WO2023075785A1

WO2023075785A1 - Heel posts

Info

Publication number: WO2023075785A1
Application number: PCT/US2021/057268
Authority: WO
Inventors: Davinia FONT CALAFELL; Bernat POLL CRESPO; Cristina DOMINGUEZ MANCHADO; Lluis HIERRO DOMENECH; Jordi Casellas Lopez
Original assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
Priority date: 2021-10-29
Filing date: 2021-10-29
Publication date: 2023-05-04

Abstract

A modular insole for an article of footwear is disclosed. The modular insole comprises a shell portion and a heel post. The heel post is capable of being removably coupled to the shell portion in a first orientation in which the heel post is to cause the shell portion to be inclined by a first inclination relative to a reference plane, and a second orientation in which the heel post is to cause the shell portion to be inclined by a second inclination relative to the reference plane. A method and a heel post are also disclosed.

Description

HEEL POSTS

BACKGROUND

[0001] An article of footwear, such as a shoe, may include an insole to provide a cushioned surface for a wearer’s foot during use. An insole provided with a shoe may be manufactured according to a generic design, intended to suit the foot of an average person.

[0002] Advances in additive manufacturing technology have made it possible to manufacture many objects using additive manufacturing techniques. One such technique involves the selective solidification of portions of successive layers of build material to form an intended object.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0003] Examples will now be described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0004] Figure 1A to 1 D are illustrations of various examples of a modular insole including a heel post;

[0005] Figure 2 is an illustration of a further example of a modular insole;

[0006] Figures 3A to 3D are illustrations showing an effect on inclination for various orientations of a heel post according to some examples;

[0007] Figure 4 is a flowchart of an example of a method of designing a heel post;

[0008] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a further example of a method of designing a heel post; and

[0009] Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of an example of a processor in communication with a machine-readable medium.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] Various examples disclosed herein provide a modular insole or orthotic that can be personalized or manufactured in a bespoke manner in order to suit an individual. Examples disclosed herein also provide a mechanism by which such a modular insole or orthotic can be designed and manufactured.

[0011] An insole, sometimes referred to as a shoe insert, footbed or inner sole, is a part of an article of footwear, such as a shoe, that provides cushioning and support to the foot of a wearer of the footwear. An insole, which may be removable from an article of footwear, may have a shape and size that generally conforms with the shape and size of this article of footwear in which the insole is to be used. An upper surface of the insole may include contours intended to conform with the shape of a sole of a person's foot. However, there is great variation in the shapes of people's feet and, in particular, in the shape of the different people's soles. Thus, an insole supplied with a shoe may not be suitable for use by everyone.

[0012] According to the present disclosure, a modular insole is provided that includes multiple parts or modules that can be tailored for a particular foot. Moreover, individual modules of the modular insole can be replaced to take account of changes in a person's foot, such as changes in the size or shape of a person's foot or changes due to medical conditions or injury. According to various examples, a module of the modular insole may serve to lift a heel portion of the modular insole relative to a toe portion of the modular insole and/or to modify an inclination of the modular insole relative to a reference plane, such as the ground. For example, the modular insole may include a flexible portion intended to receive and engage a person’s foot (e.g. wearing a sock or otherwise) during use, and a heel post intended to raise or lift the heel portion relative to the toe portion, and/or to cause the flexible portion to be tilted relative to the reference plane, when the heel post is attached to the flexible portion.

[0013] A heel post, sometimes referred to as a heel raising structure, a wedge heel post or rear foot post, may for example be used to stabilize a person’s heel, for example as the means for correcting foot posture and/or joint alignment. Such posting may, for example, be used to manage issues with pronation (e.g. increased weight distribution towards the inside of the foot) and/or supination (e.g. increased weight distribution towards the outside of the foot).

[0014] As used herein, an "article of footwear" is intended to refer to any type of article of footwear including, for example, a shoe, a boot, a sandal, a flip-flop, a high-heeled shoe, or the like. The modular insole may, in some examples, comprise an orthotic, or modular orthotic, intended to assist with the treatment of a condition affecting the function of a body part, such as a person's foot. [0015] Referring now to the drawings, Figures 1A-1 D include illustrations of examples of a modular insole 100 for an article of footwear. The modular insole 100 comprises a shell portion 102 and a heel post 104. Figure 1 A is a lower, side view of the heel post 104 coupled to the shell portion 102; Figure 1 B is a side view of the heel post 104 coupled to the shell portion 102; and Figure 1 C is a bottom view of the heel post 104 coupled to the shell portion 102. Figure 1 D is a perspective view of the heel post 104 coupled to the shell portion 102, beneath a foot 108 of a person. The shell portion 102 may, in some examples, comprise a flexible base on which a wearer of the article of footwear places their foot, providing cushioning and support to the foot. As such, the shell portion 102 may be formed of a compressible and deformable material, such as foam. The shell portion 102 may have a first surface 106 arranged to face a foot 108 of a wearer of the article of footwear and a second surface 110 arranged to face away from the foot of the wearer. The first surface 106 may, in some examples, comprise a top surface or upper surface of the insole 100, or a surface of an insole cover (not shown) formed, for example, from a material having non-slip properties.

