GB2620333A

GB2620333A - Method of manufacturing a shin guard

Info

Publication number: GB2620333A
Application number: GB2316012.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roach Daniel
Original assignee: Twobones Ltd
Current assignee: Twobones Ltd
Priority date: 2019-09-17
Filing date: 2019-09-17
Publication date: 2024-01-03
Also published as: GB202316012D0

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a shin guard tailored to a portion of an individual’s body, including a shin profile, the shin guard having a rigid shell and an impact absorbing material of substantially uniform thickness, the rigid shell including a substantially concave inner surface shaped to substantially correspond to the shin profile, the method comprising the steps of: generating a digital representation of the shin profile of at least the portion of the individual’s body by using an optical three-dimensional scanner; creating a three-dimensional computer model based on the digital representation, the three-dimensional computer model including a digital surface corresponding to the shin profile of the portion of the individual’s body; using the three-dimensional computer model to manufacture the rigid shell by an additive manufacturing means or a subtractive manufacturing means; and applying the impact absorbing material to the inner surface of the shell.

Description

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SHIN GUARD

The present invention generally relates to a method of manufacturing a shin guard tailored to a shin profile of an individual's body.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Many contact or non-contact sports, at a professional or amateur level, require the use of guards to help prevent serious injury to vulnerable areas of the body. For example, shin guards are widely used to protect players' lower legs and shins from impacts during game play, for example, shin pads are used in football as kicking is used to advance the ball towards the goal This can result in an increased risk of injury as players shins may receive impacts from other players.

1 5 Existing guards can be ill fitting, bulky and/or uncomfortable as they are mass produced in a limited number of standard sizes and to generic norms or average shapes. Individuals which differ from generic norms or average shapes may find that the protective guards are less comfortable to wear, impede movement, shift position easily and provide ineffective impact protection. This can be especially problematic for children and women as there are limited sizes and shapes available. Furthermore, as children grow, existing shin pads will fit worse.

To help ensure guards are held in position straps and/or adhesive tape are used to bind the guard tightly to the body. While this minimises undesired movement, it limits the flow of blood, and may allow the guard to shift to an uncomfortable position. Adhesive tapes can be particularly problematic as they do not stretch which requires them to be fitted in a constrictive manner. While straps can stretch, they tend to be overly constrictive as the unstretched state is significantly smaller than when in use.

Guards which can be adjusted for a better fit are known. For example, Tibtop (RIM) provide a shin guard in which two wing portions can be folded to better fit the shin However, many of the same issues are still present as they are mass produced to standard sizes and only allow the overall width of the shin pad to change. Furthermore, the shell of the shin pad maintains a standard concave shape.

It is an object of the present invention to reduce or substantially obviate the aforementioned problems.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a guard tailored to a portion of an individual's body having a surface profile, the tailored guard having a unitary rigid shell and an impact absorbing material of substantially uniform thickness, the rigid shell having a concave inner surface with an irregular surface profile shaped to substantially correspond to the surface profile, the method comprising the steps of capturing a representation of at least the portion of the individual's body, the representation including a section which corresponds to the surface profile of the portion of the individual's body; creating a positive mould from the representation; forming the rigid shell by: thermoforming a sheet of thermoplastic to the positive mould; isolating or separating the rigid shell from the sheet of thermoformed thermoplastic; and, before or after separating the shell from the sheet, applying a sheet of impact absorbing material of substantially uniform thickness to the inner surface of the rigid shell.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a guard tailored to a portion of an individual's body having a surface profile, the tailored guard having a unitary rigid shell and an impact absorbing material of substantially uniform thickness, the rigid shell having a concave inner surface with an irregular surface profile shaped to substantially correspond to the surface profile, the method comprising the steps of: generating a digital representation of such as a point cloud, the surface profile of at least the portion of the individual's body by using an optical three-dimensional scanner; creating a three-dimensional computer model based on the digital representation of the surface profile, the three-dimensional computer model including a digital surface corresponding to the surface profile of the individual' s body; using the three-dimensional computer model to manufacture the rigid shell, the rigid shell being no larger than the portion of the individual's body; and applying a sheet of impact absorbing material of substantially uniform thickness to the inner surface of the shell.

