WO2018089466A1

WO2018089466A1 - Massage tool with sleeves

Info

Publication number: WO2018089466A1
Application number: PCT/US2017/060598
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cullen MARONEY; Gregory Van Den Dries; Steven CAPOBIANCO
Original assignee: Rocktape, Inc.
Priority date: 2016-11-09
Filing date: 2017-11-08
Publication date: 2018-05-17

Abstract

A massage system includes a massage tool, such as an instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) tool, and at least one sleeve designed to attach to the massage tool. The massage tool has a first massage surface that is designed for use in a massage therapy. The first massage surface has a first attribute having a first characteristic. The sleeve has a second massage surface that covers the first massage surface while the sleeve is attached to the massage tool. The first attribute of the second massage surface has a second characteristic that is different than the first characteristic.

Description

MASSAGE TOOL WITH SLEEVES

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application #62/419,834 filed on Nov. 9, 2016 and entitled Massage Tool with Sleeves. This application is related to US Design Patent application 29/610,198 filed on July 10, 2017 and entitled Massage Tool, US Design Patent application 29/610,200 filed on July 10, 2017 and entitled Massage Tool Sleeve, US Design Patent application 29/610,202 filed on July 10, 2017 and entitled Massage Tool Sleeve, International Patent Application PCT/US2016/0019239 filed on February 24, 2016 and entitled MULTI-LAYERED MASSAGE TOOL, as well as US Patent application 15/271,027 filed on September 20, 2016 and entitled Massage Tool Case. All of the afore-mentioned patent applications are incorporated by reference herein for any and all purposes.

Background

Technical Field

The present subject matter relates to massage tools. Background Art

Massage has long been used as a relaxation technique as well as a form of therapy for fatigue and many different musculoskeletal disorders. Massage involves manipulation of a person's body and often targets one or more specific muscles and/or joints on the body, depending on the objective of the massage. Targeted tissues for various types of massage include muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, skin, lymphatic vessels, and organs of the gastrointestinal system. Many different techniques are used for massage, including static pressure, moving pressure, and vibration.

Different massage techniques are applied using various apparatus. In many types of massage, the massage therapist uses a part of their body to apply the massage, such as hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, or feet. In some types of massage, the individual receiving the massage is positioned on an apparatus that positions the individual for the masseuse, or can even apply the massage directly to the individual. The apparatus can vary widely and range from a small object, such as a ball or block, that the individual lies, sits, or stands on, to large complex massage machines, such as a massage chair, that hold the individual and mechanically perform the massage on the individual.

In some forms of massage such as myofascial release, fascial tissue manipulation, Gua sha, and the Graston technique^®, just to name a few, hand-held massage tools are commonly used. In many types of massage, the massage tools are used to stretch the fascia and release bonds between fascia, integument, and muscles, with a goal of eliminating pain and/or increasing a range of motion. The tools can be used to apply shear compression or tension in various directions, to roll over the skin, or for many other effects, depending on the type of massage and the specific objectives. Many times these tools are relatively flat, with an outer rim that is configured for various therapies of specific body parts. In some cases, these tools may be referred to as instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) tools, and the massage therapy may be referred to as IASTM therapy.

Different techniques and different therapy goals may require tools with different textures, shapes, and/or different hardness of their massage surface as well as different sizes and mass. This may require that a variety of tools be maintained to be able to include tools with an appropriate size, mass, texture, shape, and hardness for each desired technique and/or therapy.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of the specification, illustrate various embodiments. Together with the general description, the drawings serve to explain various principles. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a massage tool kit including an IASTM massage tool and massage tool sleeves;

FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a first hybrid massage tool;

FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of 2A;

FIG. 3 A shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a second hybrid massage tool;

FIG. 3B shows a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of 3 A;

FIG. 4 shows left, right, front, rear, top, and bottom views of a first embodiment of an IASTM tool;

FIG. 5 shows left, right, front, rear, top, and bottom views of a first embodiment of a massage tool sleeve; FIG. 6 shows left, right, front, rear, top, and bottom views of a second embodiment of a massage tool sleeve;

FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of a massage tool kit;

FIG. 8A shows another alternative embodiment of a massage tool kit;

FIG. 8B shows an embodiment of a third hybrid massage tool;

FIG. 9A shows yet another alternative embodiment of a massage tool kit;

FIG. 9B shows an embodiment of a fourth hybrid massage tool; and

FIG 10 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of using a massage tool with sleeves. Detailed Description

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth by way of examples in order to provide a thorough understanding of the relevant teachings. However, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present teachings may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, and components have been described at a relatively high-level, without detail, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present concepts. A number of descriptive terms and phrases are used in describing the various embodiments of this disclosure. These descriptive terms and phrases are used to convey a generally agreed upon meaning to those skilled in the art unless a different definition is given in this specification. Some descriptive terms and phrases are presented in the following paragraphs for clarity.

Substantially flat, as the term is used herein and in the claims, means that the thickness of the substantially flat apparatus is less than 20% of either of the other two dimensions, the width and the height. In some cases, the substantially flat apparatus may have sides that are parallel to each other, although parallel sides are not required for an apparatus to be substantially flat. The apparatus may have various holes, textured portions, varying thicknesses, and/or dimples, and still be considered substantially flat.

As mentioned in the background section, use of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) tools can be an effective therapy for a variety of pathologies. In many cases, IASTM tools are substantially flat tools and can be made from a variety of materials including, but not limited to, buffalo horn, various types of stone, plastics such as

polycarbonates, or metals such as stainless steel. IASTM tools may have smooth surfaces to allow them to slide over the skin of a person with a minimum amount of friction and without causing any abrasions.

For some therapy techniques, however, a smooth hard surface such as a polished surface made of materials such as those described in the previous paragraph is not ideal. In some cases, a different texture on the massage surface may be desirable, such as a rough surface, a surface with bumps and/or ridges, or a dimpled surface. It may also be desirable to have tools with a different mass for different therapies. In some cases, a softer massage surface may be desirable, or a surface with a different heat capacity may be desirable. Different shapes, such as a different contour or edge radius may be desirable for some therapy techniques. In some cases, a material that is desirable for a massage surface to use for a particular therapy may not be stiff enough to use for the entire tool .

