Patent ID: 8228657

Claim:
A frequency-addressable, bistable, fluid-actuation apparatus, comprising: a pair of opposing, dielectric-coated electrodes, wherein one of the electrodes has a dielectric coating of uniform thickness, d 0 , further wherein the other electrode has a dielectric coating of thickness d 1 over a length L 1 forming a first gap region therebetween having a spacing D 1 , and a dielectric coating of thickness d 2 over a length L 2 forming a second gap region therebetween having a spacing D 2 and contiguous with the first gap region, wherein d 0 ≦d 1 , d 2 >>d 1 , D 2 <<D 1 , and (d 1 +d 0 )D 1 <<(d 2 +d 0 )D 2 , further wherein the first and second gap regions are dimensioned to hold a volume of a working fluid substantially in one or the other of the gap regions via a capillary mechanism; and a multiple-frequency AC voltage source operatively coupled to the electrodes.