Using the disclosed methods, it is possible to create a tailored protective guard which fits to the unique shape of a portion of the individual's body while improving impact protection. The tailored fit helps to prevent slippage of the protective guard during use which removes the need for additional adhesive tape or straps, improving blood flow during use. Furthermore, the tailored protective guard improves the comfort and mobility of the individual. The disclosed methods improve access to well -fitting guards to a larger range of people.

The height and width of the shell are each independently tailored to the relevant part of the user's body.

By creating a positive mould and forming a shell through thermoforming, it is possible to quickly and cheaply produce guards tailored to an individual. The thermoplastic may include a copolymer.

By using subtractive or additive manufacturing processes to directly create the shell it is possible to expand the type of materials used. By creating a three-dimensional computer model, it is possible to easily customise the dimensions of the shell.

The unitary shell is defined by a single shell sized and shaped to provide protection to the desired portion of the individual's body.

In some cases, the impact absorbing, or impact reducing, material may be applied to the rigid shell (that is, to the moulded portion of the thermoplastic sheet) prior to separating the shell from the rest of the sheet.

In the first aspect, the step of forming the tailored shell may comprise removing the rigid shell from the thermoformed sheet by cutting. After removing the rigid shell from the thermoformed sheet, the rigid shell may be reduced in size to user selected dimensions. Excess material may be removed to reduce the size by trimming using a cutting means, abrading using an abrasive, or other processes known to remove excess material.

The user selected dimensions may include at least a longitudinal dimension and a latitudinal dimension, the longitudinal dimension is the distance the guard will extend along the portion of the individual's body when fitted, the latitudinal dimension is the distance the guard will extend around the portion of the individual's body when fitted.

The user selected dimensions should not be greater than the dimensions of the portion of the individual's body.

The second aspect may further comprise the step of altering the dimensions of the shell in the three-dimensional computer model based on user selected dimensions and the dimensions of the portion of the individual's body.

The user selected dimensions may include at least a longitudinal dimension and a latitudinal dimension, the longitudinal dimension is the distance the guard will extend along the portion of the individual's body when fitted, the latitudinal dimension is the distance the guard will extend around the portion of the individual's body when fitted The user selected dimensions cannot be greater than the dimensions of the portion of the individual's body.

By customising the dimensions, such as size, length, width and/or overall area, of the tailored shell a greater range of individuals can be catered for For example, taller players who have thinner shins will be able to have shin pads which are a narrower width when compared to the set standard sizes.

In the first aspect, prior to forming the rigid shell, at least a portion of the positive mould may be enlarged, or scaled up, to account for the thickness of the impact absorbing material. By doing so, once the shell has been formed, it is large enough to receive the impact absorbing material such that the surface profile which is scaled to fit the portion of the body that gave rise to the positive mould. In other words, the impact absorbing material has an irregular surface profile at the same scale as the body portion it is intended to fit, and the rigid shell has an irregular surface profile which matches and is equivalent to an enlargement of the surface profile of the impact absorbing material. The enlargement is fractional but contributes to an improved fit.

A flexible material capable of substantially conforming to the surface profile may be used to enlarge, or scale up, the positive mould. The flexible material may have a thickness which is approximately equal to or less than the thickness of the impact absorbing material to be used. The flexible material may be a fabric material or other material which can closely conform to the surface profile while allowing a gas to be drawn through. The material used to enlarge, or scale up, the positive mould may be capable of stretching. The material may wrap around a portion of the mould.

When using a three-dimensional model, in either the first aspect or the second aspect, I 0 the computer model may be enlarged or scaled by a predetermined value based on the intended thickness of the impact absorbing material to be used.

The first aspect may also comprise taking a physical impression of at least the portion of the individual's body. For a physical impression, an impression foam may be used IS to capture the representation A cast may be taken of the impression to create the positive mould.

An impression tool according to an aspect of the invention discussed later may be used with the impression foam. An impression kit according to an aspect of the invention discussed later may be used with either aspect of the invention discussed above.

The impression foam may be enclosed in a substantially rigid box to provide protection during transportation.

A physical impression means provides a simple process of capturing a representation of the individual's body.

