Mechanical transfer ferrule based optical switch
AssigneeViavi Solutions France SAS
InventorsOlivier Masselin, Alexandre Cebollada
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In some examples, a mechanical transfer ferrule based optical switch may include an optical fiber tube unit connectable to an end of an optical fiber. The optical fiber tube unit may include a lens to transmit light through the optical fiber. An optical fiber tube unit positioning assembly may include an optical fiber tube unit support detachably connectable to the optical fiber tube unit, and an optical fiber tube unit guide to operatively position the optical fiber tube unit support relative to a multi-fiber connector. The optical fiber tube unit guide may align the optical fiber tube unit and the lens to a specified lens of the multi-fiber connector, and connect the optical fiber to a specified optical fiber channel.
Claims17
A mechanical transfer ferrule based optical switch comprising:
- an optical fiber tube unit connectable to an end of an optical fiber, the optical fiber tube unit including a lens to transmit light through the optical fiber;
- and
- an optical fiber tube unit positioning assembly including
- an optical fiber tube unit support detachably connectable to the optical fiber tube unit, wherein the optical fiber tube unit support includes a translation element to move the optical fiber tube unit and the lens in a first direction relative to a multi-fiber connector, and
- an optical fiber tube unit guide to move, based on movement of the optical fiber tube unit support and the optical fiber tube unit guide, the optical fiber in at least two orthogonal directions, wherein the optical fiber tube unit guide includes another translation element to move the optical fiber tube unit support in a second direction relative to the multi-fiber connector, wherein the second direction is generally orthogonal to the first direction.
A method of implementing a mechanical transfer ferrule based optical switch, the method comprising:
- receiving identification of a specified optical fiber channel;
- and
- aligning, based on the specified optical fiber channel and based on movement of an optical fiber in at least two orthogonal directions, by an optical fiber tube unit positioning assembly, an optical fiber tube unit connectable to an end of the optical fiber to a specified lens of a multi-fiber connector, wherein the optical fiber tube unit positioning assembly includes an optical fiber tube unit support that includes a translation element to move the optical fiber tube unit and a lens relative to the multi-fiber connector, and
- the aligning further comprises moving the optical fiber tube unit in a first direction relative to the multi-fiber connector, and
- moving the optical fiber tube unit in a second direction relative to the multi-fiber connector, wherein the second direction is generally orthogonal to the first direction;
- and
- connecting, based on the alignment of the optical fiber tube unit to the specified lens of the multi-fiber connector, the optical fiber to the specified optical fiber channel.
An optical switch comprising:
- an optical fiber tube unit positioning assembly including
- an optical fiber tube unit support, wherein the optical fiber tube unit support includes a translation element to move an optical fiber tube unit and a lens in a first direction relative to a multi-fiber connector;
- and
- an optical fiber tube unit guide to move, based on movement of the optical fiber tube unit support and the optical fiber tube unit guide, an optical fiber in at least two orthogonal directions, wherein the optical fiber tube unit guide includes another translation element to move the optical fiber tube unit support in a second direction relative to the multi-fiber connector, wherein the second direction is generally orthogonal to the first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.