Patent ID: 7422250

Claim:
A guarded latch assembly, comprising: a remotely-releasable latch assembly; a guard located between the latch assembly and a vehicle grille, the guard adapted to enclose the latch assembly of a vehicle hood fastener; a pocket between and separating the guard from the latch assembly, the latch assembly having a primary latch bolt shielded from access by the guard, the guard including a unitary metal body having a featureless and aperture-free planar front face with a relieved upper edge; a pair of generally parallel planar sides, which are generally perpendicular to the front face; a bottom face, opposite the relieved upper edge, which is generally perpendicular to both the front face and sides; a pair of mounting lug attached to the sides and generally parallel to the front face, the mounting lugs adapted to attach the guard to the vehicle structure; and a release cable which passes through the guard adjacent a side and away from the front face, and attached to the latch assembly at a location rendered inaccessible by the guard.