JPH09218361A - Optical fiber switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the optical switch, which has simple mechanism, facilitates handling, and performs secure and stable connection switching operation and is suitable for miniaturization of clean switch, at low cost. SOLUTION: This optical fiber switch 4 consists of a positioning groove base 2 where plural fixed-side optical fibers 3 are arranged in array, a moving head on which at least one moving-side optical fiber 1 is mounted, and an actuator 4 which is arranged above grooves 2A where the fixed-side optical fibers 3 are arranged at arrangement intervals corresponding to the respective fixed-side optical fibers 3 above the positioning groove base 2 and also has extremely thin pins 42 fixed. The actuator 4 is displayed when applied with a voltage, the extremely thin pins 42 move down to fall on the periphery of the connection end part of the moving-side optical fiber 1 in the groove 2A, thereby connecting the moving-side optical fiber 1 to the fixed-side optical fiber 3 corresponding to it.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber switch for mechanically switching an optical fiber for connection.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various optical communication systems using optical fibers have been proposed and developed, and various support systems have been developed for monitoring whether the optical communication system is functioning normally, and for maintenance and management. Is being developed. In such a system, in addition to the automatic test function of the optical core, it is known to have a remote switching means for the core by a switching connector to automatically switch the core.

For example, as such a core wire switching means,
While arranging a large number of terminals of the multi-core optical fiber in a straight line in a casing filled with a refractive index matching agent, the moving side optical fiber is attached to a moving head section that freely moves by a predetermined sliding means, An optical fiber switch has been developed in which the movable side optical fiber can be selectively connected to the large number of fixed side optical fibers.

[0004]

Generally, in such an optical fiber switch, the connecting end of the moving side optical fiber is fixedly installed on the moving head, and the connecting end of the moving side optical fiber is moved together with the moving head. It is designed to let you. Further, in this optical fiber switch, an appropriate complicated device or the like is required to realize accurate positioning of the moving side optical fiber prior to connecting the optical fibers, so that the device is increased in size and the manufacturing cost is increased. Is causing problems.

When such a moving head is used,
Since the moving-side optical fiber is moved to the desired fixed-side optical fiber, the time required for this movement is lost. In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention has a simple mechanism, is easy to handle, and can perform a quick, reliable, and stable connection switching operation, and is suitable for downsizing and clean. An optical fiber switch is provided at low cost.

[0006]

That is, according to the present invention, at least one moving side optical fiber is provided for a plurality of fixed side optical fibers, and the moving side optical fiber is provided for the fixed side optical fiber. In the optical fiber switch that relatively moves the optical fibers to switch the optical communication path, the fixed-side optical fibers have ultrafine pins directly above each groove arranged in a row, and each ultrafine pin is applied to the groove by applying a voltage. Equipped with an actuator that individually displaces in the direction of descending,
The moving-side optical fiber with which the lower end of the descending ultrafine pin contacts and pushes is dropped into the groove, and the moving-side optical fiber is connected to a desired fixed-side optical fiber.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall outline of an optical switch according to the present invention. This optical switch is a 1 × N type (N is an integer) changeover switch, and includes one moving optical fiber 1 mounted on a moving head (not shown) and a positioning groove on a positioning groove base 2. For example, the optical switching connection between the N fixed side optical fibers 3 arranged one by one in the V groove 2A is configured by the actuator 4 using a piezoelectric element.

The moving head is moved by an appropriate means (not shown), such as a ball screw type moving device (not shown). The operating principle of this moving device is particularly that of the ball screw type. This is not necessary, and a direct drive method such as a linear method may be used. On the moving head (or moving device) side, an origin detecting means such as a non-contact type magnetic switch (not shown) is attached, while on the moving device (or moving head) side, not shown. However, the origin detecting means is not limited to the magnetic switch, which is a non-contact type switch, and various types can be applied.

The tip of the moving-side optical fiber 1 protruding from the moving head is within the range of the clearance S between the lower end surface 42A of the ultrafine pin 42 of the actuator 4 and the upper surface of the positioning groove base 2 in FIG. Is emerging. That is, the tip portion of the moving-side optical fiber 1 uses the gap S as a moving passage area when the connection with the fixed-side optical fiber 3 is switched, and is freely movable in the horizontal direction within this range. To the V groove 2A corresponding to the desired fixed-side optical fiber 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, V-grooves 2A for positioning are engraved in parallel on the upper surface of the positioning groove base 2, and each V-groove 2A is in the middle of its longitudinal direction (approximately half). The fixed-side optical fiber 3 is disposed and fixed up to the area (1), and accurate positioning connection with the moving-side optical fiber 1 is performed in the V groove 2A.

As the actuators 4, bimorph type actuators (not limited to this, of course) are used as piezoelectric elements, and the same number as the fixed side optical fibers 3 is provided. In the actuator 4 of this embodiment, a main body 41 having a thin rectangular shape and arranged in a stacked state parallel to each other in the vertical direction.
And the ultrafine pins 42 fixed to the respective V-grooves 2A on the lower surface of each main body 41. Each body 4
1, an electrode (not shown) is attached, and is connected to an external power source through this electrode and a wire (not shown) connected to this electrode, and a predetermined voltage is applied to one of the main bodies 41.
When applied to the V-groove 2A, the main body 41 bends and is displaced downward, and the ultrafine pin 42 is also lowered. It is designed to be fixed.

