Vehicle bumper with combination foam and air bag energy absorber

In an energy absorbing bumper assembly having a flexible fascia for providing a styling appearance and a rigid bumper beam for connection to the frame of a vehicle and including a core of compressible foam plastic material having a frontal surface forming a support for said flexible fascia and including an interior cavity with interior walls behind said frontal surface the improvement comprising:

• a deflated gas bag located in said cavity and including an inflated shape corresponding to said interior cavity for capturing said core between said flexible fascia and said inflated gas bag,
• a gas source including a gas generator and a housing surrounding said gas generator;
• a tube connecting said housing to said deflated gas bag for inflating said gas bag only upon energization of said gas generator;
• said core responsive to a predetermined vehicle impact when said gas bag is inflated to cause cells of said core to compress to absorb a first level of energy;
• said rigid bumper beam having first and second fluid flow ports therein and said inflatable gas bag having an inlet end thereon communicating said first and second fluid flow ports with the interior of said gas bag;
• means in association with said first fluid flow port for directing inflatant from said tube into said gas bag only upon said predetermined vehicle impact for causing said gas bag to assume its inflated shaped to conform to the shape of said cavity to support said core during absorption of said first level of energy;
• and
• means in association with said second fluid flow port for controlling exhaust of fluid from said gas bag following absorption of said first level of energy to produce a second level of energy absorption in addition to said first level of energy absorption.