Abstract:
A modular component bumper guard for protecting vehicles from damage caused by parking collisions is disclosed. The guard is comprised of a main body, two side pieces, two impact absorbing pads, and two straps. A “field of loops” on the vehicle side of the main body of the guard, give the guard its adjustable in length and adjustable positioning properties. The guard is temporarily attached to a vehicle&#39;s bumper and wraps around its fenders to absorb the impact of colliding objects. It may be easily attached and detached from a vehicle by means of two or more bungee cords with hook fittings and/or two or more suction cups with handles. Impact absorbing pads secured solely by hook and loop fastener straps add an extra level of protection and potential customization.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This applications claims priority to and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/281,987, entitled “Adjustable Length Complete Coverage Bumper Guard,” filed Jan. 22, 2016, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to the field of vehicle bumper protection. Specifically it relates to a protective cover or shroud which is adhered or attached to a vehicle&#39;s bumper and is meant to absorb minor impacts from vehicle to vehicle contact during parallel parking, thus preventing scratches, dings, and lacerations to the vehicles delicate painted surface. In particular it relates to a universal size protective guard which is capable of covering and protecting the entire surface of a typical passenger vehicle&#39;s bumper. 
         [0004]    Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    As anyone who lives in a congested and overpopulated city can attest, parking is at a premium as of late in many neighborhoods. The lack of conveniently available and low or no cost street parking spaces means people are parking literally on top of each other and cramming their cars into parking spaces too small to comfortably get in and out of. As most street parking consists of parallel parking spots, a driver&#39;s parking skills and spatial judgment are put to the test daily and a vehicle&#39;s front and rear bumpers are often susceptible to contact with other parking or parked vehicles. Even the most skilled drivers, can misjudge or commit error when the available space and vehicle size are a close mismatch, leading to unwanted and often damaging vehicle to vehicle contact. This low velocity vehicle to vehicle contact is no longer a rarity, it occurs every day on every overly congested street where parking is at a shortage. It cannot therefore be regarded as accidental as the parking driver is well aware they are hitting stationary vehicles, sometimes multiple repetitive times, and generally their expected goal is to minimize contact and limit damage as opposed to genuinely expecting to avoid it altogether. In common slang this type of contact is referred to as a “love tap” denoting a non-intention to cause any harm but acknowledging the unavoidable necessity to make contact with the stationary vehicle or vehicles. Compounding the problem is the fact that the automobiles of today are being produced with light weight painted plastic bumper covers which are highly susceptible to damage from vehicle to vehicle contact during parallel parking. Although this damage is generally only paint damage and minor surface lacerations of the vehicle&#39;s plastic bumper cover, the accumulation of these minor scratches can strongly detract from a vehicle&#39;s overall appearance and cause the owner victim to either be unhappy with the appearance of their vehicle or force them to pay continuously for costly paint and surface repairs at a professional auto body shop. The high incidence of these minor parking incidents in major cities and areas where parking is at a premium, have led to the marketing of bumper protection guards. Several products now exist and are growing in popularity for the protection of painted vehicle bumpers. The most popular by sheer number are essentially rubber mat shrouds which hang out of a vehicles trunk suspended by straps which adhere to the vehicles trunk carpet liner. These products are inexpensive, highly convenient, and easy to store yet they only protect the rear portion of the vehicles bumper and thereby completely neglect the corners and sides of the bumper which are most highly susceptible to damage from parallel parking maneuvers. During parallel parking the angle of entry or exit of the parking space (generally around forty five degrees) makes the corners of the stationary car the first and most likely victim of initial “accidental” contact. Therefore, a vehicle&#39;s bumper is not fully protected when only the center rear of the vehicle is being covered by these popular rubber mat shrouds. Properly protecting a vehicles entire bumper is a challenge when convenience of use, aesthetics, and non-permanence of installation are all considered paramount design considerations. Other products which have been designed to cover the entire or most of the vehicles bumper, have failed to satisfy demanding consumer&#39;s preferences. Some available products must be purchased in limited available specific sizes (based upon the guards manufacturers&#39; opinions of