Patent ID: 8181759

Claim:
A bumper to receive an impact from a vehicle at a loading dock, the bumper comprising: a base to be attached to the loading dock; an impactable plate coupled to the base and being impactable by the vehicle, wherein the impactable plate is moveable between a normally extended position and an intermediate position and is further moveable between the intermediate position and a compressed position, wherein the intermediate position is between the normally extended position and the compressed position; a helical spring interposed between the impactable plate and the base to absorb the impact and to provide a first restorative force; a compressible core interposed between the impactable plate and the base to absorb the impact and to provide a second restorative force, wherein the impactable plate is spaced-apart from the compressible core in the normally extended position, such that the compressible core does not exert a force on the impactable plate, but is in contact with the compressible core in the compressed position; a guide tube coupled to the base to protrude substantially perpendicularly from the base, the helical spring surrounding at least a portion of the guide tube to at least partially position the helical spring relative to the impactable plate; and a guide rod coupled to the impactable plate to protrude substantially perpendicularly from the impactable plate, wherein the guide rod interacts with the guide tube to at least partially guide movement of the impactable plate between the normally extended, intermediate, and compressed positions.