Heel unit for a touring binding and touring binding

Abstract

Heel unit (10) for a touring binding, comprising coupling means (18) for coupling a heel section of a touring boot, wherein the coupling means (18) are adjustable between a coupling position in which they hold the touring boot and a release position in which they are released from engagement with the touring boot against the force of a spring means (80), wherein the spring means (80) in a downhill position for holding a heel section of a touring boot has a direction of action extending horizontally in a Y-direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the ski board, characterized in that the spring means (80) comprises a coil spring (80) whose main axis extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the ski board, wherein the coil spring (80) is a compression spring.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a heel unit for a touring binding according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Heel units of this type are used in touring bindings to engage the rear section of a touring boot in the downhill position and hold it in place on the ski board, while in the touring position they release the boot, allowing the heel to lift off the ski board. In the touring position, the boot is then usually mounted in its front section to pivot around a transverse axis running perpendicular to the ski board's longitudinal axis, thus enabling natural walking on the ski board.

[0003] During each step in the touring position, the heel of the boot lifts off the skid plate and then lowers again, approaching the skid plate. This approach continues until the heel of the boot is supported by a boot support section at a specific height above the skid plate. The predetermined height of the boot support section depends on the configuration of the heel unit, and the heel unit can usually be adjusted so that different boot support sections can be positioned within the boot's range of motion, thus supporting the boot at different heights above the skid plate depending on the slope.

[0004] For example, familiar touring bindings can be set to a first touring position, in which the boot can be positioned relatively close to the glide board for walking on flat terrain; a second touring position, in which a climbing aid is placed in the pivot area of ​​the boot to support the touring boot at a greater height above the glide board for ascents on steeper terrain; and, if necessary, a third touring position, in which an even higher climbing aid is activated.

[0005] The first touring position (or "zero position") generally presents technical or functional difficulties in the current state of the art. A fixed, non-adjustable boot support section must not exceed a predetermined maximum height so that the heel of the boot can be lowered sufficiently in the downhill position to engage the coupling devices. However, if the height of the boot support section in the first touring position is too low, movement on flat or gently sloping terrain becomes difficult. In contrast, climbing aids that are adjustable with the binding body between the touring and downhill positions are, in the current state of the art, located on the top of the binding body and, while well-suited as climbing aids on significantly uphill terrain, are unsuitable for walking on flat terrain, i.e., as the first touring position.

[0006] DE 10 2012 206 879 A1 and EP 2 452 730 A1 each disclose a heel unit for a touring binding according to the preamble of claim 1. AT 402 020 B discloses a heel unit with a spring adjustment arrangement for adjusting a preload of a spring element.

[0007] Against this background, the object of the present invention is to provide a heel unit for a touring binding which enables optimal positioning of the touring boot in the downhill position and at the same time offers a suitable boot support section for the touring position that allows comfortable walking on flat terrain.

[0008] According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a heel unit for a touring binding according to claim 1 to solve the above-mentioned problem.

[0009] The use of a spring element with an action direction running transversely to the longitudinal axis of the skid board allows for a reduction in the installation space occupied by the spring element on the heel unit in the longitudinal direction of the skid board. The longitudinal direction of the skid board, or the longitudinal axis of the skid board, refers to a downhill position of the heel unit in which the coupling elements are aligned relative to the overall arrangement of the heel unit, for example, relative to a base to be fixed to a skid board, so that they are ready to engage with the ski boot or to hold a ski boot in engagement.For example, if a binding body of the heel unit, which carries the coupling means, is pivotably mounted about an axis on a base of the heel unit fixed to the ski board, such that it can be rotated about the axis between the touring position and the downhill position, then in the downhill position the coupling means can point forward from the binding body along the longitudinal axis of the ski board, wherein the longitudinal axis of the ski board can be defined by the base of the heel unit, which is to be mounted on a ski board in a predetermined position. Preferably, for example, a base of the heel unit has a fastening arrangement (for example, at least one fastening hole for screw fastening to the ski board) which is configured to fasten the base to a ski board in a predetermined orientation, such that the longitudinal axis of the ski board on which the base is intended to be mounted forms a ski board longitudinal axis of the heel unit.At least in the departure position, in which the coupling means are positioned so that they hold or can hold a touring shoe, the direction of action of the spring means then runs transversely, preferably at an angle of approximately 90 degrees, to the longitudinal axis of the sliding board, according to the invention.

