Patent ID: 8141918

Claim:
A pedestrian vehicle bumper system for attaching to an existing vehicle, the existing vehicle including an existing bumper and an existing frame structure, comprising: an attachment bumper structure having a length extending along a longitudinal axis of the attachment bumper structure, a height extending substantially normal to the length and between a top portion of the attachment bumper structure and a bottom portion of the attachment bumper structure, and a depth extending substantially normal to both the length and the height and between an inner portion of the attachment bumper structure and an outer portion of the attachment bumper structure; and attachment structure located adjacent the inner portion of the attachment bumper structure and configured to connect to at least one of the existing bumper and the existing frame structure of the existing vehicle, wherein, the attachment bumper structure is comprised of a material having sufficient rigidity such that a frontal crash mode of the vehicle is substantially the same when the attachment bumper structure is attached to the vehicle as compared to when the attachment bumper structure is not attached to the vehicle, the existing bumper has an existing length extending along an existing longitudinal axis of the existing bumper, and the length of the attachment bumper structure is substantially the same as the existing length of the existing bumper, and the existing bumper has an existing height that is normal to the existing length, and extends between an existing top portion and an existing bottom portion of the existing bumper, and the attachment bumper structure is located in front of the existing bumper and also extends a substantial distance from the existing bottom portion of the existing bumper when attached to the existing bumper such that a contact area for the bumper system relative to a pedestrian is lowered by the attachment of the attachment bumper structure to the existing bumper, wherein the attachment structure extends underneath the existing bumper such that the attachment bumper structure extends a substantial distance below the existing bottom portion of the existing bumper when attached to the existing bumper such that the contact area for the bumper system relative to the pedestrian is lowered.