Disclosed herein is a massage kit that includes a manual massage tool and one or more sleeves that can be mounted on the massage tool to provide alternative massage surfaces with different characteristics than the massage surfaces included on the massage tool itself. A manual massage tool is a device used to apply a massage therapy to a living subject that receives all of its kinetic energy from manual manipulation by the therapist. That is to say there is no electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermal, or other energy source providing kinetic energy to the tool during use. A manual massage tool may, however, include a power source to provide thermal energy to the tool in some embodiments. The manual massage tool can be used on its own for massage therapy using its native massage surfaces. A sleeve that has at least one massage surface can be mounted on the massage tool to create a hybrid massage tool that includes at least one massage surface that has a different characteristic for an attribute than a massage surface on the massage tool. The hybrid massage tool can then be used to provide massage therapy to a subject using the massage surface with a different characteristic.

Reference now is made in detail to the examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings and discussed below.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a massage tool kit, or system, 70 including an instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) massage tool 100 and massage tool sleeves 200, 300. Various embodiments of a massage tool kit may include any number of massage tools and any number of sleeves with different characteristics that are adapted to fit onto at least one of the included massage tools. Although the embodiment shown includes an IASTM tool, other embodiments may include another type of massage tool with sleeves that fit on that massage tool that are useful for other sorts of massage therapies as well as, or instead of, IASTM. A sleeve, as the term is used herein, is an apparatus that is configured to fit onto, over, or around at least a portion of a massage tool. Various embodiments of sleeves are shown herein, but many other variations are possible. A sleeve may include one or more massage surfaces with a characteristic that may be different from a characteristic of a massage surface of the tool to which it attaches.

The massage tool 100 may be fabricated of any material, or combination of materials, including, but not limited to, buffalo horn, stone, plastic, metal, metallic alloy, or a combination thereof. The embodiment of the IASTM tool 100 is made from an outer shell of stainless steel with one or more additional plates of steel included inside of the stainless steel shell. The IASTM tool 100 is substantially flat and may include branding information and/or product information printed on, embossed/etched into, or otherwise applied to the tool 100. The tool 100 can be any size and shape, depending on the embodiment, but in the example shown, the tool 100 is about 150 millimeters (mm) long, about 100 mm wide, and about 7.6 mm thick.

The embodiment of the massage tool kit 70 includes a first sleeve 200. The first sleeve 200 is adapted to slide onto the tool 100 and cover one or more of the massage surfaces of the tool 100. The first sleeve 200 may be formed from any sort of material, but in at least some embodiments, the first sleeve 200 is molded from a polymeric material such as ABS, PC or some other hard plastic that is stiff enough to hold its shape and stay attached to the tool 100 while the tool 100 is in the first sleeve 200, but flexible enough to allow the tool 100 to slide into and out of the first sleeve 200 as required. As used herein, the term stiff should be interpreted to mean a material having a Young's Modulus of 0.5 gigapascals (GPa) or greater. The first sleeve 200 has multiple nubs extending from the sleeve on at least some of the massage surfaces to be able to apply increased pressure at the contact points with subject.

The embodiment of the massage tool kit 70 includes a second sleeve 300. The second sleeve 300 is molded from a soft pliable material, such as silicone, that allows the second sleeve 300 to be easily bent and stretched. As used herein, the term "soft" should be interpreted to mean a material having a hardness of Shore A 80 or less. The second sleeve 300 is designed to wrap around the tool 100 by inserting one end of the tool 100 into the second sleeve 300 and then stretching the second sleeve 300 around the other end of the tool 100. The second sleeve 300 has a wider cross-sectional radius on the massage surfaces which in conjunction with the softer material applies a less intense pressure on the subject. Discussion of a cross-sectional radius is not meant to say that the shape is a perfect half circle or even that the edge is an arc with a constant radius. It is meant to indicate the radius of an arc that matches the shape at its edge, so a smaller radius indicates a sharper edge.

Thus, a massage tool system can include a manual massage tool having a first massage surface adapted for use in massage therapy and a sleeve, which has a second massage surface adapted for use in the massage therapy, adapted to attach to the massage tool and cover the first massage surface. A first attribute of the first massage surface has a first characteristic and the first attribute of the second massage surface has a second characteristic that is different from the first characteristic. Examples of attributes include, but are not limited to, contour, cross-sectional shape, texture, and hardness. In some embodiments, the first attribute is a cross-sectional shape, the first characteristic is a first edge radius, and the second characteristic is a second edge radius that is more than twice or less than half of the first edge radius.

In some embodiments, the system includes a second sleeve adapted to attach to the massage tool and cover the first massage surface. The second sleeve has a third massage surface adapted for use in the massage therapy. The first attribute of the third massage surface has a third characteristic and a second attribute of the third massage surface has a fourth characteristic. The second attribute of the first massage surface of the massage tool has a fifth characteristic. In some embodiments the third characteristic is different from the first characteristic and the second characteristic. In some embodiments, the fourth characteristic is different from the fifth characteristic.

FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of a first hybrid massage tool 72. The hybrid massage tool 72, which is an embodiment of a massage tool system, is created by the IASTM tool 100 inserted into the first sleeve 200. The hybrid massage tool 72 can be used as if it were a different massage tool than the massage tool 100 and may be used for therapies where the massage tool 100 without the sleeve 200 would not be appropriate. Because the construction of the sleeve 200 may be simpler and less expensive than the construction of the tool 100, this allows two tools 100, 72 for two therapies to be obtained more cost-effectively than if separate tools were fabricated for the different therapies.

FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional view at the plane B:B shown in FIG.2A of the IASTM tool 100 inserted into the first sleeve 200. Note that the tool 100 can be seen to be held in the first sleeve 200 between the side wall 201 and clips 221, 223, 224 of the first sleeve 200. The clips 221, 223, 224 are one type of attachment mechanism that may be used to attach a sleeve to a tool. The first sleeve 200 includes multiple small nubs 209 protruding from the massage surfaces of the sleeve 200. The nubs 209 have a cross-sectional shape that allows concentrated pressure to be applied to a subject without scratching or otherwise harming the skin of the subject.

FIG. 2B shows that in at least one embodiment, the tool 100 is a multi-layered massage tool formed from multiple layers of material. In the example shown, a right side clamshell 140 is fabricated from stainless steel and attached to a weight plate 142 by welding, gluing, or other attachment mechanism. A complementary left side clamshell 130 is also fabricated from stainless steel and attached to a weight plate 132. In the embodiment of the tool 100, the two stainless steel clamshell parts 130, 140 are joined by welding around the perimeter and then polishing the edge to be smooth. In other embodiments, the tool 100 may be formed from a solid piece of metal, a solid piece of plastic, a molded plastic with a metal stiffening plate molded into it, or by any other suitable fabrication method for a particular tool.

FIG. 3 A shows a perspective view of a second hybrid massage tool 73. The hybrid massage tool 73, which is an embodiment of a massage tool system, is created by the IASTM tool 100 inserted into the second sleeve 300. The hybrid massage tool 73 can be used as if it were a different massage tool than the massage tool 100 and may be used for therapies where the massage tool 100 without the sleeve 300 would not be appropriate. Because the construction of the sleeve 300 may be simpler and less expensive than the construction of the tool 100, this allows two tools 100, 73 for two therapies to be obtained more cost-effectively than if separate tools were fabricated for the different therapies.

FIG. 3B shows a cross-sectional view at the plane B:B shown in FIG. 3 A of the IASTM tool 100 inserted into the second sleeve 300. Note that the tool 100 can be seen to be held in the second sleeve 300 between the side wall 301 and the rim 303. As previously described, the tool 100 is made from a left clamshell part 130, weight plates 132, 142, and a right clamshell part 140.

FIG. 4 shows left view 100L, a right view 100R, a front view 100F, a rear (or aft) view 100 A, a top view 100T and a bottom view 100B of the IASTM tool 100 in an orthographic projection. While many features of the tool 100 may be visible in multiple views, a feature is referenced in only one view where it is most visible for clarity. The tool 100 may include gripping features, such as the first dimple 101 on the left side of the tool 100 and the second dimple 102 the right side of the tool 100. Additional dimples 103 may be provided on the left side of the tool 100 and additional dimples 104 may be provided on the right side of the tool 100 in some embodiments. The dimples 101-104 may be helpful in gripping the tool 100 by hand while using the tool 100 to provide massage therapy to a subject. While the dimples 101-104 in the embodiment shown each have symmetric counterparts on the opposite side of the tool, other embodiments may have different arrangements of dimples on opposite sides of the tool. Other embodiments may provide other gripping features in place of, or in addition to, the dimples 101- 104, including, but not limited to, holes, textured surfaces, and/or raised bumps. The tool 100 includes one or more massage surfaces, such as the first massage surface 111, the second massage surface 112, the third massage surface 113, the fourth massage surface 114, and the fifth massage surface 115. The massage surfaces 111-115 of the tool 100 are located at the periphery of the substantially flat tool 100, but other embodiments may include massage surfaces in other locations, having other shapes or other characteristics. The massage surfaces

111-115 are formed by an outer edge of the tool 100 with a surface that joins the two sides of the tool 100 and are characterized by a contour, which refers to the profile as seen from the side of the tool, and a cross-sectional radius of an edge of the massage surface. The different massage surfaces 111-115 may have contours designed to be used on different areas of the body, and the radius of each surface may be selected to provide a localized pressure, where a smaller radius provides more concentrated pressure. In the example tool 100, the cross-sectional radius of the massage surfaces 111-115 is a moderate radius of about 2 mm, but other embodiments may have other radii such as about 3 mm, about 1 mm, or about 0.5 mm.

Each massage surface 11 1-115 has one or more attributes that characterize the massage surfaces. Attributes of a massage surface include, but are not limited to, a contour, a cross- sectional shape, a texture, a hardness, a coefficient of friction, a heat capacity, and a stickiness. A contour is the shape of a profile of the massage surface if viewed from the left or right of the massage tool. In at least one embodiment, the tool 100 is formed from stainless steel and at least one massage surface 111-115 is polished stainless steel. In another embodiment, the tool 100 is molded from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), or some other hard plastic, and the massage surface is a smooth plastic surface.

So as can be seen in FIG. 4, the massage tool 100 has a first substantially flat side 106, a second substantially flat side 108 parallel to the first side, and a perimeter surface connecting the first side 106 with the second side 108. The perimeter surface has a plurality of sections with a respective contour and a respective cross-sectional shape. The massage tool may be adapted to use for instrument-assisted tissue mobilization (IASTM) therapy.

Looking at the massage tool 100 in more detail, the massage tool 100 includes one or more dimples 101, 103 on the first side and one or more dimples 102, 104 on the second side. A first section of the perimeter surface, which includes the first massage surface 111, has a convex contour with a subsumed angle between 15 and 45 degrees and a first radius. As used herein, the term "subsumed angle" refers to the angle of a feature which is measured with the massage tool inside of the angle and as if was no radius to the contour of the section. A second section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the first section and including the second massage surface 112, has a substantially straight contour. A third section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the second section and including the third massage surface 113, has a convex contour with a subsumed angle between 20 and 60 degrees and a second radius. A fourth section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the third section, has a concave contour with a subsumed angle between 240 and 300 degrees and a third radius. A fifth section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the fourth section, has a substantially straight contour. A sixth section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the fifth section and including the fourth massage surface 114, has a convex semicircle contour with a fourth radius. A seventh section of the perimeter surface, interposed between the sixth section and the first section and including the fifth massage surface 115, has a shallow concave contour. In the massage tool 100, the second radius is smaller than the first radius which is smaller than the fourth radius.