In the first aspect, the positive mould may be created from a digital representation of at least the portion of the individual's body. The representation of at least the portion of the individual's body may be a digital representation of the surface profile of at least the portion of the individual's body. The digital representation may be captured by using an optical three-dimensional scanner. The scanner may be handheld or static. The scanner may be a smartphone with a camera and suitable installed software.

The optical three-dimensional scanner may directly scan at least the portion of the individual's body or it may scan a physical representation of at least the portion of the individual's body. For example, the physical impression may be scanned The use of a three-dimensional scanner allows for the necessary information to be digitised and stored. The stored digital information can be more easily accessed and transferred. The physical space required to store the digital scans is less than the physical impressions. The digital scans ensure that no accidental damage to the captured representation can easily occur. I 0

In the first aspect, the captured data may be a point cloud or other digital representation of the surface profile of the portion of the individual' s body. The captured data may be used to create a three-dimensional computer model representing the individual's body. The positive mould is then created by a computer controlled additive manufacturing process or a computer controlled subtractive manufacturing process based on the three-dimensional representation of the individual' s body. For example, a CNC machine, such as a milling machine, may mill a block of material based on the three-dimensional computer model.

The optical three-dimensional scanner may use known three-dimensional scanning techniques such as time-of-flight scanning, triangulation scanning and/or structured light scanning.

The optical three-dimensional scanner may be a handheld optical three-dimensional scanner.

The handheld device may be a smart device, such as a smart phone. The smart device may be an electronic device with a processor, memory and communication means allowing connection and communication with at least one other electronic device.

The smart device may comprise a structured light projector and at least one optical sensor. The structured light projector may project a pattern of light, such as parallel stripes, an array of dots or other common patterns, on to at least the portion of the individual's body. The pattern may change with time, for example the stripes may move in a predetermined direction.

By using a three-dimensional scanner, it is possible to capture the relevant three-dimensional geometric information required to build a three-dimensional computer model. By using a handheld scanner, it is possible to allow the individual, or an assistant within a shop or visiting a remote location such as a sport club, to capture the necessary information for later manufacturing the tailored guard.

A smart device allows for individuals to capture the necessary information using commonly owned devices. This would allow the individual to capture the representation at home and transmit the information to the manufacture or a remote server for later access by the manufacturer.

1.5 The first aspect may use a vacuum former to form the tailored shell An adhesive or glue may be used to bond the shell to the sheet of impact absorbing material. The adhesive may be a medical grade adhesive. The adhesive or glue may be a contact adhesive. An adhesive is considered to be a material or compound suitable for bonding two different surfaces of materials together. The bond is preferably permanent.

The impact absorbing material may be a strain rate dependent material. The impact absorbing material may be a foam material. The foam material may be a foam rubber. The foam material may be or include an elastomeric material. The impact absorbing 25 material may include Poron XRD (RTM).

The impact absorbing material may include an antimicrobial additive or coating For example, the Poron KRD (RTM) may include one of the antimicrobial technologies from Microban (RTM).

The impact absorbing material may be suitable for direct contact with human skin.

The impact absorbing material may be provided as a mid-layer between the inner surface of the guard and a further layer of material. The further layer of material may be or include a fabric suitable for wicking moisture away from the portion of the individual's body, such as polyester or wool, and/or providing comfort. The further layer of material may be applied to at least some of the surfaces of the impact absorbing material not in contact with the inner surface of the guard.

The adhesive or glue may be applied to the sheet of impact absorbing material or the inner surface of the rigid shell or both. The sheet of impact absorbing material may be placed against the inner surface of the rigid shell and pressure applied to the rigid shell and/or impact absorbing material. Pressure may be applied to substantially the whole surface area or a portion of the surface area of the rigid shell and/or impact absorbing material. Pressure may be applied by hand or a tool. The tool may include a roller. The tool assists in adhering the sheet of impact absorbing material to the inner surface of the rigid shell. Pressure may be applied until the glue has partially or fully set, for example.

In strain rate dependent materials, such as Poron XRD (RTM), the material is in a soft pliable state when at rest as it is above the glass transition temperature of urethane molecules. However, when stressed at a high rate, the glass transition temperature moves to a point the urethane momentarily freezes.

In the second aspect, the three-dimensional model may be a digital representation of the guard. One of the digital surfaces of the digital guard may correspond to the digital representation of the surface profile of at least the individual's body.

