Padded license plate screw

Abstract

The padded license plate screw is a single piece screw with a force-dispersing pad permanently attached to the head. The padded license plate screw is designed specifically to replace license plate bolts and used to prevent or minimize bumper damage that would otherwise be caused by license plate bolts in low-impact collisions.

1 . A padded license plate screw assembly, comprising: 
 (a) a screw having a head and a shank extending from the head, the screw being dimensioned and configured for attaching a license plate to an automobile bumper;    (b) a washer disposed on the shank below the head of the screw; and    (c) a cushion cap having a centrally aligned hollow shaft, the cap being permanently attached to the washer and covering the head of the screw, the hollow shaft being aligned above the head of the screw in order to allow a screw driving device to pass through the shaft and engage the head of the screw for fastening the license plate to the bumper.    
   
   
       2 . The padded license plate screw assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said cushion cap is made from neoprene.  
   
   
       3 . The padded license plate screw assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said washer has a plurality of tapered holes defined therein, said cap having corresponding tapered protrusions extending into the tapered holed in order to secure said cap to said washer.  
   
   
       4 . The padded license plate screw assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said cap is constructed of a transparent material.  
   
   
       5 . The padded license plate screw assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the screw is a flathead screw, the head having a tapered bottom surface forming a countersink, washer having a countersunk bore defined therein corresponding to and mating with the bottom surface of the head of the screw.  
   
   
       6 . A padded license plate screw assembly, comprising: 
 (a) a screw having a flat, extended head and a shank extending from the head, the screw being dimensioned and configured for attaching a license plate to an automobile bumper; and    (b) a cushion cap having a centrally aligned hollow shaft, said cap being permanently attached to the head of the screw and covering the head of the screw, the hollow shaft being aligned above the head of the screw in order to allow a screw driving device to pass through the shaft to engage the head of the screw for fastening the license plate to the bumper.    
   
   
       7 . The padded license plate screw assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein said cushion cap is made from neoprene.  
   
   
       8 . The padded license plate screw assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the head of said screw has a plurality of tapered holes defined therein, said cap having a plurality of corresponding tapered protrusions extending into the tapered holes in order to secure said cap to the head of said screw.  
   
   
       9 . The padded license plate screw according to  claim 6 , wherein said rubber cap is constructed of a transparent material.