Battery-powered percussive massage device

• US 10,492,984 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2018
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyperice IP Subco LLC (Hyper Ice, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hyper Ice, Inc.
• Inventors: Marton, Robert, Katz, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Stuart, Colin W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sul, Douglas Y
• Application Number:
  US16/107,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20190254922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 173217, 320107, 320112-114, 30369
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0134 Cushion or similar support
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0153 hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0157 portable
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0165 Damping, vibration related features
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1207 with electric or magnetic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1215 Rotary drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1436 Special crank assembly
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/149 rotation-linear or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1664 linear
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1669 moving along the body in a reciprocating manner
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1685 interchangeable
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/169 Physical characteristics of the surface, e.g. material, relief, texture or indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/50 Control means thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5025 Activation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/006 Percussion or tapping massage hand percussion A61H23/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0254 with rotary motor

Abstract

A percussive massage device includes an enclosure having a cylindrical bore that extends along a longitudinal axis. A motor has a rotatable shaft that rotates about a central axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. A crank coupled to the shaft includes a pivot, which is offset from the central axis of the shaft. A transfer bracket has a first end portion coupled to the pivot of the crank. A flexible transfer linkage has a first end coupled to a second end portion of the transfer bracket. A piston has a first end coupled to a second end of the transfer linkage. The piston is constrained to move within a cylinder along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore. An applicator head has a first end coupled to a second end of the piston and has a second end exposed outside the cylindrical bore for application to a person receiving treatment.

Claims

1. A battery-powered percussive massage device comprising:

a main enclosure having a cylindrical cavity therein, the cylindrical cavity extending along a longitudinal axis;

a motor positioned within the main enclosure, the motor having a rotatable shaft, the shaft having a central axis of rotation, the central axis of rotation of the shaft perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical cavity, the motor extending perpendicularly away from the longitudinal axis in a first direction;

a crank coupled to the shaft, the crank including a pivot, the pivot offset from the central axis of the shaft;

a reciprocating linkage having a first end coupled to the crank and having a second end;

a piston having a first end and a second end, the first end of the piston coupled to the second end of the reciprocating linkage, the piston positioned within the cylindrical cavity of the enclosure and constrained to move only along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical cavity;

an applicator head having a first end and a second end, the first end of the applicator head removably coupled to the second end of the piston, the second end of the applicator head exposed outside the cylindrical cavity;

a battery assembly receiving enclosure extending from the main enclosure in a second direction at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, the second direction opposite the first direction, the battery receiving enclosure opening into the cylindrical cavity of the main enclosure; and

a battery assembly positionable in the battery assembly receiving enclosure and removably retained by the battery assembly receiving enclosure, the battery assembly comprising;

a first portion of the battery assembly, which extends through the battery receiving enclosure into the cylindrical cavity of the main enclosure;

a second portion of the battery assembly, which is positioned within the battery assembly receiving enclosure;

a third portion of the battery assembly, which extends from the battery assembly receiving enclosure as a handle that is oriented at the angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, the third portion of the battery assembly comprising an outer gripping surface configured to be gripped by one hand to control the direction of the longitudinal axis of the percussive massage device when the percussive massage device is operating; and

a battery contained within the battery assembly, the battery positioned within the first, second and third portions of the battery assembly, at least a portion of the battery extending into the cylindrical cavity of the main enclosure.

2. The battery-powered percussive massage device of claim 1, wherein:

the battery assembly receiving enclosure includes at least one engagement ledge; and

the first portion of the battery assembly includes at least one tab engageable with the at least one engagement ledge to retain the first portion of the battery assembly within the cylindrical cavity of the main enclosure and to retain the second portion of the battery assembly within the battery assembly receiving enclosure, the at least one tab moveable to disengage the at least one tab from the at least one engagement ledge to enable removal of the battery assembly from the cylindrical cavity of the main enclosure and from the battery assembly receiving enclosure.

3. The battery-powered percussive massage device of claim 2, further comprising a button having a portion that engages the at least one tab, the portion of the button biased away from the at least one tab, the button responsive to manual pressure to move the at least one tab to disengage the at least one tab from the at least one engagement ledge.

4. The battery-powered percussive massage device of claim 1, wherein the battery assembly receiving enclosure, the battery assembly and the outer gripping surface are cylindrical.

5. The battery-powered percussive massage device of claim 1, wherein the angle with respect to the longitudinal axis is 90 degrees.