what constitutes a small, medium, or large vehicle), which does not ensure a desired custom fit length and truly guarantee the complete protection the consumer desires. Furthermore, since many of these products are intended for use only once parked—to protect a stationary vehicle from falling victim to another driver&#39;s accident, many of these products have not been designed to be securely attached to the vehicle and cannot be safely used while driving the vehicle. Therefore, these products offer no protection for the offensive mobile vehicle which may itself be “accidentally” committing the offending contact while parking in a tight spot. These products are also generally oversized and bulky and take up too much trunk space when not in use, and for many users can be difficult to attach and detach from the vehicle without a second individual&#39;s assistance. Furthermore, as many of these products are designed for parking garage use and not for street parking or other outdoor use, their materials of construction are not intended to ever get wet from the rain limiting their benefit to a street parker. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The intent of the present invention is to offer a bumper guard which:
       Can protect the entire bumper surface from low speed impacts during parallel parking thereby preventing scratches and paint damage from occurring.   Can be easily attached and detached from the vehicle by a single individual.   Can be easily custom sized and resized (re-usable on future cars) by the end-user (without the use of any tools or in-depth level of training) to offer complete bumper coverage for the majority of popular consumer automobiles on the market.   Can be securely attached to the vehicle and safe to drive with attached.   Can conform to the vehicle&#39;s unique contours and not detract from its stylish appearance.   Can be easily and compactly stored when not in use.   Can withstand the natural elements and be long lasting and durable.   Can be machine washable to keep its appearance always fresh and clean.   Can act as a canvas for sponsored advertising messages or personal adornment.       
 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    A more complete understanding of the present invention Adjustable Length Complete Coverage Bumper Guard may be had by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1 —is a front view of the assembled but not installed present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2 —is a front view of the primary modular components which assemble to create the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3 —is a front view of the assembled but not installed present invention in its longest configuration. 
           [0020]      FIG. 4 —is a front view of the assembled but not installed present invention in its shortest configuration. 
           [0021]      FIG. 5 —is a front view of the assembled present invention installed on a vehicle&#39;s rear bumper. 
           [0022]      FIG. 6 —is a front side view of the present invention&#39;s “Main Body”. 
           [0023]      FIG. 7 —is a back side view of the present invention&#39;s “Main Body”. 
           [0024]      FIG. 8A —is a side/profile view of the present invention&#39;s “Impact Absorbing Pad” and connecting straps. 
           [0025]      FIG. 8B —is a front side view of the present invention&#39;s “Impact Absorbing Pad” and connecting straps. 
           [0026]      FIG. 8C —is a back side view of the present invention&#39;s “Impact Absorbing Pad” and connecting straps. 
           [0027]      FIG. 9 —is a side/profile view of the suction cups utilized by the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0028]    Where used in the various figures of the drawings, the same numerals designate the same or similar parts. Furthermore, when the terms “top,” “bottom,” “first,” “second,” “upper,” “lower,” “height,” “outer,” “inner,” “width,” “length,” “end,” “side,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” and similar terms are used herein, it should be understood that these terms have reference only to the structure shown in the drawing and are utilized only to facilitate describing the invention. 
         [0029]    All figures are drawn for ease of explanation of the basic teachings of the present invention only; the extensions of the figures with respect to number, position, relationship, and dimensions of the parts to form the preferred embodiment will be explained or will be within the skill of the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood. Further, the exact dimensions and dimensional proportions to conform to specific width, length, and similar requirements will likewise be within the skill of the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood. 
         [0030]    Preferred embodiments of the Adjustable Length Complete Coverage Bumper Guard according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0031]    The Present invention  100  as illustrated in  FIG. 1  relates to an adjustable in length vehicle bumper guard  100  which protects the majority of a typical vehicle&#39;s front or rear bumper from minor abrasions and scratches inflicted by contact with other vehicles during parallel parking incidents. 