FIG. 5 shows left view 200L, a right view 200R, a front view 200F, a rear (or aft) view 200A, a top view 200T and a bottom view 200B of the first sleeve 200 in an orthographic projection. The first sleeve 200 includes a side wall 201 on the left side of the first sleeve 200. The side wall 201 may include one or more holes 202, slots, or other gripping features. The first sleeve 200 also includes a first clip 223 adapted to slide over and hold the third massage surface 113 of the tool 100 against the side wall 201 of the first sleeve 200, and a second clip 224 adapted to slide over and hold the fourth massage surface 114 of the tool 100 against the side wall 201 of the first sleeve 200. The first sleeve 200 also includes a third clip 221 adapted to clip onto the first massage surface 111 of the tool 100 to hold the first sleeve 200 on the tool 100.

The tool 100 can be inserted into the right slide of the first sleeve 200, sliding the third massage surface 113 of the tool 100 into the first clip 223 and the fourth massage surface 114 of the tool 100 into the second clip 224. The third clip 221 can then be manipulated to slide over the first massage surface 111 of the tool 100 so that the tool 100 is held in place in the first sleeve 200 between the side wall 201 and the three clips 221, 223, 224. Note that in the embodiment shown, the third clip 211 does not extend over the tool 100 as far as the first clip 223 and the second clip 224. This allows the third clip 211 to be more easily manipulated to clip onto the first massage surface 111 by bending the first sleeve 200.

The first sleeve 200 includes massage surfaces, such as the first massage surface 211, the second massage surface 212, the third massage surface 213, the fourth massage surface 214 and the fifth massage surface 215. These massage surfaces 211-215 cover the massage surfaces 111- 115 of the tool 100 while the tool 100 is inserted into the first sleeve 200. The massage surfaces 211-215 of the first sleeve 200 have attributes with characteristics that are different than the characteristics of the massage surfaces 111-115 of the tool 100. As an example, the massage surfaces 111-115 of the example tool 100 have a texture attribute with a smooth characteristic and a cross-section radius shape attribute with a radius of about 2 mm. The massage surfaces 211-215 of the first sleeve 200 have a texture attribute that is jagged with relatively small nubs 209 (only a few of which are identified with a reference number) projecting from the first sleeve 200 and a cross-section radius at the tip of the spines of about 0.5 mm. Characteristics of other attributes may also vary between the massage surfaces 111-115 of the tool 100 and the massage surfaces 211-214 of the first sleeve 200. Other embodiments of a sleeve may vary the characteristics of other attributes, such as the contour or the hardness.

Thus, a sleeve 200 of the massage tool system may include a first side 201 adapted to be positioned proximate to the first side 106 of the massage tool 100. The sleeve 200 also may include a clip 221, 223, 224 extending from the first side 201 of the sleeve 200 and adapted to wrap around a portion of the massage tool 100 to the second side 108 of the massage tool 100 to hold the massage tool 100 against the first side 201 of the sleeve 200. The sleeve 200 also includes a perimeter wall 210 extending from the first side 201 of the sleeve 200 and adapted to closely mate with and cover at least some sections of the perimeter surface of the massage tool 100. In the embodiment shown, the perimeter wall 210 is adapted to cover the entirety of the perimeter surface of the massage tool 100, meaning that it fully surrounds the massage tool but the perimeter wall 210 may or may not extend the full depth of the massage tool 100. The perimeter wall 210 includes the massage surfaces 211-215.

The sleeve 200 may be molded from a stiff polymeric material and includes a third clip 211 adapted to fit around the first section of the perimeter surface of the massage tool 100. The sleeve 200 also includes a second clip 223 adapted to fit around the third section of the perimeter surface of the massage tool 100 and a first clip 224 adapted to fit around the sixth section of the perimeter surface of the massage tool 100.

FIG. 6 a left side view 300L, a right side view 300R, a front view 3 OOF, a rear (or aft) view 300A, a top view 300T and a bottom view 300B of the second sleeve 300 in an

orthographic projection. The second sleeve 300 includes a side wall 301 that acts as the right side of the second sleeve 300. The second sleeve 300 also includes a rim 303 around the outer portion of the left side of the second sleeve 300. The tool 100 can be inserted into the second sleeve 300 by inserting the end of the tool 100 into the second sleeve 300 by bending the opposite sides of the rim 303 to create a larger opening and then sliding the tool 100 into a pocket in the second sleeve 300 created by the rim 303 and the side wall 301. The rim 303 can be manipulated and stretched over the tool 100 so that the second sleeve 300 wraps around the tool 100. The rim 303 can be considered a clip that extends from the side wall 301 around at least a portion of the tool 100. The rim 303 is one type of attachment mechanism that may be used to attach a sleeve to a tool.

The second sleeve 300 includes massage surfaces, such as the first massage surface 311, the second massage surface 312, the third massage surface 313, the fourth massage surface 314 and the fifth massage surface 315. These massage surfaces 311-315 cover the massage surfaces 111-115 of the tool 100 while the tool 100 is inserted into the second sleeve 300. The massage surfaces 311-315 of the second sleeve 300 have attributes with characteristics that are different than the characteristics of the massage surfaces 111-115 of the tool 100. As an example, the massage surfaces 111-115 of the example tool 100 have a hardness attribute with a very hard characteristic and a cross-section radius shape attribute with a radius of about 2 mm. The massage surfaces 311-315 of the second sleeve 300 have a hardness attribute that is fairly soft and a cross-section radius of about 4 mm.

