Optical switch

An optical switch adapted to switch multiple light beams coming from a plurality of input optical fibers between a plurality of output fibers, wherein the pair of second mounting supports is between the pair of first mounting supports and are parallel to one another comprising:

• a mounting frame including a pair of mounting supports and a pair of second mounting supports;
• an input optical device mounted on one of the first mounting supports and terminating the plurality of input optical fibers, including an input ferrule and a output collimating prism;
• an output optical device mounted on the other of the first mounting supports and terminating the plurality of output optical fibers, including an output ferrule and an output collimating prism;
• a first prism holder and a second prism holder being respectively slidably engaged with a corresponding second mounting support;
• a first prism array having a plurality of first prisms mounted in the first prism holder and a second prism array having a corresponding plurality of second prisms mounted in the second prism holder, each first prism having a different geometry and each second prism having a different geometry;
• and
• a driving device assembly for driving the first prism holder and the second prism holder to slidably move relative to on the second mounting supports;
• wherein when a first prism in the first prism array is aligned with a selected second prism in the second prism array and with the input and output optical devices, a light beam from the input optical device directed through the paired prisms is bent along a unique path to arrive at the output optical device.

An optical switch device comprising:

• an optical input device with a plurality of optical input fibers arranged in a compact manner;
• an optical output device with a plurality of optical output fibers arranged in another compact manner;
• a first light deflection device including a plurality of first light deflection elements corresponding to said input fibers;
• a second light deflection device including a plurality of second light deflection elements corresponding to said output fibers;
• said input device and said output device being stationary while said first light deflection device and said second light deflection device being moveable to be selectively aligned with the corresponding input fibers and output fibers;
• wherein
• said first deflection elements are configured to capture light from the different selective input fibers in a one-to-one state at one time, and further have said light deflected to travel in a common path, while said second deflection elements are configured to capture light from said common path and further have said light deflected to target the different selective output fibers in the one-to-one state at one time.

A method of transmitting light from one of N input fibers to one of N output fibers (N is an integral), comprising steps of:

• providing stationary N input fibers;
• providing stationary N output fibers;
• providing a moveable input light deflection device with N input light deflection elements thereof corresponding to said N input fibers, respectively;
• and
• providing a moveable output light deflection device with N output light deflection elements thereof corresponding to said N output fibers, respectively;
• wherein
• when light from a specific one of said input fibers is designated to be outputted via a specific one of said output fibers, moving said input light deflection device to have the corresponding input light deflection element aligned with said specific one of said input fibers, and moving said output light deflection device to have the corresponding output light deflection element aligned with said specific one of said output fibers.