         [0032]    In the following described preferred embodiment the Adjustable Length Complete Coverage Bumper Guard (hereinafter “guard”)  100  is capable of being properly sized to protect the rear bumper of the majority of consumer automobiles driven today in the United States. It consists of multiple primary modular components  1 , 2 , 3 , 4  which are illustrated in  FIG. 2 . These modular components are ultimately positioned and assembled or attached to each other (as illustrated in  FIG. 1 ) by a method which mimics hook and loop fasteners (Velcro™) at different positions or intervals depending on the length of the vehicles bumper  201  and fender  203  (wheel well  204  to wheel well  204  length) and the specific shape and uniquely contoured surfaces of the vehicle  200 . Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the entirety of the preferred embodiment invention&#39;s components  100  include; a main center body  2 , two side pieces  1 , two straps  4 , and two impact absorbing pads  3 . As illustrated in  FIG. 5  the invention  100  is meant to be primarily secured to a vehicle by means of its two modular straps  4  which are placed inside the vehicle&#39;s trunk  202  (adhering to the carpet liner surface within the trunk  202 ) when used as a rear bumper guard or under the hood of the vehicle  200  when used as a front bumper guard. The extremities  18  of the side pieces  1  of the assembled guard  100  wrap around the bumper  201  of a vehicle  200  and secure to an area of the front or rear fender  203  of the vehicle  200  with one or more suction cups  99  (as illustrated on the right hand passenger side of the vehicle  200  in  FIG. 5 ) or attach to the vehicle&#39;s wheel well  204  by use of two bungee cords  98  each with two hook fittings (as illustrated on the left hand driver side of the vehicle  200  in  FIG. 5 ). The preferred embodiment being contemplated by the inventor allows for the positioning of these side pieces  1  behind the main body  2  at any interval from center of main body  2  (side pieces  1  are end  17  to end  17  in this configuration) to outer side edge width extremities of main body  2 . In the preferred embodiment the guard  100  could achieve a smallest assembled configuration of 174 cm/68.5″ as illustrated in  FIG. 4  and a longest assembled configuration of up to 264 cm/103.93″ as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . This range of size would ensure complete bumper coverage for the vast majority of common passenger vehicles currently on the road. This ability to adjust the guard  100  to any interval length within this range is a unique attribute of the invention which allows the manufacturer of the guard  100  to only need to produce one model or size limiting their inventory and cost to manufacture, stock, sort, and package the product. Distributors and retailers of the product have only one SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) and do not need to manage inventory of various sizes or take up valuable shelf space in their warehouses or retail stores carrying slower moving SKUs. End users can purchase the product and be assured it will fit their future vehicles if and when they replace their current car. 
         [0033]    In this preferred embodiment, the main center body  2  is constructed of a semi rigid high density EVA (Ethyl Vinyl Acetate) foam layer (approximately 6 mm/0.25″ thick) sandwiched between two distinct laminated layers of fabric (polyester and felt). The width of the main center body  2  is approximately 100 cm/39″ and its height (at its tallest point) is 28.5 cm/11.22″. The main center body&#39;s 6 mm/0.25″ thick foam layer is flexible enough along its width to allow it to conform to the vehicles unique geometry, yet rigid enough to absorb minor low speed impacts and thereby protect the surface of the vehicle from damage a minor (less than 1 MPH) rear impact would have otherwise caused a vehicle&#39;s painted surface. This singular component  2  is capable of covering the majority of the rear side of a passenger vehicle similar to the common and known art presently popular among consumers previously disclosed. If a vehicle  200  has its rear license plate positioned on the trunk surface  201  then no modification of the main body  2  is required as is the case in the illustrated example of  FIG. 5 . For vehicles which have their rear license plates positioned on the rear bumper, the rectangular area/section  5  of the main body  2  would obstruct view of the license plate necessitating its removal. Either a variant model of the guard could be manufactured with a premade void at this area/section  5  of the main body  2  or this section could be cut-out by the end user using a sharp and accurate blade. The vehicle side surface (under-side/back-side)  10  of the main center body  2  as illustrated in  FIG. 7  is lined with a soft to the touch felt cloth fabric which acts as a “field of loops” (simulating or mimicking negative or female Velcro™ loops). The physical properties of this fabric&#39;s surface strongly adheres to hooks (positive or male Velcro™). Since the entire surface  10  is in effect a canvas of negative/loops it offers the unique utility that any male or positive/hook Velcro™ will securely adhere to any portion