Bumper assembly

1. An apparatus comprising:

a beam; and

a plurality of members attached to and positioned sequentially along the beam; each member including an outer tube extending transverse to the beam and an inner tube extending parallel to and in the outer tube;

wherein adjacent ones of the members are configured to contact each other when both adjacent ones of the members are deformed;

each outer tube has an inner surface, and each inner tube is attached to the inner surface of the outer tube at a connection line;

each member includes a bridge portion extending from the inner surface of the outer tube to the inner tube; and

each bridge portion is attached to the inner tube opposite from the connection line.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer and inner tubes are round.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inner tubes are elliptical.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer and inner tubes have wall thicknesses; and the wall thickness of each outer tube is thinner than the wall thickness of the corresponding inner tube.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the beam extends between two ends and has a midpoint halfway between the ends; the outer tubes have corresponding diameters; at least some of the diameters are different than other of the diameters; and the members are arranged in ascending order of the corresponding diameters of the outer tubes from each end to the midpoint.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the beam extends between two ends and has a midpoint halfway between the ends; the outer tubes have corresponding wall thicknesses; and the members are arranged in ascending order of the corresponding wall thicknesses of the outer tubes from the midpoint to each end.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer tubes are generally parallel to each other.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the members and the beam are integral.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the beam and members are extruded.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the members are spaced from each other.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a bumper beam extending parallel to the beam; wherein the beam is coupled to the bumper beam.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a fascia extending parallel to the beam; wherein the fascia is coupled to the bumper beam and extends around the members.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the beam has an upper edge and a lower edge extending in a direction of the beam, and the bumper beam includes a groove accepting the lower edge of the beam.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the bumper beam includes a second groove accepting the upper edge of the beam.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the beam is fastened at the upper edge to the bumper beam.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a beam; and

a plurality of members attached to and positioned sequentially along the beam; each member including an outer tube extending transverse to the beam and an inner tube extending parallel to and in the outer tube;

wherein adjacent ones of the members are configured to contact each other when both adjacent ones of the members are deformed

the beam extends between two ends and has a midpoint halfway between the ends;

the outer tubes have corresponding wall thicknesses; and

the members are arranged in ascending order of the corresponding wall thicknesses of the outer tubes from the midpoint to each end.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a beam;

a plurality of members attached to and positioned sequentially along the beam; each member including an outer tube extending transverse to the beam and an inner tube extending parallel to and in the outer tube; and

a bumper beam extending parallel to the beam;

wherein adjacent ones of the members are configured to contact each other when both adjacent ones of the members are deformed;

the beam is coupled to the bumper beam;

the beam has an upper edge and a lower edge extending in a direction of the beam; and

the bumper beam includes a groove accepting the lower edge of the beam.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the bumper beam includes a second groove accepting the upper edge of the beam.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the beam is fastened at the upper edge to the bumper beam.