Patent ID: 7559398

Claim:
A lifting device to be mounted in a motor vehicle and intended, in case the vehicle is involved in an accident, to be activated so as to put a lifting element under a spring tension in the lifting device in motion, wherein the lifting device comprises: a locking device intended to cooperate with the lifting element for locking the lifting element in a spring-tensioned position, and a release mechanism comprising a striking element intended to release the lifting element, when locked, by means of striking-pin action so the lifting element can be put in motion under the influence of the spring tension; wherein the locking device comprises: a plurality of spherical elements, and an operating element being movable in a lifting direction of the lifting element, wherein the striking element is situated at a distance from the operating element and intended to strike the operating element from below for moving the operating element from a first position, in which the operating element cooperates with the spherical elements so as to lock the lifting element in the lifting direction, to a second position, situated above the first position.