[0010] A coil spring can be provided at a relatively low cost and allows for temperature-independent and low-wear operation.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the invention of the first aspect, the heel unit can have a binding body on which the coupling means are held, wherein the binding body is rotatably held about an axis extending vertically to a sliding board plane on a sliding board-fixed base.If, in such an embodiment, the binding body is rotatable about 180 degrees about the axis running perpendicular to the gliding board plane, between a touring position, which corresponds to a coupling position in which the coupling means point towards the touring boot and engage it, and a skiing position in which the coupling means point away from the touring boot so that the touring boot can lift off freely from the heel unit, then a spring means designed according to the first aspect of the invention allows the touring boot to be lowered to a relatively low level in the touring position, since the spring means does not collide with the touring boot due to its limited installation space in the longitudinal direction of the gliding board.Thus, according to the first aspect, the invention also solves the problem of enabling optimal positioning in the downhill position and simultaneously providing a suitable shoe support section for the touring position, which allows comfortable walking on flat terrain.

[0012] Preferably, the spring element is part of a My-release mechanism, which releases the touring boot upwards against the force of the spring element when a force exceeding a predetermined release force acts on the touring boot. Alternatively or additionally, the spring element can be part of an Mz-release mechanism, which releases the touring boot laterally against the force of the spring element when a force exceeding a predetermined release force acts on the touring boot.Furthermore, it is envisaged that the spring element – ​​as a separate spring element or in combination with / as a joint spring element with the My release mechanism and / or the Mz release mechanism – is part of a binding adjustment mechanism. This mechanism allows manual adjustment of the heel unit between a downhill position for locking the heel section of a touring boot and a touring position for releasing the touring boot. The binding adjustment mechanism holds the heel unit stably in either the downhill or touring position under the action of the spring element. As mentioned above, such a binding adjustment mechanism may include a pivotable mounting of a binding body holding the coupling elements on a base fixed to the ski board, in particular a pivotable mounting about an axis perpendicular to a ski board plane.

[0013] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention according to the first aspect, the coupling means comprise a left coupling section and a right coupling section, wherein the two coupling sections are arranged side by side and project forward in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the sliding board, and wherein the coupling sections are spaced further apart from each other in the release position than in the coupled position. The use of a spring element with a direction of action transverse to the longitudinal axis of the sliding board offers particular advantages in combination with coupling sections that move towards or away from each other in a lateral direction (transverse to the longitudinal axis of the sliding board), since the direction of action of the spring element then essentially coincides with the direction of movement of the coupling sections.Laterally movable coupling sections relative to the longitudinal axis of the sliding board can, for example, be used to implement a mu-trigger mechanism, as mentioned above. In this case, it is specifically intended that a left end of the spring element is connected to the right coupling section in a force- and motion-transmitting manner, and vice versa. This achieves the effect that when the coupling sections spread apart (move laterally away from each other), a compressive load is exerted on the spring element, meaning that compression of the spring element can occur.Accordingly, spring means can be used whose normal operating range extends from an unloaded position to a compressed position, and at the same time a mechanism can be provided in which an expansion of the coupling means against the action of such a compression spring takes place.

[0014] In an advantageous technical implementation of the aforementioned principle of coupling the spring element to the coupling sections, it is provided that the heel unit has a spring arrangement comprising: the spring element, a left spring bearing on which a left end of the spring element is supported, a right spring bearing on which a right end of the spring element is supported, a left coupling section bearing on which the left coupling section is supported, a right coupling section bearing on which the right coupling section is supported, a first connecting section which connects the left spring bearing to the right coupling section bearing, and a second connecting section which connects the right spring bearing to the left coupling section bearing.

