- description
- A broad category of [[gameplay-feature:bumpers]] that use the potential energy of a spring — either metal or rubber — to cause the ball to rebound. The category spans both passive designs, where a rubber ring's natural elasticity provides the deflection, and active designs that incorporate an internal metal spring as part of the firing or reset mechanism. Subtypes include [[gameplay-feature:compression-spring-bumpers]], which use a helical compression spring to directly propel the ball. Spring bumpers appeared on approximately 180 IPDB-cataloged machines, primarily during the [[technology-generation:electromechanical]] era, before solenoid-driven [[gameplay-feature:pop-bumpers]] became the dominant bumper design.