Patent ID: 6829404
Filing Date: 2004-12-07
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
An optical switch for switching the light path between collimating lenses optically coupled to the ends of corresponding optical fibers by the advancing and retracting movements of a prism, comprising:a body incorporating an optical switch housing; an electromagnetic driver including an armature arranged to hold the prism and a coil block for driving the movement of the armature by means of magnetic actions, the coil block including an iron core having two magnetic polar portions provided at both ends thereof, a coil for exciting the iron core, and a permanent magnet for magnetizing the armature, the armature including a first contact portion located opposite to one side of one of the two magnetic polar portions which faces one direction of the movement of the armature and a second contact portion located opposite to one side of the other magnetic polar portion which faces the other direction of the movement of the armature; and a leaf spring resilient in the moving direction of the armature consisting mainly of at least two parallelly extending spring strips, each of the spring strips is fixedly mounted at one end to the body and at the other end to an intermediate region between the two contact portions of the armature thus to spatially hold the armature and the prism for linear movement, wherein the electromagnetic driver and the prism are disposed next to each other along the moving direction of the armature, and the armature and the prism can linearly be moved at a right angle to the light path between the lenses when the optical switch is in action.