Haptic actuator including flexure bearing having diverging arms each with a reduced size medial portion and related methods

An electronic device comprising:

• a housing;
• wireless communications circuitry carried by the housing;
• a haptic actuator carried by the housing and comprising
• an actuator housing,
• at least one coil carried by the actuator housing,
• a field member having opposing first and second sides, and
• a respective at least one flexure bearing mounting each of the first and second sides of the field member to be reciprocally movable within the housing responsive to the at least one coil,
• each flexure bearing comprising two diverging arms joined together at proximal ends and having spaced distal ends operatively coupled between adjacent portions of the field member and the housing, the two diverging arms each having,
• a respective length extending between a respective proximal end and a respective distal end;
• and
• a respective reduced size medial portion relative to the respective proximal end and the respective distal end;
• wherein,
• the respective reduced size medial portion is transverse to the respective length;
• and
• a controller coupled to the wireless communications circuitry and the haptic actuator and configured to perform at least one wireless communications function and selectively operate the haptic actuator.

A method of making a haptic actuator comprising:

• positioning a respective at least one flexure bearing to mount each of first and second sides of a field member to be reciprocally movable within a housing responsive to at least one coil, each flexure bearing comprising two diverging arms joined together at proximal ends and having spaced distal ends operatively coupled between adjacent portions of the field member and the housing, the two diverging arms each having,
• a respective length extending between a respective proximal end and a respective distal end;
• and
• a respective reduced size medial portion relative to the respective proximal end and the respective distal end;
• wherein,
• the respective reduced size medial portion is transverse to the respective length.