A mechanism for attaching, for example, a boot to a ski, that uses a sphere in cylinder geometry to enable release in a wide array of incremental directions and rotations.

A binding system for a touring ski binding has a front jaw device and a rear jaw device for receiving a ski boot. In a descent mode, the front jaw device is open and the rear jaw device is closed, so that a retainer can receive a web of the ski boot, and a lever mechanism can fix a heel part of the ski boot. The rear jaw device with the lever mechanism exerts a contact pressure on the heel part of the ski boot along a boot longitudinal axis (X), so that the web is pressed into a hook system of the front jaw device, and the ski boot is thus secured against translation against the boot longitudinal axis (X).

An apparatus is provided for holding a footwear toe to a snow travel aid. The apparatus comprises jaws that grasp the toe while permitting pivotal movement of the footwear about the toe in forward and rearward directions and is for use with a heel holder that provides for lateral release. The apparatus comprises one or more resilient elements for biasing the jaws whereby the jaws are biased towards a closed position throughout the operational range of motion of the jaws. Also provided is an apparatus which comprises jaws that grasp the toe while permitting pivotal movement of footwear about the toe, wherein the apparatus is adapted for generally horizontal, forward and rearward translation relative to a longitudinal axis of the snow travel aid, selectively by a user. Also provided is an apparatus comprising jaws that grasp the toe while permitting pivotal movement of footwear about the toe, and a lock for inhibiting opening of the jaws, the lock comprising one or more resilient elements which provide resilience while inhibiting opening of the jaws.

The present invention relates to a release mechanism for a ski binding system, wherein the system comprises a ski shoe wherein pins moveable in each direction are arranged and at least one intermediate spring element, wherein the pins are adapted to slide in a barrel between a protruding and a retracted position, The system comprises a frame with two vertical parts arranged on a ski, wherein each vertical part has an opening each for receiving a pin protruding sideways out of the ski shoe, two bails with claws at one end and brought together in a manipulator at the other end, wherein the claws and the manipulator are adapted so that they can move synchronously into the openings in the opposite direction of the pins.