Abstract:
A ski boot sole for cooperating with a ski binding to releasably hold the sole in the binding, the sole having front and rear recesses with front and rear fitting plates. The front recess and the front fitting plate are engaged by the front sole holder rotatable about a longitudinal axis for releasably holding the front sole holder against displacement in the forward, sideways and vertical directions. The rear recess and rear fitting plate are engageable by the rear sole holder which is rotatable about a transverse axis. The rear sole holder butts against the portion of the fitting plate extending outside the border of the sole to secure the rear portion of the sole in the rearward, sideways and vertical directions.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/723,336 filed Nov. 26, 2003, which claims priority from German patent application Serial No. 102 55 499.4 filed Nov. 27, 2002. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The invention relates to a ski boot soles and to the combination of ski boot soles and ski boot bindings.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0005]     In the case of virtually all ski bindings which are currently available on the market, a front boot-retaining unit and a rear boot-retaining unit are arranged on the ski, the front boot-retaining unit interacting in a formfitting manner with the toe end, and the rear boot-retaining unit interacting in a formfitting manner with the heel end, of the “standard” sole of a ski boot. To be precise, the front boot-retaining unit prevents the toe end of the sole from moving forward in the longitudinal direction of the ski and from moving in the direction of the vertical and transverse axes of the ski, while the rear boot-retaining unit secures the heel end of the sole against moving rearward in the longitudinal direction of the ski and against moving in the direction of the vertical and transverse axes of the ski.  
         [0006]     Such bindings have reached a high standard of development and a high level of reliability. In principle, however, they have the disadvantage that any dirt which accumulates between the soles and boot-retaining units may influence the disengaging behavior.  
         [0007]     Consequently, U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,524 has already developed ski bindings in the case of which the ski boot stands on a standing and/or carrying plate of the binding, it being possible for this plate to be rotated about a vertical ski axis counter to an adjustable resistance. With the boot inserted into the binding, the boot sole is fixed on the carrying plate by means of boot-retaining elements on the plate, which interact with mating elements on the sole.  
         [0008]     If the skier&#39;s boot or foot tries to execute a rotary movement with respect to the vertical axis of the ski when the skier falls, the resistance to rotation which is to be overcome during this rotary movement is determined, in the case of a binding according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,524, exclusively by elements of the binding which can be arranged, in principle, such that they are protected against dirt, for example, according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,524, within the standing and/or carrying plate.  
         [0009]     Nevertheless, the binding according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,524 still does not have a satisfactorily reproducible behavior. The resistance to rotation which counteracts rotation of the standing and/or carrying plate about the vertical axis is determined by a spring arrangement which also gives rise to the disengaging resistance of the boot-retaining elements on the plate. The arrangement here is such that, during rotation of the standing and/or carrying plate about the vertical axis, the boot-retaining elements attain an increasing clearance for movement in the direction of their boot-releasing position. Conversely, the standing and/or carrying plate attains a clearance for rotation as soon as the boot-retaining elements are adjusted in the direction of their boot-releasing position by relative movements between the standing and/or carrying plate and boot sole. It is thus possible for dirt which is found between the standing and/or carrying plate and boot sole to influence, on the one hand, the disengaging behavior of the binding and, on the other hand, the restoring behavior of the binding within its so-called region of elasticity, within which disruptive forces acting on the binding result in movements of the binding elements or parts, but not in the binding being disengaged, with the result that, as the disruptive force dissipates again, the binding can be restored into the normal state, in which the boot is fixed in a predetermined desired position.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     It is an object of the invention, then, in the case of a ski binding, to ensure disengaging and elasticity behavior which can be reproduced to particularly good effect.  
         [0011]     This object is achieved according to the invention by a disengageable ski binding having a standing and/or carrying plate which is provided as a standing surface for a ski boot and is arranged on a base or bearing part, which is mounted on the ski and/or can be fitted firmly on the ski, such that it can be rotated about a vertical axis of the base part counter to an adjustable resistance of a first latching device, and having disengageable front and rear boot or sole holders which are arranged on the standing and/or carrying plate and which, in a use position, interact in a formfitting manner with mating surfaces or elements on the boot or boot sole and fix these essentially firmly on the standing and/or carrying plate, it being the case that the rear sole holders, in the case of disruptive forces which raise up the boot vertically from the standing and/or carrying plate, can be adjusted into a release position counter to an adjustable resistance of a second latching arrangement, which is separate from the first latching device, and/or the front boot or sole holders are locked within a predeterminable angle-of-rotation region of the standing and/or carrying plate in respect of the vertical axis, at least essentially without affecting the resistance of the first latching device, and are unlocked outside the region of rotation.  
