Patent ID: 6955369

Claim:
A system for deflecting downwardly flying debris thrown rearwardly by the tires of a vehicle having a tow hitch assembly, the tow hitch assembly comprising a tow hitch receiver and a hitch ball support, the system comprising: a support assembly for being supported on the tow hitch assembly of the vehicle, the support assembly having a bottom for orienting downwardly and a top for orienting upwardly when supported on the vehicle; mounting means for removably mounting the support assembly on the tow hitch assembly of the vehicle in a transverse orientation with respect to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle; a flexible deflection structure extending downwardly from the support assembly; reinforcing means for limiting rearward movement of the deflection structure when the deflection structure is mounted on the vehicle, the reinforcing means comprising an elongate reinforcing element, the reinforcing element comprising: a first portion of the reinforcing element extending transverse to and rearwardly of the deflection structure; second and third portions of the reinforcing element each extending from one of opposite ends of the first portion in a substantially perpendicular relationship to the first portion, the second and third portions of the reinforcing element extending rearwardly and downwardly from the support assembly to the first portion, the second and third portions of the reinforcing element extending through a plane defined by the deflection structure in a skewed relationship to the plane.