Patent ID: 6990267
Filing Date: 2006-01-24
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A moving fiber optical switch, comprising: two opposed fiber supports spaced apart along an optical fiber axis, at least one of said supports being flexibly mounted for pivotal movement relative to a housing carrying the other support, said movement occurring in direction normal to said optical fiber axis, at least one optical fiber portion fixed to each support and extending along said optical fiber axis and having opposed fiber ends forming a fiber gap, the supports having a first relative position at which said fiber ends are axially aligned, and a second relative position at which said fiber ends are held out of alignment, link means connected to said flexibly mounted support to move said flexibly mounted support pivotally relative to said housing and the other support, operating means connected to said link means and capable of pivotal movement relative to said housing and to the optical fiber axis, said pivotal movement occurring between two orientations, including a first orientation where the supports are in said first position, and a second orientation in which the supports are in the second position; stop means cooperating with the operating means to define said two orientations, and actuator means for providing said relative pivotal movement of the operating means between said two orientations; wherein said optical switch is characterized in that the relative pivotal movements between the operating means and the housing and between the operating means and the flexibly mounted support are both provided entirely by flexure means.