Patent ID: 6404941
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
Optical multiple circuit breaker which has N first optical inputs (E1(n)) that can be alternatively connected to N first optical outputs (A1(n)) or to N second optical outputs (A2(n)),which has a base body which is transparent at least in the area of the beam paths, and which has recesses alternatively for reflection or transmission of light, in which, when the recesses are filled with at least one substance having a refractive index lower than that of the transparent material of the base body, the incident N beams of light are totally reflected by surfaces of the recesses, and in which, when the recesses are filled with at least one substance having a refractive index approximately equal to that of the transparent material of the base body, the incident N light beams penetrate through the recesses, and which has at least one device that, when switched to the reflecting state, fills the recesses with the substance having a lower refractive index or else, when switched to the transmitting state, fills the recesses with the substance having a higher refractive index, wherein the optical multiple circuit breaker also has N second optical inputs (E2(n)), and that N is greater than or equal to 2, and that the base body has at most 2 recesses alternatively for reflection or transmission of light, in which two surfaces of the recesses are so formed and so arranged in the path of the incident (2Ã—N) beams of light that in the reflecting state, the N first and the N second optical inputs (E1(n) and E2(n)) are optically connected with the N first and N second optical outputs (A1(n) and A2(n)), respectively, and in the transmitting state, the N first optical inputs (E1(n)) are optically connected with the N second optical outputs (A2(n)), and wherein the N first optical inputs (E1(n)) and the N second optical inputs (E2(n)) are arranged such that the plane of the N first incident beams of light (LS1(n)) lies at an angle of 70Â° to 110Â° to the plane of the N second incident beams of light (LS2(n)).