And check out their idea for the airbags.
Despite all the hype and the rumors and the prototypes out in the wild, we’re still starved for information on what the 2021 Ford Bronco will actually look like. Will it be the boxy SUV we hope it will be? Will it be available in two and four door models? Will it have a removable top and removable doors like a Jeep Wrangler? To answer that last question first, it does indeed appear the Bronco may have removable doors.
At least, that’s the case if this recently published patent application is any evidence. AutoGuide first broke the patent application news, and it seems like the Blue Oval is taking the rugged expectations of the 2021 Ford Bronco to heart. Here, we see the classic body shape with the roof removed, and — be still our beating hearts — removable tubular doors.
But it gets even more interesting than that. Ford also seems to be looking into ways to incorporate side impact airbags into the Bronco, even when it doesn’t have its solid doors. When the doors are completely off, the patent application describes a device that deploys to provide greater crash protection. As for the tubular doors, the patent application also fleshes out a way to possibly inflate airbags there as well. High-pressure gas travels down the tubular structure and into the airbags.
Either way, the 2021 Ford Bronco may offer better crash protection, even with the doors off.
Of course, this is just a patent application for now. At the moment, it’s just an idea. We’ll have to wait and see if the 2021 Ford Bronco has removable doors at all. And beyond that, it will be interesting if the off-roader also has side-impact airbags, even without the standard solid doors in place.
Not that we’d want to test that out, mind you. Still, it is a neat idea. Let us know what you think about it in the comments below! Come back to TFLcar.com for more Bronco news, views and real-world reviews.