         [0012]     The invention is based on the general idea of ruling out any critical relative movement between the boot sole and standing and/or carrying plate within the region of elasticity of the binding. This is achieved, in the first instance, in that rotary movements of the standing and/or carrying plate about the vertical axis which are caused by disruptive forces, on account of the first and second latching devices being separate from one another and of the initially maintained locking of the front boot and/or sole holders, cannot result in any play, in particular clearance for rotation, of the boot sole relative to the standing and/or carrying plate. Within the region of elasticity, the rotary movement of the carrying and/or standing plate does not have any effect on the position of the boot and/or sole holders relative to the standing and/or carrying plate.  
         [0013]     It should be emphasized here that the rear sole holders, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, can be disengaged only in the vertical direction, i.e. by forces which try to raise up the heel region of the boot vertically from the standing and/or carrying plate. Accordingly, there is no possibility of any displacements between the sole and standing and/or carrying plate in the heel region if disruptive forces give rise to a torque between the boot and ski in respect of the vertical axis.  
         [0014]     If any disruptive forces try to raise up the boot vertically from the standing and/or carrying plate, with adjustment of the rear boot holder in the direction of the disengagement state, it is not possible for any dirt between the standing and/or carrying plate and boot sole to have a disruptive influence.  
         [0015]     According to a quite particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the standing and/or carrying plate is assigned a torque support by means of which torques which act on the standing and/or carrying plate in respect of a transverse plate axis are converted into torques in respect of the vertical axis, and a moment which assists further rotation of the standing and/or carrying plate about the vertical axis is produced as soon as the standing and/or carrying plate has left a central position or a central position region. This makes it possible to allow for the fact that torsional loading of the shin and of the ankles and knee joints are to be reduced when the leg is subjected to additional stressing by further forces such as those which typically arise when the skier falls in the forward or rearward direction. Because of the abovementioned torque support, the disruptive forces which are responsible for further stressing are thus used in order to reduce the resistance to rotation which counteracts rotation of the standing and/or carrying plate about the vertical axis, with the result that a rotary displacement of the standing and/or carrying plate which unlocks the front boot or sole holders, and thus release of the boot, are achieved relatively easily.  
         [0016]     In addition, as far as preferred features of the invention are concerned, the claims and the following explanation of the drawing illustrate these, with reference to which a particularly preferred embodiment and a number of possible modifications are described in more detail. Protection is claimed here not just for combinations of features which are expressly given in the claims or the description, but also for basically any desired sub-combinations of the features illustrated.  
         [0017]     Another feature of the present invention is to provide a ski boot sole having spaced structure for cooperating with ski bindings, where the spacing is constant regardless of changes in sizes of the ski boot sole. The portion can also cooperate or interact with similarly fixed ski binding structure with a play-free form fit. The ends of the ski boot sole can have different shapes since they do not interact with the ski binding.  
         [0018]     A preferred embodiment of the ski boot sole according to the invention for use with the disengageable ski binding disclosed herein includes a front fitting plate disposed in a front depression rearward of a front recess for receiving the toe holder of a binding, a front sole holder latching apparatus for being engaged by the toe holder when it enters the front recess, a rear recess for receiving a rear sole holder and rear sole holder latching structure fixed with respect to the sole for being engaged by the rear sole holder. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]     The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which forms a part hereof, and are not meant to limit same, and wherein:  
         [0020]      FIG. 1  shows a plan view of the top side of a binding according to the invention,  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  shows an associated side view,  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  shows an associated plan view of the underside of the binding,  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  shows a rear view of the binding according to the arrow IV in  FIG. 1 ,  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  shows a front view of the binding according to the arrow V in  FIG. 1 ,  
         [0025]      FIG. 6  shows a sectional view corresponding to section line VI-VI in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ,  
         [0026]      FIG. 7  shows a perspective plan view of the binding according to the invention with the standing and/or carrying plate open on the top side,  
         [0027]      FIG. 8  shows a schematic sectional illustration of a torque support of the standing and/or carrying plate,  
         [0028]      FIG. 9  shows a perspective exploded illustration of the underside of a ski-boot sole interacting with the binding according to the invention, and  
         [0029]      FIG. 10  shows a perspective illustration of the underside of the sole and of the front and rear sole holders interacting with fitting parts on the sole. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0030]     The binding according to the invention has a base plate  2  which is arranged on a ski  1 , indicated partly in  FIG. 2 , which is connected at its front end, as seen in the longitudinal direction of the ski, in a hinge-like manner to a bearing part  3 , arranged firmly on the ski, such that it can be pivoted about a transverse ski axis, and which is secured vertically, with displaceability in the longitudinal direction of the ski, at its rear end, as seen in the longitudinal direction of the ski, in a further ski-mounted bearing part  4 .  
