Patent · US Expired

Optical switch

US5000534A · kind A · utility

30Cited by
4References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 5, 1989
Grant dateMar 19, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 5, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/3572
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical switch includes at least one optical fiber exit terminal disposed in a plane, at least first and second optical fiber entrance terminals disposed in the plane, and a movable reflector disposed in the plane and angularly movable about a point in the plane for reflecting and/or refracting a light ray from the optical fiber exit terminal selectively into one of the first and second optical fiber entrance terminals for thereby optically coupling the optical fiber exit terminal and said one optical fiber entrance terminal. When the optical fiber exit terminal and the optical fiber entrance terminal are optically coupled to each other, the movable reflector is held against a stopper while it is being subjected to a certain torque, so that the movable reflector is stably stopped.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.