Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne

Ecole Polytechnique Féderale De Lausanne (Epfl)

Jonathan Chavanne

Yves Perriard

Morgan Almanza

Yoan Civet

Thomas Martinez

A spring () comprising a plurality of elements (), each element () comprising a rigid portion () and a flexible beam (), the extremities () of the flexible beam being supported by the rigid portion (), the flexible beam () having a single stable position, so that the flexible beam can be deformed when a pressure is exerted between said extremities in the direction of the rigid portion (), and returns to said single stable position when the pressure is released, and wherein the rigid portion () of at least one element () is in contact with the flexible beam () of the next element between said extremities () of the flexible beam (), so that the spring has a negative stiffness over an operating range. The arrangement ensures a pure radial compression/expansion of the spring.

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Lausanne, Switzerland

Jonathan Chavanne