[0015] Advantageously, the heel unit includes a spring adjustment arrangement for adjusting the preload of the spring center, so that, for example, the release force of a release mechanism can be adjusted.

[0016] According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a touring binding comprising a heel unit of the first aspect of the invention described above and a toe unit, wherein the toe unit has a holding device on which a front section of a touring boot can be pivotably held about a Y-axis extending transversely to a longitudinal axis of a ski board. The advantages and effects described above with regard to the first aspect are achieved in such a touring binding.

[0017] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a preferred embodiment. The figures show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a heel unit of the first embodiment of the invention in a departure position (coupling position), Fig. 2 a top view of the heel unit of the embodiment in the departure position, Fig. 3 a side view of the heel unit in the downhill position, Fig. 4 a sectional view along a line BB in Fig. 2, Fig. 5 a sectional view along a line AA in Fig. 3, Fig. 6 a perspective view of the heel unit of the embodiment during an Mz triggering, Fig. 7 a sectional view analogous to the section of the Fig. 5, however, in the case of an Mz triggering of the heel unit, Fig. 8 a perspective view of the heel unit of the embodiment in a first tour position, Fig. 9 a sectional view analogous Fig. 4, however, in the first tour position of the heel unit, Fig. 10 a sectional view analogous Fig. 5, however, in the first tour position of the heel unit, Fig. 11 a perspective view of the heel unit of the embodiment in a second tour position, Fig. 12 a perspective view of the heel unit of the embodiment in a third tour position, Fig. 13 A perspective exploded view of the heel unit of the embodiment to illustrate a My-trigger mechanism, Fig. 14 a top view of the heel unit of the embodiment in the departure position in a partially disassembled state, Fig. 15 a top view analogous Fig. 14, however, during a My triggering of the heel unit, Fig. 16 a front view of a spring element of the heel unit of the embodiment in the departure position, Fig. 17 a front view of the spring center during a My release, Fig. 18 a sectional view of the spring center in the departure position, and Fig. 19 a sectional view of the spring center during a µ release.

[0018] One in Fig. The heel unit 10 shown in the embodiment of the invention is part of a touring binding for mounting on a ski board, in particular a touring ski, wherein a front unit of the touring binding (not shown) is configured to engage a front section of a touring boot (not shown) such that the touring boot is pivotably held on the front unit about an axis extending transversely to a ski board longitudinal axis L, and wherein the heel unit 10 is configured to engage in a Fig. 1. In the shown downhill or coupling position, engage and hold the heel section of the touring boot and in at least one of the following positions: Fig. 8, Fig. 11 or Fig. The touring position or release position shown in Figure 12 releases the heel section of the boot so that it can lift upwards with each step. The toe unit of the touring binding can be designed according to the model of the toe unit known from EP 2 431 080 A1, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated into the present description by reference.

[0019] The heel unit 10 comprises a base 12, which is designed for mounting on a sliding board and for this purpose has, for example, mounting holes 14 ( Fig. 2) exhibits. In this way, the base 12 defines a gliding board plane E, which corresponds to the surface of the gliding board, and a gliding board longitudinal axis L in the direction of travel of the gliding board. An X-direction runs parallel to the gliding board plane E and in the direction of the gliding board longitudinal axis L. A Y-direction runs parallel to the gliding board plane E and orthogonal to the X-direction. A Z-direction is perpendicular to the gliding board plane E and points vertically upwards. In the present disclosure, terms such as "vertical", "horizontal", "above", "below", "sideways", "forward", "backwards" or the like are related to the coordinate system described above, assuming that the gliding board rests on a horizontal surface and is optionally used in the usual manner by a skier to glide in a forward direction.

[0020] A binding body 16 is held at the base 12, which has coupling means 18, in particular in the form of two forward-projecting coupling pins 18l, 18r, which are designed to engage in a corresponding recess on the rear of a touring boot in order to hold the touring boot in the downhill position. In a manner to be described in more detail below, the binding body 16 can be rotatably held at the base 12 about a pivot axis V extending in the Z-direction and can alternatively or additionally be displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the ski board and pre-tensioned in the forward direction by a spring in order to keep the coupling means securely engaged with the touring boot in the downhill position.

