John Berkeley Larsen
Land Surveyors in Provo, UT

6983924, Jan 10, 2006

Apr 25, 2001

10/258568

Larry L. Howell - Orem UT, US
Scott Thomson - Provo UT, US
Jason Alan Briscoe - Provo UT, US
John J. Parise - Lauderhill FL, US
Shae Lorenc - Idaho Falls ID, US
John B. Larsen - Provo UT, US
Curtis R. Huffmire - Provo UT, US
Nathan Burnside - Provo UT, US
Troy A. Gomm - Provo UT, US

Brigham Young University - Provo UT

F16F 1/34

251118, 251902, 267158, 267160

An ortho-planar spring has a platform movably coupled to a base and being movable linearly with respect to the base along at least a portion of an axial direction perpendicular to both a base surface and a platform surface. A resilient and flexible connecting structure is connected to and between the base and platform. The connecting structure is 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. Thus, the spring is very compact and does not have rotation between the deflecting ends. The spring may be associated with a valve opening, and a button for restricting flow through the valve opening, to bias the button at a position with respect to the valve opening.