of this surface area allowing for ultimate flexibility in positioning of the other primary modular components side pieces  1  and straps  4  of the invention  100 . The outer side surface (visible/exposed when attached side)  11  of the main center body  2 , is an attractive tightly woven synthetic fabric such as polyester which can be adorned by silkscreen or heat transfer to display a personal or commercial marketing/advertising message or be used to adhere bumper stickers or other contemplated adornments. Four reflective stripes  12  of reflective fabric adorn this visible outer layer  10  to maximize visibility of the vehicle in the dark and possibly replace original vehicle reflectors which the guard  100  may be covering and blocking when attached to the vehicle  200 . Two pairs of slits  13  are cut into the main center body  2  at the left and right sides leaving four voids through the 6 mm/0.25″ thickness of the main center body  2 . These slits  13  allow for the attachment of accessory options such as impact absorbing pads  3  (illustrated in  FIG. 8A, 8B, and 8C ) which can optionally be added to the guard and attached by feeding their two double sided Velcro™ straps  20  through the slits and tightly wrapping around to the under-side/back-side felt fabric and then overlapping each other as illustrated in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  which show one side of the guard with the impact absorbing pad  3  installed and the other side without it installed. Additionally, the main center body  2  has two elastic loops  14  on its opposing ends. These elastic loops  14  enable the main center body to attach to suction cups  99  which are then secured to the vehicle body. This allows the user the option of using only the main center body  2  of the invention and foregoing the side pieces  1  entirely if they prefer not to attach them or if the vehicle is too small and does not require them. 
         [0034]    The two side pieces  1  are identical to each other (left and right) and in a preferred embodiment of the invention are contemplated to be made out of 3 mm/0.125″ thick neoprene foam rubber either sandwiched between two layers of polyester fabric or only having polyester fabric adhered/laminated on its outer visible when assembled side  24 . The neoprene has a low coefficient of friction which allows the side pieces to cling and not slip from the vehicle surface, however this may make it difficult to adjust and pull the guard on the vehicle so a polyester fabric may be preferred even though there will be a loss of the frictional benefits the un-laminated neoprene can offer. The outer side (visible/exposed when attached side)  24  is an attractive tightly woven (matching the main center body&#39;s fabric) synthetic fabric such as polyester which can be adorned by silkscreen or heat transfer to display a marketing/advertising message. An overlay of 3 mm/0.125″ thick EVA foam (also sandwiched between two layers of nylon or polyester fabric)  15  is stitched along most of their surface length to add a protective layer element to the corners of the vehicle (corner pads). The outer side (visible/exposed when attached side) surface of this stitched on overlay is also an attractive tightly woven synthetic fabric such as polyester which can be adorned by silkscreen or heat transfer to display a marketing/advertising message. The neoprene and its fabric layer or layers are somewhat elastic and allow the guard to stretch to conform to the vehicles shape and contours. The side pieces  1  are meant to attach by horizontal as well as vertical rows/strips of stitched on positive/male/hooked Velcro™  16  to the back-side of the main body&#39;s “field of loops” of felt fabric  10  on one end of their length  17  and attach to either the wheel well  204  with a bungee cord with hook fittings  98  or to the side/corner area of the bumper or fender  203  with one or more suction cups  99  on the other end of their length  18 . The vertical strips of stitched on positive/male/hooked Velcro™  16  provide a strong enough connection to bond the side pieces  1  to the main body  2  all by themselves. The horizontal rows of stitched on positive/male/hooked Velcro™ have been added to the guard  100  to ensure the horizontal extremities of the main body  2  of the guard  100  will never curl upward and away from the vehicle as a result of wind force which could otherwise possibly deform the main body  2  and prevent it from lying flat against the bumper surface  201  of the vehicle  200 . The preferred embodiment of the side-piece has three button holes or reinforced by stitching slits  19  which double as either bungee cord  98  or suction cup  99  attachment areas. Any of these button holes/slits  19  or all simultaneously can be used to attach to one or more suction cups  99  which are firmly attached to the vehicle&#39;s fender area and/or a bungee cord with hook fittings  98  attached to the vehicles inner wheel well  204  as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . This embodiment allows for a wide array of possible positioning and attachment options to ensure that most if not all vehicles can make good use of the products components and achieve a secure and safe temporary attachment (with no tools or adhesives required). 