Thus, a massage tool system may include a second sleeve 300 molded from a soft, stretchable, polymeric material which includes a rim 301 extending from the perimeter wall 310 around an entirety of the perimeter wall 310 (or outer wall 310) and adapted to create a pocket between the first side 301 of the sleeve 300 and the rim 303 to hold the massage tool 100. The second massage surface 312 of the sleeve 300 has a cross-sectional radius greater than a cross- sectional radius of the second massage surface 112 of the massage tool 100. The rim 303 may also be referred to as a clip.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of a massage tool kit, or system, 75. The massage tool kit 75 includes the IASTM tool 100 and the second sleeve 300 as well as a case 700. In some embodiments, the kit 75 may include an accessory, such as massage lubricant 400, wipes, kinesiology tape, or other accessories as may be deemed appropriate.

The case 700 includes a bottom shell 710 with an insert 730 inserted therein. The insert 730 may include one or more recesses 731, 734 to hold various elements of the kit 75, such as the first recess 731 adapted to hold the tool 100, and the second recess 734 adapted to hold the massage lubricant 400. A top shell 720, or lid, coupled to the bottom shell 710 by a hinge 740 may also be included as a part of the case 700.

In some embodiments one or more flaps 721 may be included to hold elements of the kit 75, and in some embodiments, the inside of the top shell 720 may be adapted to hold elements of the kit using an insert with recesses, pockets, straps, or other mechanisms. In the embodiment shown, the flap 721 is hingedly attached to both the bottom shell 710 and the top shell 720. The flap 721 includes a pocket 725 to hold the second sleeve 300. The pocket 725 may be constructed in any fashion of any material, but in the embodiment shown, is constructed from an elastic strap 726 which is attached to opposite sides of the flap 721 and to mesh material 727 which is attached to the edges of the flap 721 to form the pocket. The opposite side of the flap

721 may include a second pocket (not shown) to hold the first sleeve 200 or another flap may be included behind the flap 721 with a separate pocket to hold the first sleeve 200.

In some embodiments, the massage tool kit 75 may include additional massage tools, sleeves and/or accessories, and the case may include appropriate adaptations to hold each of the tools/sleeves/accessories. So the massage tool system may include a case 700 that includes a bottom portion made up from a bottom shell 710 and an insert 730 including a first recess 731 adapted to hold the first massage tool 100 and a second recess 734 adapted to hold the accessory 400. The case may include a flap 721 hingedly attached to the bottom shell 710 and including a pocket 725 adapted to hold the sleeve 300. The case 700 also includes a lid 720 hingedly attached to the bottom shell 710.

FIG. 8A shows another alternative embodiment of a massage tool kit 80. The kit 80 includes a second IASTM tool 810 with a massage surface 818 and a finger hole 815 to function as a gripping feature. The kit also includes a first sleeve 820 and a second sleeve 830 which are both adapted to fit onto the second IASTM tool 810. In this embodiment, both the first sleeve 820 and the second sleeve 830 only cover some of the massage surfaces of the tool 810 and do not fully surround the tool 810.

The first sleeve 820 includes a pocket 826 adapted to allow the massage surface 818 of the tool 810 to slip inside and cover the massage surface 818 with massage surface 828 of the first sleeve 820. The first sleeve 820 includes straps 821-824 which include hook and loop fasteners which can be used to attach the first sleeve 820 to the tool 810. The straps 821-824 are one type of attachment mechanism that may be used to attach a sleeve to a tool. The first strap 821 and third strap 823 have loops on their outside surface while the second strap 822 and fourth strap 824 have hooks on their inside surface that can engage with the loops to fasten pairs of straps together. The massage surface 828 of the first sleeve 820 has at least one attribute with a characteristic that is different than that attribute of the massage surface 818 of the tool 810. For example, the second tool 810 may be constructed from stainless steel with a very smooth, polished, and slick, massage surface 818 to easily glide over the skin of a subject (especially if massage lubricant is used), while the massage surface 828 of the first sleeve 820 may be textured to give it a rough surface which grips the skin of a subject. Note also that the contour of the massage surface 828 of the first sleeve 820 closely matches the contour of the massage surface 818 of the tool 810.

The second sleeve 830 includes a pocket 836 adapted to allow the massage surface 818 of the tool 810 to slip inside and cover the massage surface 818 with massage surface 838 of the second sleeve 830. The second sleeve 830 includes straps 831-834 which include hook and loop fasteners which can be used to attach the second sleeve 830 to the tool 810. The first strap 831 and third strap 833 have loops on their outside surface while the second strap 832 and fourth strap 834 have hooks on their inside surface that can engage with the loops to fasten pairs of straps together. So a sleeve 820, 830 may include a pocket 826, 836 adapted to accept a portion of the massage tool 810 including the first massage surface 818 and an attachment mechanism 821-824, 831-834 to attach the sleeve 820, 830 to the massage tool 810.

The massage surface 838 of the second sleeve 830 has at least one attribute with a characteristic that is different than that attribute of the massage surface 818 of the tool 810. For example, the second tool 810 may be constructed from stainless steel with a very smooth, gentle contour having a relatively small cross-sectional radius to apply even, carefully directed pressure to the body of a subject, while the massage surface 838 of the second sleeve 830 may be have a lumpy surface with a variety of shapes to apply pressure on a variety of different pressure points of a subject. Note also that the contour of the massage surface 838 of the second sleeve 830 does not match the contour of the massage surface 818 of the tool 810.

FIG. 8B shows an embodiment of a third hybrid massage tool 82. The hybrid massage tool 82, which is an embodiment of a massage tool system, is created by the IASTM tool 810 inserted into the first sleeve 820. The straps 821-824 are threaded through the finger hole 815 of the tool 810 with the hooks of the straps 822, 824 engaging with their counterpart straps 821, 823 (not visible in FIG. 8B) to hold the first sleeve 820 on the tool 810 as the hybrid tool 82 is used for massage therapy on a subject.

FIG. 9A shows yet another alternative embodiment of a massage tool kit 90. The kit 90 includes a third IASTM tool 910 with a massage surface 918 and a finger hole 915 to function as a gripping feature. The kit also includes a sleeve 920 adapted to slide over the third IASTM tool 910. Note that the sleeve 920 nearly completely covers the tool 910, but allows the finger hole 915 of the tool 910 to be accessed through the hole 925 of the sleeve 920.