[0021] Furthermore, the heel unit 10 preferably comprises a brake arrangement 20 with at least one brake element 22, which is adjustable between a braking position in which it is lowered to make contact with the ground and a sliding position in which it is raised so that it does not make contact with the ground.

[0022] The following refers to Fig. 1 and Fig. 4. First, a rotatable mounting of the binding body 16 about the axis V according to the exemplary embodiment is explained in more detail. For this purpose, a pin 24, fixed with respect to the base 12 and defining the axis V, can project upwards from the base 12 and be received by a suitable recess 26 of the binding body 16 to form a rotary bearing. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, an annular projection 28 is received on an inner side of the recess 26 in the axial direction of the pin 24 between a foot 30 of the pin 24 and a head 32 of the pin 24. The head 32 can be formed by a retaining element that is detachably connected to the pin 24 by a screw 34 to allow assembly and disassembly of the binding body 16.

[0023] The binding body 16 accommodates a spring element, which in the exemplary embodiment is formed by a plurality of parallel acting helical springs 36-1, 36-2, 36-3 ( Fig. 5) The coil springs 36-1, 36-2, 36-3 are supported on one side by a first spring bearing 38, which is held on the binding body 16, and on the other side by a second spring bearing 40, which is slidably mounted relative to the binding body 16 depending on the compression of the springs 36-1, 36-2, 36-3. The first spring bearing 38 is normally fixed relative to the binding body 16, but its precise position relative to the binding body 16 can be adjusted by means of a screw 42 to adjust the preload of the springs 36-1, 36-2, 36-3. In particular, the first spring bearing 38 can be formed by a slide that is slidably mounted on the binding body 16 and whose position can be adjusted by means of the screw 42. The second spring bearing 40 can be formed by a second slide on which all springs 36-1, 36-2, 36-3 are preferably supported together.The force of the springs 36-1, 36-2, 36-3 presses the second spring bearing 40 against the pin 24. The pin 24 has a shape on its outer wall that deviates from a cylindrical surface, formed by at least one cylindrical section 44 and at least one flattened section 46-1. The second spring bearing 40 and the pin 24 thus form a cam-cam follower arrangement in which, when the connecting body 16 rotates about the axis of rotation V, the second spring bearing 40 slides off the outer contour of the pin 24. The at least one flattened section 46-1 then defines a stable position of the binding body 16 with respect to rotation about the axis V, from which a rotation of the binding body 16 can only occur under compression of the springs 36-1, 36-2, 36-3 and thus only by overcoming a predetermined force. As with reference to . Fig. 5 and Fig. As can be seen in Figure 7, an Mz release mechanism can be implemented in this way. The first flattened section 46-1 of the pin 24 holds the binding body 16 stably in a position in which the coupling means 18 point forward in the longitudinal direction L of the ski board, i.e., in the downhill position. Only against the force of the springs 36-1, 36-2, 36-3, which is selected according to an Mz release force, can a rotation of the binding body 16 from its stable position occur in the event of a fall or similar incident and the application of a very high lateral force to the heel section of the ski boot, thus releasing the ski boot laterally.

[0024] Preferably, a second flattened section 46-2 is provided, which stably holds the binding body in a rotational position different from the downhill position, particularly in a touring position in which the coupling means 18 are disengaged from the heel section of the touring boot. In the exemplary embodiment, the second flattened section 46-2 is provided at a point on the outer circumference of the pin 24 that is offset by approximately 180 degrees relative to the position of the first flattened section 46-1 with respect to a rotation about the axis V. Accordingly, in the exemplary embodiment, the binding body 16 can be adjusted between the downhill position and the touring position by rotating the binding body 16 about the axis V by an angle of approximately 180 degrees.