         [0031]     Arranged on the base plate  2  is a standing and/or carrying plate  5 , which can be rotated about a vertical axis of the base plate  2  and of which the top side serves as a standing and/or supporting surface for the sole of a ski boot which is to be inserted into the ski binding. The standing and/or carrying plate  5  has a bottom plate part  5 ′, designed as a frame and structural part, and a covering part  5 ″ on the top side. The abovementioned connection between the base plate  2  and standing and/or carrying plate  5 , it being possible for said connection to be pivoted about a vertical axis, is arranged between the base plate  2  and the bottom plate part  5 ′, it being possible for the pivot bearing to be formed, for example, by an elevation in the form of a circular disk being integrally formed on the underside of the bottom plate part  5 ′, said elevation engaging in a correspondingly circular recess in the base plate  2  and being connected firmly to a flange plate  6  (see  FIG. 3 ) which is arranged on the underside of the base plate and overlaps the abovementioned circular recess of the base plate  2  in the radially outward direction.  
         [0032]     The standing and/or carrying plate  5  (see  FIG. 2 ) is kept in the central position, which is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , by a first latching device  7 , which is explained in more detail below. The carrying plate  5  can be rotated relative to the longitudinal axis of the ski and/or of the base plate  2 , counter to the resistance of the abovementioned latching device  7 , corresponding to the arrows Q in  FIGS. 1 and 3 .  
         [0033]     Front and rear sole holders  8  and  9  are arranged on the standing and/or carrying plate  5 , and the sole  10  of a boot inserted into the binding is fixed in a virtually immovable manner on the standing and/or carrying plate  5  by means of said sole holders in their use position (see, for example,  FIGS. 1, 2  and  10 ).  
         [0034]     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1, 2  and  10 , the front sole holders  8  can be pivoted into a release position, to the side of the standing and/or carrying plate  5 , about axes  11  (see  FIG. 6 ) extending in the longitudinal direction of the standing and/or carrying plate  5 , while the rear sole holders  9  can be tilted into a release position about an axis  12  extending in the transverse plate direction.  
         [0035]     As is described in more detail below with the explanation of the first latching device  7 , the front sole holders  8  are locked in their use position when the standing and/or carrying plate  5  assumes its normal position according to  FIGS. 1 and 3  or a position within a pivoting region which is provided for the region of elasticity of the binding and is located on both sides of the normal position. As soon as this pivoting region is exceeded to the right or left, the front sole holders  8  are unlocked, with the result that they can readily be swung or moved into their release position.  
         [0036]     The rear sole holders  9  can interact with a second latching device  13 , which is explained in more detail below, and with an actuating lever  14 . In the case of corresponding disruptive forces or moments acting on the rear sole holders  9 , the rear sole holders  9  are tilted, in the clockwise direction in  FIG. 2 , in a self-retaining release position. It is also possible for the rear sole holders  9  to be changed over between the use position and release position by the actuating lever  14 , or for the rear sole holders to interact with the first latching device  7 .  
         [0037]     According to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the sole  10  of the ski boot which is to be inserted into the binding has, approximately in the ball-of-the-foot region and/or at a relatively large distance from the toe end of the sole, recesses  15 , which are open in relation to the underside of the sole and in relation to the longitudinal borders of the sole, and a depression  16 , which is open in the downward direction and in relation to the abovementioned recesses  15  and has a planar base which is provided with accommodating bores  17  for screws or the like. A fitting plate  18  is arranged in the depression  16  and fastened by screws or the like (not illustrated), which are screwed into the accommodating bores  17 . The fitting plate  18  has a slightly wedge-shaped front edge  18 ′, of which the corner regions are accommodated in a formfitting manner by corresponding recesses of the front sole holders  8  when the front sole holders  8  assume their use position and the sole  10  is pushed, by way of the front edge  18 ′ of the fitting plate  18 , into the abovementioned recesses of the sole holders  8  in the longitudinal direction of the sole, the sole  10  being seated flatly, by way of an underside region  10 ′ adjacent to the fitting plate  18 , on the top side of the standing and/or carrying plate  5  in the vicinity of the front sole holders  8 .  