[0016] The heel post 104 is capable of being removably coupled to the shell portion 102 in a first orientation in which the heel post is to cause the shell portion to be inclined by a first inclination relative to a reference plane, and a second orientation in which the heel post is to cause the shell portion to be inclined by a second inclination relative to the reference plane. For example, use of the heel post 104 may cause the inclination of the first surface 106 of the shell portion 102 relative to the reference plane. The reference plane may, for example, comprise a floor or the ground on which the article of footwear is placed, or a surface (e.g. a sole) of the article footwear. As shown in the examples of Figures 1A-1 D, the heel post 104 may be capable of being removably coupled to the second surface 110 (e.g. a lower surface) of the shell portion 102. By coupling the heel post 104 to the second surface 110 of the shell portion 102, rather than to the first, upper surface 106, the presence of the heel post does not affect the comfort experienced by the wearer of the article of footwear with which the insole 100 is used. Thus, the upper surface 106 of the shell portion 102, which faces the subject’s foot 108 during use can retain its intended form and structure, for example conforming with the shape and contours of the sole of the subject’s foot. Moreover, since the heel post 104 is not coupled to the first surface 106 of the shell portion 102, the first surface does not include recesses, such as the recesses 202, 204, 208, for housing the protrusion 206 of the heel post 104. [0017] By enabling the heel post 104 to be coupled to the shell portion 102 in different orientations (e.g. by rotating the heel post through a defined angle of rotation relative to the shell portion), depending on the intended inclination to be achieved, it is possible to conveniently adapt the orientation of the heel post in order to change the amount of inclination and/or the direction inclination caused. Thus, a single heel post 104 and shell portion 102 can be used to achieve multiple (e.g. a range of) inclinations.

[0018] As noted above, different amounts/degrees of inclination of the modular insole 100 or the shell portion 102 may be achieved by coupling the heel post 104 in different orientations relative to the shell portion. Figure 2 is an illustration of an example of a perspective view of the bottom of the shell portion 102 uncoupled (i.e., detached) from the heel post 104. Figure 2 shows how the heel post 104 may be removably coupled to the shell portion 102. In some examples, the shell portion 102 may comprise a first recess 202 and a second recess 204. The heel post 104 may comprise a protrusion 206. The heel post 104 may be such that the protrusion is to be received by the first recess 202 when the heel post is removably coupled to the shell portion 102 in the first orientation, and the protrusion is to be received by the second recess 204 when the heel post is removably coupled to the shell portion in the second orientation. While, in some examples, the shell portion 102 may include just one first recess (i.e., a recess enabling coupling of the heel post 104 in a first orientation) and just one second recess (i.e., a recess enabling coupling of the heel post in a second orientation), in other examples, the shell portion may include a plurality of recesses that enable coupling of the heel post in the first orientation, and a plurality of recesses that enable coupling of the heel post in the second orientation. Similarly, the heel post 104 may include multiple protrusions to be received by the multiple recesses of the shell portion 102. In Figure 2, for example, the shell portion 102 includes five first recesses 202 and five second recesses 204, and the heel post 104 includes five protrusions, such that each protrusion of the heel post is to be received by a corresponding recess in the shell portion. In some examples, the first recesses 202 may be parallel or substantially parallel to one another and the second recesses 204 may be parallel or substantially parallel to one another.

[0019] The first recess 202 and the second recess 204 may have any shape, and the protrusion 206 may have any complimentary shape, such that the protrusion can be received by the first recess and/or the second recess. In some examples, such as the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, the protrusion 206 may comprise a ridge, the first recess 202 may comprise a first groove and the second recess 204 may comprise a second groove. The protrusion 206 (e.g. the ridge) may be slightly smaller than the first recess 202 (e.g. the first groove) and the second recess 204 (e.g. the second groove) to enable receipt of a protrusion within a corresponding recess. The first groove 202 and the second groove 204 may extend in different directions to one another. That is to say, the first groove 202 may extend in a first direction and the second groove 204 may extend in a second, different direction. The directions in which the first and second groove 202, 204 extend may differ by a defined angular separation, such as 5°, 10°, 15°, 45°, 90°, 180°, or the like.

[0020] The depth of each recess/groove 202, 204 may vary over its length and may differ from the depth profile of other recesses/grooves. Similarly, the height of the protrusion/ridge 206 or of each protrusion/ridge may vary over its length and may differ from the height profile of other protrusions/ridges. Generally, the height profile of a protrusion 206 of the heel post 104 may complement, or be an inverted version of, the depth profile of a corresponding recess 202, 204 of the shell portion 102. The shape and depth profile of each recess 202, 204 and the shape and height profile of each protrusion 206 may be such that a first inclination is achieved when the heel post 104 is coupled to the shell portion 102 using the first recess(es) and a second inclination is achieved when the heel post is coupled to the shell portion using the second recess(es). Thus, the depth profile of the first recess(es) 202 may differ from the depth profile of the second recess(es) 204. In one example, the first recess(es) 202 may be shallower at one end than the depth of the second recess(es) 204 at a corresponding end.

