Fiber optic switch package and method of assembling a fiber optic switch package for redirecting fiber path
AssigneeADC Telecommunications, Inc.
InventorsHoward P. Wilson, Souksamay Chounlamontry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fiber optic switch package and method of assembling the same with improved protection of the fibers and simple assembly. The package redirects or bends optical fibers of a 2×2 or 1×2 MEMS optical switch in the package so that instead of exiting the package from four ends, the fibers exit the package from two ends. By exiting the package from two ends, real estate on a printed circuit board is conserved and packages can be located closer to other packages on a printed circuit board.
Claims19
An optical component package comprising:
- a housing having a first side and a second side, the housing including a bottom plate, having a top surface with symmetrically positioned islands located on the top surface, the islands having rounded corners and a top plate, having a bottom surface that faces the top surface of the bottom plate, the top plate having symmetrically positioned islands located on the bottom surface, the islands having rounded corners;
- and
- means for bending optical fibers in the housing so that the fibers exit the housing from the first and second sides, the means for bending comprising a left and a right side piece, each side piece having rounded cutouts that are complimentary to the rounded corners of the islands wherein the left and right side pieces fit in a left and right cavity, respectively, formed when the top plate is disposed on the bottom plate, wherein the rounded cutouts of the left and right side pieces mate with the rounded corners of the islands to form a channel there between.
An optical component package comprising:
- a bottom plate, the bottom plate having a top surface with symmetrically positioned islands located on the top surface, the islands having rounded corners;
- a top plate, the top plate having a bottom surface that faces the top surface of the bottom plate, the top plate having symmetrically positioned islands located on the bottom surface, the islands having rounded corners;
- and
- a left and a right side piece, each side piece having rounded cutouts that are complimentary to the rounded corners of the islands wherein the left and right side pieces fit in a left and right cavity, respectively, formed when the top plate is disposed on the bottom plate, wherein the rounded cutouts of the left and right side pieces mate with the rounded corners of the islands to form a channel there between.
A method of assembling an optical component package, the method comprising steps of:
- (a) disposing a MEMS optical switch on a top surface of a bottom plate, the bottom plate having symmetrically positioned islands with rounded corners located on the top surface, the MEMS optical switch having four fibers extending from four different ends of the MEMS optical switch;
- (b) bonding the MEMS optical switch to the top surface;
- (c) attaching optical fibers to the MEMS optical switch;
- (d) disposing a top plate on the bottom plate, the top plate having a bottom surface that faces the bottom plate wherein the bottom surface is identically configured as the top surface;
- (e) inserting a left side piece between the top and bottom plates, the left side piece having round cutouts that are complimentary to the rounded corners of the islands so that when the left side piece is inserted, it causes the fibers to bend;
- (f) inserting a right side piece between the top and bottom plates, the right side piece having round cutouts that are complimentary to the rounded corners of the islands so that when the right side piece is inserted, causes the fibers to bend.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.