ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 21 -- United States Patent no. 12,441,271, issued on Oct. 14.
"Padded shield for vehicle hitches" was invented by Bobby Smith (Washington, N.C.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The padded shield for vehicle hitches comprises a shield, a bottom bracket, and a mounting bracket. The padded shield for vehicle hitches may be adapted to prevent personal injury of a person walking past a vehicle. Specifically, the padded shield for vehicle hitches may be adapted to prevent the person from injuring a leg due to contact with a trailer hitch. The shield may project from the rear of the padded shield for vehicle hitches and may prevent the leg from contacting a ball mount. The shield...