---
title: "Patent Filing Shows Ford Bronco Roof Could be Far Easier to Remove Than Jeep Wrangler’s"
description: "It'll supposedly take just one person with a bit of muscle to yank the top off the upcoming Blue Oval off-roader."
date: "2019-10-01"
modified: "2019-10-01"
authors:
  - name: "James Gilboy"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy.md"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/30112/patent-filing-shows-ford-bronco-roof-could-be-far-easier-to-remove-than-jeep-wranglers"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "Ford News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Patents"
tags:
  - "Bronco"
  - "Ford"
  - "Off-Road"
  - "suv/crossover"
---

# Patent Filing Shows Ford Bronco Roof Could be Far Easier to Remove Than Jeep Wrangler’s

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2019/10/original.b63f741a631b6e0c2a1d5c8f75d35c356203123d16743552afcfbb02a7fd9578.png>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Ford is expected to level the rebooted Bronco at the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator, which today dominate the swelling midsize off-roader market. To beat the Jeeps at their own game, Ford is supposedly working on ensuring the Bronco one-ups both its rivals in every conceivable metric, plus some ways that aren't normally measured, like how easy it is to take off the doors and roof. Ford has been going nuts[ patenting removable door mechanisms believed to be for the Bronco](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/29607/heres-every-removable-door-patent-ford-has-filed-ahead-of-the-2021-ford-bronco.md>) and according to patent documents that surfaced last week, the Blue Oval could apply this same thinking to the Bronco's roof.

Images from the documents published Sept. 26 by [*Patent Swarm*](<https://patentswarm.com/patents/US20190291552A1#>) depict removable roof assemblies held on by two pairs of latches and an "alignment bracket" that essentially wedges itself down against the front edge of the bed. In theory, all that you need to remove this roof is a pair of hands and enough muscle to lift the assembly once it's loose.

![message-editor%2F1569955678119-original.7b084fb27df6450cbf4afae8fdc9ccab20d6d40e1bb855b46eb594249b997754.png](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1569955678119-original.7b084fb27df6450cbf4afae8fdc9ccab20d6d40e1bb855b46eb594249b997754.png>)
**Ford via USPTO**

![message-editor%2F1569955693056-original.26eb500be808c3efce204e777294443d29af9a235310e4105b20f4ee08c2394e.png](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1569955693056-original.26eb500be808c3efce204e777294443d29af9a235310e4105b20f4ee08c2394e.png>)
*Ford via USPTO*

![message-editor%2F1569955703886-original.f305d6d17e330b5937d718a2dc50d3eeab18382b9a7729bb0d263a7e9b486af0copy2.png](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1569955703886-original.f305d6d17e330b5937d718a2dc50d3eeab18382b9a7729bb0d263a7e9b486af0copy2.png>)
*Ford via USPTO*

![message-editor%2F1569955712694-original.f305d6d17e330b5937d718a2dc50d3eeab18382b9a7729bb0d263a7e9b486af0copy.png](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1569955712694-original.f305d6d17e330b5937d718a2dc50d3eeab18382b9a7729bb0d263a7e9b486af0copy.png>)
*Ford via USPTO*

![message-editor%2F1569955720360-original.f305d6d17e330b5937d718a2dc50d3eeab18382b9a7729bb0d263a7e9b486af0.png](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1569955720360-original.f305d6d17e330b5937d718a2dc50d3eeab18382b9a7729bb0d263a7e9b486af0.png>)
*Ford via USPTO*

Patent illustrations depict the roof fitted to a Ranger lookalike, though again, everything points to this system going on the Bronco rather than the Ranger. Images from the filing also suggest the Bronco's removable top will be available with a sliding rear cab window, a glass roof, or both, but not neither.

If this style of roof and the easily removable doors make it to the production Bronco—whose launch is reportedly [about a year from now](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/27134/dealers-whove-seen-ford-bronco-prototype-say-its-twice-as-cool-as-expected.md>)—it may make the Ford more attractive to consumers than the Wrangler, whose roof and door removal is known to be a time-consuming process that sometimes [involves multiple people plus tools](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCR7zQdbOjM>).

Even if the Bronco doesn't beat the Jeep by much on the user-friendliness front, it'll still likely draw drivers who want an off-roader, but would rather not be associated with [Wrangler owners' tacky taste in modifications](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/30083/this-jeep-wrangler-6x6-terminator-with-questionable-mods-can-be-yours-for-74955.md>).

## Author
James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids."

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/jamesgilboy>)

## More

- [Patent Drawings Suggest 2020 Ford Bronco Could Come With Convertible Cloth Roof](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/27252/patent-drawings-suggest-2020-ford-bronco-could-come-with-convertible-cloth-roof.md>)
- [Dealers Claim 2020 Ford Bronco Prototype With Removable Doors, Hardtop Is a ‘Game Changer’ (Updated)](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/27134/dealers-whove-seen-ford-bronco-prototype-say-its-twice-as-cool-as-expected.md>)
- [Upscale Ford Bronco Could Ditch the Removable Roof to Fight Land Rover: Report](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/42191/upscale-ford-bronco-could-ditch-the-removable-roof-to-fight-land-rover-report.md>)
- [Jeep Patent Reveals Bronco-Style Donut Doors for the Wrangler](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/43511/jeep-patent-reveals-bronco-style-donut-doors-for-the-wrangler.md>)
- [The 2021 Ford Bronco Solves One of the Jeep Wrangler’s Biggest Problems](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/41313/the-2021-ford-bronco-solves-one-of-the-jeep-wranglers-biggest-problems.md>)
- [Ford Bronco Sales Are Nipping at the Jeep Wrangler’s Heels. Could This Finally Be the Year?](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/ford-bronco-already-outselling-jeep-wrangler-in-2026-could-this-finally-be-the-year.md>)
- [Ford Bronco Sales Are Threatening the Jeep Wrangler’s Dominance for the First Time](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/ford-bronco-sales-are-threatening-the-jeep-wranglers-dominance-for-the-first-time.md>)
- [Here’s Proof That the 2021 Ford Bronco Has a Seven-Speed Manual and Crawler Gear](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/34022/heres-proof-that-the-2021-ford-bronco-has-a-seven-speed-manual-and-crawler-gear.md>)