JP2752773B2 - Light switch - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an optical switch for instantaneously switching the optical path of an optical signal propagating in an optical fiber to another optical fiber.

(Prior Art) As the optical switch as described above, one of a pair of connectors having the ends of the optical fiber group fixed in a V-groove is slid by a distance regulated by a guide pin passing through both connectors. 2. Description of the Related Art Switching of optical signals by changing optical fiber groups facing each other is known.

Conventional connectors that constitute such an optical switch are:
For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a V-groove (3) for fixing an optical fiber group (2) to a ceramic substrate (1) and a guide groove (5) for a guide pin (4). Are formed and fixed by a cover plate (6). In the illustrated example, the guide groove (5) of the connector on the moving side has a width equal to the pitch P of the optical fibers, which corresponds to this. The connector can be slid by a distance P.

However, when manufacturing such an optical switch connector, it is necessary to process the V-groove (3) on the ceramic substrate (1) and then further process the guide groove (5).
In addition, high processing accuracy is required for all processing steps,
Inevitable machining failure occurs. For this reason, if the non-defective rate at the time of each processing is, for example, 90%, the total non-defective rate of the connector is 90% × 90% = 81%, and there is a problem that waste in the processing process is extremely large.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention solves such a conventional problem and can reduce waste in the manufacturing process, and has a high accuracy capable of satisfying the function as an optical switch. It has been completed to provide an optical switch.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The above problem is solved by sliding a pair of connectors, each having an end portion of an optical fiber group fixed in a V-groove, by a distance regulated by a guide pin passing through both connectors. In the optical switch that performs the switching of the above, each connector has a structure in which a first substrate having a V groove for fixing an optical fiber group and a second substrate having a guide groove for holding a guide pin are joined. This can be solved by an optical switch characterized by the following.

(Operation) As described above, the optical switch of the present invention includes a V-groove for fixing an optical fiber group and a guide groove for holding a guide pin, which have been conventionally processed on the same substrate, and the first substrate and the first substrate. Since the connector has a structure formed separately from the second substrate and joined to both substrates, when the non-defective rate in each processing step is, for example, 90%, by combining both non-defective parts, the connector Good product rate as a whole
Can be maintained at 90%. For this reason, the non-defective rate as a whole of the connector is greatly improved as compared with the conventional optical switch which is a product of the non-defective rate of each process, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

(Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the present invention, a ceramic substrate (1) is composed of a first substrate (11) and a second substrate (12). The first substrate (11) has V-grooves (3) for fixing the reverse movement of the optical fiber group (2) at a constant pitch, and the second substrate (12) has guide pins ( A guide groove (5) for 4) is formed. FIG. 1 shows a connector 7 on the moving side, in which a guide pin 4 is moved within a guide groove 5 by a predetermined distance (for example, a pitch P of the optical fiber group 2). Although there is room to allow the guide pin (4) to move, the guide groove (5) of the fixed connector (8) cannot be allowed to move as shown by a dashed line.

The first substrate (11) and the second substrate (12) are joined to each other to form a connector (1). In order to secure mutual alignment accuracy, each of the substrates (11) and (12) ),
Positioning grooves (9) and (10) are formed in the mating surface of (12), and positioning pins (13) are inserted therein. It is appropriate to simultaneously process the V-groove (3) and the guide groove (5) on the substrates (11) and (12) having the alignment grooves (9) and (10).

(14) corresponds to the first substrate (11) and the second substrate (1).
This is a member for joining and integrating 2). When such a member (14) is attached to the end face, each substrate (1
If the processing reference plane of 1) and (12) is set as this end face, the member (14) is used as a reference plate, and the alignment groove (9),
(10) can be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 2, the movable side connector (1) and the fixed side connector (1) fix the optical fiber group (2) in the V groove (3) of each connector (1). An optical switch is formed by combining the end faces of the optical fiber group (2) such that the end faces face each other. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the movable side connector (1) is mechanically moved by a distance allowed by the guide pin (4) in the guide groove (5), thereby being fixed to the movable side connector (1). By moving the optical fiber group (2) by, for example, one pitch, a switching action of instantaneously switching the optical path of an optical signal propagating through the optical fiber to another optical fiber can be performed.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4, only a portion of the second substrate (12) for fixing the optical fiber group (2) is a member (16) different from the substrate (12). It consists of. That is, since this portion has only a role of simply fixing the optical fiber group (2), the positional accuracy in the horizontal direction is not required unlike other members, and it is sufficient if the lower surface is flat. . Therefore, in the second embodiment, this portion is formed as an independent member, which can further reduce the defect occurrence rate of the second substrate (12). Further, if the member (16) is made of a transparent material, there is an advantage that the optical fiber group (2) can be easily checked from the outside. The other configuration and operation are the same as those of the first embodiment, and thus the description is omitted.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the optical switch according to the present invention includes a first substrate having a V-groove for fixing each connector to an optical fiber group;
Since the second substrate having a guide groove for holding the guide pins is joined to the second substrate, unlike the conventional one in which both processings are performed on the same substrate, of the processed substrates, Non-defective products can be selected and combined, and the non-defective rate of the entire connector can be greatly improved. The function as an optical switch is not different from that of the conventional structure, and a reliable switching function can be exhibited.

Therefore, the present invention has an extremely large optical switch that solves the conventional problems and contributes to industrial development.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a connector on the moving side according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are partially cutaway plan views showing operation, and FIG. 4 is a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional connector on the moving side, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional example. (1): Connector, (2): Optical fiber group, (3): V
Groove, (4): guide pin, (5): guide groove, (11):
First substrate, (12): second substrate.

Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Shinji Nagasawa 1-6-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (56) References JP-A-63-85522 (JP, A) JP-A-3-3 288105 (JP, A) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G02B 6/38 G02B 26/08

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An optical switch for switching an optical signal by sliding a pair of connectors having ends of an optical fiber group fixed in a V-groove by a distance regulated by a guide pin passing through both connectors. (1),
(1) a first substrate (11) having a V groove (3) for fixing an optical fiber group (2) and a second substrate having a guide groove (5) for holding a guide pin (4) An optical switch characterized by having a structure in which (12) is joined.