Rotary switch type optical fiber switch

• US 6,335,993 B1
• Filed: 09/27/1999
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seikoh Giken Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Seikoh Giken Company Limited
• Inventors: Takahashi, Mitsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRA, TUYEN Q
• Application Number:
  US09/404,157
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 385/16, 385/17, 385/19, 385/22, 385/24, 385/25, 385/26, 385/15, 385/31, 385/33, 385/34, 385/60, 385/70, 385/72, 385/71
• US Class Current: 385/25
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3504 Rotating, tilting or pivoting the waveguides, or with the waveguides describing a curved path rotary joint G02B6/3628
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3506 Translating the waveguides along the beam path, e.g. by varying the distance between opposed waveguide ends, or by translation of the waveguide ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3558 1xN switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output of N possible outputs

Abstract

A rotary switch type optical fiber switch according to the present invention includes a plurality of lined-up sleeves disposed on at least one concentric circle about a reference axis and a fixed side ferrule with optical fiber mounting plate assembly for supporting fixed side ferrules with optical fibers. A movable side ferrule with optical fiber assembly supports a movable side ferrule with an optical fiber in parallel with the reference axis at a position apart from the reference axis a distance corresponding to the radius of the concentric circle and rotates about the reference axis as well as is movable in parallel with the reference axis. A movable side ferrule with optical fiber mounting plate driving unit assembly locates the movable side ferrule at the angular position of an arbitrary lined-up sleeve of the fixed side ferrule mounting plate at a position apart from the fixed side ferrule mounting plate to thereby insert the movable side ferrule into the lined-up sleeve and connect it to one of the fixed side ferrules with the optical fibers.

Claims

1. A rotary switch type optical fiber switch, comprising:

a base plate;

a fixed side ferrule assembly including

a fixed side ferrule mounting plate supported by said base plate;

a plurality of sleeves disposed within said fixed side ferrule mounting plate on at least one fixed side concentric circle having a center on a reference axis; and

a plurality of fixed side ferrules positioned within said plurality of sleeves, each of said plurality of fixed side ferrules having an optical fiber fixed thereto;

a movable side ferrule assembly including

a movable side ferrule mounting plate, said movable side ferrule mounting plate being rotatable about said reference axis and displaceable along said axis; and

at least one movable side ferrule disposed within said movable side ferrule mounting plate in parallel with said reference axis at a position separated from the reference axis by a distance corresponding to the radius of said fixed side concentric circle, said movable side ferrule having an optical fiber fixed thereto; and

a driving unit assembly including

a slide block supported by said base plate, said slide block being movable in parallel with said reference axis; and

a stepping motor supported by said slide block, said stepping motor having an output shaft, concentric with said reference axis, coupled to said movable side ferrule mounting plate for rotation thereof, whereby rotation of said movable side ferrule mounting plate displaces said movable side ferrule to an angular position in alignment with a selected fixed side ferrule, and movement of said slide block inserts the movable side ferrule into the sleeve of the selected fixed side ferrule for connection of an end of the optical fiber fixed to said movable side ferrule with an end of the optical fiber fixed to said selected fixed side ferrule.

2. A rotary switch type optical fiber switch according to claim 1 wherein a bearing hole is provided in said fixed side ferrule mounting plate, said bearing hole being orthogonal to said fixed side ferrule mounting plate and extending along said reference axis, and wherein said plurality of sleeves and fixed side ferrules with associated optical fibers are located within stepped holes formed in the surface of said fixed side ferrule mounting plate, said stepped holes being orthogonal to said fixed side ferrule mounting plate and equally spaced along said at least one fixed side concentric circle.

3. A rotary switch type optical fiber switch according to claim 2 wherein said stepped holes are spaced along M different fixed side concentric circles, where M≧

2, and wherein there are N stepped holes on each concentric circle, where N≧

2, the sleeves and fixed side ferrules with associated optical fibers being inserted into the M×

N stepped holes and detachably fixed therein.

4. A rotary switch type optical fiber switch according to claim 3 wherein said movable side ferrule assembly further comprises:

a movable side shaft, coupled to the output shaft of said stepping motor, disposed within said movable side ferrule mounting plate concentric with the reference axis and passing through the bearing bole of said fixed side ferrule mounting plate; and

a plurality of movable side ferrules with associated optical fibers disposed within said movable side ferrule mounting plate on at least one movable side concentric circle having a center on said reference axis, the positions of said movable side ferrules on said movable side concentric circle corresponding to the positions of the stepped holes formed in said fixed side ferrule mounting plate, the moving side ferrules partially projecting from a surface of said movable side ferrule mounting plate.

5. A rotary switch type optical fiber switch according to claim 4 wherein N is an even number, and wherein the number of movable side ferrules L is equal to N/2.

6. A rotary switch type optical fiber switch according to claim 4 wherein two movable side ferrules are disposed within said movable side ferrule mounting plate on said at least one movable side concentric circle, said two movable side ferrules being positioned on said movable side concentric circle at locations separated by 180°

with respect to each other.

7. A rotary switch type optical fiber switch according to claim 4 wherein the fixed side ferrules and the movable side ferrules are disposed on equal numbers of fixed and movable concentric circles respectively, the angular displacement of the movable side ferrules with respect to the angular displacement of corresponding fixed side ferrules being the same.

8. A rotary switch type optical fiber switch according to claim 4 wherein the fixed side ferrules and the movable side ferrules are disposed on M concentric circles, a single movable side ferrule being located on each movable side concentric circle at the same angular displacement.

9. A rotary switch type optical fiber switch according to claim 4, wherein connecting end surfaces of the fixed side ferrules and the movable side ferrules are polished to an inclined spherical surface having an inclination of at least 4°

to a surface orthogonal to optical axes of said ferrules.

10. A rotary switch type optical fiber switch according to claim 1 wherein said slide block is translated forward and backward along said reference axis by a latching solenoid magnet which latches at the end of each forward and backward movement.

11. A rotary switch type optical fiber switch according to claim 1 wherein rotation of said stepping motor sequentially moves said movable side ferrule into proximity with a selected fixed side ferrule, and wherein a backward movement of said slide block causes an end of said movable side ferrule to be inserted into a sleeve positioning said selected fixed side ferrule thereby bringing the end of said movable side ferrule into contact with an end of said selected fixed side ferrule, and wherein a forward movement of said slide block withdraws said movable side ferrule from said sleeve thereby releasing contact of the end thereof with the end of said fixed side ferrule.