         [0038]     The abovementioned form fit between the corner regions of the front edge  18 ′ of the fitting plate  18  and the recesses of the front sole holders  8  is designed such that the sole  10  is secured and/or arrested against displacement in the forward, sideways and vertical directions.  
         [0039]     The rear region of the sole  10  contains recesses  19  which are open in the downward direction and in relation to the side borders of the sole  10  and merge into a depression  20  which is remote from the rear sole end, is open in the direction of the recesses and in the direction of the underside of the sole and has a planar base with accommodating bores  21  for screws or the like. A fitting plate  22  is arranged in this depression  20  and fixed by screws or the like (not illustrated), which are screwed into the abovementioned accommodating bores  21 . The fitting plate  22  is T-shaped in plan view, such that angled indents  22 ′ are formed in the fitting plate  22 .  
         [0040]     In their use position, the rear sole holders  9 , with the boot inserted into the binding, engage over the upwardly-oriented side of the fitting plate  22  from above in the region of the indents  22 ′, in which case those borders of the indents  22 ′ which extend in the longitudinal direction of the sole butt against the mutually facing flanks of the rear sole holders  9  and those borders of the indent  22 ′ which extend in the transverse direction of the sole butt against the front borders of the rear sole holders  9 , these borders being essentially vertical in the use position, and an underside region  10 ″ of the sole  10 , which extends in front of the fitting plate  22 , rests flatly on the top side of the standing and/or carrying plate  5  in the vicinity of the rear sole holders  9 . Accordingly, by virtue of a form fit between the fitting plate  22  and the rear sole holders  9 , the rear sole region is secured against movement in the rearward, sideways and vertical directions.  
         [0041]     The sole  10  need be of rigid design essentially only between the fitting plates  18  and  22 , such that the fitting plates  18  and  22  are always in a reproducible position in relation to the regions  10 ′ and  10 ″ on the underside of the sole  10  and, accordingly, can interact with the sole holders  8  and  9  with a play-free form fit. The sole regions in front of and behind the fitting plates  18  and  22  may be formed, for the most part, as desired. In particular, it is possible for the underside of the sole to be curved in these regions so as to facilitate a rolling movement of the foot during walking.  
         [0042]     The first latching device  7 , according to  FIG. 7 , has a spring housing  23 , which is arranged firmly on the bottom plate part  5 ′ of the standing and/or carrying plate  5  and accommodates a helical compression spring  24 . One end of the helical compression spring  24  is supported on a spring abutment, which can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the spring housing  23  by means of an adjusting screw  25 , with the result that it is possible to change the spring stressing by means of a screwing tool which can be attached to the head  25 ′ of the adjusting screw  25 , said head being accessible at the rear border of the standing and/or carrying plate  5 . The other end of the helical compression spring  24 , according to the separate detail form illustration in  FIG. 7 , is held under stressing against a piston  26 , which can be displaced in the spring housing  23  and, for its part, is held under stressing, by the spring force, against a facing transverse member of a tilting lever  27 , said transverse member of the tilting lever  27  engaging in a transverse slot on the facing side of the piston  26 . The transverse member of the tilting lever  27  interacts with tilting pins  28  and  29 , which are firmly arranged as parts of the spring housing  23  and around which the transverse member of the tilting lever  27 , in the normal position thereof, engages by way of corresponding, approximately semicircular recesses. The helical compression spring  24  and the piston  26  on which the latter acts try to keep the transverse member of the tilting lever  27  in abutment against the two tilting pins  28  and  29 . If the tilting lever  27  is pivoted about one of the tilting pins  28  or  29  by corresponding forces, the piston  26  is forced back counter to the force of the helical compression spring  24  as soon as the tilting lever  27  is subjected to a moment which overcomes the prestressing of the helical compression spring  24 .  
         [0043]     The tilting lever  27  engages, by way of a fork-like end, around a pin  30  which is firmly arranged on the base plate  2 . Correspondingly, the tilting lever  27  has to be deflected out of its normal position, which is illustrated in  FIG. 7 , with pivoting about the tilting pin  28  or  29 , when the standing and/or carrying plate  5  on the base plate  2  executes a rotary movement about the vertical axis passing centrally through the flange plate  6  (see  FIG. 3 ).  
