Alpine touring binding toe unit

Abstract

This disclosure pertains to a toe unit for engaging a footwear toe of a footwear to releasably fasten the footwear toe to a snow travel aid. The toe unit comprises: a base for mounting on the snow travel aid; a slider slidably mounted on the base, the slider operably configured to resiliently slide laterally upon the base and away from a central position in response to a lateral force; opposable jaws mounted on the slider, wherein the jaws are moveable between an open and a closed position to releasably engage respective sides of the footwear toe in the closed position in order to fasten the footwear toe to the snow travel aid and to permit pivotal movement of the footwear about an axis intersecting the jaws. The opposable jaws are operable to move from the closed position to the open position independent of displacement of the slider from the central position in response to torque generated by rotation of the footwear about the footwear toe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A toe unit for engaging a footwear toe of a footwear to releasably fasten the footwear toe to a snow travel aid, the toe unit comprising:
 a base for mounting on the snow travel aid;   a slider slidably mounted on the base, the slider operably configured to resiliently slide laterally upon the base and away from a central position in response to a lateral force;   opposable jaws mounted on the slider, wherein the jaws are moveable between an open and a closed position to releasably engage respective sides of the footwear toe in the closed position in order to fasten the footwear toe to the snow travel aid and to permit pivotal movement of the footwear about an axis intersecting the jaws;   
       wherein opposable jaws are operably configured to move from the closed position to the open position in response to torque generated by rotation of the footwear about the footwear toe and independent of displacement of the slider from the central position. 
     
     
         2 . The toe unit of  claim 1 , wherein the slider is operably configured to slide laterally upon the base and away from the central position along an arc curving rearward and having an apex at the central position. 
     
     
         3 . The toe unit of  claim 1 , comprising slider biasing means for biasing the slider toward the central position in response to the lateral force. 
     
     
         4 . The toe unit of  claim 3 , wherein the slider biasing means comprises a positioner, the positioner comprising one or more resilient members positioned in the base generally perpendicular to a forward face of the slider. 
     
     
         5 . The toe unit of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more resilient members comprises one or more compression springs. 
     
     
         6 . The toe unit of  claim 4 , wherein the positioner comprises a positioner follower connected to the one or more resilient members for engaging a forward cam surface on a forward face of the slider to bias the slider toward the central position. 
     
     
         7 . The toe unit of  claim 6 , wherein the forward face of the slider comprises a forward face recession comprising the forward cam surface, the forward face recession operably configured to receive the positioner follower. 
     
     
         8 . The toe unit of  claim 7 , wherein the positioner follower comprises a positioner follower end operably configured for reception in the forward face recession, the positioner follower end having a shape complementary to the shape of the forward face recession. 
     
     
         9 . The toe unit of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more resilient elements is adjustable to adjust the force necessary to displace the slider from the central position. 
     
     
         10 . The toe unit of  claim 1 , wherein the base comprises one or more lateral limiters for limiting a maximum displacement of the slider from the central position. 
     
     
         11 . The toe unit of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more lateral limiters comprise opposing stoppers configured to abut the slider to limit lateral movement. 
     
     
         12 . The toe unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a displacement indicator operably configured to indicate an extent of lateral displacement of the slider from the central position, wherein the displacement indicator comprises an indicator follower moveable along a longitudinal axis, and the slider comprises a rear face comprising a rear cam surface operably configured to engage a first end of the indicator follower, wherein the indicator follower is moveable from a first position proximal to the rear cam surface toward a second position distal to the rear cam surface in response to lateral movement of the slider to indicate the extent of lateral displacement of the slider from the central position. 
     
     
         13 . The toe unit of  claim 12 , wherein the rear face comprises a rear face recession comprising the rear cam surface, the rear face recession operably configured to receive the first end of the indicator follower. 
     
     
         14 . The toe unit of  claim 12 , wherein the displacement indicator is marked at regular intervals to facilitate quantification of slider displacement from the central position. 
     
     
         15 . A heel unit and toe unit system for engaging a footwear to releasably fasten the footwear to a snow travel aid, the system comprising:
 a toe unit as defined in  claim 1 ; and   a heel unit comprising a rotating heel.