Flat Spring

thingiverse

This is an idea to use existing living hinge designs to make a flat spring, the file I have submitted is a basic living hinge but other living hing designs would serve. Could be laser cut sheet material or 3d printed. In use the flat spring must be constrained in a slot or slots to keep it flat under compression, to prevent it from simply bending. The strength of the spring can be varied by several parameters - material, sheet thickness, number of cut-outs, design of cut-outs, width of spring. I have not 3d printed this, just laser-cut from 3mm plywood.