Patent ID: 7336865

Claim:
An optical switch for switching the connection of one or more movable optical fibers to one or more stationary optical fibers, comprising a movable soft magnetic block connected to an end portion of each movable optical fiber, a stationary soft magnetic block connected to each stationary optical fiber and fixed at a position opposing said movable block, an actuator for moving said movable block relative to said stationary block, and a means for positioning said movable block relative to said stationary block; said actuator comprising a yoke having a base portion and a pair of arms extending from both ends of said base portion such that they sandwich said movable block in its moving direction, a permanent magnet attached to said base portion of said yoke, and a coil mounted to at least one arm; and regardless of the position of said movable block, a magnetic flux generated by said permanent magnet being more in a first gap between one arm and said movable block than in a second gap between the other arm and said movable block, wherein said movable block moves between a home position closest to said one arm and a make position closest to said other arm; wherein when said coil is energized to generate a magnetic flux, the total magnetic flux is less in a first gap between said movable block and said one arm than in a second gap between said movable block and said other arm, so that said movable block is held at said make position; and wherein when said coil becomes inactive, the total magnetic flux in said first gap is more than in said second gap and causes said movable block to return to said home position under a magnetic attractive force of said permanent magnet.