Brose idea provides greater comfort in the BMW 3 Series Sedan

We are all too familiar with the situation when we have to load a heavy bag of groceries into the car with no hands free to open the trunk and the key is somewhere deep in our pocket: put down the groceries, look for the key, open the car, pick them up and heave them into the back of the car. This is no longer necessary thanks to Brose's system for touch-free opening or closing of liftgates and trunk lids for the BMW 3 Series Sedan with keyless entry function. As long as the key is in the driver's pocket, all that is required is a simple foot movement below the bumper and the liftgate opens automatically. The secret lies in the hidden sensor integrated in the bumper that responds to the driver's foot movement and transmits a signal to open the liftgate via the electronics. A spring mechanism then opens the vehicle liftgate.

BMW is convinced that with the Smart Opener the supplier has found a solution that provides maximum comfort for the driver, and honored the mechatronic specialist Brose with the "supplier Innovation Award 2011" in the category "Maximum Customer Benefit" for this intelligent mechatronic system currently available for the BMW 5 Series (Sedan and Touring) and 7 Series.

To facilitate loading and unloading, a sensor was integrated in the bumper of the 3 Series that responds to a deliberate foot movement and passes this information to the vehicle's keyless
entry control unit. This checks the key holder's authorization and transmits a signal to the liftgate control unit to automatically open or close the lid. Nuisance factors such as water on the bumper or passers-by approaching the car do not affect operation.

The Sedan features even more of Brose's technology such as the platform latch, which boasts excellent acoustics, low weight and low cost. Equipped with a cable actuator, it opens virtually noise-free like no other commercially available liftgate latch. It is also 25% lighter than competitor products. The 3 Series air condition system also contains one of Brose's components: the HVAC blower is driven by an electric motor made by the mechatronic specialist.