[0025] It can be seen that in the exemplary embodiment, a common second spring bearing 40 is acted upon by a plurality of parallel-acting springs 36-1, 36-2, 36-3, preferably by several identical springs. A relatively high force can thus be exerted on the second spring bearing 40, enabling high release values ​​and therefore allowing the heel unit to be used even for sporty riding, while preventing false release. At the same time, the individual springs 36-1, 36-2, 36-3 can have a relatively small diameter and thus a relatively low height in the Z-direction, so that the height of the binding body 16 in the area of ​​the springs 36-1, 36-2, 36-3 can be reduced without significant loss of the achievable release force. This effect is already achieved when using only two parallel-acting springs, although the illustrated exemplary embodiment shows a case with three parallel-acting springs as an advantageous variant.

[0026] As especially in the Fig. 1 and Fig. As can be clearly seen in Figure 4, the springs 36-1, 36-2, 36-3 and the spring bearings 38, 40 are preferably housed in a casing 48 of the binding body 16 to protect these elements from moisture and contamination. In the exemplary embodiment, the spring element, in particular the springs 36-1, 36-2, 36-3, run in a horizontal plane and are snugly enclosed by the casing 48, that is, with only minimal clearance between the spring element and the casing wall. Accordingly, the casing 48 has a spring casing section 50, which comprises a horizontal, essentially plate-shaped upper casing wall 52o and a horizontal, essentially plate-shaped lower casing wall 52u, which run parallel to each other at a distance adapted to the outer diameter of the springs of the spring element. The upper casing wall 52o forms a vertically upward-facing shoe support section 54.The lower housing wall 52u forms a vertically downward-pointing brake locking section 56.

[0027] Is the binding body 16 adjusted to the touring position (see Fig. 8 to 10), the spring housing section 50 projects forward in the X-direction so far that it is located in the pivot area of ​​the heel section of the touring boot. In other words, the distance of the spring housing section 50 from the axis of rotation V is approximately the same as, or even greater than, the distance of the coupling means 18 from the axis of rotation V. In a Fig. In the first touring position shown in Figures 8 to 10, the touring boot can then rest on the boot support section 54. Corresponding to a height h0 (preferably approximately 40-45 mm) of the boot support section 54 above the sliding board plane E, the heel section of the boot is then supported at this height h0 above the sliding board plane E. In this embodiment, the height h0 is less than the height d of the coupling means 18 above the sliding board plane E. Alternatively, h0 could be approximately equal to d. The relatively low height h0, which is less than or equal to the height d of the coupling means 18, provides suitable support for the heel section of the touring boot when walking on flat terrain, so that the skier does not lean too far forward on very gentle slopes or horizontal surfaces.

[0028] To facilitate walking on steeper terrain, the heel unit 10 may also have an additional climbing aid arrangement (see in particular Fig. 11 and Fig. 12). In particular, in the exemplary embodiment a first climbing aid 60 is provided, which is adjustable between an active position ( Fig. 11), in which it is designed to support the touring boot at a height h1 above the sliding board plane E, where h1 is greater than h0 (second touring position), and an inactive position ( Fig. 8), in which the first climbing aid 60 is retracted from the pivoting range of the shoe, so that the shoe can rest on the shoe support section 54 of the spring housing section 50 (first tour position). Furthermore, the additional climbing aid arrangement can have a second climbing aid 62, wherein the second climbing aid 62, in an active position, supports the shoe at a height h2 that is greater than the height h1 ( Fig. 12, third tour position), and wherein the second climbing aid 62 can be adjusted to an inactive position ( Fig. 8 or Fig. 11), in which the second climbing aid 62 is retracted from the pivot range of the touring boot, so that the touring boot can lower onto the first climbing aid 60 or onto the boot support section 54. Advantageously, the first climbing aid and / or the second climbing aid can be foldable between active and inactive positions, in particular foldable forwards and backwards about a pivot axis extending in the Y direction. It is also considered advantageous if the first climbing aid 60, in its active position, can be supported on the binding body, in particular on the boot support section 54, so that high stability is achieved. Furthermore, the second climbing aid 62, in its active position, can be supported on the first climbing aid 60 (compare Fig. 11 and Fig. 12).

