Mechanical optical switch

An optical switch adapted to switch a light beam coming from an input optical fiber among a plurality of output optical fibers comprising:

• a mounting frame including three supporting plates, the mounting frame defining an opening therethrough;
• an input optical device mounted on a first supporting plate, including an input ferrule and a collimating lens, and an input optical fiber received in the input ferrule;
• an output optical device mounted on a second supporting plate opposite to the input optical device, and the output optical device including an output ferrule terminating a plurality of output optical fibers;
• a switch device including a lens holder;
• a plurality of collimating lenses mounted in the lens holder, each collimating lens having a slanted end surface at one end and a non-spherical end surface at an opposite end, and each slanted end surface having a different inclined angle;
• and
• a driving device assembly mounted on a third supporting plate, the driving device assembly including a driving device and a connecting pole, the driving device driving the connecting pole to rotate, the connecting pole driving the switch device to rotate;
• wherein, when a selected collimating lens is aligned with the input and output optical devices, a light beam from the input optical device directed through the selected collimating lens is bent along a unique path to arrive at the output optical device.

An optical switch comprising:

• an optical input device being adapted to convey optical signals into the optical switch, including an input ferrule receiving an input optical fiber therein;
• an optical output device being adapted to convey the optical signals out of the optical switch, the optical output device being generally aligned with the optical input device and including an output ferrule receiving a plurality of output optical fibers;
• and
• a plurality of collimating lenses mounted in a moveable lens holder, each collimating lens having different geometries;
• wherein
• when one of the plurality of collimating lenses is aligned with the optical input device and the optical output device, a light beam from the optical input device directed through said one collimating lens is bent along a unique path to corresponding one of the output optical fibers of the optical output device.