Patent ID: 6934440

Claim:
An optical switch comprising: at least first, second, and third optical fibers disposed generally parallel to each other and spaced at non-equal intervals in a direction substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of each of the optical fibers, the optical fibers having tip portions disposed approximately along a straight line extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of each of the optical fibers; first guiding means non-movably mounted in front of the tip portions of the optical fibers for guiding a beam of light emitted from the first optical fiber to the second optical fiber along a first optical path disposed between the tip portion of the first optical fiber and the tip portion of the second optical fiber; and second guiding means mounted for undergoing movement to a position in front of the tip portions of the optical fibers for guiding the beam emitted from the first optical fiber to the third optical fiber along a second optical path disposed between the tip portion of the first optical fiber and the tip portion of the third optical fiber so that a length of the second optical path is substantially equal to a length of the first optical path.