In the second aspect, the method may further comprise the step of creating a three-dimensional model of at least the portion of the individual's body. The three-dimensional model of at least the portion of the individual's body may include a digital surface based on the digital representation of the surface profile of at least the individual's body. The three-dimensional computer model of the guard may be based on the three-dimensional computer model of at least the portion of the individual's body.

The inner surface of the shell may correspond to and run substantially parallel with the surface profile of the individual's body when worn.

The three-dimensional scanner may scan at least the portion of the individual's body.

The three-dimensional scanner may scan an impression of theindividual's body.

The shell may be manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques such as three-dimensional printing.

The shell may be manufactured using subtractive manufacturing techniques, such as milling.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a guard tailored to a surface profile of a portion of an individual's body comprising: a unitary rigid shell having a concave inner surface with an irregular surface profile corresponding to the surface profile of the portion of the individual's body; an impact absorbing material of substantially uniform thickness bonded to the inner surface to provide a surface corresponding to the surface profile; wherein the shell is formed and/or tailored, during manufacture, based on a representation of the individual's body such that the inner surface substantially corresponds to and runs substantially parallel to the surface profile of the portion of the individual's body when worn.

The irregular profile is a profile that complements the contours unique to a person's musculoskeletal structure in the respective part of the body, for example, the individual's shin having unique contours along its length and width created by the tibia and surrounding tissue.

The irregular inner surface of the guard, as well as the impact absorbing material applied to the inner surface of the guard, substantially corresponds to the surface profile of the individual's body by each effectively having a curvilinear line, when the guard or portion of the individual's body is viewed in cross section, which is substantially parallel to the other. Generally, this means that the surface profile of the guard, and the impact absorbing material when applied, must substantially match with the surface profile of the portion of the individual's body.

The irregular inner surface may be considered as a surface which does not consist solely or predominantly of a simple or regular concave face. Instead, it can include raised or recessed areas which follow the contours of a specific part of a specific person's body. The protective guard may be a shin guard and the surface profile may be a shin profile.

The protective guard may be an arm guard and the surface profile may be a forearm profile. The tailored protective guard may be any protective guard which is to be located to a particular area of an individual's body with a surface profile.

The protective guard may have a substantially uniform thickness. The protective guard 10 may have a thickness between 10 mm and 2 mm, preferably between 5 mm and 2 mm and more preferably an approximate thickness of 3 mm.

In a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit of parts comprising: at least one guard tailored to a surface profile as claimed in any preceding claim; and a guard retaining means for in use extending around the portion of the individual's body and holding the guard to the individual, the guard retaining means including a stretchable fabric material, the stretchable fabric material including a cohesive material so that the stretchable fabric material coheres to itself A stretchable fabric material with cohesive material can cohere (or stick) to itself and not adhere (or stick) well to hair, skin or other materials. In other words, the cohesive material has a high degree of cohesion with itself, for example by pressing the material together, and a comparatively low degree of attraction to other surfaces. The cohesive bond between one section of the material and another section of the same material is releasable, unlike the adhesive bond formed between the impact absorbing material and the shell, The guard retaining means may be a strip of fabric with a predetermined length and predetermined width, the predetermined length being greater than the predetermined width. The guard retaining means may be rolled up. For example, the retaining means may be a cohesive bandage or covering.

The material may be incorporated in the fabric and/or be applied by a coating to the fabric. The fabric may include fragments of cohesive material, such as rubber, latex or other materials, incorporated into the fabric. The fabric may include threads of rubber, latex, or other cohesive materials.

The stretchable cohesive material allows for the amount of tension, when in use around the individual's body portion, to be adjusted according to personal preference. For example, the amount the fabric is stretched, when it is applied, can be reduced so as to limit constriction. Furthermore, as movement of the guard is limited due to the matching profiles the fabric material can act redundantly to assist in minimising movement.

The outer surface of the protective guard may include indicia display regions The kit may include a compressive sleeve. The sleeve may include a region configured to hold the guard to the portion of the individual's body. The region configured to hold the guard in position may be a pocket.

The kit may include a compression sock. A pocket for a guard may be provided at the front of the compression sock or compressive sleeve.

The region configured to hold the guard in position may include a material for increasing friction within that area. For example, the material may be a silicone.