The sleeve 920 includes a pocket 926 adapted to allow the massage surface 918 of the tool 910 to slip inside and cover the massage surface 918 with massage surface 928 of the sleeve 920. The inside of the pocket 926 of the sleeve 920 may be shaped to mate with the massage surface 918 and securely position the sleeve 920 on the tool 910. In some embodiments, protrusions within the pocket 926 may engage with the ends 911, 912 of the tool 910 to hold the tool 910 in the pocket 926 of the sleeve 920, clicking the tool 910 into place in the pocket 926 as it is inserted. The protrusions are one type of attachment mechanism that may be used to attach a sleeve to a tool. In other embodiments, other attachments mechanisms may be used, including, but not limited to, magnets, straps, latches, hook and loop fasteners, or reusable adhesives.

The massage surface 928 of the sleeve 920 has at least one attribute with a characteristic that is different than that attribute of the massage surface 918 of the tool 100. For example, the third tool 910 may be constructed of plastic with a massage surface 818 having a cross-sectional radius of 3 mm which glides easily over the skin of a subject without any scraping feeling, while the massage surface 928 of the sleeve 920 may be have a cross-sectional radius of 0.1 mm, providing a relatively sharp edge which can be used to create a scraping feeling on the skin of a subject.

FIG. 9B shows an embodiment of a fourth hybrid massage tool 92. The hybrid massage tool 92 is created by the IASTM tool 910 inserted into the pocket 926 of the first sleeve 920. As the hybrid tool 92 is lifted by gripping its finger hole 915, the sleeve is naturally held in place by fingers through the finger hole 915 because this causes the fingers to also extend through the hole 925 in the sleeve 920. As the hybrid tool 92 is held this way, the relatively sharp massage surface 928 can be used for therapy on a subject.

FIG. 10 shows a flowchart 1000 of an embodiment of a method of using a massage tool with sleeves. The method starts with use of the massage tool with sleeves at block 1001. The massage tool may be substantially flat and/or may be an instrument-assisted soft tissue manipulation (IASTM) tool in some embodiments. The method continues with the selection of the IASTM tool at block 1010. The IASTM tool is then used to perform IASTM therapy on a mammal using a massage surface of the IASTM tool at block 1020.

A first sleeve is attached to the IASTM tool at block 1030. In some embodiments, the IASTM tool may slide into the first sleeve and in other embodiments the first sleeve may clip onto the IASTM tool. In other embodiments, the first sleeve may be attached to the IASTM tool using other mechanisms or fasteners. A massage surface of the first sleeve is then used to perform IASTM therapy on the mammal at block 1040.

In some embodiments, a second sleeve is attached to the IASTM tool at block 1050. The first sleeve may be removed from the IASTM tool before the second sleeve is attached. In at least one embodiment, the second sleeve is made of a pliable stretchy material and is stretched over the IASTM tool to attach the second sleeve to the IASTM tool. In other embodiments, the second sleeve may be attached to the IASTM tool using other mechanisms or fasteners. A massage surface of the second sleeve is then used to perform IASTM therapy on the mammal at block 1060. The method finishes at block 1099 when the IASTM therapy is completed.

Examples of various embodiments are described in the following paragraphs.

Embodiment 1. A massage tool system comprising: a manual massage tool having a first massage surface adapted for use in massage therapy, a first attribute of the first massage surface having a first characteristic; and a sleeve adapted to attach to the massage tool and cover the first massage surface, the sleeve comprising a second massage surface adapted for use in the massage therapy, the first attribute of the second massage surface having a second characteristic that is different from the first characteristic.

Embodiment 2. The system of embodiment 1, the massage tool comprising: a first substantially flat side; a second substantially flat side parallel to the first side; and a perimeter surface connecting the first side with the second side, the perimeter surface having a plurality of sections with a respective contour and a respective cross-sectional shape; wherein the first massage surface comprises a first section of the plurality of sections of the perimeter surface; and the massage tool is adapted to use for instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) therapy.

Embodiment 3. The system of any preceding embodiment, the sleeve comprising: a pocket adapted to accept a portion of the massage tool including the first massage surface; and an attachment mechanism to attach the sleeve to the massage tool.

Embodiment 4. The system of embodiment 2, the sleeve comprising: a first side adapted to be positioned proximate to the first side of the massage tool; a clip extending from the first side of the sleeve and adapted to wrap around a portion of the massage tool to the second side of the massage tool to hold the massage tool against the first side of the sleeve; and a perimeter wall extending from the first side of the sleeve and adapted to closely mate with and cover the first section of the perimeter surface of the massage tool; wherein the perimeter wall comprises the second massage surface.

Embodiment 5. The system of embodiment 4, the perimeter wall of the sleeve adapted to closely mate with and cover an entirety of the perimeter surface of the massage tool.

Embodiment 6. The system of embodiment 5, the sleeve molded from a soft, stretchable, polymeric material and comprising a rim extending from the perimeter wall around an entirety of the perimeter wall and adapted to create a pocket between the first side of the sleeve and the rim to hold the massage tool, the second massage surface having a cross-sectional radius greater than a cross-sectional radius of the first massage surface, wherein the rim comprises the clip.

Embodiment 7. The system of embodiment 5, the massage tool comprising: one or more dimples on the first side and one or more dimples on the second side; a first section of the perimeter surface having a convex contour with a subsumed angle between 15 and 45 degrees and a first radius; a second section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the first section, having a substantially straight contour; a third section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the second section, having a convex contour with a subsumed angle between 20 and 60 degrees and a second radius; a fourth section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the third section, having a concave contour with a subsumed angle between 240 and 300 degrees and a third radius; a fifth section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the fourth section, having a substantially straight contour; a sixth section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the fifth section, having a convex semicircle contour with a fourth radius; and a seventh section of the perimeter surface, interposed between the sixth section and the first section, having a shallow concave contour; wherein the second radius is smaller than the first radius which is smaller than the fourth radius.

Embodiment 8. The system of embodiment 7, the sleeve molded from a stiff polymeric material and comprising: a first clip adapted to fit around the first section of the perimeter surface; a second clip adapted to fit around the third section of the perimeter surface; and a third clip adapted to fit around the sixth section of the perimeter surface; wherein the clip comprises the first clip, the second clip, or the third clip; the second massage surface comprises a series of nubs extending out from the sleeve; and the second massage surface comprises one or more of the first section, the second section, the third section, the sixth section, or the seventh section of the perimeter surface.

Embodiment 9. The system of any preceding embodiment, further comprising a second sleeve adapted to attach to the massage tool and cover the first massage surface, the second sleeve comprising a third massage surface adapted for use in the massage therapy, the first attribute of the third massage surface having a third characteristic and a second attribute of the third massage surface having a fourth characteristic; wherein the third characteristic is different from the first characteristic and the second characteristic, or the fourth characteristic is different from a fifth characteristic of the second attribute of the first massage surface.

Embodiment 10. The system of embodiment 8, further comprising a second sleeve molded from a soft, stretchable, polymeric material and comprising: a side wall adapted to be positioned proximate to the first side wall or the second side wall of the massage tool; an outer wall extending from the side wall and adapted to closely mate with and cover the perimeter surface of the massage tool; and a rim extending from the outer wall and adapted to create a pocket between the side wall and the rim to hold the massage tool.

Embodiment 11. The system of any preceding embodiment, the first massage surface comprising a metallic alloy and the second massage surface comprising a polymeric material.

Embodiment 12. The system of any preceding embodiment, wherein the first attribute is selected from a group consisting of contour, cross-sectional shape, texture, and hardness.

Embodiment 13. The system of any preceding embodiment, wherein the first attribute is a cross-sectional shape, the first characteristic is a first edge radius, and the second characteristic is a second edge radius that is more than twice or less than half of the first edge radius.

Embodiment 14. The system of any preceding embodiment, further comprising a second massage tool.

Embodiment 15. The system of any preceding embodiment, further comprising a case adapted to hold the massage tool and the sleeve.

Embodiment 16. The system of embodiment 15, the system comprising an accessory, and the case comprising: a bottom portion including a first recess adapted to hold the first massage tool and a second recess adapted to hold the accessory; a flap hingedly attached to the bottom portion, the flap including a pocket adapted to hold the sleeve; and a lid, hingedly attached to the bottom portion.

Embodiment 17. A sleeve for a manual massage tool, the sleeve comprising: a pocket adapted to accept a first portion of the massage tool; an attachment mechanism to attach the sleeve to the massage tool; and a second massage surface adapted for use in massage therapy.

Embodiment 18. The sleeve of embodiment 17, the pocket comprising a first side of the sleeve which is adapted to be positioned proximate to a first side of the massage tool, and a retaining element adapted to wrap around to a second side of the first portion of the massage tool; and the attachment mechanism comprising an element extending from the first side of the sleeve and adapted to wrap around a second portion of the massage tool to a second side of the second portion of the massage tool to hold the massage tool in the pocket. Embodiment 19. The sleeve of embodiment 17, the sleeve further comprising: a first side adapted to be positioned proximate to a first side of the massage tool; a perimeter wall extending from the first side of the sleeve and adapted to closely mate with and cover at least a portion of a perimeter surface of the massage tool; a first clip extending from the perimeter wall to create the pocket; and a second clip extending from the perimeter wall, positioned away from the first clip, to create the attachment mechanism; wherein the perimeter wall comprises the second massage surface.

Embodiment 20. The sleeve of embodiment 17, the sleeve further comprising: a first side adapted to be positioned proximate to a first side of the massage tool; a perimeter wall extending from the first side of the sleeve and adapted to closely mate with and cover a perimeter surface of the massage tool; a rim extending from the perimeter wall to create the pocket and the attachment mechanism; wherein the perimeter wall comprises the second massage surface.

Embodiment 21. The sleeve of embodiment 20, the sleeve molded from a soft, stretchable, polymeric material; the perimeter wall adapted to cover an entirety of the perimeter surface of the massage tool; the rim extending from the perimeter wall around an entirety of the perimeter wall; and the second massage surface having a cross-sectional radius greater than a cross-sectional radius of the first massage surface.

Embodiment 22. The sleeve of any of embodiments 17 through 21, the second massage surface having an attribute with a first characteristic that is different than a second characteristic of the attribute of the first massage surface;

Embodiment 23. The sleeve of any of embodiments 17 through 22, wherein the second massage surface covers the first massage surface while the sleeve is attached to the massage tool.

Embodiment 24. The sleeve of any of embodiments 17 through 23, wherein the massage tool is adapted for instrument-assisted tissue mobilization (IASTM).

Embodiment 25. The sleeve of any of embodiments 17 through 24, the second massage surface comprising a series of nubs extending out from the sleeve.

Embodiment 26. A method for using a massage tool system with sleeves, the method comprising: obtaining a massage tool kit including one or more massage tools and one or more sleeves; selecting a manual massage tool of the one or more massage tools from the massage tool kit; performing a first massage therapy on a subject using a first massage surface of the massage tool; selecting a first sleeve of the one or more sleeves from the massage tool kit, the first sleeve including a second massage surface, the second massage surface; attaching the first sleeve to the massage tool with the second massage surface covering the first massage surface; and performing a second massage therapy on the subject using the second massage surface.

Embodiment 27. The method of embodiment 25, wherein the first massage surface has an attribute with a first characteristic, and the second massage surface has a second characteristic of the attribute that is different than the first characteristic.

Embodiment 28. The method of embodiment 25 or 26, wherein the first massage therapy is an instrument-assisted tissue mobilization (IASTM) therapy.

