Optical switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9008484-B2
Application number	US-201213432454-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2012
Priority date	Mar 28, 2012
Publication date	Apr 14, 2015
Grant date	Apr 14, 2015

Abstract

An N×N switching apparatus for optical components is provided. A switching apparatus includes a first element that provides for a supply of a length of optical fiber in tension and has an interface component for maintaining an end of the optical fiber in tension at a first position. The switching apparatus further includes a second element that has a coupling component for detachably maintaining the end of the optical fiber at a second position. The first and second elements are arranged such that the end of the optical fiber is movable between the first and second elements.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cover for an optical fiber, the optical fiber having a connector at an end adjacent to a predetermined portion of a length of the optical fiber, the cover comprising:
a series of segments including a first segment and at least a second segment connected to and overlapping the first segment to allow the first segment to be moved into and extending away from the second segment, wherein the series of segments is adapted to receive the optical fiber extending therethrough, such that when the optical fiber is received in the series of segments, the first segment is adjacent to the connector at the end of the optical fiber and encloses the predetermined portion of the optical fiber.

2. An N×N switching apparatus for optical components comprising:
an optical fiber covered by the cover of claim 1 ;
a first element providing for a supply of a length of the optical fiber in tension therefrom including an interface component for maintaining an end of the optical fiber in tension at a first position; and
a second element having a coupling component for detachably maintaining the end of the optical fiber at a second position, wherein the first and second elements are arranged such that the end of the optical fiber is movable between the first and second elements.

3. The switching apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the coupling component of the second element is adapted to detachably maintain the end of the optical fiber in tension at the second position, and wherein a supplied length of optical fiber is in tension from the first element during movement of the end of the optical fiber between the first and second elements.

4. The switching apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the coupling component includes a connecting pole extending from the second element, the coupling component being adapted to detachably maintain the end of the optical fiber at an end of the connecting pole.

5. The switching apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
a supply means that engages the optical fiber at a second side of the first element opposite the first side to hold the optical fiber in tension thereagainst.

6. The switching apparatus of claim 2 , the first element having a plurality of interface components for maintaining a plurality of ends of optical fibers in tension in respective first positions against the first element, and
the second element having a plurality of coupling components for maintaining at least some of the plurality of ends of optical fibers in respective second positions, wherein the ends of the optical fibers are movable between the first and second elements,
wherein, when the plurality of ends of optical fibers are in the first position, the plurality of ends are spaced a minimum distance from one another.

7. The switching apparatus of claim 6 , wherein when the plurality of ends of optical fibers are in the first position, the plurality of ends are spaced the same minimum distance from one another.

8. The switching apparatus of claim 2 , the second element further having at least one guide element extending therefrom toward the first element,
wherein the guide element surrounds at least a profile of the coupling component and is adapted to receive the end of the optical fiber when an optical fiber is being moved to the second position, and
wherein the guide element has a release mechanism which, when activated with an optical fiber maintained at the second position, causes the end of the optical fiber to detach from the second element.

9. The switching apparatus of claim 2 , the coupling component comprising:
a retainer attached to the second element; and
opposing elements within the retainer, the retainer adapted for supplying a force to force the opposing elements toward each other, and the opposing elements further adapted for seating the end of the optical fiber therebetween and for moving away from each other in response to a magnetic polarization of the opposing elements,
wherein, in a first state of the retainer with the opposing elements not polarized and the end of the optical fiber between the opposing elements, the opposing elements maintain the end of the fiber seated therebetween, and when the end of the optical fiber is between the opposing elements, in a second state of the retainer with the opposing elements polarized, the opposing elements move away from each other to allow the end of the optical fiber to move freely.

10. The switching apparatus of claim 9 , the second element further having at least one guide element extending therefrom toward the first element,
wherein the guide element surrounds the retainer and is adapted to receive the end of the optical fiber when an optical fiber is being moved to the retainer, and
wherein the guide element has a release mechanism which is adapted to cause the retainer to change between the first state and the second state.

11. The switching apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising apparatus for supplying a length of fiber to the first element, the fiber having a first end fixed in position and a second end opposite the first end, the supply apparatus comprising:
an inner ring held in a fixed position and adapted to receive a first portion of the fiber therethrough and around a circumference thereof;
an outer ring adapted to rotate about the inner ring and to receive a second portion of the fiber therethrough and around a circumference thereof; and
a resilient member attached at a first end to the inner ring and attached at a second end to the outer ring, wherein, when the fiber is received by the inner and outer rings, the resilient member is in a first state when a third portion of the fiber including the second end extends from the outer ring has a first length and a second state when the third portion of the fiber has a second length greater than the first length.

12. The switching apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the end of the optical fiber, when at the first position, is held against a first side of the first element.

13. The cover of claim 1 , wherein when the optical fiber is received in the series of segments, the first segment tightly surrounds at least a part of the predetermined portion of the optical fiber.

14. A switching system for optical components comprising:
a predetermined optical fiber covered by the cover of claim 1 ; and
a control unit to control (i) engagement of an engagement element with an end of the predetermined optical fiber, the optical fiber adapted for coupling to an N×N optical switch under tension force, the switch being coupled to a plurality of optical fibers including the predetermined optical fiber, and (ii) movement of the engagement element engaged with the end of the predetermined optical fiber against the supplied tension force between a predetermined first position to a predetermined second position of the optical switch, wherein the tension force is maintained during the movement.

15. The switching system of claim 14 , wherein the control unit records the predetermined second location of the predetermined optical fiber.

16. The switching system of claim 14 , wherein the control unit records a predetermined order of movement by the engagement element of the optical fibers moved to the respective predetermined second positions.

Assignees

• Takeuchi Kenichiro
• Zhang Qin
• Lu Haiguang
• Go Foton Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Takeuchi Kenichiro
• Zhang Qin
• Lu Haiguang

Classifications

• G02B6/3826 Primary

  characterised by form or shape · CPC title

• H01R13/62

  Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement · CPC title

• G02B6/3508 Primary

  Lateral or transverse displacement of the whole waveguides, e.g. by varying the distance between opposed waveguide ends, or by mutual lateral displacement of opposed waveguide ends · CPC title

• G02B6/3574

  Mechanical force, e.g. pressure variations · CPC title

• G02B6/3556

  NxM switch, i.e. regular arrays of switches elements of matrix type constellation · CPC title