Silicone webbing may be included in the pocket or a surface of the retaining means for maintaining the guard in position. The material for increasing friction may be a material woven into the material of the retaining means or it may be applied to a surface of the retaining means. When applied to the surface of the retaining means, it may be patterned such as a webbed pattern.

In another aspect of the present invention there is provided an impression tool for use in making an impression in an impression material, the tool comprising a rigid force distribution plate, two substantially parallel retaining walls disposed to one side of the force distribution plate, the retaining walls extending substantially perpendicularly from sides of the force distribution plate to define an impression material receiving space between the retaining walls and the force distribution plate, for receiving a piece of impression material, and at least one finger grip area for applying force to the plate, ii the finger grip area being disposed on or in the other side of the force distribution plate to the impression material receiving space.

The finger grip area (or areas) may be considered as a manual force application area (or areas) The tool allows a person to create an accurate impression of their lower leg or shin, for example, without the assistance of a second person. An impression material is placed in the receiving space and the surface lined up (ideally centrally) against the desired portion of the body. In the case of a leg, the user can place their hands on either side of the exterior of the force distribution plate, with their fingers on the grip area, and pull the tool towards the leg. The force distribution plate bears against the impression material which in turn collapses against the portion of their body which is against the exposed face of the impression material. This forms an impression or imprint which can be used to form a tailored guard.

The tool allows for an accurate impression to be taken while the portion of the individual's body is in a suitable position. For example, when used to take an impression of the shin of an individual for a shin guard, the musculoskeletal structure around the shin effecting the surface profile should be as close as possible to the position of the individual when using the shin guard. The tool, particularly the rigid body, allows the individual to apply the correct amount of force in a lunge position without creating inappropriate deformation. The lunge position ensures the musculoskeletal structure around the shin effecting the surface profile is as close to, if not the same as, the normal position for the shin guard during use.

External corners of the tool, where the retaining walls extend away from the plate, may be right-angled. This makes it easier to apply force in use as the palms of each hand can grip engage the outside of the respective retaining walls, whilst the fingers overlie the force distribution plate part of the corner.

The finger grip area may include a first area for providing grip to the left hand and a second area for providing grip to the right hand. The areas may include pads to provide cushioning disposed to either side of the centreline of the rigid force distribution plate.

The finger grip areas may be equidistantly disposed to either side of a central plane through the tool The tool may be substantially symmetric about a central vertical plane Each finger grip area may extend at least partially along the length of the rigid force distribution plate. Each finger grip area may extend partially along the width of the force distribution plate. Each finger grip area may extend substantially one quarter to a half, preferably one third, of the width of the force distribution plate The impression tool may comprise an alignment means for aligning a portion of the individual's body to a substantially central region of the receiving space. The alignment means may be disposed on or in the other side of the force distribution plate to the impression material receiving space. The alignment means may be formed from or provided by the negative space created by the finger grip areas.

The rigid force distribution plate may be sized and shaped so as to accommodate the portion of the individual's body, for example the shin.

The retaining walls may be integrally formed with the force distribution plate. The retaining walls may include rounded corners and/or edges.

The force distribution plate may include rounded corners and/or edges.

The force distribution plate may be made of metal When impression material is provided in the receiving space, a section of each retaining wall may extend beyond the impression material for protecting the impression material when boxed The alignment means may be a compressible material. The compressible material may be adhered to the second surface of the force distribution plate. This stops the material slipping when taking the impression.

The force distribution plate may include a grip region for retaining the impression material within the receiving space. The grip region may be disposed on the surface of the force distribution plate defining the receiving space. The grip region may be a textured surface. The grip region may be an adhesive.

In another aspect of the present invention there is provided an impression kit comprising an impression tool as referred to in an above aspect of the present invention, and a material suitable for making an impression.

The material suitable for making an impression may be a foam.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a view of a pair of tailored shin guards manufactured according to an embodiment of invention, Figures 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d shows an impression of an individual's lower leg being taken according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 shows an optical three-dimensional scanner being used to scan lower legs of an individual's according to an embodiment of the invention; and Figures 4a and 4b show a graphical representation of three-dimensional geometric data according to an embodiment of the invention

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring firstly to Figure 1, a pair of tailored protective shin guards are generally indicated at 10. Each shin guard comprises a tailored shell 12 and a layer of impact absorbing foam 14. The tailored shell 12 has a thickness of 3 mm with an outer surface and inner surface. In other embodiments the thickness of the tailored shell and/or the impact absorbing foam can vary based on sporting requirements and the individual' s preferences The impact absorbing foam 14 is bonded to the inner surface of the tailored shell 12.

