Abstract: An apparatus used to protect a motor vehicle has a low profile housing placed below a rear bumper of the vehicle, and a cover placed within the housing in an accordion-like fashion. In one embodiment, an electric motor drives a roller belt assembly which frictionally engages with the cover to provide a force to aid a user in either the extension from or the retraction into the housing of the cover. In an alternate embodiment, the roller assembly includes webbing material geometrically positioned to prevent the cover from becoming entangled in the rollers. At least one roller assembly can be flexibly positioned to permit even force to be applied to the cover during extension from and retraction into the housing even if the cover becomes bunched to one side of the roller assembly. The electric motor is controlled from an extension handle attached to a forward portion of the cover.

Abstract: An apparatus used to protect a motor vehicle has a low profile housing placed below a rear bumper of the vehicle, and a cover placed within the housing in an accordion-like fashion. In one embodiment, an electric motor drives a roller belt assembly which frictionally engages with the cover to provide a force to aid a user in either the extension from or the retraction into the housing of the cover. In an alternate embodiment, the roller belt assembly includes webbing material geometrically positioned to prevent the cover from becoming entangled in the rollers. At least one roller assembly can be flexibly positioned to permit even force to be applied to the cover during extension from and retraction into the housing even if the cover becomes bunched to one side of the roller assembly. The electric motor is controlled from an extension handle attached to a forward portion of the cover. The extension handle can include self defense and security measures to protect the operator.