Further, each of the main bodies 41 is supported by a supporting member 43 (see FIG. 2) so as to be vertically displaceable while maintaining a constant interval. The main body 41 has a large dimension H (see FIG. 1) in the long side direction.
The pressing amount of the moving-side optical fiber 1 can be increased to ensure a reliable and sufficient stroke operation.

The extra-fine pin 42 is formed so as to have a diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the moving-side optical fiber 1, and its upper end is firmly fixed to the main body 41 by welding or the like. Further, the lower end surface portion of the ultrafine pin 42 has a concave surface shape that matches the curved surface of the moving side optical fiber 1 in order to press the moving side optical fiber 1 in a tightly adhered state.

Therefore, in order to connect the movable side optical fiber 1 which has been connected to the specific fixed side optical fiber 3 to another fixed side optical fiber 3, the actuator 4 is first disconnected from the electric power source to move downward. Since the displaced main body 41 returns to its original natural state, the ultrafine pin 42 also rises to the original height, and the pressing operation on the moving side optical fiber 1 is stopped.

Thereafter, the motor on the moving device side is operated to move the moving head, thereby moving the moving side optical fiber 1 to the desired V groove 2A. That is, the distal end portion of the moving-side optical fiber 1 is moved in parallel in the horizontal direction, and the desired V
Move to the groove 2A position. In this way, the tip of the moving-side optical fiber 1 that has been moved to the desired V-shaped groove 2A on the fixed-side optical fiber 3 is floating above the V-shaped groove 2A. Here, among the actuators 4 provided corresponding to the respective fixed-side optical fibers 3, only the actuator 4 provided corresponding to the desired V groove 2A position operates. That is, a predetermined voltage is applied to the actuator 4 to displace the main body 41, and at the same time, the ultrafine pin 42 corresponding thereto is displaced.
Falls, and the tip of the moving-side optical fiber 1 immediately below is pushed down. As a result, the tip of the moving-side optical fiber 1 is dropped into the V-groove 2A and fixed, so that optical connection with the corresponding fixed-side optical fiber 3 is achieved.

The shape of the main body is not particularly limited to that of this embodiment, and for example, as shown in FIG. 3, in order to prevent the extra-fine pin 42 from passing therethrough, Each of the main bodies 41 'may be formed by cutting out one corner portion of the one directly below the main body 41' and allowing the corner portion to pass therethrough. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, for each main body 41 ″, the dimensions in the vertical and horizontal directions are sequentially narrowed by the arrangement pitch of the optical fibers, and at the same time, one side corner portion of each main body 41 ″ is provided with a fine pin. 42 ", as shown in FIG.
The pressing portion of each moving-side optical fiber 1 may be configured to sequentially shift in an oblique direction. Furthermore, each body 4
Not only one pin is provided for each 1 ″, but a plurality of pins may be arranged in parallel and several pins may be collectively pressed.

As described above, in this embodiment, the fixed side optical fiber and the movable side optical fiber were connected without interposing a matching agent. However, the entire apparatus is a sealed type, and the portion including the optical fiber connecting portion is By immersing the liquid in the matching agent layer containing the refractive index matching agent, the matching liquid supply mechanism can be omitted and the deterioration of the matching liquid can be significantly reduced.

As another embodiment of the present invention, for example, even when the moving-side optical fiber has a plurality of multi-core connections,
Of course it is possible. Furthermore, when connecting a pair of optical fiber groups on the V groove for positioning,
Even in the optical switch of the type in which the optical fiber group on one side is brought into close contact with the inside of the V groove and the optical fiber group on the other side is floated from the V groove, such a pressing method can be adopted.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the tip of the moving optical fiber is moved to an appropriate position by the moving head, that is, the tip of the moving optical fiber with respect to the positioning groove base. After moving while slightly floating, the tip of the moving optical fiber is pressed by the ultrafine pin provided on the actuator to drop it into the positioning groove of the desired fixed optical fiber and firmly fix it, and the end face of the optical fiber. By facing each other and aligning the end faces, it is possible to reliably and stably switch the connection between the moving side optical fiber and the desired fixed side optical fiber with a simple mechanism.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an optical switch according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA showing the principle of the connecting operation of the optical switch according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of another actuator used for the optical switch according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing another modified example of the actuator.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a main part showing an operation of connecting optical fibers to each other on a positioning groove base in the modified example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Optical Fiber on Moving Side 2 Positioning Groove 2A V Groove 3 Optical Fiber on Fixed Side 4 Actuator 42 Extra Fine Pin

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of fixed side optical fibers (3) is provided with at least one moving side optical fiber (1), and the moving side optical fiber (1) is fixed side optical fiber (3).
In an optical fiber switch that moves the optical communication path relative to each other with respect to the optical communication path, an ultrafine pin (42) is provided directly above each groove (2A) in which the fixed side optical fibers (3) are arranged in a row, Each microfine pin (42) is provided with an actuator (4) that is individually displaced in a direction of descending toward the groove (2A) by applying, and the lower end of the microfine pin (42) that descends contacts and pushes. An optical fiber switch characterized in that the moving side optical fiber (1) is dropped into the groove (2A), and the moving side optical fiber (1) is connected to a desired fixed side optical fiber (3). .