Patent ID: 7207591

Claim:
A ski binding ( 1 ; 1 ′; 1 ″) for use with a boot ( 5 ) having a sole with a front end and a heel and used with a touring, telemark or cross country ski comprising: a retaining element having a front portion ( 11 ) in the form of a substantially U-shaped resilient retaining clamp attached to the ski with the legs of said U-shaped retaining clamp extending upwardly bending inwardly towards each other and engaging the front end of the boot with a lateral resilience and said retaining element having a back portion ( 21 ) engaging the front of the boot sole or the heel, a tensioning device ( 17 ; 25 ; 47 ; 17 ′; 17 ″) connecting said front portion and back portion so that said front and back portions can be locked to the boot and when locked to the boot, the heel can be lifted away from the ski and, an elastic element ( 13 ) disposed forward of said front portion and beneath the sole of the boot so that the front of the boot can be moved downwardly against said elastic element while the boot heel is lifted away from the ski, characterized in that said tensioning device has at least one spring-loaded unlocking device ( 19 ) to release the engagement between the ski binding ( 1 ; 1 ′; 1 ″) and the boot ( 5 ) as a result of a force manually imposed on a first locking element ( 31 ) that has a substantially form-fitting action, the ski binding further comprising a second locking element ( 33 ) disposed adjacent said front portion and cooperating with said first locking element ( 31 ), and a front spring device ( 47 ) that applies tension to keep said first locking element engaged with said second locking element, and a back retaining element ( 21 ) is disposed at the heel of the boot and having a back spring device ( 25 ) that cooperates with said front spring device in order to apply tension to keep said back retaining element engaged with the front sole ( 7 ) of the boot or with the heel, wherein the spring force of said back spring device is greater than that of said front spring device.