Patent ID: 8438765

Claim:
A removable protector for magnetic attachment to a license plate, the license plate being affixed to a rear bumper of a vehicle above a trailer hitch, the removable protector comprises: an outer metal impact plate, the metal impact plate being a stiff plate having a gauge thickness of 0.030 inches or greater and being the size of a license plate or slightly greater, the gauge thickness ensures the metal impact plate cannot be cut through by an impacting tongue of a trailer; an impact bumper made of a resilient elastomeric material permanently affixed to an inner surface of the metal impact plate and being of the same size as the license plate and having a thickness of at least 0.375 inches, the cross sectional thickness being sufficiently large to allow the impact plate to be deflected under loads as the impact bumper compresses; and at least one permanent magnet permanently affixed to an exterior surface of the impact bumper, the at least one permanent magnet positioned to attach magnetically to cover and protect a metal license plate screwed to a vehicle rear bumper thereby providing an easy magnetic attachment and detachment of the protector to the metal license plate of the vehicle, thereby providing impact damage protection of the license plate during attachment of a trailer to the vehicle hitch.