Safety ski binding capable of releasing sideways

A safety ski binding for releasably securing a ski boot having a sole to a ski having an upwardly facing surface to which the binding is mounted, the binding comprising:

• a housing adapted to be mounted to the ski surface;
• a carrier including a laterally releasable sole hold-down member adjacent a first end of the carrier;
• horizontal pivot means operatively coupling the carrier to the housing and permitting relative pivotal movements between the carrier and the housing about an axis generally parallel to and spaced from the ski surface;
• an abutment piece;
• a spring-to-hold-down member coupler;
• and
• spring means comprising a coiled spring having a first operative end coupled by said spring-to-hold-down member coupler with the hold-down member, and a second operative end coupled by said spring abutment piece with the housing, so that the spring means opposes the lateral release of the hold-down member by applying a corresponding spring force which acts between the hold-down member and the housing, the spring means being further arranged so that its force pivotally biases the carrier and the hold-down member about the horizontal pivot means in the direction of the ski surface, said spring-to-hold-down member coupler permitting the first end of said coiled spring to move with the carrier and the hold-down member when the carrier and the hold-down member pivot about the horizontal pivot means;
• and
• said coiled spring is inclined relative to the ski surface at an angle lying between 2.degree. and 8.degree.;
• whereby the spring means biases the hold-down member in the direction of the ski surface and thereby enables it to grasp ski boot soles of varying thicknesses in addition to yieldingly opposing the lateral release of the hold-down member.