Patent ID: 7066439

Claim:
A device to generate a movement in three orthogonal directions, the device comprising: a movement system; at least one supporting arrangement coupled to the movement-system, the movement-system being configured to move the supporting arrangement in accordance with a first orthogonal direction and in accordance with a second orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first orthogonal direction; and a mechanism configured to be acted upon by the movement system to move the supporting arrangement in a third orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first and second orthogonal directions, the mechanism including at least one ball-housing, a ball arranged in the ball-housing, and a threshold-block having a bearing-surface on which the ball rests, the bearing-surface of the threshold-block having at least one slope; wherein the slope of the bearing surface permits the supporting arrangement to move in the third orthogonal direction in accordance with at least one operation of the movement-system in the first orthogonal direction and at least one operation of the movement-system in the second orthogonal direction.