[0029] The brake arrangement 20 of the heel unit is described below with reference to Fig. 1 explained in more detail. The braking element 22, which may comprise two lateral engagement levers 64l, 64r arranged on either side of the binding body 16, is preferably pivotally mounted on a base-fixed pivot bearing 66 and forms the first arm (or first arms 64l, 64r) of a two-armed lever, the second arm (or second arms) of which are coupled to an actuating element 68. A spring (not shown) biases this lever arrangement into the braking position, that is, the spring pushes the braking element 22 downwards towards the surface and correspondingly pushes the actuating element 68 upwards so that it lifts off the sliding board plane E.In a manner known per se, the actuating element 68 comprises a boot support section 70, which is arranged below the heel section of the boot, so that the boot holds the boot actuating section 70 in a lowered position in the downhill position and thus holds the brake elements 22 in the sliding position, while in the event of a fall release of the boot, the boot actuating section 70 is relieved and the spring of the brake assembly 20 can move the brake element 22 into the braking position. Furthermore, the actuating element 68 preferably has a binding body actuating section 72, which can engage with the binding body 16, in particular the brake locking section 56 of the spring housing section 50, in order to lock the brake assembly 20 in the sliding position in the touring position. As described in particular in . Fig. 8 and Fig. As can be seen in Figure 9, in the touring position, the binding body actuation section 72 is held down below the brake locking section 56 of the binding body 16, so that the spring of the actuation assembly 20 cannot move the actuation element 68 upwards even when the touring boot lifts off the boot actuation section 70. The brake locking section 56 thus locks the brake assembly 20 in its sliding position in the touring position.

[0030] Thus, in the touring position, the binding body 16, in particular the spring housing section 50, serves both to lock the brake arrangement 20 in the sliding position and as a shoe support section for walking on flat terrain.

[0031] The following refers to the Fig. Figures 13 to 19 explain a variant of a My-trigger mechanism in more detail. It should be noted that, in principle, a known trigger mechanism can be used for this trigger mechanism, for example, an arrangement such as that known from AT 402 020 B. However, an advantageous trigger mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention is explained below with reference to the illustrated embodiment.

[0032] The My release mechanism of the embodiment controls a My release of the shoe, that is, a release of the heel section of the shoe in a direction vertically upwards (for example, in a frontal fall) by spreading two essentially parallel coupling pins 18l, 18r from a normal position according to Fig. 14 against the force of a spring arrangement 74 to a release position according to Fig. 15. The coupling pins 18l, 18r, which extend essentially in the X direction, have engagement sections 76 at their front ends for engagement with the heel section of the touring boot and have bearing sections 78 at their rear ends, on which they can be pivotably mounted on the binding body 16 about a pivot axis preferably extending in the Z direction. In the event of a my release, the pins 18l, 18r then pivot out of the in Fig. 14 normal position shown out around the respective bearing sections 78, so that the coupling sections 76 of the coupling pins 18l, 18r move away from each other against the clamping force of the spring arrangement 74.

[0033] The spring assembly 74 comprises a spring 80 whose direction of action is in the Y-direction, that is, transverse to the longitudinal direction L of the sliding board. The direction of action here runs in particular along a spring axis F oriented in the Y-direction, which forms a longitudinal axis of the spring 80. The spring 80 is a helical spring, so that the spring axis is a central axis of the helical spring.

