Portable percussive massage device

Abstract

A percussive massage device that includes a housing that defines a housing interior, a battery, a motor positioned in the housing, a switch for activating the motor, and a reciprocating shaft operatively connected to the motor and configured to reciprocate in response to activation of the motor. The reciprocating shaft includes a distal end that defines a reciprocation axis. The housing includes a first side portion and a second side portion that cooperate to define the housing interior and are defined on opposite sides of the reciprocation axis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A percussive massage device comprising:
 a housing that defines a housing interior, a thickness, a width and a height,   a battery,   a motor positioned in the housing,   a switch for activating the motor, and   a reciprocating shaft operatively connected to the motor and configured to reciprocate in response to activation of the motor, wherein the reciprocating shaft includes a distal end that defines a reciprocation axis, wherein the reciprocation axis defines a thickness reciprocation plane that extends transversely through the thickness of the housing and divides the housing into first and second side portions, and wherein the first side portion is symmetrical to the second side portion except for any openings or ports defined in the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The percussive massage device of  claim 1  wherein the motor is positioned in the first side portion. 
     
     
         3 . The percussive massage device of  claim 2  wherein the motor includes a rotatable motor shaft that defines a motor axis, wherein the motor axis is perpendicular to the reciprocation axis. 
     
     
         4 . The percussive massage device of  claim 1  wherein the housing defines a housing axis, and wherein the reciprocation axis and the housing axis are co-axial. 
     
     
         5 . The percussive massage device of  claim 1  wherein the reciprocation axis defines a width reciprocation plane that extends through the width of the housing to divide the housing into front and back portions, wherein the width reciprocation plane is perpendicular to the thickness reciprocation plane, and wherein the front portion is symmetrical to the back portion except for any openings or ports defined in the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The percussive massage device of  claim 1  further comprising a motor mount bracket that includes a middle member having first and second opposite sides, wherein the motor is positioned on the first side of the middle member and the reciprocating shaft is positioned on the second side of the middle member. 
     
     
         7 . The percussive massage device of  claim 6  wherein the middle member includes a shaft opening defined therein, wherein the motor includes a rotatable motor shaft extending therefrom that extends from the first side of the middle member, through the shaft opening and to the second side of the middle member, wherein the reciprocating shaft is operatively connected to the motor shaft. 
     
     
         8 . The percussive massage device of  claim 1  further comprising a bush assembly through which the reciprocating shaft reciprocates, wherein the bush assembly includes first and second dampening halves on opposite sides thereof that are positioned between the bush assembly and the housing. 
     
     
         9 . The percussive massage device of  claim 1  wherein the housing includes opposite finger recesses defined therein. 
     
     
         10 . A percussive massage device comprising:
 a housing that defines a housing interior, a housing axis, a thickness, a width and a height,   a battery,   a motor positioned in the housing, wherein the motor includes a rotatable motor shaft that defines a motor axis,   a switch for activating the motor, and   a reciprocating shaft operatively connected to the motor and configured to reciprocate in response to activation of the motor, wherein the reciprocating shaft includes a distal end that defines a reciprocation axis, wherein the reciprocation axis and the housing axis are co-axial, wherein the motor axis is perpendicular to the reciprocation axis, wherein the reciprocation axis defines a thickness reciprocation plane that extends transversely through the thickness of the housing and divides the housing into first and second side portions, wherein the motor is positioned in the first side portion, wherein the first side portion is symmetrical to the second side portion except for any openings or ports defined in the housing, wherein the reciprocation axis defines a width reciprocation plane that extends through the width of the housing to divide the housing into front and back portions, wherein the width reciprocation plane is perpendicular to the thickness reciprocation plane, and wherein the front portion is symmetrical to the back portion except for any openings or ports defined in the housing.   
     
     
         11 . The percussive massage device of  claim 10  wherein the front portion of the housing includes a front finger recess, and wherein the back portion of the housing includes a back finger recess. 
     
     
         12 . A method of using a percussive massage device that includes a housing that defines a housing interior, a thickness, a width and a height, a battery, a motor positioned in the housing, a switch for activating the motor, and a reciprocating shaft operatively connected to the motor and configured to reciprocate in response to activation of the motor, wherein the reciprocating shaft includes a distal end that defines a reciprocation axis, wherein the reciprocation axis defines a thickness reciprocation plane that extends transversely through the thickness of the housing and divides the housing into first and second side portions, and wherein the first side portion is symmetrical to the second side portion except for any openings or ports defined in the housing, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
 grasping the housing with a first hand having a palm, fingers and a thumb,   positioning the first hand such that the reciprocation axis extends through the palm, and   massaging a first body part with a massage attachment connected to the distal end of the reciprocating shaft.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the reciprocation axis defines a width reciprocation plane that extends through the width of the housing to divide the housing into front and back portions, wherein the width reciprocation plane is perpendicular to the thickness reciprocation plane, and wherein the front portion is symmetrical to the back portion except for any openings or ports defined in the housing. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the housing defines a housing axis, and wherein the reciprocation axis and the housing axis are co-axial. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the housing includes opposite first and second finger recesses defined therein, and wherein during the grasping step includes grasping the housing and placing the fingers in the first finger recess and the thumb in the second finger recess.