[0021] In some examples, such as the example shown in Figure 2, the shell portion 102 may further comprise a third recess 208, or a plurality of third recesses (also shown in Figure 3A). The third recesses 208 may be parallel or substantially parallel to one another. The third recess 208 or the plurality of third recesses may extend in a direction which differs from the direction in which the first and/or second recesses 202, 204 extend. In this example, therefore, the heel post 104 may be further capable of being removably coupled to the shell portion 102 in a third orientation in which the heel post is to cause the shell portion to be inclined by a third inclination relative to the reference plane.

[0022] The heel post 104 may, in some examples, be held in position relative to the shell portion 102 by the weight of a wearer of an article of footwear in which the modular insole 100 is used, and/or by the positioning of the heel post beneath the shell portion. For example, the heel post 104 may be sandwiched between the shell portion 102 and the sole (e.g., midsole or outsole) of the article of footwear. Thus, the heel post 104 may be kept in position relative to the shell portion 102 by just the protrusion 206 and the first or second recesses 202, 204. In this example, an additional securing mechanism may not be used, making the insole simpler to manufacture. Furthermore, by positioning the heel post 104 beneath the shell portion 102, and particularly below the first surface 106 of the shell portion, the wearer of an article of footwear that includes the insole 100 still experiences the intended comfort provided by the first surface of the insole. In other words, the addition of a heel post 104 to a lower part of the shell portion 102 does not adversely affect the comfort of the insole 100, because the heel post does not touch or interact with the wearer’s foot 108.

[0023] In some examples, the heel post 104 may be secured in place relative to the shell portion 102 using a securing element. This may help to keep the heel post 104 secured in its intended position relative to the shell portion 102. For example, the shell portion 102 may comprise a first securing element 210 and the heel post 104 may comprise a second securing element 212, complementary to the first securing element, such that the heel post is capable of being removably secured to the shell portion using the first and second securing elements. The first securing element 210 may, for example, be located within a recess (e.g. the first recess 202) of the shell portion 102, and the second securing element 212 may be located on or in a protrusion (e.g. the protrusion 206) of the heel post 104 such that, when the heel post is coupled to the shell portion, the first and second securing elements are caused to engage and interact.

[0024] In the example shown in Figure 2, the modular insole 100 includes just one first securing element 210 and one second securing element 212. However, in other examples, the shell portion 102 may comprise multiple first securing elements 210 and the heel post 104 may comprise multiple, complementary second securing elements 212. Each second securing element 212 may engage and/or interact with a corresponding first securing element 210 to secure the heel post 104 to the shell portion 102.

[0025] Each of the first and second securing elements 210, 212 may comprise a securing element selected from a group comprising: a clip; a snap-fit connector, a hook- and-loop type connector, and a magnet. For example, complementary clip connectors may be provided on the shell portion 102 and the heel post 104 enabling the heel post to be clipped into position on the shell portion. A snap-fit connection may be provided by a snap-fit element on the heel post 104, which is to engage with a complementary snap-fit element (e.g. an aperture) provided in the shell portion 102. A hook-and-loop type connection may be provided with one of the shell portion 102 and the heel post 104 provided with suitable hook connectors and the other of the shell portion and the heel post provided with suitable loop connectors, such that a removable coupling is achieved when the hook connectors and the loop connectors engage one another. A magnetic connection may be achieved using a magnet positioned on the heel post 104 to engage and magnetically couple to a complementary magnet (i.e., of opposite polarity) positioned on the shell portion 102. Magnetic connection elements may further assist with positioning the heel post 104 in an intended position with respect to the shell portion 102.

[0026] As noted above, the first securing element 210 may be located within a recess (e.g. the first recess 202) formed in the shell portion 102. The second securing element 212 may be located on a protrusion (e.g. the protrusion 206) formed on the heel post 104. When the protrusion 206 of the heel post 104 is located within the recess 202 of the shell portion 102, the first and second securing elements 210, 212 may engage one another, so as to secure the heel post to the shell portion.

[0027] The heel post 104 may be sized and shaped to fit within the perimeter of a heel portion of the insole 100. The protrusion(s) may extend from one side of the heel post 104 and, in some examples, the opposite side of the heel post may include a flat or relatively flat surface to engage a surface of a midsole or outsole of the article of footwear. In some examples, the flat surface of the heel post 104 may be continuous or uninterrupted while, in other examples, the heel post may have a grid-like structure (as shown in Figure 2) or a lattice structure. Thus, in one example, the heel post 104 may include a plurality of struts (e.g. parallel struts) joined by a crossbar or multiple crossbars. In the example shown in Figure 2, the heel post 104 includes five struts, each strut corresponding to one of the five protrusions 206, and three crossbars. By forming the heel post 104 using struts and crossbars, rather than solid material, less build material may be used to generate the heel post, meaning the heel post can have a lower mass and can cost less to manufacture.

[0028] In some examples, the mass of the heel post 104 can be reduced further by forming lattice structures in the layers of build material used to generate the heel post, rather than forming the layers of build material as solid structures.

