Electrostatic liquid-ejection actuation mechanism

An electrostatic liquid-ejection actuation mechanism comprising:

• a membrane;
• a frame having two sides and a plurality of cross members non-parallel to the two sides, the two sides and the cross members defining one or more areas individually corresponding to one or more liquid chambers;
• one or more deformable beams disposed between the membrane and the frame, the deformable beams individually corresponding to the liquid chambers, the deformable beams defining a plurality of slits, each slit adjacent to one of the two sides of the frame,
• wherein the deformable beams have a width less than and independent of a width of the liquid chambers, due at least to the slits,
• wherein the deformable beams responsive to an electrostatic charge are to deform from a first configuration to a second configuration to increase a liquid volume within the liquid chambers, and
• wherein the deformable beams responsive to the electrostatic charge being released are to revert from the second configuration back to the first configuration to cause liquid to be ejected from the liquid chambers;
• and,
• a second electrode, each deformable beam acting as a first electrode, the second electrode positioned relative to the first electrode to define an electrostatic gap between the first and the second electrodes, the first and the second electrodes to temporarily maintain the electrostatic charge therebetween over the electrostatic gap.

An electrostatic liquid-ejection device comprising:

• one or more liquid supplies;
• and,
• one or more electrostatic liquid-ejection actuation mechanisms fluidically coupled to the liquid supplies, each electrostatic liquid-ejection actuation mechanism comprising:
• a membrane;
• a frame having two sides and a plurality of cross members non-parallel to the two sides, the two sides and the cross members defining one or more areas individually corresponding to one or more liquid chambers;
• one or more deformable beams disposed between the membrane and the frame, the deformable beams individually corresponding to the liquid chambers, the deformable beams defining a plurality of slits, each slit adjacent to one of the two sides of the frame, each deformable beam acting as a first electrode;
• and
• a second electrode positioned relative to the first electrode to define an electrostatic gap between the first and the second electrodes the first and the second electrodes to temporarily maintain an electrostatic charge therebetween over the electrostatic gap,
• wherein the deformable beams have a width less than and independent of a width of the liquid chambers, due at least to the slits.