Bumper guard

Included is a thin flexible backing constructed from a magnetic material and at least one cushion mounted on the backing. In use, the backing may be mounted on a vehicular bumper for protecting the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 The present invention relates to bumper guards and more particularly
 pertains to a new bumper guard for protecting a vehicular bumper from
 damage.
 2. Description of the Prior Art
 The use of bumper guards is known in the prior art. More specifically,
 bumper guards heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist
 basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations,
 notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art
 which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and
 requirements.
 Known prior art includes U. S. Pat. No. 5,618,073; U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,446;
 U.S. Pat. No. 2,758,866; U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,824; U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,614;
 and U.S. Pat. Des. 378,909.
 In these respects, the bumper guard according to the present invention
 substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the
 prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for
 the purpose of protecting a vehicular bumper from damage.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of
 bumper guards now present in the prior art, the present invention provides
 a new bumper guard construction wherein the same can be utilized for
 protecting a vehicular bumper from damage.
 The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described
 subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new bumper guard apparatus
 and method which has many of the advantages of the bumper guards mentioned
 heretofore and many novel features that result in a new bumper guard which
 is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of
 the prior art bumper guards, either alone or in any combination thereof.
 To attain this, the present invention includes a thin flexible backing
 constructed from a magnetic material and having a substantially planar
 rectangular configuration. The backing is defined by a front face, a rear
 face, and a periphery formed therebetween. The periphery includes an
 elongated top edge, an elongated bottom edge, and a pair of short side
 edges formed therebetween. Next provided is a matrix of at least twenty
 cushions constructed from a resilient material. Each cushion has a planar
 rear face coupled to the front face of the backing, a front face with a
 substantially cylindrical configuration, and a pair of end faces with a
 substantially semi-spherical configuration. The cushions are positioned on
 the backing such that a longitudinal axis of each cushion remains in
 parallel relationship with the top edge of the backing. The cushions
 terminate a distance of about 1/4 a height of the backing from the bottom
 edge of the backing. Also included is a magnet strip mounted along the
 bottom edge of the backing with a thickness at least three times that of
 the backing. As shown in FIG. 5, a front face of the magnet strip is flush
 with that of the backing. A rear face of the magnet strip extends
 rearwardly from the backing for being folding behind a bumper of a vehicle
 to communicate with an upper extent of the backing. The magnet thus serves
 to maintain the system on the bumper of the vehicle.
 There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features
 of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that
 follows may be better understood, and in order that the present
 contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional
 features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which
 will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
 In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention
 in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its
 application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the
 components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the
 drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being
 practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood
 that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose
 of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
 As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon
 which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the
 designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the
 several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore,
 that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions
 insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present
 invention.
 Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent
 and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the
 scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar
 with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a
 cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of
 the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention
 of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to
 be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
 It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new bumper
 guard apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the bumper
 guards mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new
 bumper guard which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or
 even implied by any of the prior art bumper guards, either alone or in any
 combination thereof.
 It is another object of the present invention to provide a new bumper guard
 which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
 It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new bumper
 guard which is of a durable and reliable construction.
 An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new bumper
 guard which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to
 both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low
 prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such bumper guard
 economically available to the buying public.
 Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new
 bumper guard which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior
 art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some
 of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
 Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new bumper
 guard for protecting a vehicular bumper from damage.
 Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new
 bumper guard that includes a thin flexible backing constructed from a
 magnetic material and at least one cushion mounted on the backing. In use,
 the backing may be mounted on a vehicular bumper for protecting the same.
 These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various
 features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with
 particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this
 disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating
 advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should
 be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there
 are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
 With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5
 thereof, a new bumper guard embodying the principles and concepts of the
 present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 10
 will be described.
 The present invention, designated as numeral 10, includes a thin flexible
 backing 12 constructed from a magnetic material and having a substantially
 planar rectangular configuration. The backing is defined by a front face,
 a rear face, and a periphery formed therebetween. The periphery includes
 an elongated top edge, an elongated bottom edge, and a pair of short side
 edges formed therebetween.
 Next provided is a matrix of at least twenty cushions 14 constructed from a
 resilient material. Each cushion has a planar rear face coupled to the
 front face of the backing, a front face with a substantially cylindrical
 configuration, and a pair of end faces with a substantially semi-spherical
 configuration. The cushions are positioned on the backing such that a
 longitudinal axis of each cushion remains in parallel relationship with
 the top edge of the backing. It should be noted that the tapering edges of
 the cushions are critical for allowing a user to cut the backing
 therebetween to selectively size the present invention. As an option, the
 cushions terminate a distance of about 1/4 a height of the backing from
 the bottom edge of the backing, as shown in FIG. 5.
 Also as an option, a magnet strip 29 may be mounted along the bottom edge
 of the backing with a thickness at least three times that of the backing.
 As shown in FIG. 5, a front face of the magnet strip is flush with that of
 the backing. A rear face of the magnet strip extends rearwardly from the
 backing for being folding behind a bumper of a vehicle to communicate with
 an upper extent of the backing. The magnet thus serves to maintain the
 system on the bumper of the vehicle.
 As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the
 present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description.
 Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and
 operation will be provided.
 With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the
 optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to
 include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of
 operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to
 one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those
 illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are
 intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
 Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the
 principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and
 changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired
 to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and
 described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may
 be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.