[0029] Figures 3A-3D show illustrations of an example of how changing the orientation of the heel post 104 when coupled to the shell portion 102 can lead to a change in an inclination of the shell portion relative to the reference plane. Figure 3A shows a bottom view of part of the shell portion 102, which has a plurality of first recesses 202, a plurality of second recesses 204 and a plurality of third recesses 208. [0030] Figure 3B shows an example of how the shell portion 102 might be inclined when the heel post 104 is coupled to the shell portion in a first orientation (e.g. using the plurality of first recesses 202). In this example, the protrusions 206 and the first recesses 202 are shaped such that the shell portion 102 is not inclined relative to the reference plane (e.g. in this case, the ground or a horizontal surface). In other words, coupling the heel post 104 to the shell portion 102 in the first orientation may cause the shell portion to be inclined by a first inclination of 0°.

[0031 ] Figure 3C shows an example of how the shell portion 102 might be inclined when the heel post 104 is coupled to the shell portion in a second orientation (e.g. using the plurality of second recesses 204). In this example, the protrusions 206 and the second recesses 204 are shaped such that the shell portion 102 is slightly inclined relative to the reference plane. Coupling the heel post 104 to the shell portion 102 in the second orientation may cause the shell portion to be inclined by a second inclination of, for example, 2°.

[0032] Figure 3D shows an example of how the shell portion 102 might be inclined when the heel post 104 is coupled to the shell portion in a third orientation (e.g. using the plurality of third recesses 208). In this example, the protrusions 206 and the third recesses 208 are shaped such that the shell portion 102 is inclined relative to the reference plane by a greater degree than shown in Figure 3C. Coupling the heel post 104 to the shell portion 102 in the third orientation may cause the shell portion to be inclined by a third inclination of, for example, 4°.

[0033] The degree of inclination caused by coupling the heel post 104 to the shell portion 102 in different orientations may differ from the examples given herein, and may be determined and/or set based on the intended correction to be applied to the wearer, and the different degrees of inclination may be achieved by changing the height of portions of the protrusions 206 and/or changing the depth of portions of the recesses 202, 204, 208. In some examples, the inclination may range from -4 degrees to +4 degrees, for example.

[0034] Referring again to Figure 2, in some additional examples, the modular insole 100 may further comprise a further lifting element 214 capable of being removably coupled to the shell portion 102 in a position corresponding to a ball or toe of the subject’s foot. For example, such a further lifting element 214 may be coupled using a further recess or plurality of recesses 216 located towards a front end of the shell portion 102. The further lifting element 214 may be used in conjunction with the heel post 104 in order to increase a separation between the subject’s foot and the sole of the article of footwear, thereby giving the impression that the wearer is taller.

[0035] As discussed in greater detail below, the shell portion 102 and/or the heel post 104 may be formed of build material that has been solidified during an additive manufacturing process. Additive manufacturing techniques enable objects to be generated according to particular parameters, enabling customization of objects such as the shell portion 102 and the heel post 104 of a modular insole 100 for different people. Examples of the customization available using additive manufacturing techniques include the type of build material used to generate the object, the size and shape of the object to be generated, the color of the object, and the like.

[0036] Additive manufacturing techniques may generate a three-dimensional object through the solidification of a build material. In some examples, the build material may be a powder-like granular material, which may for example be a plastic, ceramic or metal powder. The properties of generated objects may depend on the type of build material and the type of solidification mechanism used. Build material may be deposited, for example on a print bed and processed layer by layer, for example within a fabrication chamber. According to one example, a suitable build material may be Polyamide materials (e.g., PA12, PA11), Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) materials, Thermoplastic Polyamide materials (TPA), Polypropylene (PP) and the like.

[0037] In some examples, selective solidification is achieved through directional application of energy, for example using a laser or electron beam which results in solidification of build material where the directional energy is applied. In other examples, a print agent may be selectively applied to the build material, and may be liquid when applied. For example, a fusing agent (also termed a ‘coalescence agent’ or ‘coalescing agent’) may be selectively distributed onto portions of a layer of build material in a pattern derived from data representing a slice of a three-dimensional object to be generated (which may for example be generated from structural design data). The fusing agent may have a composition which absorbs energy such that, when energy (for example, heat) is applied to the layer, the build material coalesces and solidifies to form a slice of the three- dimensional object in accordance with the pattern.

[0038] According to one example, a suitable fusing agent may be an ink-type formulation comprising carbon black. In one example such a fusing agent may additionally comprise an infra-red light absorber. In one example such a fusing agent may additionally comprise a near infra-red light absorber. In one example such a fusing agent may additionally comprise a visible light absorber. In one example such a fusing agent may additionally comprise a UV light absorber.

[0039] In other examples, coalescence may be achieved in some other manner.

[0040] As noted above, additive manufacturing systems may generate objects based on structural design data. This may involve a designer generating a three- dimensional model of an object to be generated, for example using a computer aided design (CAD) application. The model may define the solid portions of the object. To generate a three-dimensional object from the model using an additive manufacturing system, the model data can be processed to generate slices of parallel planes of the model. Each slice may define a portion of a respective layer of build material that is to be solidified or caused to coalesce by the additive manufacturing system.

