Optical switch

US4378144A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Nortel Networks Limited · CA

Inventors

• Gary S. Duck · Ottawa, CA
• Masamichi Yataki
• Jozef Straus · Ottawa, CA
• William J. Sinclair · Ottawa, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 22, 1980
• Grant date: Mar 29, 1983
• Expiry date: Dec 22, 2000

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/352
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An optical switch having a light input side and a light output side where there are a plurality of optical waveguides with light collimating lenses on one of the sides with the lenses in spaced positions and, on the other side there is an optical waveguide with a light collimating lens. To enable light to be transferred between the latter waveguide and any of the other lenses, it is movable to bring its lens into any of a plurality of switch positions, each corresponding to the position of one of the other lenses, and means is provided to move the lens selectively between positions. In preferred arrangements, the plurality of lenses are arranged around at least one pitch circle but a linear arrangement of lenses is also possible. An electric stepping motor is ideally used for the switching operation.