Automatic heel unit with heel support structure

Automatic heel unit for a ski binding, in particular a touring ski binding, comprising a base for fitting the automatic heel unit on a ski and a heel downholder having a heel downholding structure for holding down a ski boot that is held in the ski binding in a heel region of the ski boot, wherein the heel downholder is mounted so as to be movable in relation to the base, and wherein

• a) the automatic heel unit has a holding configuration in which the heel downholder is located in a holding position and the heel downholding structure may interact with the heel region of the ski boot that is held in the ski binding in such a manner that the heel region of the ski boot is held down in a lowered position, and wherein
• b) the automatic heel unit has a step-in configuration in which the heel downholder is located in a step-in position and the heel region of the ski boot is released by the heel downholding structure,
• wherein the automatic heel unit comprises a forwardly overhanging heel support structure, which is configured separately from the heel downholding structure, for supporting the heel region of the ski boot that is held in the ski binding in the holding configuration of the automatic heel unit only in one direction that is horizontally transverse to the ski, or only both in a direction that is horizontally transverse to the ski as well as in a direction that is downward toward the ski, wherein a cross section that runs horizontally through the forwardly overhanging heel support structure has two forward pointing brackets that are disposed beside one another.