         [0044]     As a result, it is thus only possible for the standing and/or carrying plate  5  to execute a rotation about the abovementioned vertical axis on the base plate  2  when the standing and/or carrying plate  5  is subjected to a sufficient torque, the magnitude of which is determined by the prestressing of the helical compression spring  24 . As soon as this torque is exceeded, the standing and/or carrying plate  5  is pivoted to a more or less great extent.  
         [0045]     On a part which is connected firmly to the bottom plate part  5 ′ of the standing and/or carrying plate  5 , a yoke  31  is arranged such that it can be pivoted about a longitudinal plate axis. A leg spring  32  forces the yoke  31  into the normal position, which is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . The ends of the yoke  31  interact, in the manner of cams, with a guide track or guide curve  33  firmly arranged on the base plate  2 , such that the yoke  31  executes a pivoting movement in one direction or the other when the standing and/or carrying plate  5  is pivoted relative to the base plate  2  in one direction or the other.  
         [0046]     The yoke  31  is coupled in a rotationally fixed manner to a control plate  34 , which can be seen in  FIG. 6  and has circle-arc-shaped border sections  34 ′ located centrally in relation to the pivot pin  35 , and adjoining border sections  34 ″ which are located more or less radially in relation to the pivot pin  35 .  
         [0047]     In the normal position of the yoke  31  and of the control plate  34 , the border sections  34 ′ butt against associated borders  8 ′ of the front sole holders  8 , which are in the form of double levers according to  FIG. 6 , with the result that these are locked in their use position. When the standing and/or carrying plate  5  is pivoted sufficiently widely relative to the base plate, the control plate  34  executes a pivoting displacement of such a magnitude that one of the front sole holders  8  is freed from the associated border section  34 ′ of the control plate  34  and, by way of its control-plate end, can slide onto the adjacent border section  34 ″ and, accordingly, execute a pivoting movement into its release position. The kinematics between the yoke  31  and guide track or guide curve  33  here are such that, in the case of a corresponding pivoting displacement of the standing and/or carrying plate  5 , that sole holder  8  which is arranged on that border side of the standing and/or carrying plate  5  which is oriented in the respective pivoting direction tilts, or can tilt, into its release position.  
         [0048]     The second latching device  13 , which controls the rear sole holders  9 , has a helical compression spring  36 , which is clamped in between an abutment  38 , which can be displaced on the bottom part  5 ′ of the standing and/or carrying plate  5  by means of an adjusting screw  37 , and a piston  39 , which can be displaced on the bottom plate part  5 ′. The threaded part of the adjusting screw  37  is connected in a non-rotatable and axially fixed manner to the abutment  38  and bears an adjusting nut  37 ′ which is accessible from the outside and is mounted in an axially rotatable manner on the rear side of the standing and/or carrying plate  5 , with the result that, by screwing adjustment of the adjusting nut  37 ′ on the adjusting screw  37 , it is possible to adjust the distance between the abutment  38  and the adjusting nut  37 ′ and thus the prestressing of the helical compression spring  36 .  
         [0049]     On its end side which is directed toward the rear sole holders  9 , the piston  39  has a track-like guide surface which interacts with a cam part, which cannot be seen in  FIG. 7 , and is arranged on a connecting component  40  which connects the rear sole holders  9  to one another in a rotationally fixed manner and may be integrally formed with the sole holders  9 . The cam part and the curved surface here interact such that the piston  39 , in the first instance, has to execute a comparatively large displacement counter to the compressive force of the helical spring  36  when the rear sole holders  9  are pivoted rearward by a comparatively small extent out of the use position, which is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . As the rear sole holders are pivoted further, they pass through a dead-center position between the cam part and track-like curved surface. Thereafter, the cam part of the rear sole holders  9  interacts with part of the curved surface such that the piston  39  is forced rearward by the helical compression spring  36  and the rear sole holders  9  are forced into their release position.  
         [0050]     If required, it is also possible for the rear sole holders  9  to be disengaged manually or by means of a ski stick which, for this purpose, is positioned in a depression at the free end of the actuating lever  14  in order to press the lever  14  down toward the top side of the ski.  
         [0051]     By virtue of the lever  14  being raised, it is possible for the rear sole holders  9  to be moved, if appropriate, manually into their use position.  
