# US 11,998,504 B2 · Chair including percussive massage therapy

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- Number: US 11,998,504 B2
- Document ID: US11998504B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/931,079
- Filed: 2022-09-09
- Published: 2023-03-16
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-07
- Assignees: Therabody, Inc.
- Applicants: Therabody, Inc.
- Inventors: Jaime Sanchez Solana
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998504B2

## CPC

- A61H 23/006: {Percussion or tapping massage (hand percussion A61H23/06)}
- A47C 1/00: Chairs adapted for special purposes (chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs, A61G5/00; operating chairs or dental chairs A61G15/00)
- A61H 1/00: Apparatus for passive exercising (A61H5/00 takes precedence); Vibrating apparatus; Chiropractic devices, e.g. body impacting devices, external devices for briefly extending or aligning unbroken bones
- A61H 7/007: {Kneading}
- A61H 9/0078: {with intermittent or alternately inflated bladders or cuffs (mattresses for preventing bed-sores with alternated pressurized chambers A61G7/05776)}
- A61H 15/0078: {power-driven}
- A61H 23/0236: {using sonic waves, e.g. using loudspeakers}
- A61H 23/0254: {with rotary motor}
- A61N 5/0625: {Warming the body, e.g. hyperthermia treatment}
- A61H 2201/0107: modular
- A61H 2201/0149: Seat or chair
- A61H 2201/0165: Damping, vibration related features
- A61H 2201/0169: Noise reduction
- A61H 2201/0192: Specific means for adjusting dimensions
- A61H 2201/0207: heated
- A61H 2201/10: with further special therapeutic means, e.g. electrotherapy, magneto therapy or radiation therapy, chromo therapy, infrared or ultraviolet therapy
- A61H 2201/1207: with electric or magnetic drive
- A61H 2201/1215: Rotary drive
- A61H 2201/1623: Back
- A61H 2201/1635: Hand or arm, e.g. handle
- A61H 2201/164: Feet or leg, e.g. pedal
- A61H 2201/1669: moving along the body in a reciprocating manner
- A61H 2201/1671: rotational
- A61H 2201/1685: interchangeable
- A61H 2201/5007: computer controlled
- A61H 2201/5025: Activation means
- A61H 2201/503: Inertia activation, i.e. activated by movement
- A61H 2201/5048: Audio interfaces, e.g. voice or music controlled
- A61H 2201/5061: Force sensors
- A61H 2203/0431: in 90°/90°-position, like on a chair
- A61H 2203/0437: with stretched legs, like in a bed
- A61H 2205/06: Arms
- A61H 2205/10: Leg
- A61N 2005/0659: {infrared}
- A61N 2005/066: {far infrared}
- A61H: PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY (electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, radiation therapy or ultrasound therapy A61N)
- A47C: CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)

## Abstract

A massage chair includes a seat portion, a back portion a leg portion, and a massage carriage configured to move within the seat portion, the back portion, and the leg portion. The massage carriage includes comprises a percussive massage assembly comprising a motor, a reciprocating shaft coupled to the motor and configured to reciprocate in response to activation of the motor, and a reciprocating massage head coupled to the reciprocating shaft. The massage chair also includes a support mechanism associated with the percussive massage assembly. The support mechanism is configured to support a weight of a user of the massage chair, thereby allowing the reciprocating shaft and the reciprocating massage head of the percussive massage assembly to reciprocate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A massage chair comprising:
a seat portion;
a back portion;
a leg portion; and
a massage carriage configured to move within the seat portion, the back portion, and the leg portion, wherein the massage carriage comprises:
a percussive massage assembly comprising a motor, a reciprocating shaft coupled to the motor and configured to reciprocate linearly along a reciprocation axis in response to activation of the motor, and a reciprocating massage head coupled to the reciprocating shaft; and
a support mechanism associated with the percussive massage assembly, wherein the support mechanism is configured to support a weight of a user of the massage chair, thereby allowing the reciprocating shaft and the reciprocating massage head of the percussive massage assembly to reciprocate; and wherein:
the percussive massage assembly is mounted on the massage carriage such that the reciprocating massage head is configured to reciprocate linearly between a first position and a second position, wherein the first position is more prominent from a platform of the massage carriage than the second position, and
the support mechanism is mounted to the massage carriage and includes a wheel that is less prominent from the platform than the first position of the reciprocating massage head and more prominent from the platform than the second position of the reciprocating massage head.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The massage chair of claim 1, wherein the leg portion includes at least a first leg pneumatic compression assembly.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The massage chair of claim 1, further comprising: first and second arm portions, wherein the first arm portion includes a first arm pneumatic compression assembly, and wherein the second arm portion includes a second arm pneumatic compression assembly.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The massage chair of claim 3, wherein the first and second pneumatic compression assemblies are removable from the first and second arm portions.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The massage chair of claim 1, further comprising: one or more far infrared (FIR) elements configured to provide FIR therapy to the user of the massage chair.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The massage chair of claim 5, wherein the one or more FIR elements comprises at least one of a far infrared fabric and far infrared light emitters.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The massage chair of claim 1, wherein the percussive massage assembly is mounted on the massage carriage, and wherein the massage carriage further comprises a kneading massage assembly.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The massage chair of claim 1, wherein one or more movements and operations of components in the massage carriage are controlled by a controller coupled to the massage chair.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The massage chair of claim 8, wherein the controller coupled to the massage chair is operated by the user of the massage chair by providing user input via an application installed on a user device of the user.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The massage chair of claim 1, further comprising: one or more dampeners arranged between portions of the massage carriage and the percussive massage assembly, wherein the one or more dampeners are configured to dampen one or more vibrations generated by the motor of the percussive massage assembly.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The massage chair of claim 1, further comprising:
a frame underneath the seat, the leg, and the back portions;
one or more tracks coupled to the frame, wherein the massage carriage is configured to move along the one or more tracks.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The massage chair of claim 11, further comprising:
one or more dampeners arranged between the one or more tracks and the frame, wherein the one or more dampeners are configured to dampen one or more vibrations generated by movement of the massage carriage along the one or more tracks.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The massage chair of claim 11, further comprising:
a central cavity below the seat, the leg, and the back portions, wherein the central cavity is configured to house the frame, the one or more tracks, and the massage carriage.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The massage chair of claim 11, further comprising:
a cover arranged over the central cavity; and
a support strap, wherein the cover is coupled to the massage chair by the support strap.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The massage chair of claim 14, wherein a first end of the support strap is attached to an interior surface of the cover, and a second end of the support strap is attached to the back portion of the massage chair.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The massage chair of claim 13, comprising a support strap that hangs in the cavity and is configured to prevent a user from sinking into the cavity.

