# US 9,039,641 B1 · Massage apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,641 B1 - Document ID: US9039641B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 13/358,291 - Filed: 2012-01-25 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2012-01-25 - Applicants: Ronald B. Johnson - Inventors: Ronald B. Johnson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039641B1 ## CPC - A61H 15/00: Massage by means of rollers, balls, e.g. inflatable, chains, or roller chains - A61H 15/0092: {hand-held (A61H15/0085 takes precedence)} - A61H 2015/0042: {Balls or spheres} - A61H 2015/005: {multiple on the same axis} - A61H 2201/1284: using own weight - A61H 2201/1695: Enhanced pressure effect, e.g. substantially sharp projections, needles or pyramids - 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) ## Abstract A massage device is disclosed and may include a substantially solid body with an array of at least twenty, and in some cases thirty or thirty-two or more, massage fingers each with an outward tip, an inward base and a center axis, the center axis extending to a center of the body. The massage fingers are spaced about the body at substantially equal distances from each of at least three, and in some cases up to five or six, massage fingers nearest to each massage finger such that the center axis of each massage finger is spaced and positioned to correspond to a location of one of at least twenty vertices of a polyhedron, in some cases a pentakis dodecahedron, and aligns with a vertex axis extending from a polyhedron center point through one of the vertices of the polyhedron. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A massage apparatus, comprising: a body comprising an array of a plurality of massage fingers, the plurality of massage fingers consisting essentially of at least thirty and no more than thirty-two massage fingers each comprising an outward tip, an inward base, and a center axis central to the outward tip and the inward base, the center axis extending to a center of the body, wherein the plurality of massage fingers are spaced about the body such that the center axis of each of the plurality of massage fingers is positioned to correspond to a location of a different one of thirty-two vertices of a theoretical pentakis dodecahedron having a center point corresponding to the center of the body and align with a different one of thirty-two vertex axis extending from the center point of the theoretical pentakis dodecahedron through one of the thirty-two vertices of the theoretical pentakis dodecahedron. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The massage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of massage fingers consists essentially of thirty-two massage fingers each positioned to correspond to the location of a different one of the thirty-vertices of the theoretical pentakis dodechedron. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The massage apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the thirty-two massage fingers are frustoconical. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The massage apparatus of claim 3, wherein the outward tip of each massage finger of the thirty-two massage fingers is flat. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The massage apparatus of claim 3, wherein the outward tip of each massage finger of the thirty-two massage fingers is rounded. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The massage apparatus of claim 5, wherein the thirty-two massage fingers and the body meet at filleted intersecting edges. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The massage apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body comprises a spherical body, the thirty-two massage fingers extend at least 0.6 centimeters from the body, and the massage apparatus comprises a diameter of between 5 and 15 centimeters. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The massage apparatus of claim 7, wherein the massage apparatus comprises a diameter of approximately 8 centimeters. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The massage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the array of massage fingers consists essentially of thirty massage fingers, each center axis of the thirty massage fingers aligning with the vertex axis of one of the thirty-two vertices of the theoretical pentakis dodecahedron. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The massage apparatus of claim 6, wherein the center axes of the thirty massage fingers are each aligned with the vertex axis of one of the thirty-two vertices of the pentakis dodecahedron such that two vertices of the thirty-two vertices on opposing sides of the body are void of massage fingers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The massage apparatus of claim 10, wherein the two vertices void of massage fingers each comprise a recessed receiving element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The massage apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a bar extending through the body such that the body is pivotally mounted on the bar. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The massage apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a second body pivotally mounted to the bar adjacent to the first body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The massage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a thermoplastic elastomer material. ### Claim 15 A massage apparatus, comprising an array of a plurality of massage fingers, the plurality of massage fingers consisting essentially of thirty-two massage fingers arranged on a body, each massage finger comprising an outward tip and a center axis central to the outward tip such that the center axis of each of the thirty-two massage fingers aligns with a different one of thirty-two vertex axes that extend from a body center point formed by an intersection corresponding to each vertex axis to one of thirty-two vertices of a theoretical pentakis dodecahedron having a center point corresponding to the body center point. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The massage apparatus of claim 15, wherein the thirty-two massage fingers are each frustoconical in shape and comprise an inward base and an outward tip, the outward tip smaller in area and at a greater distance from the center point than the inward base. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The massage apparatus of claim 16, wherein intersections formed by intersection of the thirty-two massage fingers and the body are filleted. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The massage apparatus of claim 16, wherein the body is spherical. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The massage apparatus of claim 15, wherein the thirty-two massage fingers are frustoconical and extend at least 0.6 centimeters from the body.