JPS587601A - Optical switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make reduction in size possible by providing switching parts for optical paths in correspondence respectively to both electrodes of a bar-like electromagnet that can convert the polarities of magnetic poles, sticking permanent magnets to an optical device of which the switching parts are movable, and operating the switching parts on both sides with one electromagnet. CONSTITUTION:Output optical fibers 111, 121 are juxtaposed in a switching part 131 and the end faces 111', 121' thereof are paralleled to the axial center of the magnetic poles of an electromagnet 16. An input optical fiber 101 is disposed parallel movably of its end face 101' emitting light signals in the positions facing the end faces 111', and 121'. A permanent magnet 141 is stuck to the terminal part thereof in such a way that, for example, the N pole faces the magnetic pole 161 of the electromagnet 16. One end of a tension spring 171 is engaged with the terminal part of the fiber 101 and is kept pulled at all times in the opposite direction of the electromagnet 16. The terminal part is regulated by a guiding member in such a way as to move in series to the directions of the juxtaposed end faces 111', 121' of the output optical fibers.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an optical switch that selectively optically couples a W14Fi input optical fiber to two output optical fibers by operating an electromagnet.

The structure of a conventional optical switch using electromagnets has been completely eliminated.
As shown in the figure. (A) is a device that moves input light 7 eyeballs, and (B) is a circular device that uses a reflecting mirror as an optical device to move the reflecting mirror.
1+21 is a parallel output side optical fiber, which is installed opposite to the input polarizing fiber IK. Input optical fiber 1
Terminal @1. When the electromagnet 51 is excited, the electromagnet 5. The terminal II 1 , Fi, and one end of the tension bar 40 of the human-powered optical fiber 1 to which the magnetic material 1' is fixed are engaged and constantly pulled in the opposite direction to the electromagnet 51. When the output optical fiber ztK is not energized, it is positioned at a position corresponding to the output optical fiber ztK by a stopper 3'.

Electromagnet 5. When excited, the terminal part 11 is attracted toward the output optical fiber I (21 side) by the attraction force greater than the tension of the tension spring 4, and is stopped by the stopper 3KIIi, and the output optical fiber 2
．． It is stopped and held at the position corresponding to .

In (b), 21+21 is an output optical fiber parallel to input optical fiber 1, and each input and output optical fiber 't
21+ Convex lens 6, corresponding to the end face of 21.

On the side opposite to the input optical fiber 1 of the 0 convex lens 6, where S, , S, are disposed, there is an apex angle of 900 and '& A pair of reflection keys 9 are provided in which the key surfaces face inward. The magnetic material 9', which is attracted by the excitation of the piezoelectric magnet 5, is completely fixed at a predetermined location outside the reflecting surface of the reflecting mirror 9. The reflector 9 is engaged with one end of the tension spring 8, and the electromagnet 5! When the electromagnet 58 is not energized in the opposite direction, the optical signal transmitted through the input optical fiber IK is reflected by the reflector 9 and transmitted to the output optical fiber 2. It is positioned by one stopper 7' at a position where the light is incident on the light beam. When the electromagnet 5 is excited, the reflector 9 is attracted and hits the stopper 3,
The optical signal from the input optical fiber 1 is stopped and held at a corresponding position on the output optical fiber 2I. In addition, convex lens 6
The convex lenses s, , g are for converging the reflected parallel light beam from the optical fiber 1 onto the end face of the output optical fiber 21 - 21 .

As mentioned above, the input optical fiber 1 is normally connected to the output optical fiber 2 by the tension spring. It is optically coupled to the output optical fiber 2I, and can be switched to the output optical fiber 2I by exciting an electromagnet.

However, conventional optical switches have one electromagnet arranged corresponding to the switching section of one optical transmission line, and for example, when switching a large number of parallel optical paths such as a matrix optical path, There was a problem with the overall size.

In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical switch suitable for switching multiple optical paths such as an IJx optical path and which can be miniaturized.