[0041] Examples of the present disclosure also provide a method, such as a method for designing a heel post, or heel raising structure 104. Figure 4 is a flowchart of an example of a method 400. The method 400 may, in some examples, comprise a computer-implemented method, and the method may be used to generate part or all of a module insole 100 as described herein. The method 400 comprises, at block 402, receiving biomechanical data relating to a foot 108 of a subject. In some examples, the biomechanical data relating to the foot 108 of the subject may be obtained or acquired using an imaging device, such as a camera, a scanning device, such as a 3D scanner, or the like. In some examples, therefore, an image (a 2D or 3D image) may be captured and analyzed (e.g. using image processing techniques) to determine biomechanical data from the image. In other examples, the biomechanical data may be received from some other source, for example a database storing data associated with a subject. The biomechanical data may include data describing parameters of the subject's foot, including, for example, data describing a size, a shape, a height, a width, a structure, a degree of pronation and/or a degree of supination of the foot. In some examples, the biomechanical data may include data relating to just a portion of the subject's foot, such as the sole of the foot while, in other examples, data relating to other portions of the foot may be received.

[0042] The data relating to the foot 108 may be used to determine an adjustment or correction that is to be made to the foot to improve the subject’s stance or posture, for example, or to reduce pain or discomfort experienced by the subject as a result of the way the subject stands on their foot. In some examples, a medical professional (e.g. a podiatrist) may study the data relating to the subject’s foot 108, and propose a change or correction that could be implemented. For example, a podiatrist may determine that the shape of the subject’s foot 108 is such that the subject puts more weight on the inside of their foot than on the outside of their foot, and that this may be corrected by providing an insole 100 having a heel post or heel raising structure 104 positioned relative to the shell portion 102 of the insole in such a way that the insole is inclined slightly towards the outside of their foot. In other examples, a database or look-up table may be used to determine a suitable change or correction based on the data relating to the subject’s foot, acquired in block 402.

[0043] At block 404, the method 400 comprises generating, based on the received biomechanical data, first design data defining build parameters of a heel raising structure 104 (e.g. a heel post), the heel raising structure to form a part of an insole 100 of an article of footwear and being capable of modifying an inclination of a foot 108 of the wearer of the article of footwear relative to the ground between a plurality of inclinations. The plurality of inclinations may, for example, comprise the first inclination and the second inclination discussed above. In some examples, the build parameters of the heel raising structure 104 may include parameters relating to a height of different parts of the heel raising structure.

[0044] The biomechanical data may, for example, include data defining an amount of supination and/or pronation of the subject’s foot, while standing, walking and/or running, and the first design data may define build parameters of the heel raising structure 104 such that an inclination of the shell portion 102/the insole 100 is modified to correct for any excess supination or pronation when the heel raising structure is coupled to the shell portion of the insole. In some examples, the first design data may define build parameters relating to a structure of the heel raising structure 104 including, for example, a material from which the heel raising structure is to be formed, and/or parameters of walls of the heel raising structure. For example, different build material may be selected depending on the intended stiffness or rigidity of the heel raising structure 104.

[0045] The build parameters defined in the first design data may include parameters of the size, shape, number and/or location of the protrusion(s) 206 of the heel raising structure 104.

[0046] The method 400 comprises, at block 406, providing the first design data for delivery to an additive manufacturing apparatus to generate the heel raising structure 104. Thus, the first design data may comprise structural design data in a format that can be read, interpreted and/or executed by a processor associated with an additive manufacturing apparatus. The first design data may, for example, be provided in the form of a file or data package capable of being read or executed by such a processor, such that the additive manufacturing apparatus is able to use the file or data package to perform the suitable functions to generate the heel raising structure 104.

[0047] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a further example of a method 500, which may comprise a method for designing a heel post or heel raising structure 104. As with the method 400, the method 500 may comprise a computer-implemented method. The method 500 may comprise a block or blocks of the method 400 discussed above. In some examples, the method 500 may further comprise, at block 502, generating, based on the received biomechanical data, second design data defining build parameters of a shell portion 102 of the insole 100. Thus, in addition to generating the first design data defining build parameters of the heel raising structure 104, the biomechanical data may also be used for generating design data to build the shell portion 102. As shown in the examples of Figures 1A-1 D, the shell portion 102 may include a first surface 106 arranged to face the subject’s foot during use. Thus, the second design data may define build parameters used to generate a shell portion 102 having a first (upper) surface 106 that conforms with the size and shape of the sole of the subject’s foot 108. The first surface 106 of the shell portion 102 may therefore include regions conforming to the ball of the person’s foot and an arch portion conforming to the shape of the arch of the person’s foot.

[0048] The build parameters of the shell portion 102 may, for example, include details of a thickness of the shell portion or regions thereof. The thickness profile of the shell portion 102 may determine the inclination of the wearer’s foot, and the addition of a heel raising structure 104 can further affect the inclination.

[0049] The second design data defining build parameters of the shell portion 102 may incorporate build parameters for the recesses 202, 204, 208 in the shell portion, to receive the protrusion(s) 206 of the heel raising structure 104 and/or build parameters for the first securing element 210. For example, build parameters for the size, shape, number and/or locations of the recesses 202, 204, 208 may be determined based on the intended inclination to be provided and/or the intended orientation at which the heel raising structure 104 is to be positioned relative to the shell portion 102. Such build parameters may include the relative orientations of the recesses 202, 204, 208.

