Locking device for a vehicle seat

A locking device for a vehicle seat, comprising:

• a rigid first component group including at least one latch element, wherein the first component group is mounted to a first seat rail for moving relative to the first seat rail between locked and unlocked positions, with the latch element interacting with a second seat rail to restrict relative movement between the first and second seat rails while the first component group is in the locked position, the latch element allowing the relative movement between first and second seat rails while the first component group is in the unlocked position, and the first component group being biased toward the locked position;
• a rigid second component group including a bearing located inside a mounting space defined by the second seat rail so that the second component group is pivotably borne on the second seat rail for pivoting relative to the first component group and acting upon the first component group;
• control elements between the first and second component groups for causing the first component group to move in a predetermined, controlled manner from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to the second component group acting upon the first component group.

A locking device for a vehicle seat, comprising:

• a rigid first component group including at least one latch element, wherein the first component group is mounted to a first seat rail for moving relative to the first seat rail between locked and unlocked positions, with the latch element interacting with a second seat rail to restrict relative movement between the first and second seat rails while the first component group is in the locked position, the latch element allowing the relative movement between first and second seat rails while the first component group is in the unlocked position, and the first component group being biased toward the locked position;
• and
• a rigid second component group including a bearing located inside a mounting space defined by the second seat rail so that the second component group is pivotably borne on the second seat rail for pivoting relative to the first component group so that a surface of the second component group slides across a surface of the first component group to cause the first component group to move in a predetermined, controlled manner from the locked position to the unlocked position.