Touring ski boot binding

A touring ski binding for releasably securing the toe of a touring ski boot to a touring ski comprising:

• a ski binding member secured to the upper surface of a touring ski and a boot binding member secured to the toe of a touring ski boot, each of said binding members having transversely disposed L-shaped binding elements adapted to releasably engage each other;
• and spring loaded latch means for releasably retaining the binding members in engagement with each other;
• the L-shaped binding element of the ski binding member having a vertically disposed transverse lower portion secured to the upper surface of the ski and a horizontally disposed transverse upper portion spaced a predetermined distance above the upper surface of said ski, the horizontally disposed portion of the ski binding member being formed with a latch receiving notch;
• the L-shaped binding element of the boot binding member being defined by an L-shaped slot formed in the boot binding member and adapted to receive the L-shaped binding element of the ski binding member, the boot binding member having a horizontally disposed portion that under lies the horizontally disposed portion of the ski binding member when said binding members are in mutual engagement with each other;
• and
• the spring loaded latch means comprising a latch plunger mounted in a longitudinal bore formed in the boot binding member for longitudinal movement to its latched position and to its unlatched position, said latch plunger being formed with a downward facing recess adapted to receive the horizontal portion of the ski binding member when the latch plunger is at its unlatched position and with a latch portion disposed immediately adjacent said recess of said latch plunger, said latch portion being adapted to be received in the latch receiving notch of the ski binding member when the latch plunger is at its latched position, and a latch spring urging said latch plunger to its latched position.