US 5,629,993 AGranted

Compact optical switch

AssigneeJDS Fitel Inc.

InventorJohn O. Smiley

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An optical switch has a stepping motor with a fiber faceplate on which are mounted end portions of output optical fibers terminating in GRIN lenses. The end portions are arranged along a pitch circle. The faceplate is spaced from the stepping motor and the diameter of the pitch circle is smaller than the diameter of the stepping motor, the output fibers diverging from the faceplate towards the motor and beyond in a space-saving arrangement. The stepping motor drives a movable arm with attached end portion of an input optical fiber, also with a GRIN lens, into one of a plurality switching positions. The connection between the fibers and the lenses and also the relative axial arrangement of the paired lenses in the switching positions is offset to reduce or minimize the reflection of light transmitted from the input fiber to the output fiber, back to the input fiber.

Claims4

Dependent claims

An optical switching device comprising:

a stationary fiber holding means,
a motor mounted to said stationary holding means on one side of said holding means, said motor having a shaft and disposed such that said shaft passes through said stationary fiber holding means,
a first optical fiber having an end portion,
a plurality of optical fibers each having an end portion, said end portions of said plurality mounted to said stationary holding means on said one side along a pitch circle,
a rotary fiber holding means mounted to said shaft on a second side of said stationary holding means for rotation relative thereto,
said end portion of said first optical fiber mounted to said rotary fiber holding means for selective optical alignment, substantially parallel to said shaft, with one of said plurality of optical fibers,
wherein said fixed fiber holding means and said pitch circle have a diameter smaller than the size of the motor in a plane perpendicular to said shaft and are distanced from said motor sufficiently to allow said plurality of fibers to bend away from said pitch circle and encompass said motor without breaking.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/520,702Filed 29 Aug 1995
Granted: 13 May 1997
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G02B 6/3504
Involving direct waveguide displacement, e.g. cantilever type waveguide displacement involving waveguide bending, or displacing an interposed…:…
G02B 6/3536
Having switching means: involving evanescent coupling variation, e.g. by a moving element such as a membrane which changes the effective…
G02B 6/32
Optical coupling means: having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends
G02B 6/3558
3D constellations, i.e. with switching elements and switched beams located in a volume: 1xN switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output…