[0050] At block 504, the method 500 may comprise providing the second design data for delivery to an additive manufacturing apparatus to generate the shell portion 102 of the insole 100. In some examples, the first design data and the second design data may be generated simultaneously or sequentially based on the received biomechanical data, such that the build parameters of the shell portion 102 and the build parameters of the heel raising structure 104 are determined as part of a single processing block. Thus, the first design data and the second design data may be delivered together to the additive manufacturing apparatus.

[0051] The method 500 may further comprise, at block 506, operating the additive manufacturing apparatus to generate an insole 100 according to the first design data and the second design data. In some examples, the method 500 may comprise operating the additive manufacturing apparatus to generate a heel raising structure 104 according to the first design data and/or a shell portion 102 according to the second design data.

[0052] In addition to the received biomechanical data, other data may be used when determining or generating the first design data and/or the second design data. For example, the insole 100 may be designed (i.e., the first design data and/or the second design data may be generated) based on an intended use of an article of footwear in which the insole is to be used. An example of such a use may include, for example, walking, running, football, or the like. The first design data and/or the second design data may be generated based further on the received activity data.

[0053] In other examples, components of the insole 100 (e.g. the shell portion 102 and/or the heel raising structure 104) may be designed based on medical data relating to the subject. For example, a treatment plan may be drawn up or prepared by a medical professional, such as a podiatrist or an orthopedic foot doctor, to aid recovery of an injury or a condition relating to the subject’s foot (e.g. overpronation or under-pronation). A medical professional may, for example, prescribe or recommend gradually increasing the inclination of an insole 100 used by the subject, over a period of days or weeks. A treatment plan may therefore set out a series of changes that are to be made to the insole 100 for the subject over period of time by adjusting the inclination of the subject’s foot. The changes to the inclination may be achieved by changing the orientation of the heel raising structure 104 relative to the shell portion 102. Thus, the first design data defining build parameters of the heel raising structure 104 may be determined such that the intended inclination is achieved when the heel raising structure is oriented in each of a plurality of orientations.

[0054] The method 500 may, therefore, comprise, at block 508, receiving a treatment plan for the subject. At block 510, the method 500 may comprise determining, based on the received biomechanical data and the treatment plan, an intended inclination to aid treatment of the subject’s foot. The method 500 may further comprise, at block 512, generating the first design data further based on the determined intended inclination. In some examples, a determination may be made, based on the received biomechanical data and the treatment plan, of a plurality of intended inclinations to aid treatment of the subject’s foot. The first design data may be generated based on the determined intended inclinations. In an example, a shell portion 102 may be generated that is personalized to the size and shape of the subject’s foot 108. A heel post or heel raising structure 104 may be generated that can be removably coupled to the shell portion in multiple different orientations to achieve a range of inclinations (e.g., from 3 degrees to 7 degrees) of the shell portion relative to the reference plane (e.g., the ground).

[0055] Thus, rather than replacing the entire insole 100 each time the incline is to be increased or decreased, the present disclosure enables the inclination of the insole to be modified by changing the orientation of the heel raising structure 104, or even by replacing one heel raising structure with another one having different properties, intended to provide a different degree of inclination. As such, varying degrees of inclination can be achieved for a lower cost than if the entire insole 100 is to be replaced each time.

[0056] In other examples, the first design data and/or the second design data may be generated based further on other data, such as data indicating the type of footwear with which the insole 100 is intended to be used. For example, such data may indicate that the insole 100 is intended to be used with walking shoes, football boots, high-heeled shoes, dress shoes, sandals, flip-flops, or the like. The first design data and/or the second design data may be generated such that the heel raising structure 104 and/or the shell portion 102 are bespoke or customized for a particular foot of a person.

[0057] Examples of the present disclosure also enable the inclination provided by an insole 100 to be modified or updated in the event that characteristics of the subject’s foot change over time. For example, if the subject’s foot changes over a period of time, such that an insole 100 providing a different inclination is to be used by the subject, then the inclination of the insole can be modified by replacing the heel raising structure 104, rather than replacing the entire insole 100. Thus, the method 500 may comprise, at block 514, receiving further biomechanical data relating to the foot of the subject. The further biomechanical data may be received, for example, from an imaging device, such as a 3D scanner or a camera, used to capture an image or scan data of the subject’s foot. The further biomechanical data may, for example, be received some time after the biomechanical data received at block 402. [0058] At block 516, the method 500 may comprise generating, based on the received further biomechanical data, third design data defining build parameters of a replacement heel raising structure 104 of the insole 100. The third design data may be similar to the first design data, and may take account of any changes that have occurred in the subject’s foot since the biomechanical data was received at block 402. The method 500 may comprise, at block 518, providing the third design data for delivery to an additive manufacturing apparatus to generate the replacement heel raising structure 104 of the insole 100. The replacement heel raising structure 104 is to replace the heel raising structure of the insole 100. The blocks 514, 516 and 518 may be repeated such that additional biomechanical data is received and used to generate further replacement heel raising structures 104.

