As we all know, the 2021 Ford Bronco will use both removable doors and a removable roof. After all, the upcoming 4x4 rival, the Jeep Wrangler, can be driven naked into the wild without doors or a roof. However, thanks to Blue Oval's latest patent filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, we now know a little more about how its canopy removal mechanism works.
The patent, simply called "Removable Roof Structure," shows the body structure of a Bronco-style four-door SUV with a removable roof structure that includes longitudinal roof rails. Extended upper B-pillar, this longitudinal beam extends between a pair of transverse roofs. In other words, it appears the new Bronco will include a roll cage-like structure supporting a formal drop-top roof, just like the Wrangler's. The only difference is that when removed, the roof pillars appear to remain consistent with the roof, with only the windshield rising above the vehicle's seatbelts.
Of course, there is no guarantee that the filing of this patent indicates manufacturing intent. For example, one of the renderings of the new Bronco's exterior above depicts the SUV with a basket-like roll cage that remains in place even with the roof down. However, it seems reasonable for Ford to pursue a removable roof structure to give the Bronco a unique advantage over the Jeep Wrangler.
Whether buyers accept it is another matter entirely, as the patent details numerous bolts that appear to require manual labor to free the roof and detach it from the body structure. In other words, removing so many bolts is probably more trouble than it needs to be, although removing the Wrangler's simpler hardtop requires a lot of effort. We'll know more about the 2021 Bronco when Ford takes off the wraps this spring. If this patent and the latest spy shots of the SUV playing in the snow and wearing something like the Raptor's off-road package are as attractive, the new Bronco will surely give the Wrangler its first real competition.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.