[0034] In principle, the spring 80 could be subjected to tension, that is, a left longitudinal end of the spring 80 could be coupled to the left coupling pin 18l and a right longitudinal end of the spring 80 could be coupled to the right coupling pin 18r, and the spring could be dimensioned and attached in such a way that in the release position ( Fig. 15) is expanded, that is, it is longer than the neutral length of the spring (without spring force). However, a better defined displacement-force behavior and thus a better defined release force can be achieved if, as in the illustrated embodiment according to Fig. 13 to 19, the spring 80 is subjected to compression. For this purpose, a left longitudinal end 82l of the spring 80 (in the direction of travel) is advantageously coupled to the right coupling pin 18r, and a right longitudinal end 82r of the spring 80 is coupled to the left coupling pin 18l. This can be achieved by a right spring bearing 84r, on which the right end 82r of the spring 80 is supported, having a first arm section 86-1 which extends from the right end 82r of the spring 80 in the Y-direction towards the left coupling pin 18l and passes the right coupling pin 18r, for example below the coupling pin 18r. The first arm section 86-1 is connected to the left coupling pin 18l in a tensile force transmitting manner, for example by positive locking of the coupling pin 18l behind a U-shaped hook section 88-1.Similarly, a left spring bearing 84l is provided to support the left end 82l of the spring 80, wherein the left spring bearing 84l has a second arm section 86-2 that extends in the Y-direction towards the right coupling pin 18r and passes over the left coupling pin 18l, in particular below the coupling pin 18l. The second arm section 86-2 is coupled to the right coupling pin 18r in a tensile force-transmitting manner, for example by a positive locking engagement via a U-shaped hook section 88-2.

[0035] The spring assembly 74 can further include a preload adjustment device 90 for adjusting the preload of the spring 80. In the exemplary embodiment, this preload adjustment device 90 has an adjustable spring seat 92, on which one end of the spring 80, for example here the left end 82l, is supported, and whose relative position in the Y-direction relative to the associated arm section, here to the second arm section 86-2, is adjustable. The adjustment can be achieved by the spring seat 92 being threaded onto a threaded rod 94, which completely passes through the spring 80 along the Y-direction and is rotatably mounted in the spring bearings 84r, 84l. By rotating the threaded rod 94, for example by a tool that engages a tool engagement section 96 at the end of the threaded rod 94, the preload of the spring 80 can then be adjusted.At the opposite spring bearing, here the right spring bearing 84r, the threaded rod 94 is preferably rotatably and axially displaceably held to allow relative movement of the two spring bearings 84r, 84l to each other (compare . Fig. 18 and Fig. 19) However, the movable end can have a stop 98, for example in the form of an enlarged head, to limit displacement of the threaded rod 94 in the spring bearing, here 84r, opposite the preload adjusting device 90, in one direction, in order to achieve a normal position according to Fig. 14 to determine, that is, a minimum distance between the engagement sections 76 of the coupling pins 18l, 18r.

[0036] Fig. Figure 13 shows that the spring assembly 74 can be mounted on and removed from the binding body 16 essentially as a single unit. The binding body 16 can have a rail 110 extending in the Y-direction, in which the arm sections 86-1, 86-2 of the spring assembly 74 can be guided, as well as a cover 102, which covers the spring 80 and protects it against moisture and contamination. The spring assembly 74 can be accommodated between the rail 110 and the cover 102. At least one screw 104 can fasten the cover 102 to the binding body 16, thus simultaneously mounting both the cover 102 and the spring assembly 74 to the binding body 16. If, in particular, two such screws 104 are provided, they can additionally serve a dual function by providing the pivot axes of the coupling pins 18l, 18r, i.e., they can simultaneously form the bearing sections 78.Such an arrangement allows for the saving of components and the simplification of assembly.

[0037] Furthermore, the first and / or second climbing aid 60, 62 can be mounted on the cover 102, so that they can be mounted or dismounted together with the cover 102 as a unit on the binding body 16.

[0038] In Fig. 8 and Fig.Figure 9 shows that in the touring position of the heel unit 10, at least in the first touring position, the spring assembly 74 is positioned such that it is not in the pivoting area of ​​the touring boot, allowing the heel section of the touring boot to lower onto the boot support section 54 of the binding body 16 without colliding with the My release mechanism. In particular, the spring 80, oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis of the glide board, thus contributes to reducing the height of the binding body 16 in the section where the touring boot lowers onto the binding body 16 in the touring position, enabling comfortable movement even on flat or only slightly sloping terrain. Specifically, the orientation of the spring 80 can ensure that the height h0 of the boot support section 54 is less than the height d of the coupling pins 18l, 18r.