         [0035]    The two straps  4  as illustrated in more detail in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  are identical (either could be the left or right side strap) to one another and are approximately 90 cm/35″ in length each and are each no wider than 50 mm/2″. They are constructed from water resistant webbing/synthetic fiber strapping  27  (similar to that which is customarily used in tote bags to carry them over the shoulder) which has had positive/hook Velcro™ strips  16  stitched to both sides at different positions so the straps can attach to the back-side/under-side of the main center body  10  on one end and the vehicles&#39; trunk liner fabric on the other end. As the straps  4  are not permanently attached to the main center body  2  they can be positioned anywhere on its rear surface  10  allowing them to fit most any vehicles&#39; unique shape and size and allow the end-user to select how wide apart and how long they extend and specifically where and at what angle they attach to the vehicle  200 . As every vehicle is shaped differently this advantage of anywhere positioning of the straps  4 , adds to the appeal and final appearance of the applied guard  100 . The straps  4  in other words go wherever the user wants them to go instead of the straps&#39;  4  location on the guard dictating how they must be attached to the vehicle  200 . The straps  4  are contemplated by the inventor to include removable and repositionable strips of neoprene  25  with stitched on strips of negative/loop Velcro™  26  on one side to be positioned on the portion of the strap that sits on the trunk rim. This neoprene strip could act as a cushion and prevent the straps themselves from causing any scratches on painted surfaces it makes contact with on the trunk rim. The two straps  4  serve multiple purposes. They are used to center the position and height of the main center body  2  on the vehicle  200  and support its weight. They suspend the main center body  2  while the user positions and attaches or detaches the side pieces  1  to the wheel well  204  or fender  203  allowing the task to be completed by one single person without assistance. In one embodiment of the invention the straps  4  and their attached neoprene strips  25  act as a protective raceway for a flat ribbon style low voltage wire connecting a battery pack with a vibration/noise activated sensor to an LED (light emitting diode) panel secured on the main center body  2  (more about this below). Once the side pieces  1  are securely attached and pulling the entirety of the bumper guard  100  tightly across the horizontal length of the bumper and its corners, the straps  4  keep the bumper guard  100  centered on the vehicle and continue to hold some of its weight. The straps  4  act as a crucial backup attachment if either of the connections of the side pieces  1  to the vehicle via bungee cord  98  or suction cup  99  on either side were to fail thus preventing the guard  100  from detaching from the vehicle while driving which could at worst cause an accident or at least cause the guard  100  to be lost or damaged. 
         [0036]    The two impact absorbing pads  3  can take the form of a variety of embodiments. They may be constructed either entirely of foam or rubber (or other various contemplated materials) or be pouches constructed of fabric which encase foam or rubber centers. In one preferred embodiment, as illustrated in  FIGS. 6, 7, 8A, 8B, and 8C , they will attach with double sided hook and loop Velcro™ straps  20  through the slits  13  in the main center body  2 . The double sided Velcro™ straps  20  have a hook side  22  and a loop side  23  and they are oriented to allow for one strap to firstly stick to the “field of loops” on the underside of main body  10  and then allow the second strap to overlap the first which creates a very secure and tamper-proof connection to the main body  2  and replaces the area of the “field of loops” with new loops provided by the loop side  23  of the second overlaying strap, thereby allowing for the entire area of the underside of main body  10  to remain a “field of loops” fully available for hook and loop connection with the side pieces&#39;  1  main body  2  attachment end  17  and its three positive/hook Velcro™ strips  16  as well as attachment of the straps  4  if this happens to be the location they choose to place them. The thickness and projection of the “impact absorbing pads  3  off of the main center body  2  outer surface  11  adds an element of protection the flat conforming surface of the guard  100  does not convey on its own. The impact absorbing pads  3  create a visual appearance of heavy duty protection akin to a fender hanging of the side of a boat. In one embodiment their functional intent is to absorb direct impacts from another vehicles bumper and add a more pronounced spacing between the two cars. Often