Patent ID: 7726428

Claim:
A device for protecting at least a portion of an A/C condenser of an automotive vehicle against damage from stones and other road debris, said device comprising: a guard having a plurality of spaced apart louvers spaced closely enough to intercept and deflect the stones and other road debris but permitting air to pass through the guard between the louvers, wherein said guard comprises an elongated frame carrying the louvers and the louvers are disposed in side-by-side relation to one another in a row extending lengthwise of the frame along a central plane thereof, wherein said louvers are slanted at an acute angle to the central plane of the frame, and wherein a first set of said louvers are parallel to one another and slanted in one direction and a second set of said louvers are parallel to one another and slanted in another direction, and wherein the elongated frame and plurality of sets of louvers form a guard of unitary construction that is disposed forwardly of, adjacent to, and generally in-line with the condenser and rearwardly of and adjacent to an opening in a front fascia of the automotive vehicle that is disposed in a front end of the automotive vehicle that allows air entering through the fascia opening to pass between the louvers through the guard and be directed to the condenser, and wherein the frame is attached to a structural cross-member of the vehicle adjacent the condenser and rearwardly of the front fascia and wherein no portion of the frame is in contact with the front fascia.