6. The battery-powered percussive massage device of claim 1, wherein:

the main enclosure includes a battery-receiving cup having a first plurality of contacts;

the first portion of the battery assembly includes a second plurality of contacts; and

the second plurality of contacts engage the first plurality of contacts when the first portion of the battery assembly is inserted into the cylindrical cavity of the main housing.

7. A method of massaging a body part using a battery-powered portable massage device having a main enclosure that houses a motor, the massage device having a piston that reciprocates along a longitudinal axis within a cylindrical cavity of the main enclosure in response to operation of the motor that rotates a shaft around a shaft axis, the shaft axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis such that the motor of the shaft extends away from the longitudinal axis in a first direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the method comprising:

coupling a removable applicator head to the piston;

attaching a battery assembly to the main enclosure by inserting a first portion of the battery assembly through a battery assembly receiving enclosure extending into the cylindrical cavity of the main enclosure to mechanically connect the first portion of the battery assembly to the main enclosure, the battery assembly receiving enclosure extending from the main enclosure in a second direction at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, the battery assembly containing at least one battery to provide electrical energy to the motor, the at least one battery having a first battery portion within the first portion of the battery assembly, the first battery portion extending into the cylindrical cavity of the main enclosure, the battery assembly extending along an axis in the second direction at the angle with respect to the longitudinal axis when engaged with the battery assembly receiving enclosure;

retaining a second portion of the battery assembly within the battery receiving enclosure;

extending a third portion of the battery assembly from the battery receiving enclosure;

applying power to the motor to cause the piston and the coupled applicator head to reciprocate; and

gripping an outer gripping surface of the third portion of the battery assembly as a handle of the percussive massage device to direct the application of the applicator head to a body part to be massaged.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the outer gripping surface of the battery assembly comprises a removable outer cover.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the removable outer cover of the battery assembly comprises neoprene.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one battery within the battery assembly is chargeable when the battery assembly is engaged with the battery assembly receiving enclosure.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one battery within the battery assembly is also chargeable when the battery assembly is not engaged with the battery assembly receiving enclosure.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the first portion of the battery assembly is mechanically connected to the battery receiving enclosure by engaging a first tab of the battery assembly with a first engagement ledge of the battery assembly receiving enclosure.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising disengaging the battery assembly from the battery receiving enclosure to enable removal of the battery assembly from the battery assembly receiving enclosure.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein disengaging the battery assembly from the battery receiving enclosure comprises applying pressure to a biased button to move at least a portion of the biased button against the first tab of the battery assembly to move the first tab of the battery assembly out of engagement with the first engagement ledge of the battery assembly receiving enclosure.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the battery assembly, the battery assembly receiving enclosure and the outer gripping surface are cylindrical.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the angle with respect to the longitudinal axis is 90 degrees.

17. A battery-powered percussive massage device comprising:

a main cylindrical housing that encloses a motor and that encloses a piston that reciprocates along a longitudinal axis in response to operation of the motor, the motor having a shaft with a shaft axis that extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, the motor extending perpendicularly away from the longitudinal axis in a first direction;

an applicator head removably coupled to the piston, at least a portion of the applicator head exposed outside the main cylindrical housing;

a battery assembly receiving enclosure extending from the main cylindrical housing in a second direction at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, the battery assembly receiving enclosure opening into the main cylindrical housing; and

a battery assembly positionable in the battery assembly receiving enclosure and removably secured to the battery assembly receiving enclosure, the battery assembly comprising;

a first portion of the battery assembly, which is positioned through the battery assembly receiving enclosure and which extends into the main cylindrical housing;

a second portion of the battery assembly, which is retained by the battery assembly receiving enclosure;

a third portion of the battery assembly, which extends from the battery assembly receiving enclosure in the second direction, the third portion of the battery assembly having an outer gripping surface, the third portion of the battery assembly configured as a handle to be gripped by one hand to control the percussive massage device when the percussive massage device is operating; and

at least one battery within the battery assembly, the at least one battery including a first portion within the first portion of the battery assembly such that the first portion of the at least one battery extends into the main cylindrical housing.

18. The battery-powered percussive massage device of claim 17, wherein battery assembly receiving enclosure, the battery assembly and the outer gripping surface are cylindrical.

19. The battery-powered percussive massage device of claim 17, wherein the angle with respect to the longitudinal axis is 90 degrees.

20. The battery-powered percussive massage device of claim 17, wherein:

the main cylindrical housing includes a battery-receiving cup having a first plurality of contacts;

the first portion of the battery assembly includes a second plurality of contacts; and

the second plurality of contacts engage the first plurality of contacts when the first portion of the battery assembly is inserted into the main cylindrical housing.