drivers when squeezing their car into a tight parking spot will inch forward till they hit the car in front of them not being able to judge this distance remaining and needing every available inch possible. The impact absorbing pads  3  will take many of these direct low speed hits and prevent the offending driver from doing any real damage to the parked car by forcing him/her to keep their further distance. As these pads  3  are made of foam such as EVA or EPE they can be molded or shaped into any form or size the imagination can provide. They can run horizontally or vertically on the surface of the main body  2 . They can be offered to the consumer in a variety of shapes and colors or do it yourself kits to add an adornment element of personalization and uniqueness to the guard. For instance, skull and crossbones or football shaped for boys, lipstick or high heeled shoe shaped for girls, three dimensional team logos or helmets, caricatures, seasonal holiday symbols such as pumpkins or Santa Claus etc . . . . Marketers may wish to create foam versions of their products such as a soda can or bottle emblazoned with their company logo or a special promotional shape or image the possibilities are endless. The utility of the slits  13  and hook and loop straps  20  allows this adornment to be temporary and easily changed by the end user. In another preferred embodiment of this element of the invention, an EL (Electro Luminescence) LED panel takes the position of the impact absorbing pad  3 . It could be mounted using the very same Velcro™ attachment method  20  either directly on the main center body  2  surface  11  or mounted on an intermediary foam layer which in turn would mount on  11 . Its low voltage wires (flat ribbon style) would run through the slits  13  in the main center body  2  and up the straps  4  to a battery pack in the protective and secure trunk of the vehicle  202 . The battery pack or in another embodiment an intermediary sensor device would contain a sound activated/vibration activated sensor which allows power to flow to the LED panel when vibrations are sensed only. As the driver of the vehicle listens to the radio, the music&#39;s sound waves would cause the panel to light up. When the vehicle is parked, any tap on the bumper  201  or any other part of the vehicle  200  will cause the EL Panel to temporarily light up due to the same sensing of vibration. This light would signal the other driver that he/she is too close to the guarded vehicle  200  and possibly lead to him/her to use more caution and not further strike the parked car. 
         [0037]    The bungee cords with hook fittings  98  are contemplated to be 300 mm/12″ or more in length and the hook fittings are sized and oriented to fit a variety of vehicles&#39; wheel wells  204 . An EVA foam sleeve/tube/straw wraps around the hook fittings to prevent direct contact with the vehicle which could possibly cause scratching. Some vehicles have small holes in the wheel wells which fit the pointy end of a hook while others have L-Shaped overhangs in the wheel well that a hook can grip when under tension from the bungee cord elasticity. By providing three button holes/slits  19  in the side pieces  1  the end-user can loop the unneeded length of the bungee cord  98  through these holes as many or as few times as necessary to provide a proper tension and fit length. As the weight of the guard is primarily the burden of the straps  4  emanating from the closed trunk  202 , the side pieces  1  must only be applied with enough tension to guarantee the guard assembly  100  is tightly covering the vehicles surface and corners and will not shift or detach from the wheel wells  204  or suction cups  99  un-intentionally. 
         [0038]    The suction cups  99  being utilized in this preferred embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 9B , are comprised of three modular components as illustrated in  FIG. 9A ; a silicone cup  30  with a threaded rod  32  in its center, a hard plastic outer cup  34 , and a tightening knob  36 . As one turns the knob  36  the plastic cup  34  pushes the silicone cup  30  tighter and tighter against the surface  203  of the vehicle  200  evacuating the air and creating a vacuum suction adhering the suction cup  99 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 9B and 9C , the side piece slits or button holes  19  of the side pieces  1  have been intentionally sized to tightly slip over the tightening knob  36  securely ensuring the guard  100  is firmly and deliberately attached to the suction cups  99 . Once positioned favorably, the suction cups  99  can be left in place and the guard  100  removed by unbuttoning it (as one would unbutton a shirt) from the knob  36 , allowing the user to leave the suction cups  99  in place on the vehicles fender  203  for their next use saving them the time and effort involved in their placement.