FOOTBED AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A FOOTBED
A footbed and a method for manufacturing footbed for a skate of a player are provided. The method has the steps of: obtaining data from at least one of a scan of a foot and a plantar pressure map of the foot; obtaining a player position of a player for whom the footbed is to be manufactured; generating a virtual footbed model based on the data and the player position; and causing an additive manufacturing machine to manufacture, based on the virtual footbed model, the footbed for the hockey skate.
1 . A method for manufacturing a footbed for a hockey skate comprising:
obtaining data from at least one of a scan of a foot and a plantar pressure map of the foot;
obtaining a player position of a player for whom the footbed is to be manufactured;
generating a virtual footbed model based on the data and the player position; and
causing an additive manufacturing machine to manufacture, based on the virtual footbed model, the footbed for the hockey skate.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the player position is one of forward, defenseman and goalie.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein for a given scan of the foot and a given plantar pressure map, the virtual footbed model generated for the player position being goalie is at least one of:
more cushioned in a region aligned with a ball region of the foot than for the player position being forward or defenseman; and
designed for greater lateral push than for the player position being forward or defenseman.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the virtual footbed model comprises adjusting at least one of a size and a location of an arch portion of the virtual footbed model based on the data.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the virtual footbed model comprises increasing a density of the virtual footbed model in regions of the virtual footbed model corresponding to regions of higher pressure in the plantar pressure map.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive manufacturing machine is a selective laser sintering printer.
7 . A footbed manufactured according to the method of claim 1 .
8 . The footbed of claim 7 , comprising a pushing plate region in alignment with a ball region of the foot; and
wherein a lattice-type of the pushing plate region differs from a lattice-type of other regions of the footbed.
9 . The footbed of claim 7 , wherein:
a top of the footbed is a closed surface; and
a bottom of the footbed exposes a lattice of the footbed.
10 . The footbed of claim 7 , wherein walls of at least one portion of a lattice of the footbed are angled at an angle generally corresponding to an angle of a force applied by a foot of a skater for whom the footbed is designed on the at least one portion.
11 .- 34 . (canceled)