US 6,687,429 B2Granted

Optical switch with liquid-air-liquid switch assembly

AssigneeHon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.

InventorYueh Liang Chung

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An optical switch (100) includes a shell (40) forming an input port (10) and first and second output ports (50, 60) with an optical switching subassembly enclosed therein between the input port and the output ports. The optical switch subassembly includes two light transmitting blocks (21, 22) having surfaces spaced from and opposing each other. Two light transmitting liquid sections having a refractive index substantially identical to that of the blocks are movably retained between the surfaces. The liquid sections are spaced from each other forming an air section therebetween. A piezoelectric element (31) is in physical engagement with the liquid sections. The piezoelectric element can be electrically biased to move the air section and the liquid sections between a first position wherein the air section is located on an optical path from the input port to the second output port, light from the input port being fully reflected by the surfaces of the blocks and being redirected to the first output port and a second position where one of the liquid sections is located on the optical path, allowing light to completely travel along the optical path and thus switching the light from the input port to different output ports.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An optical switch comprising:

an input port and first and second output ports, the ports being arranged in a T-shaped configuration with the second output port substantially aligned with the input port along an optical path, the first output port being arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical path;
an optical switching subassembly arranged between the input port and the output ports comprising a first optical transmitting medium adjacent the input port and a second optical transmitting medium adjacent the second output port, the first optical transmitting medium having a first surface and the second optical transmitting medium having a second surface opposing the first surface, a switching means sandwiched between the first and second surfaces of the optical transmitting mediums;
and
the switching means comprising first and second optical transmitting liquid sections movably retained between the first and second surfaces, the first and second optical transmitting liquid sections being spaced from each other to form an air section therebetween, wherein the switching means has a first condition where the air section and the optical transmitting liquid sections are in a first position and a second condition where the air section and the optical transmitting liquid sections are in a second position;
wherein, in the first position, the air section is on the optical path whereby an input light from the input port is fully reflected by the first surface of the first optical transmitting medium and is redirected to the first output port and wherein, in the second position, one of the optical transmitting liquid sections is located on the optical path whereby an input light from the input port is allowed to travel along the optical path toward the second output port.

2 more elements

An optical switch comprising:

an input port;
first and second output ports;
first and second optical transmitting mediums having a first refractive index N1, being disposed between the input port and the second output port and;
and
an optical switching means sandwiched between the first and second optical transmitting mediums;
wherein the optical switching means comprises first and second optical transmitting liquid sections and an air section movably retained in the optical switching means, the first and second optical transmitting liquid sections being spaced from each other with the air section therebetween, wherein the air section has a third refractive index N3, the first optical transmitting medium has a first surface, an input light from the input port forming an incident angle θ with respect to the first surface, the incident angle being such that θ> arcsin (N3/N1), wherein the optical switching means has a first position and a second position, wherein, in the first position, the air section is on the optical path whereby an input light from the input port is redirected to the first output port, and in the second position, one of the optical transmitting liquid sections is located on the optical path whereby an input light from the input port is allowed to travel along the optical path toward the second output port.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/880,328Filed 12 Jun 2001
Priority: TW 89222645 U28 Dec 2000
Published: US 2002/0085799 A14 Jul 2002
Granted: 3 Feb 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G02B 6/3538
Having switching means: based on displacement or deformation of a liquid
G02B 6/355
1xN switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output of N possible outputs: 1x2 switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output of two…
G02B 6/3578
Characterised by the actuating force: piezoelectric force
G02B
Optical elements, systems or apparatus