### Claim 17

A massage chair comprising:
a back portion; and
a massage carriage configured to move within the back portion, wherein the massage carriage comprises:
a platform;
a frame pivotably mounted to the platform and including a first end and a second end, the first end being movable relative to the platform independently of the second end and the second end being movable relative to the platform independently of the first end;
a percussive massage assembly mounted to the first end of frame and comprising a motor, a reciprocating shaft coupled to the motor and configured to reciprocate linearly along a reciprocation axis in response to activation of the motor, and a reciprocating massage head coupled to the reciprocating shaft;
a kneading massage head mounted to the second end of the frame; and
a first airbag located between the first end of the frame and the platform and a second airbag located between the second end of the frame and the platform, wherein the massage carriage is configured such that the prominence of the percussive massage assembly relative to the platform and the prominence of the kneading massage head relative to the platform can be independently adjusted by inflating the first airbag or the second airbag to either move the first end relative to the platform without affecting the position of the second end or move the second end relative to the platform without affecting the position of the first end.

### Claim 18

A massage chair comprising:
a seat portion;
a back portion;
a leg portion; and
a massage carriage configured to move within the seat portion, the back portion, and the leg portion, wherein the massage carriage comprises:
a platform;
a frame that is pivotably mounted to the platform and that includes an end that is biased away from the platform;
a percussive massage assembly mounted to the end of frame and comprising a motor, a reciprocating shaft coupled to the motor and configured to reciprocate linearly along a reciprocation axis in response to activation of the motor, and a reciprocating massage head coupled to the reciprocating shaft; and
a support mechanism mounted to the frame, wherein the support mechanism comprises a wheel and is configured to support a weight of a user of the massage chair, thereby allowing the reciprocating shaft and the reciprocating massage head of the percussive massage assembly to reciprocate between a first position that is more prominent from the platform than the wheel and a second position that is less prominent from the platform than the wheel.

### Claim 19

A massage chair comprising:
a seat portion;
a back portion;
a massage carriage configured to move within the back portion, wherein the massage carriage comprises:
a platform;
a frame including a first point and a second point and being pivotably mounted to the platform such that the prominence of the first point relative to the platform and the prominence of the second point relative to the platform are independently variable and the first point and the second point are biased away from the platform;
a first percussive massage assembly mounted to the first point and a second percussive massage assembly mounted to the second point, wherein each percussive massage assembly comprises a motor, a reciprocating shaft coupled to the motor and configured to reciprocate linearly along a respective reciprocation axis in response to activation of the motor, a reciprocating massage head coupled to the reciprocating shaft, and a force meter configured to measure force applied by the reciprocating massage head;
a controller configured to adjust the magnitude of the bias on the first point and the second point to bring the forces measured by the force meters toward an intended value; and
a support mechanism mounted to the frame, wherein the support mechanism comprises a wheel and is configured to support a weight of a user of the massage chair, thereby allowing the reciprocating shaft and the reciprocating massage head of the percussive massage assembly to reciprocate between a first position that is more prominent from the platform than the wheel and a second position that is less prominent from the platform than the wheel.