Patent ID: 7281597

Claim:
A shield for an automotive vehicle comprising: a ramped surface; an inner surface having an upper area and a lower area; an periphery delineating the inner surface from the ramped surface; one or more ridge extending from the inner surface and portioning the upper area from the lower area; and one or more rib coupling the ridge and extending from the inner surface, whereby one or more of the ridge or the rib may absorb energy when the ramped surface is impacted by a foreign body reducing the impact force upon the foreign body, and whereby the ramped surface may divert direct contact into sliding contact when the ramped surface is impacted by the foreign body further reducing the impact force upon the foreign body; wherein the shield has only one ridge and the ridge extends perpendicularly from the inner surface; wherein at least a first rib of the one or more rib is a triangular web rib perpendicularly extending from the ridge and the inner surface in the upper area and at least a second rib of the one or more rib is a triangular web rib perpendicularly extending from the ridge and the inner surface in the lower area.