Flexure arrangements

• US 7,231,126 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2003
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huber+Suhner Polatis Limited (Huber + Suhner Polatis, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polatis Ltd. (Huber + Suhner Polatis, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dames, Andrew Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Font; Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blevins; Jerry Martin
• Application Number:
  US10/516,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20050201712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 385/137, 385/52
• US Class Current: 385/137
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3502 involving direct waveguide displacement, e.g. cantilever type waveguide displacement involving waveguide bending, or displacing an interposed waveguide between stationary waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3548 1xN switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output of N possible outputs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3566 involving bending a beam, e.g. with cantilever
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3578 Piezoelectric force piezoelectric forces controlling reflecting elements in general G02B26/0858; piezo-optic devices G02F1/0131
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4226 Positioning means for moving the elements into alignment, e.g. alignment screws, deformation of the mount

Abstract

A flexure arrangement, suitable for use with or as part of, e.g., an optical beam steering arrangements, and intended for supporting and transmitting movement to any appropriate element, the arrangement including a first flexure to which movement is applied, a second flexure which attaches the arrangement to any appropriate supporting structure, structure linking the first flexure to the second flexure and structure for receiving any appropriate element, the first and second flexure being appropriately spaced so that any movement applied to the first flexure is amplified by the flexure arrangement.

Claims

1. A flexure arrangement, suitable for use with or as part of an optical beam steering arrangement, and intended for supporting and transmitting movement to any appropriate element, the arrangement comprising:

any appropriate supporting structure;

means for receiving any appropriate element;

a first flexure configuration;

an actuator which applies movement to said first flexure configuration;

said first flexure configuration incorporating a flexure, a first attachment on said actuator and a second attachment on said receiving means;

a second flexure configuration incorporating a flexure, a third attachment on said receiving means and a fourth attachment on any appropriate supporting structure;

wherein the first flexure configuration and the second flexure configuration are each compliant in two lines of movement, are non-coplanar and appropriately spaced, whereby any movement applied to said first flexure configuration causes said receiving means to displace.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first flexure comfiguration and the second flexure configuration incorporate plates which are substantially parallel in side view and orthogonal in plan view with respect to one another.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the element is an optical element.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the element is a collimator.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the first flexure configuration and the second flexure configuration are spaced at a distance less than half of the length of the collimator.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the element is a reflective.

7. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the element is a grating.

8. A beam steering arrangement, comprising:

a flexure arrangement in accordance with claim 4; and

an actuator for applying movement to the first flexure configuration, so that an actuator movement in any direction causes a collimator movement in the opposite direction, the relative moment of inertia of the actuator and collimator acting to counterbalance any externally induced movements.

9. An arrangement in accordance with claim 8, wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric actuator which when actuated displaces two dimensionally.

10. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first flexure configuration is located upstream from the second flexure configuration.

11. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means incorporate a slot extending from the periphery to an inward portion of said receiving means, thereby facilitating any one of the ready insertion and removal of an optical fiber.

12. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein any of the flexure configurations comprise a hole sufficient in diameter to allow the passage of an optical fiber and to avoid contact between the fiber and the flexure configuration.

13. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the supporting structure of the second flexure configuration is a second actuator.

14. An arrangement according to claim 4 and extending in the Z-direction, comprising at least a first and second actuator, the first flexure configuration being at least in part the extremity of said first actuator which extends in the Z-direction when actuated and the second flexure comprising means located at the extremity of said second actuator, thereby when the first actuator is actuated, the collimator pivots.

15. An optical switch comprising an arrangement in accordance with claim 1.

16. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said flexure configurations are compliant in both bending and torsion.

17. An arrangement according to claim 16, wherein said flexure configurations incorporate plates which space respectively the first and second attachments;

and the third and fourth attachments sufficiently to allow both bending and torsion of the plates to occur.

18. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is a 2D power driven actuator.