Massage Device Having Variable Stroke Length
Patent No. US11938082 (titled "Massage Device Having Variable Stroke Length") was filed by Hyper Ice Inc on Nov 20, 2023.
What is this patent about?
’082 is related to the field of medical devices, specifically deep muscle-stimulating devices designed to increase muscle metabolism, enhance the lactic acid cycle, and relieve pain. Existing vibrating massage devices often suffer from being bulky, overheating, generating excessive noise, and being difficult to use for extended periods.
The underlying idea behind ’082 is to create a more user-friendly and efficient percussive massager. This is achieved through a combination of features including a quick-connect system for swapping massage heads during operation, a drive mechanism to control the piston's stroke length, and a design that addresses overheating and noise issues.
The claims of ’082 focus on a percussive massager featuring a housing, a piston with a bore at its distal end, a motor to reciprocate the piston, a drive mechanism to control the piston's stroke length, and a quick-connect system that allows massage heads to be inserted or removed while the piston is reciprocating. Claim 18 focuses on a method of assembling such a massager.
The massager uses a motor-driven piston to deliver percussive massage. A key aspect is the quick-connect system, which uses magnets to allow users to swap massage heads without stopping the device. This addresses the need for versatility during a massage session, allowing therapists to target different muscle groups or apply varying levels of pressure without interruption. The stroke length is controlled by a drive mechanism, potentially a lost motion system , allowing for adjustments to the depth of the massage.
The design also incorporates features to mitigate common issues with massage devices. A heat sink and fan system, isolated from the motor, prevent overheating by dissipating heat generated by the motor and drive mechanism. Furthermore, the use of spring bars in the crank bearing of the drive mechanism reduces noise and wear by minimizing the gap between the bearing and the piston pocket, preventing the bearing from striking the pocket walls during operation. This combination of features aims to create a more durable, versatile, and user-friendly massage device compared to existing solutions.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the early 2010s when ’082 was filed, vibrating massage devices were available, but at a time when they were typically bulky, prone to overheating, and noisy. At that time, extended use was non-trivial due to these hardware constraints.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner approved the application because the prior art, whether considered individually or in combination, did not fully disclose all the structural and functional aspects described in the claims. Specifically, the prior art did not disclose a percussive massager with a housing, a piston having a proximal and distal end with a substantially cylindrical bore, a motor, a drive mechanism, and a quick-connect system comprising the distal end of the piston and a first massaging head, where the quick-connect system is configured to allow insertion or removal of the massaging head while the piston is reciprocating. The examiner stated that while one reference disclosed a quick-connect system, it used a threading system that would prevent insertion or removal of the massaging head while the piston reciprocates.
Claims
This patent includes 18 claims, with independent claims 1 and 18. Independent claim 1 focuses on a percussive massager device, while independent claim 18 focuses on a method of assembling such a device. The dependent claims generally elaborate on specific features, components, and configurations of the percussive massager described in the independent claims.
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Date
Description
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US11938082
- Application Number
- US18515112
- Filing Date
- Nov 20, 2023
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Jun 27, 2034
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents