Flexure Device

A flexure device, comprising:

• a first plurality of flexure units and a second plurality of flexure units coupled to one another in series along an axis, each flexure unit having
• a coupler body,
• a flexure body, and
• a single flexible member coupling the flexure body and the coupler body to one another, wherein the single flexible member is operable to facilitate relative rotational movement between the flexure body and the coupler body about the axis, and
• wherein the coupler bodies of the first and second pluralities of flexure units are fixedly coupled to one another, the flexure bodies of the first plurality of flexure units are fixedly coupled to one another, and the flexure bodies of the second plurality of flexure units are fixedly coupled to one another,
• such that the flexure bodies of the first plurality of flexure units are rotatable relative to the coupler bodies of the first and second pluralities of flexure units about the axis, and the flexure bodies of the second plurality of flexure units are rotatable relative to the coupler bodies of the first and second pluralities of flexure units about the axis to facilitate rotation of the flexure bodies of the first plurality of flexure units relative to the flexure bodies of the second plurality of flexure units about the axis.

A multi-axis flexure device, comprising:

• a first support base;
• a second support base;
• a central coupler;
• a first flexure device rotatably coupling the first support base and the central coupler to one another to facilitate rotation about a first axis;
• and
• a second flexure device rotatably coupling the second support base and the central coupler to one another to facilitate rotation about a second axis,
• each flexure device comprising a first flexure, a second flexure, and a flexure coupler coupled to the first and second flexures,
• wherein the first flexure of the first flexure device is coupled to the first support base to facilitate relative rotation between the first support base and the flexure coupler of the first flexure device about the first axis, and the second flexure of the first flexure device is coupled to the central coupler to facilitate relative rotation between the central coupler and the flexure coupler of the first flexure device about the first axis, and
• wherein the first flexure of the second flexure device is coupled to the second support base to facilitate relative rotation between the second support base and the flexure coupler of the second flexure device about the second axis, and the second flexure of the second flexure device is coupled to the central coupler to facilitate relative rotation between the central coupler and the flexure coupler of the second flexure device about the second axis.