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US 6,633,691 B2Granted
Optical waveguide switch having stepped waveguide holding member
AssigneeShipley Company, L.L.C.
InventorsDan A. Steinberg, David W. Sherrer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A first waveguide holding member has a principal surface which confronts the principal surface of a second waveguide holding member. Each principal surface has a stepped configuration defined by an upper surface region, a lower surface region and a transverse region which separates the upper and lower surface regions. At least guide member guides the first and second waveguide holding members to operatively couple and decouple opposing ends of first and second optical waveguides which terminate at the transverse regions of the first and second waveguide holding members, respectively.
Claims29
An optical switch comprising:
- a first waveguide holding member having a principal surface, wherein the principal surface of the first waveguide holding member has a stepped configuration defined by an upper surface region, a lower surface region and a transverse region which separates the upper and lower surface regions;
- a second waveguide holding member having a principal surface which faces the principal surface of the first waveguide holding member, wherein the principal surface of the second waveguide holding member has a stepped configuration defined by an upper surface region, a lower surface region and a transverse region which separates the upper and lower surface regions, and wherein the upper surface region of the first waveguide holding member confronts the lower surface region of the second waveguide holding member, and wherein the lower surface region of the first waveguide holding member confronts the upper surface region of the second waveguide holding member, and wherein the transverse region of the first waveguide holding ember confronts the transverse region of the second waveguide holding member;
- and
- at least one guide member which is operatively coupled to the first and second waveguide holding members and which guides the first waveguide holding member in a transverse direction relative to the second waveguide holding member.
1 more element
An optical switch comprising:
- a first waveguide holding member having a principal surface, wherein the principal surface of the first waveguide holding member has a stepped configuration defined by an upper surface region, a lower surface region and a transverse region which separates the upper and lower surface regions;
- a second waveguide holding member having a principal surface which faces the principal surface of the first waveguide holding member, wherein the principal surface of the second waveguide holding member has a stepped configuration defined by an upper surface region, a lower surface region and a transverse region which separates the upper and lower surface regions;
- at least one guide member which is operatively coupled to the first and second waveguide holding members and which guides the first waveguide holding member in a transverse direction relative to the second waveguide holding member;
- and
- at least one first optical waveguide having a first end terminating at the transverse region of the first waveguide holding member, and at least one second optical waveguide having a second end terminating at the transverse region of the second waveguide holding member.
2 more elements
An optical switch comprising:
- a first waveguide holding member having a principal surface, wherein the principal surface of the first waveguide holding member has a convex stepped configuration defined by a first lower surface region, an upper surface region, a first transverse region which separates the first lower surface region and the upper surface region, a second lower surface region, and a second transverse region which separates the upper surface region and the second lower surface region;
- a second waveguide holding member having a principal surface which faces the principal surface of the first waveguide holding member, wherein the principal surface of the second waveguide holding member has a concave stepped configuration defined by a first upper surface region, a lower surface region, a first transverse region which separates the first upper surface region and the lower surface region, a second upper surface region, and a second transverse region which separates the lower surface region and the second upper surface region, and
- at least one guide member which is operatively coupled to the first and second waveguide holding members and which guides the first waveguide holding member in a transverse direction relative to the second waveguide holding member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.