Each tailored shell 12 is shaped during manufacture based on a representation of the shin it will be located on. It is shaped such that it will conform closely, in use, to the surface profile of said shin. This allows the tailored shin guards to match the contours of the shin so as to run substantially parallel to the surface profile over the desired region of protection. The surface profile of the individual's shin, or other location onto which the protective guard is to be located, is dependent upon the local musculoskeletal structure of the individual.

The tailored shell 12 can be sized to the individual's requirements providing a non-set range of sizes (in both height and width), unlike the set number of standard sizes offered e.g. S, M, L & XL. The shape of the periphery of the tailored shell can also be customised based on the individual's choices. The aesthetics of the tailored shell may also be customised through applying designs or colour to the shell or placing branding within indicia display areas.

Embodiments of the first aspect of the invention will now be discussed. A method of manufacturing tailored protective guards, such as those shown in Figure 1, comprises the steps of creating a positive mould of a portion of an individual's body, forming a tailored shell and applying an impact absorbing foam to the tailored shell.

In one embodiment, the step of creating a positive mould is achieved by using medical impression foam Figures 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d generally show an impressioning kit and the process of making a shin impression using said kit. The impression kit comprises a block of impression foam 16 contained in an impression tool 18 made from metal, plastic or other suitably rigid material. Figure 2a shows the impression kit prior to an impression being formed and Figure 2d shows the impression kit after an impression is formed.

The impression tool 18 has a rectangular backplate 20 with two side walls 22 extending substantially perpendicular from the backplate 20. A region for receiving the impression foam 16 is defined by at least a portion of the backplate 20 and at least a portion of the two side walls. The size and shape of the impression tool is predetermined based on the type of protective guard required and the part of the individual' s body.

The backplate 20 is used to distribute the force applied by the individual or assistant.

The impression tool 18 comprises two finger grip regions 23. In the current embodiment, the finger grip regions 23 extend along substantially the length of the backplate 20 and extend approximately one third of the width of the backplate 20. The finger grip regions 23 are formed by a pad of compressible material, such as foam, attached to a surface of the backplate 20. The two finger grip regions can act as an alignment means. Each foam pad is adhered to the backplate 20 so that the central third of the backplate is not covered. This allows the individual or assistant to approximately align the crest of the shin with the centre of the impression tool 18.

As shown in figures 2b and 2c, the individual, or an assistant, aligns the crest of the shin to the central region of the impression kit 18, places the impression kit into contact with the desired area on the individual' s body 24 and applies a force to the impression tool 18 towards the desired area of the individual's body 24 This causes the impression foam 16 to destructively compress creating an impression containing the surface profile of the desired area of the individual's body between the backplate 20 and the desired area of the individual's body 24.

In some embodiments, a surface of the backplate 20 is textured or includes an adhesive to secure the impression foam 16 within the receiving space of the impression tool 18.

In other embodiments, the side walls 22 may flex slightly allowing contact with the impression foam 16. The flexing side walls 22 will secure the impression foam within the receiving space when the impression tool 18 is handled by the user.

In some embodiments, the impression tool 18 containing the impression foam 16 is supplied to an individual through an online marketplace or in a physical store. Alternatively, an assistant can travel to the individual to capture the impression. The impression tool may be provided with a cover or box to protect the impression foam 16 during transport. Alternatively, the impression tool 18 may be constructed in such a way to fold so as to prevent the impression foam 16 from being further crushed once an impression has been taken. The individual is provided with instructions on how to take an impression using the foam. Once an impression has been taken it is returned so that a positive mould can be created.

In the current embodiment, a liquid plaster, or similarly suitable casting medium, is poured into the impression 26 to create a positive of the desired area of the individual's body. Once the casting material has hardened, the positive is removed and smoothed.