[0059] Blocks of the methods 400, 500 may be performed using a processor, such as a processor associated with or forming part of an additive manufacturing apparatus. In other examples, such a processor may form part of a computing device or part of a cloudcomputing environment.

[0060] Examples in the present disclosure also provide a machine-readable medium. Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of an example of a processor 602 in communication with a machine-readable medium 604. The machine-readable medium 604 comprises instructions (e.g., data obtaining instructions 606) which, when executed by processor 602, cause the processor to obtain data indicative of a biometric property of a foot of a subject. The biometric property may, for example, comprise or be similar to the biomechanical data discussed above. The machine-readable medium 604 comprises instructions (e.g., structural characteristics generating instructions 608) which, when executed by processor 602, cause the processor to generate, based on the biometric property, structural characteristics of an inclination element 104 of an orthotic 100, the inclination element capable of being removably coupled to a shell 102 of the orthotic, wherein the structural characteristics of the inclination element are such that the inclination element is to incline the shell of the orthotic by a first defined inclination when removably coupled to the shell in a first configuration, and by a second defined inclination when removable coupled to the shell in a second configuration. The inclination element may, for example, comprise or be similar to the heel post or heel raising structure 104 discussed above and, similarly, the orthotic may comprise or be similar to the modular insole and/or the insole 100 discussed above. Coupling the inclination element 104 to the shell 102 in the first configuration may comprise coupling the inclination element to the shell in the first orientation discussed above and, similarly, coupling the inclination element to the shell in the second configuration may comprise coupling the inclination element to the shell in the second orientation discussed above. The machine-readable medium 604 comprises instructions (e.g. model data generating instructions 610) which, when executed by the processor 602, cause the processor to generate model data representing the inclination element 104 of the orthotic 100, the model data to be used by the additive manufacturing apparatus to form the inclination element of the orthotic during an additive manufacturing process.

[0061] In some examples, the machine-readable medium 604 may comprise further instructions which, when executed by the processor 602, may cause the processor to perform functions corresponding to blocks of the methods 400, 500 disclosed herein.

[0062] Examples in the present disclosure also provide a heel post 104. The heel post 104 is formed of build material that has been solidified during an additive manufacturing process. The heel post 104 comprises a protrusion 206. The protrusion 206 is to be received in a first recess 202 of a shell portion 102 of a modular insole 100 of an article of footwear to enable the heel post to be removably coupled to the shell portion in a first orientation in which the heel post is to cause the shell portion to be inclined by a first inclination relative to a reference plane. The protrusion 206 is to be received in a second recess 204 of the shell portion 102 to enable the heel post to be removably coupled to the shell portion in a second orientation in which the heel post is to cause the shell portion to be inclined by a second inclination relative to the reference plane. The heel post 104 is moveable between the first orientation and the second orientation to provide different inclinations. In some examples, the protrusion 206 may be received in a third recess of the shell portion 102 such that the heel post can be removably coupled to the shell portion in a third orientation in which the heel post is to cause the shell portion to be inclined by a third inclination relative to the reference plane.

[0063] Thus, examples in the present disclosure provide a heel post 104 and a modular insole 100 or orthotic that can be customized to suit a person’s foot by changing the orientation configuration of a heel post 104 when coupled to a shell of the modular insole, so as to change an inclination of the modular insole relative to a reference plane, such as the ground. The heel post 104 can be generated using additive manufacturing techniques and, in this way, bespoke modular insoles can be generated for individuals at a relatively low cost. One heel post 104 may be used to provide a range of different inclinations by designing the heel post in such a way that it can be oriented differently with respect to the shell portion 102 of the insole 100.

[0064] Examples in the present disclosure can be provided as methods, systems or machine readable instructions, such as any combination of software, hardware, firmware or the like. Such machine readable instructions may be included on a computer readable storage medium (including but is not limited to disc storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) having computer readable program codes therein or thereon.

[0065] The present disclosure is described with reference to flow charts and/or block diagrams of the method, devices and systems according to examples of the present disclosure. Although the flow diagrams described above show a specific order of execution, the order of execution may differ from that which is depicted. Blocks described in relation to one flow chart may be combined with those of another flow chart. It shall be understood that each flow and/or block in the flow charts and/or block diagrams, as well as combinations of the flows and/or diagrams in the flow charts and/or block diagrams can be realized by machine readable instructions.

[0066] The machine readable instructions may, for example, be executed by a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, an embedded processor or processors of other programmable data processing devices to realize the functions described in the description and diagrams. In particular, a processor or processing apparatus may execute the machine readable instructions. Thus functional modules of the apparatus and devices may be implemented by a processor executing machine readable instructions stored in a memory, or a processor operating in accordance with instructions embedded in logic circuitry. The term ‘processor’ is to be interpreted broadly to include a CPU, processing unit, ASIC, logic unit, or programmable gate array etc. The methods and functional modules may all be performed by a single processor or divided amongst several processors.

[0067] Such machine readable instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage that can guide the computer or other programmable data processing devices to operate in a specific mode.