[0039] Finally, it should be noted that the heel unit 10 may have a pressure mechanism which pre-tensions the binding body towards the touring ski in the downhill position, i.e., forwards in the longitudinal direction of the gliding board, so that the coupling means 18 remain in secure contact and engagement with the boot even if the distance between the toe unit and heel unit 10 changes during a descent (especially when the ski flexes while crossing an uneven terrain). A defined stop is achieved, for example, by the rear boot stop 108 of the binding body contacting the heel section of the boot, thus ensuring optimal engagement of the coupling means 18.In a manner known per se, the pressure mechanism can be implemented by the fact that the pin 24, on which the binding body 16 is rotatably mounted about the axis V, is not fixed to the base, but is provided on a slide 111 which is guided displaceably at the base 12 in the X-direction. The slide 111 can be biased forward by a pressure spring 112, which thus pushes the binding body 16 forward. Further details of the pressure mechanism can be provided analogously to the mechanism known from EP 2 545 966 ​​A2, the disclosure of which is hereby fully incorporated by reference into the following description.

Claims

[1] Heel unit (10) for a touring binding, comprising coupling means (18) for coupling a heel portion of a touring boot, wherein the coupling means (18) are adjustable against the force of a spring means (80) between a coupling position in which they hold the touring boot and a release position in which they are released from engagement with the touring boot, wherein the spring means (80) in a downhill position for holding a heel portion of a touring boot has a direction of action extending horizontally in a Y-direction transverse to a gliding board longitudinal axis, characterized by that the spring means (80) comprises a helical spring (80) whose main axis runs transversely to the sliding board longitudinal axis, wherein the helical spring (80) is a compression spring. [2] Heel unit (10) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the spring means (80) is part of a My-release mechanism which releases the touring boot upwards against the force of the spring means (80) when a force exceeding a predetermined release force acts on the touring boot. [3] Heel unit (10) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by that the spring means (80) is part of an Mz release mechanism which releases the touring boot in a lateral direction against the force of the spring means (80) when a force exceeding a predetermined release force acts on the touring boot. [4] Heel unit (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized byin that the spring means (80) is part of a binding adjustment mechanism which is adjustable for manually adjusting the heel unit (10) between a downhill position for holding a heel section of a touring boot and a touring position for releasing the touring boot, wherein the binding adjustment mechanism holds the heel unit (10) stably in the downhill position or the touring position under the force effect of the spring means (80). [5] Heel unit (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by in that the coupling means (18) comprise a left coupling section (18l) and a right coupling section (18r), wherein the two coupling sections (18l, 18r) are arranged next to one another and project forwards in the direction of the sliding board longitudinal axis, and wherein the coupling sections (18l, 18r) are spaced apart from one another by a greater distance in the release position than in the coupling position. [6] Heel unit (10) according to claim 5, characterized by that a left end (82l) of the spring means (80) is connected to the right coupling section (18r) in a force- and movement-transmitting manner, and that a right end (82r) of the spring means (80) is connected to the left coupling section (18l) in a force- and movement-transmitting manner. [7] Heel unit (10) according to claim 5 or claim 6, characterized by a spring arrangement (74) comprising: the spring means (80), a left spring bearing (84l), on which a left end (82l) of the spring means (80) is supported, a right spring bearing (84r), on which a right end (82r) of the spring means (80) is supported, a left coupling section bearing (88-1) on which the left coupling section (18l) is supported, a right coupling section bearing (88-2) on which the right coupling section (18r) is supported, a first connecting section (86-1) connecting the left spring bearing (84l) to the right coupling section bearing (88-2), and a second connecting portion (86-2) connecting the right spring bearing (84r) to the left coupling portion bearing (88-1). [8] Heel unit (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by a spring adjustment arrangement (90) for adjusting a preload of the spring means (80). [9] Touring binding comprising a heel unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims and a front unit which has a holding device on which a front section of a touring boot can be held pivotably about a Y-axis running transversely to a gliding board longitudinal axis.

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