A heel unit for a ski binding for alpine skiing and ski mountaineering, comprising:
- a frame which in turn comprises a base that is fixable to a ski;
- first elastic means that are carried by the frame;
- a mechanism which:
- is carried by the frame and rises from the base;
- comprises a main body which, in turn:
- comprises a first boot abutment;
- comprises a first stop;
- is able to move between a first main body position, which is a stable equilibrium position, and a second main body position, which is a stable equilibrium position, and vice versa, against the action of the first elastic means;
- wherein the heel unit comprises an interference element which:
- is able to move between an interference position and a non-interference position;
- is connected to the main body in such a way that when the main body is in the second main body position, the interference element is in the interference position;
- the heel unit comprises a ski brake that is carried by the base and that comprises:
- a first braking element which is movable to assume a first active brake position, to brake the ski, and a first inactive brake position;
- attraction or repulsion means acting on the first braking element to exert a force that tends to bring the first braking element into the first active brake position;
- a pedal which:
- is carried by the base;
- is able to assume a depressed pedal position, that is, in which the pedal is closer to the base, and a raised pedal position, that is, in which the pedal is farther from the base;
- is connected to the first braking element in such a way that:
- when the pedal is in the depressed pedal position, the first braking element is in the first inactive brake position, and
- when the pedal is in the raised pedal position, the first braking element is in the first active brake position;
- comprises a movable element which:
- is carried by the base;
- is able to move between a forward position, in which the movable element interacts with the interference element when the interference element is in the interference position, and a rearward position, in which the movable element is unable to interact with the interference element;
- is connected to the pedal in such a way that:
- when the movable element is in the forward position, the pedal is in the depressed pedal position, and
- when the movable element is in the rearward position, the pedal is in the raised pedal position;
- the interference element is arranged in such a way that when the interference element is in the interference position and when the movable element is in the forward position, then the interference element interferes with the movable element, thus holding the movable element in the forward position and consequently holding the first braking element in the first inactive brake position and the pedal in the depressed pedal position;
- can assume a configuration ready to receive a ski boot, in which the main body is in the first main body position and the pedal is in the raised pedal position;
- the heel unit is able to assume a walking uphill configuration:
- which is obtainable from the configuration ready to receive a ski boot by bringing the pedal into the depressed pedal position and bringing the main body into the second main body position, so that the interference element interferes with the movable element and the pedal remains in the depressed pedal position;
- the heel unit is able to assume a downhill skiing configuration:
- which is obtainable from the configuration ready to receive a ski boot when the rear portion of a ski boot presses both on the pedal and on the first stop of the main body, bringing the pedal into the depressed pedal position and moving the main body towards the second main body position until the first boot abutment elastically presses the rear portion of the ski boot towards the base.