Optical fiber bendable coupler/switch device
US5353363A · kind A · utility
44Cited by
15References
20Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 1, 1993 |
| Grant date | Oct 4, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 1, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B6/3578
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A 1.times.N fiber optic switch is disclosed for selectively coupling light from a first fiber to any one of a plurality of output fibers. The switch includes a coupler in which the first optical fiber and the plurality of optical fibers are elongated in a narrowed coupling region. The coupling region can be bent in various directions to cause the radius of curvature of the input fiber to differ from that of at least one of the output fibers, whereby light propagating in the input fiber can be coupled to only one of the output fibers or to more than one of those fibers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.