In an alternative embodiment using the impression kit, a handheld optical three-dimensional scanner, such as those discussed below, is used to scan the impression with the resulting data to be used to generate a three-dimensional computer model of the desired area of the individual's body. A CNC milling machine is used to mill a block of material, preferably a polymer, into the positive mould of the desired area of the individual's body based on the three-dimensional computer model In an alternative embodiment the step of creating a positive mould is achieved by using an additive manufacturing technique, such as three-dimensional printing, to construct the positive based on a three-dimensional computer model of the desired location of the individual's body. The three-dimensional computer model is created by using a three-dimensional scanner.

Figure 3 shows a stand-on optical three-dimensional scanner 28 which can be used in some embodiments of the invention to generate a data file containing three-dimensional geometric data of an individual's lower legs. The stand-on optical three-dimensional scanner 28 comprises a base 30 with foot positions 31, an adjustable arm 32 extending from the base 30, and an optical scanner 34. An individual locates their feet on the identified foot positions on the base 30 and commences a three-dimensional scan. The base 30 may also comprise a motorised turntable to rotate the user. Alternatively, the adjustable arm 32 may rotate about the base 30. The stand-on optical three-dimensional scanner 28 generates a point cloud of the lower legs including the shins. Similar stand-on or non-handheld three-dimensional scanners, are known to the skilled person and would be suitable.

In other embodiments, a handheld optical three-dimensional scanner is used to capture the necessary three-dimensional data representing a portion of the individual's body.

There are a number of handheld optical three-dimensional scanners known to the skilled person which use different mechanisms and techniques to capture the three-dimensional geometric data which would be suitable for use in the disclosed methods, for example structured light, modulated light, laser triangulation or stereoscopic images.

In the preferred embodiment, the handheld device may be a smart device, such as a smartphone or tablet, which uses the existing imaging components to perform the three-dimensional scanning. For example, the smart device may be an iPhone (RTM) which comprises the Apple (RTM) TrueDepth (RTM) camera. The three-dimensional scanning is performed by utilising the plurality of cameras and structured light projector. The smart device is moved through a plurality of positions such that a series of images of the individual's body is captured. Processing is carried out to generate a point cloud of the individual's body. Figures 4a and 4b show an example of a point cloud generated by using an application run on a smart device.

The process of scanning the desired area of an individual's body can be performed by the individual themselves using smart devices, or by an assistant within a shop or at an alternative location such as a sporting ground.

A three-dimensional computer model of the portion of the individual's body is created from the point cloud. The three-dimensional model is then used to create the positive mould of the individual's body by a CNC machine milling a block of material or by a three-dimensional printer constructing the positive mould Once the positive mould of the individual's body has been created, by any of the above embodiments, it is possible to form the tailored shell. In the current embodiment, a vacuum forming method is used to form a polypropylene copolymer sheet over the positive mould. The tailored shell is removed from the positive mould and the excess polypropylene copolymer removed. The tailored shell also undergoes the process of smoothing and finishing.

Once the tailored shell has been formed, sized, smoothed and finished, impact absorbing foam is secured to its inner surface. A layer of medical grade adhesive, suitable for adhering different materials together, is applied to the inner surface. A sheet of impact absorbing foam is applied to the medical grade adhesive. The sheet of impact absorbing foam is trimmed so as to align with the periphery of the tailored shell.

Embodiments of the second aspect of the invention will now be discussed. The second aspect of the invention does not include creating a positive mould of the individual's body and instead uses three-dimensional scanning techniques and resultant three-dimensional computer models discussed above to create the tailored shell through additive or subtractive manufacturing processes.

A method of manufacturing tailored protective guards, such as those shown in Figure 1, comprise the steps of generating a point cloud representation of the individual' s body by using a three-dimensional scanner, creating a three-dimensional computer model, using the three-dimensional computer model in a computer controlled manufacturing process to create the tailored shell, and applying an impact absorbing material to the tailored shell.

The point cloud representation of the individual's body is the basis for a three-dimensional model representing at least the portion of the individual's body. A three-dimensional model of the tailored shell is created based on the three-dimensional model of the individual's body. The three-dimensional model of the tailored shell is used by the computer-controlled manufacturing processes.

