Remote release ski binding

A ski binding control and release assembly, comprising:

• a housing;
• a motor disposed in the housing;
• an actuator element disposed in the housing and connected to the motor;
• an arm partly disposed in the housing, the arm being operably engaged with the actuator element, and the arm being selectively engageable with a toe piece of a ski binding;
• a cover configured to enclose a substantial portion of the housing, and the cover defining an opening through which a portion of the arm protrudes;
• a sealing element disposed between the cover and the housing;
• a binding plate configured to be disposed on top of the cover, and the binding plate, cover and housing forming a stack that is mountable to a ski, wherein the binding plate or housing includes a biasing element that biases the toe piece in a forward direction such that the toe piece is moved forward by the biasing element when the arm is disengaged from the toe piece;
• and
• a control system that is remotely operable to move the arm, and the control system is configured for wireless communication with a remote control device.

A ski binding, comprising:

• a heel piece mountable to a ski;
• a toe piece mountable to a ski and configured to cooperate with the heel piece to releasably retain a ski boot;
• and
• a ski binding control and release assembly, comprising:
• a housing;
• a motor disposed in the housing;
• an actuator element disposed in the housing and connected to the motor;
• an arm partly disposed in the housing, the arm being operably engaged with the actuator element, and the arm being selectively engageable with the toe piece;
• a cover configured to enclose a substantial portion of the housing, and the cover defining an opening through which a portion of the arm protrudes;
• a binding plate configured to be disposed on top of the cover, and the binding plate, cover and housing forming a stack that is mountable to a ski, wherein when the arm is disengaged from the toe piece, the toe piece is free to move along the binding plate, and when the arm is engaged with the toe piece, the toe piece is prevented from moving along the binding plate;
• and
• a control system that is remotely operable to move the arm, and the control system is configured for wireless communication with a remote control device.

A remote control ski binding system, comprising:

• a ski binding, comprising:
• a heel piece mountable to a ski;
• a toe piece mountable to a ski and configured to cooperate with the heel piece to releasably retain a ski boot;
• and
• ski binding control and release assembly, comprising:
• a housing;
• a motor disposed in the housing;
• an actuator element disposed in the housing and connected to the motor;
• an arm partly disposed in the housing, the arm being operably engaged with the actuator element, and the arm being selectively engageable with the toe piece, wherein the actuator element and motor are configured and arranged relative to the arm such that the motor is operable to disengage the arm from the toe piece when the toe piece is engaged with the binding plate;
• a cover configured to enclose a substantial portion of the housing, and the cover defining an opening through which a portion of the arm protrudes;
• a binding plate configured to be disposed on top of the cover, and the binding plate, cover and housing forming a stack that is mountable to a ski;
• a control system that is remotely operable to move the arm;
• and
• a remote control configured for wireless communication with the control system such that movement of the toe piece can be effected by way of the remote control.