         [0052]     It is also possible, when the boot is inserted, for the rear sole holders  9  to be adjusted from their release position into the use position by the boot. Stop steps  19 ′ are formed on the rear recesses  19  of the boot sole  10  and interact with those borders of the rear sole holders  9  which are directed obliquely upward in  FIG. 10 , with the result that said sole holders are inevitably changed over into their use position when the boot is inserted, by way of the front fitting plate  18 , into the front sole holders  8  and then is pushed down, by way of its heel region, against the top side of the standing and/or carrying plate  5 . The binding according to the invention is thus designed as a so-called step-in binding.  
         [0053]     During skiing, the standing and/or carrying plate  5  is subjected to more or less large torques in respect of a transverse ski axis. When the skier is in a forwardly-inclined position, the front end of the standing and/or carrying plate  5  is forced against the top side of the ski. When the skier, in contrast, is in a rearwardly inclined position, the standing and/or carrying plate  5  is subjected to forces and moments which try to raise up the front end of this plate  5  from the ski  1 .  
         [0054]     Correspondingly oppositely directed forces arise at the rear end of the standing and/or carrying plate  5 .  
         [0055]     According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, then, it is possible to provide a torque support  41  by means of which torques which act on the standing and/or carrying plate  5  in respect of the transverse axis are converted into torques in respect of the vertical axis.  
         [0056]     As can be gathered from the sectional view of  FIG. 8 , a profiled strip  42  is firmly arranged on the standing and/or carrying plate  5 , this strip extending in the transverse direction of the plate and having, both on its top side and on its underside, in each case two respective elevations  43  and  44 , with lateral oblique flanks, and also a horizontal section extending therebetween. Mating elevations  45  and  46  which interact with the elevations  43  and  44  are arranged on the base plate  2 .  
         [0057]     In  FIG. 8 , then, the position of the elevations  43  and  44 , relative to the mating elevations  45  and  46 , are illustrated for the (normal) case where the standing and/or carrying plate  5  assumes its normal, non-pivoted position relative to the base plate  2 , i.e. the longitudinal axes of the two plates  2  and  5  coincide with one another in a plan view of the ski  1 . In this case, the horizontal sections of the elevations  43  and  44  rest on the corresponding sections of the mating elevations  45  and  46 . Irrespective of the magnitude of any possible vertical forces which try to force the front end of the standing and/or carrying plate  5  against the top side of the ski, or try to raise it up from the top side of the ski, and thus result in corresponding pressing forces between the horizontal sections of the mutually opposite elevations  43  to  46 , it is not then possible to produce any active torque which tries to rotate the standing and/or carrying plate  5  about its vertical axis. If, however, the standing and/or carrying plate  5  is pivoted some way about the vertical axis counter to the resistance of the first latching device  7 , it is possible for the oblique flanks of the mutually opposite elevations  43  to  46  to interact with one another, this resulting in the production of a torque about the abovementioned vertical axis as soon as the front end of the standing and/or carrying plate  5  is forced downward, or raised upward, with the profiled strip  42 .  
         [0058]     This results in the situation where, when the skier falls in the forward or rearward direction, the standing and/or carrying plate is subjected to an additional torque with respect to the vertical axis as soon as the standing and/or carrying plate  5  has already been deflected out of its central position by a certain extent.  
         [0059]     This additional torque counteracts the restoring forces produced by the first latching device  7 , with the result that the standing and/or carrying plate  5  can be moved more easily into the rotary position in which a front boot and/or sole holder  8  is unlocked and the boot is disengaged from the binding.  
         [0060]     In contrast to the illustration in  FIG. 2 , it is also possible for the bearing part  4 , if appropriate, to be of adjustable design, such that it releases the rear end of the base plate  2  in a release position and the base plate  2 , accordingly, can be pivoted up, together with the standing and/or carrying plate  5 , about the hinge pin of the bearing part  3 . It is thus also possible for the binding according to the invention to be used, if appropriate, as a binding for cross-country skis.  
         [0061]     In the case of the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the front sole holders  8  can be pivoted about axes extending in the longitudinal direction of the standing and/or carrying plate  5 . It is also possible, in principle, to provide front sole holders which can be pivoted about vertical and/or oblique axes.  
         [0062]     The invention has been described with particular emphasis on the preferred embodiments. It should be appreciated that these embodiments are described for purposes of illustration only, and that numerous alterations and modifications may be practiced by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended that all such modifications and alterations be included insofar as they come within the scope of the invention or the equivalents thereof.