Patent ID: 8141917

Claim:
A bumper system for motor vehicles and the like of the type having a vehicle frame with longitudinal supports, comprising: an energy absorption assembly extending generally perpendicular to the direction of vehicle travel, connected with the longitudinal supports of the vehicle frame by crush boxes and having first and second generally parallel bumper members which support one another along first and second contact surfaces; and wherein said second bumper member is fixedly supported by the vehicle frame, and includes said second contact surface which faces away from the vehicle frame; and said first bumper member is slidingly supported by said second bumper member, and includes said first contact surface which faces toward the vehicle frame and matingly abuts with and is slideably supported on said second contact surface of said second bumper member for selective movement along said first and second contact surfaces relative to said second bumper member, whereby when said bumper system impacts an object, said first bumper member is slidingly and frictionally displaced along said first and second contact surfaces in both a horizontal rearward direction relative to the longitudinal supports of the vehicle frame and in a vertical upward direction relative to said second bumper member to achieve bidirectional energy absorption of the impact.