Embodiment 29. The method of any of embodiments 25 through 27, the method further comprising: removing the first sleeve from the massage tool; selecting a second sleeve of the one or more sleeves from the massage tool kit, the second sleeve including a third massage surface; and performing a third massage therapy on the subject using the third massage surface.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of elements, optical characteristic properties, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about." Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the preceding specification and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by those skilled in the art utilizing various principles of the present disclosure. Recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers subsumed within that range (e.g. 1 to 5 includes 1, 2.78, π, and 5). As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to an element described as "an opening" may refer to a single opening, two openings, or any other number of openings. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "or" is generally employed in its "and/or" inclusive sense, which includes the case where all the elements are included, unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, the term "coupled" includes direct and indirect connections.

Moreover, where first and second devices are coupled, intervening elements including active elements may be located there between. Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state "means for" performing a specified function, or "step for" performing a specified function, is not to be interpreted as a "means" or "step" clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. § 112(f).

The description of the various embodiments provided above is illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the claims, their application, or their uses. Thus, different variations beyond those described herein are intended to be within the scope of the embodiments of the claims. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the intended scope of the present disclosure. As such, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with th^< following claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A massage tool system comprising:

a manual massage tool having a first massage surface adapted for use in massage therapy, a first attribute of the first massage surface having a first characteristic; and

a sleeve adapted to attach to the massage tool and cover the first massage surface, the sleeve comprising a second massage surface adapted for use in the massage therapy, the first attribute of the second massage surface having a second characteristic that is different from the first characteristic.

2. The system of claim 1, the massage tool comprising:

a first substantially flat side;

a second substantially flat side parallel to the first side; and

a perimeter surface connecting the first side with the second side, the perimeter surface having a plurality of sections with a respective contour and a respective cross-sectional shape; wherein the first massage surface comprises a first section of the plurality of sections of the perimeter surface; and

the massage tool is adapted to use for instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization

(IASTM) therapy.

3. The system of any preceding claim, the sleeve comprising:

a pocket adapted to accept a portion of the massage tool including the first massage surface; and

an attachment mechanism to attach the sleeve to the massage tool.

4. The system of claim 2, the sleeve comprising:

a first side adapted to be positioned proximate to the first side of the massage tool;

a clip extending from the first side of the sleeve and adapted to wrap around a portion of the massage tool to the second side of the massage tool to hold the massage tool against the first side of the sleeve; and

a perimeter wall extending from the first side of the sleeve and adapted to closely mate with and cover the first section of the perimeter surface of the massage tool;

wherein the perimeter wall comprises the second massage surface.

5. The system of claim 4, the perimeter wall of the sleeve adapted to closely mate with and cover an entirety of the perimeter surface of the massage tool.

6. The system of claim 5, the sleeve molded from a soft, stretchable, polymeric material and comprising a rim extending from the perimeter wall around an entirety of the perimeter wall and adapted to create a pocket between the first side of the sleeve and the rim to hold the massage tool, the second massage surface having a cross-sectional radius greater than a cross-sectional radius of the first massage surface, wherein the rim comprises the clip.

7. The system of claim 5, the massage tool comprising:

one or more dimples on the first side and one or more dimples on the second side;

a first section of the perimeter surface having a convex contour with a subsumed angle between 15 and 45 degrees and a first radius;

a second section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the first section, having a substantially straight contour;

a third section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the second section, having a convex contour with a subsumed angle between 20 and 60 degrees and a second radius;

a fourth section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the third section, having a concave contour with a subsumed angle between 240 and 300 degrees and a third radius;

a fifth section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the fourth section, having a

substantially straight contour;

a sixth section of the perimeter surface, adjacent to the fifth section, having a convex semicircle contour with a fourth radius; and

a seventh section of the perimeter surface, interposed between the sixth section and the first section, having a shallow concave contour;

wherein the second radius is smaller than the first radius which is smaller than the fourth radius.

8. The system of claim 7, the sleeve molded from a stiff polymeric material and comprising: a first clip adapted to fit around the first section of the perimeter surface;

a second clip adapted to fit around the third section of the perimeter surface; and a third clip adapted to fit around the sixth section of the perimeter surface;

wherein the clip comprises the first clip, the second clip, or the third clip;

the second massage surface comprises a series of nubs extending out from the sleeve; and the second massage surface comprises one or more of the first section, the second section, the third section, the sixth section, or the seventh section of the perimeter surface.

9. The system of any preceding claim, further comprising a second sleeve adapted to attach to the massage tool and cover the first massage surface, the second sleeve comprising a third massage surface adapted for use in the massage therapy, the first attribute of the third massage surface having a third characteristic and a second attribute of the third massage surface having a fourth characteristic;

wherein the third characteristic is different from the first characteristic and the second characteristic, or the fourth characteristic is different from a fifth characteristic of the second attribute of the first massage surface.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a second sleeve molded from a soft, stretchable, polymeric material and comprising:

a side wall adapted to be positioned proximate to the first side wall or the second side wall of the massage tool;

an outer wall extending from the side wall and adapted to closely mate with and cover the perimeter surface of the massage tool; and

a rim extending from the outer wall and adapted to create a pocket between the side wall and the rim to hold the massage tool.

11. The system of any preceding claim, the first massage surface comprising a metallic alloy and the second massage surface comprising a polymeric material.

12. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the first attribute is selected from a group consisting of contour, cross-sectional shape, texture, and hardness.

13. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the first attribute is a cross-sectional shape, the first characteristic is a first edge radius, and the second characteristic is a second edge radius that is more than twice or less than half of the first edge radius.

14. The system of any preceding claim, further comprising a second massage tool.

15. The system of any preceding claim,, the system further comprising an accessory, and a case, the case comprising:

a bottom portion including a first recess adapted to hold the first massage tool and a second recess adapted to hold the accessory;

a flap hingedly attached to the bottom portion, the flap including a pocket adapted to hold the sleeve; and

a lid, hingedly attached to the bottom portion.