CA2419316A1 - Bi-stable micro switch - Google Patents

Bi-stable micro switch Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2419316A1
CA2419316A1 CA002419316A CA2419316A CA2419316A1 CA 2419316 A1 CA2419316 A1 CA 2419316A1 CA 002419316 A CA002419316 A CA 002419316A CA 2419316 A CA2419316 A CA 2419316A CA 2419316 A1 CA2419316 A1 CA 2419316A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
switch
stable
moved
mems
electro
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
CA002419316A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2419316C (en
Inventor
Bryant Hichwa
Cornel Marxer
Michael Gale
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Viavi Solutions Inc
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of CA2419316A1 publication Critical patent/CA2419316A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2419316C publication Critical patent/CA2419316C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/26—Optical coupling means
    • G02B6/35—Optical coupling means having switching means
    • G02B6/3564—Mechanical details of the actuation mechanism associated with the moving element or mounting mechanism details
    • G02B6/358—Latching of the moving element, i.e. maintaining or holding the moving element in place once operation has been performed; includes a mechanically bistable system
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/0036—Switches making use of microelectromechanical systems [MEMS]
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/26—Optical coupling means
    • G02B6/35—Optical coupling means having switching means
    • G02B6/351—Optical coupling means having switching means involving stationary waveguides with moving interposed optical elements
    • G02B6/3512—Optical coupling means having switching means involving stationary waveguides with moving interposed optical elements the optical element being reflective, e.g. mirror
    • G02B6/3514—Optical coupling means having switching means involving stationary waveguides with moving interposed optical elements the optical element being reflective, e.g. mirror the reflective optical element moving along a line so as to translate into and out of the beam path, i.e. across the beam path
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/26—Optical coupling means
    • G02B6/35—Optical coupling means having switching means
    • G02B6/354—Switching arrangements, i.e. number of input/output ports and interconnection types
    • G02B6/3544—2D constellations, i.e. with switching elements and switched beams located in a plane
    • G02B6/3546—NxM switch, i.e. a regular array of switches elements of matrix type constellation
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/26—Optical coupling means
    • G02B6/35—Optical coupling means having switching means
    • G02B6/3564—Mechanical details of the actuation mechanism associated with the moving element or mounting mechanism details
    • G02B6/3568—Mechanical details of the actuation mechanism associated with the moving element or mounting mechanism details characterised by the actuating force
    • G02B6/357—Electrostatic force
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/0036—Switches making use of microelectromechanical systems [MEMS]
    • H01H2001/0042—Bistable switches, i.e. having two stable positions requiring only actuating energy for switching between them, e.g. with snap membrane or by permanent magnet

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Mechanical Light Control Or Optical Switches (AREA)
  • Micromachines (AREA)

Abstract

A bi-stable micro-machined electro-mechanical system ("MEMS") switch. In a preferred embodiment, the bi-stable MEMS switch is used in an NXN optical signal switching system. Spring arms act in conjunction with a hollow beam portion of a movable center body of the switch to accommodate strain in the arms as the switch is moved from a first position to a second position, thus avoiding buckling of the spring arms. Both the first and second switch position occur at local minimums of mechanical potential energy, thus providing two stable switch states. The center body is moved in relation to static portions of the switch by an actuator, such as an electro-static comb drive.
CA002419316A 2001-03-16 2001-03-16 Bi-stable micro switch Expired - Lifetime CA2419316C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2001/008674 WO2002075428A1 (en) 2001-03-16 2001-03-16 Bi-stable micro switch

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2419316A1 true CA2419316A1 (en) 2002-09-26
CA2419316C CA2419316C (en) 2009-08-18

Family

ID=21742415

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002419316A Expired - Lifetime CA2419316C (en) 2001-03-16 2001-03-16 Bi-stable micro switch

Country Status (2)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2419316C (en)
WO (1) WO2002075428A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7039268B2 (en) * 2004-03-29 2006-05-02 Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited Optical device
CN104241035B (en) * 2014-09-01 2016-08-24 清华大学 A kind of two section type electrostatic drive micro-machinery switch
CN110600289B (en) * 2019-08-30 2021-04-13 中国传媒大学 Resettable MEMS bistable trigger

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4126107C2 (en) * 1991-08-07 1993-12-16 Bosch Gmbh Robert Accelerometer and manufacturing method
US6315462B1 (en) * 1996-09-20 2001-11-13 Ascom Ag Fiber optic circuit switch and a process for its production
DE19811660C1 (en) * 1998-03-18 1999-04-22 Karlsruhe Forschzent Fiber optical modulator
US5977858A (en) * 1998-07-31 1999-11-02 Hughes Electronics Corporation Electro-thermal bi-stable actuator
US6229640B1 (en) * 1999-08-11 2001-05-08 Adc Telecommunications, Inc. Microelectromechanical optical switch and method of manufacture thereof

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2002075428A1 (en) 2002-09-26
CA2419316C (en) 2009-08-18

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
MKEX Expiry

Effective date: 20210316