Compliant, ortho-planar, linear motion spring

A spring comprising:

• a base having a base surface;
• a platform, movably coupled to the base, having a platform surface and being movable linearly with respect to the base along at least a portion of an axial direction perpendicular to both the base surface and the platform surface;
• a first flexible and resilient member, extending from the base;
• and
• a second flexible and resilient member, extending from the platform and coupled to the first member;
• and
• the first and second members being bendable to develop (i) axial force in the axial direction to bias the platform in a stable position with respect to the base, and (ii) non-axial forces, the non-axial forces of all resilient and flexible members being substantially zero to preserve the orientation of the platform with respect to the base.

A spring comprising:

• a base having a base surface;
• a platform, movably coupled to the base, having a platform surface and being movable linearly with respect to the base along at least a portion of an axial direction perpendicular to both the base surface and the platform surface;
• a connecting structure, connected to and between the base and platform, having at least one set of flexible and resilient members, coupled in series between the base and platform, and bendable to bias the platform with respect to the base along the axial direction, the set of members including at least:
• i) a first member, connected to and extending from the base;
• and
• ii) a second member, extending from the platform and coupled to the first member;
• and
• the first and second members being bendable to develop (i) axial force in the axial direction to bias the platform in a stable position with respect to the base, and (ii) non-axial force, all non-axial force of the connecting structure substantially summing to zero.

A spring comprising:

• a base;
• a platform, movably coupled to the base, and movable linearly along at least a portion of an axial direction without substantial pivoting about the axial direction with respect to the base;
• and
• a connecting structure including at least two resilient and flexible members coupled in series between the base and platform, and bendable to develop (i) an axial force along the axial direction to bias the platform in a stable position with respect to the base, and (ii) non-axial forces which substantially sum to zero to preserve the orientation of the platform with respect to the base.