollow housing; and a plurality of deformable members contained within a section of said hollow housing, wherein each of said plurality of deformable members is comprised of a hollow structure with an outer wall of each of said plurality of deformable members being common with said hollow housing, wherein said plurality of deformable members are separate from one another and do not share a common wall with adjacent deformable members, wherein a first portion of said actuator member is at least partially surrounded by said plurality of deformable members, wherein said first portion of said actuator member is of a first diameter, wherein a second portion of said actuator member is of a second diameter larger than said first diameter, wherein said second portion of said actuator member is closer to said bumper than said first portion of said actuator member, and wherein movement of said second portion of said actuator member into said hollow housing outwardly deforms said plurality of deformable members.