In one embodiment, an additive manufacturing means, such as a three-dimensional printer, is used to create the tailored shell based on the three-dimensional computer model In another embodiment, a subtractive manufacturing means, such as a CNC milling machine, is used to create the tailored shell based on the three-dimensional computer model.

Once the tailored shell has been created from either the additive manufacturing means or subtractive manufacturing means it is smoothed and finished, the impact absorbing foam is secured to its inner surface. A layer of high strength medical grade adhesive, suitable for adhering different materials together, is applied to the inner surface. A sheet of impact absorbing foam is applied to the medical grade adhesive. The sheet of impact absorbing foam is trimmed so as to align with the periphery of the tailored shell.

Once finished, the tailored protective guards are packaged for delivery to the individual. Compressive sleeves of a suitable size for the individual's body are packaged with the tailored protective guards. Each compressive sleeve includes a compartment for containing the tailored protective guard in use. In some embodiments, the or each compressive sleeve includes a silicon webbing to securing the tailored protective guard.

The embodiments described above are provided by way of example only, and various changes and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1 A method of manufacturing a shin guard tailored to a portion of an individual's body, including a shin profile, the shin guard having a rigid shell and an impact absorbing material of substantially uniform thickness, the rigid shell including a substantially concave inner surface shaped to substantially correspond to the shin profile, the method comprising the steps of: generating a digital representation of the shin profile of at least the portion of the individual's body by using an optical three-dimensional scanner; creating a three-dimensional computer model based on the digital representation, the three-dimensional computer model including a digital surface corresponding to the shin profile of the portion of the individual's body; using the three-dimensional computer model to manufacture the rigid shell by an additive manufacturing means or a subtractive manufacturing means; and applying the impact absorbing material to the inner surface of the shell.
2. A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in claim I, in which the three-dimensional model is a digital representation of the shin guard, and the digital surface corresponds to the digital representation of the shin profile of at least the portion of the individual's body.
3 A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, including the step of creating a three-dimensional model of at least the portion of the individual's body, including a digital surface based on the digital representation of the shin profile of at least the individual's body.
4 A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in claim 3, in which the three-dimensional computer model of the shin guard is based on the three-dimensional computer model of at least the portion of the individual's body.
A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the impact absorbing material is provided as a mid-layer between the inner surface of the shin guard and a further layer of material.
6. A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in claim 5, in which the further layer of material is or includes wool, polyester or another fabric for wicking moisture away from the portion of the individual's body and/or providing comfort
7. A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, in which the further layer of material is applied to at least some of the surfaces of the impact absorbing material not in contact with the inner surface of the shin guard.
8 A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a smart device comprises the optical three-dimensional scanner, the optical three-dimensional scanner comprising a structured light projector and an optical sensor.
9. A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the three-dimensional scanner scans part of the individual's body.
10. A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the three-dimensional scanner is handheld.
11 A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the three-dimensional computer model is enlarged or scaled by a predetermined value based on the intended thickness of the impact absorbing material to be used.
12. A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the rigid shell is a unitary shell having a concave inner surface with an irregular surface profile corresponding to the shin profile of the portion of the individual's body; the impact absorbing material has substantially uniform thickness to provide a surface corresponding to the shin profile; and the unitary shell is tailored or formed, during manufacture, based on the representation of at least the portion of the individual's body such that the inner surface substantially corresponds to and runs substantially parallel to the shin profile of the portion of the individual's body without strap or adhesive tape when worn.
13 A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in claim 12, in which the irregular surface profile, as well as the impact absorbing material applied to the inner surface of the rigid shell, substantially corresponds to the shin profile of the individual's body by each effectively having a curvilinear line, when the shin guard is viewed in cross section, which is substantially parallel to the other.
14. A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13, in which the concave inner surface with the irregular surface profile does not consist solely or predominantly of a simple or regular concave face.
15. A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the rigid shell has predetermined dimensions based on user selection and dimensions of the portion of the individual's body.
16. A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in any preceding claim, in which an adhesive is used to bond the impact absorbing material to the inner surface of the shell.
17. A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the impact absorbing material is a strain rate dependent material
18. A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the impact absorbing material is a foam.
19. A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the impact absorbing material is a urethane.
20. A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the shin guard has an approximate thickness of 3 mm.
21. A method of manufacturing a shin guard as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the impact absorbing material includes an antimicrobial additive or coating