IP Verse

Battery-Powered Percussive Massage Device

Patent No. US10905627 (titled "Battery-Powered Percussive Massage Device") was filed by Acp Post Oak Credit I Llc on May 2, 2020.

What is this patent about?

’627 is related to the field of therapeutic devices, specifically those that deliver percussive massage. Percussive massage, involving rapid tapping or slapping, is used to stimulate deep-tissue muscles and increase local blood circulation. Existing electromechanical devices for this purpose tend to be bulky, expensive, tethered to a power source, and noisy, limiting their portability and ease of use.

The underlying idea behind ’627 is to create a more compact, lightweight, and portable percussive massage device that also operates more quietly. This is achieved by using a flexible linkage between the rotating motor and the reciprocating piston that drives the applicator head. This flexible linkage replaces a bearing, which reduces noise and cushions the abrupt directional changes of the piston.

The claims of ’627 focus on a battery-powered percussive massage device with a main enclosure, a motor with a rotatable shaft, and a reciprocation assembly that includes a piston. The key features include an applicator head removably attached to the piston , a control switch to select motor speeds, a handle with a gripping surface, and a battery unit partially housed within the handle and the main enclosure. Some claims also focus on a display indicating the motor's rotational speed.

In practice, the motor's rotation is converted to linear motion of the piston via an eccentric crank and the flexible linkage. As the crank rotates, the flexible linkage bends, translating the rotary motion into reciprocating motion of the piston. The flexible linkage, made of resilient rubber , cushions the impact at the ends of the piston's stroke, reducing noise and stress on the mechanical components. The applicator head, which comes in various shapes, is removably attached to the piston, allowing for different massage effects.

The design differentiates itself from prior art by eliminating a bearing at the piston end of the linkage system and introducing the flexible linkage. This flexible interconnect cushions the abrupt changes in direction at each end of the piston stroke. This reduces noise and vibration compared to traditional crank-piston mechanisms that rely solely on rigid linkages and bearings. The battery-powered design also enhances portability, addressing the limitations of tethered devices.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the late 2010s when ’627 was filed, percussive massage devices were at a time when electromechanical designs commonly relied on a motor coupled to a reciprocating piston within a cylinder. At that time, portability was often achieved through battery power, but hardware constraints made it non-trivial to balance size, weight, and noise reduction in such devices.

Novelty and Inventive Step

Claims 1-12 were pending. In a non-final office action, claims 1-12 were rejected. Claims 1-3 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 and on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting. Claims 6-10 and 12 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103. Claim 11 was rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103. The prosecution record does not describe the technical reasoning or specific claim changes that led to allowance.

Claims

This patent includes 12 claims, with independent claims 1 and 6. The independent claims are directed to a battery-powered percussive massage device comprising a main enclosure, motor, reciprocation assembly, applicator head, handle, and battery. The dependent claims generally add further details and limitations to the features described in the independent claims.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
Applicator head
(Claim 1, Claim 6)		“A variety of percussive heads may be attached to the piston to provide different percussive effects on selected areas of the body. 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. In certain embodiments, the applicator head is removably coupled to the piston.”A component with a proximal end removably attachable to the piston and a distal end that extends from the distal end of the main enclosure when attached to the piston, for applying percussive massage.
Control switch
(Claim 1)		“Percussive massage may be applied by a skilled massage therapist using rapid hand movements; however, the manual force applied to the body varies, and the massage therapist may tire before completing a sufficient treatment regime.”A switch located on the proximal end of the main enclosure that allows selection between at least two rotational speeds of the motor.
Handle portion
(Claim 1, Claim 6)		“Many of the known percussive applicators are expensive, large, relatively heavy, and tethered to an electrical power source. For example, some percussive applicators may require users to grip the applicators with both hands in order to control the applicators.”A part of the device with an outer gripping surface, housing a portion of the battery unit.
Main enclosure
(Claim 1, Claim 6)		“One aspect of the embodiments disclosed herein is a percussive massage device that includes an enclosure having a cylindrical bore that extends along a longitudinal axis. 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.”A housing with a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal cavity, extending along a longitudinal axis.
Reciprocation assembly
(Claim 1, Claim 6)		“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.”A mechanism coupled to the motor's rotatable shaft, including a piston, that converts rotational motion into reciprocating linear motion along a reciprocation axis.

Litigation Cases New

US Latest litigation cases involving this patent.

Case NumberFiling DateTitle
3:25-cv-01074Sep 12, 2025Hyper Ice, Inc. v. Namirsa, Inc.

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US10905627

ACP POST OAK CREDIT I LLC
Application Number
US16865320
Filing Date
May 2, 2020
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
Feb 22, 2038
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents