Patent ID: 7399014

Claim:
A bumper system for mounting to a frame assembly of a motor vehicle, said bumper system comprising: a bumper beam including an upper beam wall, a lower beam wall, and a central beam wall between said upper and lower beam walls; and an energy absorber having an upper absorber wall, a lower absorber wall, and a central absorber wall between said upper and lower absorber walls; wherein said central absorber wall is mounted to said central beam wall and said energy absorber has a height that is greater than a height of said bumper beam such that said upper absorber wall has an unconnected, upper absorber wall free end that is spaced upwardly above said upper beam wall, and said lower absorber wall has an unconnected, lower absorber wall free end that is spaced downwardly below said lower beam wall; and further wherein said central beam wall has spaced apart outwardly facing convex surfaces, each of said outwardly facing convex surfaces being defined at least partially by a laterally extending centerline, said energy absorber includes opposing end portions, wherein each of said end portions includes a rib, and each of said ribs has a first end attached to said central absorber wall and a second end abutting said bumper beam, wherein at least one of said ribs abuts at least one of said outwardly facing convex surfaces of said bumper beam, each of said ribs is spaced apart from said laterally extending centerlines of said outwardly facing convex surfaces, said outwardly facing convex surfaces guide said ribs around said outwardly facing convex surfaces when said energy absorber is forced against said bumper beam in response to an impact.