Vibration isolator with displacement structure

A vibration isolator comprising:

• a base structure,
• a load structure,
• at least one vertical open gap formed by opposing and substantially parallel walls of respectively the base structure and the load structure,
• the opposing walls being at least partly covered by respective arrays of permanent magnets, neighboring magnets in the arrays having alternating magnetization directions, and arrangement of the permanent magnets in the arrays being such that a gravitational force on the load structure is substantially compensated by a net magnetic force of the base structure on the load structure, wherein the magnetization direction alternates at least in the vertical direction, and
• a displacement structure configured to relatively displace at least one array of permanent magnets with respect to its opposing array of permanent magnets in a horizontal direction along the gap for adjusting a load capacity of the vibration isolator.