[0068] Such machine readable instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing devices, so that the computer or other programmable data processing devices perform a series of operations to produce computer-implemented processing, thus the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable devices realize functions specified by flow(s) in the flow charts and/or block(s) in the block diagrams.

[0069] Further, the teachings herein may be implemented in the form of a computer software product, the computer software product being stored in a storage medium and comprising a plurality of instructions for making a computer device implement the methods recited in the examples of the present disclosure.

[0070] While the method, apparatus and related aspects have been described with reference to certain examples, various modifications, changes, omissions, and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. It is intended, therefore, that the method, apparatus and related aspects be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents. It should be noted that the above- mentioned examples illustrate rather than limit what is described herein, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative implementations without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Features described in relation to one example may be combined with features of another example.

[0071] The word “comprising” does not exclude the presence of elements other than those listed in a claim, “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality, and a single processor or other unit may fulfil the functions of several units recited in the claims.

[0072] The features of any dependent claim may be combined with the features of any of the independent claims or other dependent claims.

Claims

1 . A modular insole for an article of footwear, the modular insole comprising: a shell portion; and a heel post capable of being removably coupled to the shell portion in a first orientation in which the heel post is to cause the shell portion to be inclined by a first inclination relative to a reference plane, and a second orientation in which the heel post is to cause the shell portion to be inclined by a second inclination relative to the reference plane.

2. A modular insole according to claim 1 , wherein the shell portion comprises a first surface arranged to face a foot of a wearer of the article of footwear and a second surface arranged to face away from the foot of the wearer; and wherein the heel post is capable of being removably coupled to the second surface of the shell portion.

3. A modular insole according to claim 1 , wherein the shell portion and the heel post are formed of build material that has been solidified during an additive manufacturing process.

4. A modular insole according to claim 1 , wherein the shell portion comprises a first recess and a second recess; wherein the heel post comprises a protrusion; and wherein the heel post is such that the protrusion is to be received by the first recess when the heel post is removably coupled to the shell portion in the first orientation, and the protrusion is to be received by the second recess when the heel post is removably coupled to the shell portion in the second orientation.

5. A modular insole according to claim 4, wherein the protrusion comprises a ridge, the first recess comprises a first groove and the second recess comprises a second groove; and wherein the first groove and the second groove extend in different directions to one another.

6. A modular insole according to claim 1 , wherein the shell portion comprises a first securing element and the heel post comprises a second securing element, complementary to the first securing element, such that the heel post is capable of being removably secured to the shell portion using the first and second securing elements.

7. A modular insole according to claim 6, wherein each of the first and second securing elements comprises a securing element selected from a group comprising: a clip; a snap-fit connector, a hook-and-loop type connector, and a magnet.

8. A modular insole according to claim 6, wherein the first securing element is located within a recess formed in the shell portion; and wherein the second securing element is located on a protrusion formed on the heel post; wherein, when the protrusion of the heel post is located within the recess of the shell portion, the first and second securing elements are to engage one another, so as to secure the heel post to the shell portion.

9. A modular insole according to claim 1 , further comprising: a further lifting element capable of being removably coupled to the shell portion in a position corresponding to a ball or toe of the subject’s foot.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving biomechanical data relating to a foot of a subject; generating, based on the received biomechanical data, first design data defining build parameters of a heel raising structure, the heel raising structure to form a part of an insole of an article of footwear and being capable of modifying an inclination of a foot of the wearer of the article of footwear relative to the ground between a plurality of inclinations; and providing the first design data for delivery to an additive manufacturing apparatus to generate the heel raising structure.

11. A computer-implemented method according to claim 10, further comprising: generating, based on the received biomechanical data, second design data defining build parameters of a shell portion of the insole; and providing the second design data for delivery to an additive manufacturing apparatus to generate the shell portion of the insole.

12. A computer-implemented method according to claim 11 , further comprising: operating the additive manufacturing apparatus to generate an insole according to the first design data and the second design data.

13. A computer-implemented method according to claim 10, further comprising: receiving a treatment plan for the subject; determining, based on the received biomechanical data and the treatment plan, an intended inclination to aid treatment of the subject’s foot; and generating the first design data further based on the determined intended inclination.

14. A computer-implemented method according to claim 10, further comprising: receiving further biomechanical data relating to the foot of the subject; generating, based on the received further biomechanical data, third design data defining build parameters of a replacement heel raising structure of the insole; providing the third design data for delivery to an additive manufacturing apparatus to generate the replacement heel raising structure of the insole; wherein the replacement heel raising structure is to replace the heel raising structure of the insole.

15. A heel post formed of build material that has been solidified during an additive manufacturing process, the heel post comprising a protrusion; wherein the protrusion is to be received in a first recess of a shell portion of a modular insole of an article of footwear to enable the heel post to be removably coupled 22 to the shell portion in a first orientation in which the heel post is to cause the shell portion to be inclined by a first inclination relative to a reference plane; and wherein the protrusion is to be received in a second recess of the shell portion to enable the heel post to be removably coupled to the shell portion in a second orientation in which the heel post is to cause the shell portion to be inclined by a second inclination relative to the reference plane.