Battery-powered percussive massage device

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.

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.