The purpose of this is to provide a structure in which optical path switching sections are provided corresponding to both poles of a bar-shaped electromagnet that can change the polarity of the magnetic poles, and permanent magnets are fixed to the optical device in which the wrinkle switching section moves. This can be achieved by operating the switching section with a single electromagnet, and the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

#! Figure 2 is a configuration diagram showing the essential points of an embodiment of the present invention, and (a), (b), and (c) respectively show different states of switching the optical path. , 131 and 13° indicated by the chain-frame are respectively magnetic poles 1 whose polarity changes depending on the direction of the excitation current selectively applied to the excitation coil 16' of the rod-shaped electromagnet 16.
6. and 16! This is an optical path switching unit installed corresponding to the

Switching part t3. Ki′i output optical fiber 11. , 12 degrees are parallel to each other, and the respective light-receiving end faces 0;, 12; are parallel to the axis of the magnetic pole of the electromagnet 16C). End face 11,
12. end ii+to which emits the optical signal to a position opposite to
The input optical fiber 10 is disposed so that the input optical fiber 10 can be moved in parallel, and a permanent magnet 14° is attached to the end of the input optical fiber 10 so that, for example, the north pole faces the magnetic pole 161 of the electromagnet 16. Input optical fiber 10. A tension spring 17. is engaged at one end and is constantly pulled in the opposite direction of the electromagnet 16. Further, the terminal portion is connected to the output optical fiber 11 by a guide member (not shown) K. , tz, parallel end faces 11++12; are regulated to move in the Kiali direction.

Furthermore, the terminal S has a stopper 15 at a position corresponding to the end surface 11; A stopper 15+K is positioned at a position corresponding to the end surface 12'.

Note that the input optical fiber 10. , Output optical fiber 11t
.

12, a switching section 13. is the switching unit 13. The other magnetic pole 16. of the electromagnet 16 has a symmetrical structure. It was established at Kui-gi in correspondence with the above.

When the electromagnet 16 is not energized in the optical switch configured as described above, the magnetic pole 16. , 16. Since there is no magnetic force due to excitation, the end faces 101 and 10t + of the input optical fibers 10□10, respectively, are tension springs 17I.

17, output optical fiber 11. , 11. end face o
, , 111. That is, switching @
13. Input optical fiber 101 is output optical fiber 11
, the switching unit 13 switches the input optical fiber 101 from the output optical fiber 11. is optically coupled to.

Next, as shown in K (b), magnetic pole 16. When the electromagnet 16 is excited so that the magnetic pole becomes the N pole and the magnetic pole 16° becomes the S pole, the switching part 1
3. The input light 7 Aiper 1G, the end face 101 of the permanent magnet 1
4. Since the ON pole repels the magnetic pole 16sON pole, it is the same as in case (a), but the switching 111m and the 0 end face 1OW are attracted and the optical path is switched, so that the input optical fiber 10 becomes the output optical fiber 12. optically coupled to. Next, switch the magnetic pole of the electromagnet 160 and (c) especially the magnetic pole 16. t8 pole Kll
Pole 16 Negative N @ If the direction is opposite to K (b),
Switching unit 131. Switching s13! are switched together to connect the input optical fibers 10. is the output optical fiber 122. The input optical fiber 10 is optically coupled to the output optical fiber 11.

As described above, this embodiment uses a tension spring 17. , 17. By making the connection of
7. , 17. If there is no (b) fj, it becomes an optical switch that can switch the optical path O between two states fj.

Another embodiment in which the third WA is used as an optical device will be shown. (A), (B), and (C) in FIG. 3 each show the switching state of the optical path.

In the same figure, permanent magnets 24i 124 are installed so as to be movable in the axial direction of the magnetic poles, facing the magnetic poles on both sides of the rod-shaped electromagnet 26, and each permanent magnet z4. ．． 24m
4 with respect to the optical axis of the input optical fiber zo,, 2o,
5° oblique mirror 23. , 23. is fixed.

Each Zura H,,! 3. is a tension spring 27. , 27
．． The permanent magnet 23. is always pulled in the direction of the magnetic pole of the electromagnet 26. , 2B, is repelled by the electromagnet 26,
Input optical fiber 20. , 20 degrees in the optical axis direction and is stopped at a predetermined position by a stopper 25t*25mK.

Input optical fiber 20. One of the pair of output fibers corresponding to 21. Fi input optical fiber 2
0. In the optical axis direction, the other output optical fiber 22 is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and each party fiber 20 m,
21. , 22. A 2m convex lens is installed on the end face of the tower to converge the light. Similarly, the switching units corresponding to the other magnetic poles are connected to the output optical fibers 21t, 22. ,convex lens! 8. is installed.

Since the configuration is as described above, when the electromagnet type 6 is not excited, the input light 7 and the eyeper 20 are as shown in (a). connects the input optical fiber 20. to the output optical fiber 21K. are optically coupled to the output optical fibers 21 and 21, and when the electromagnetic 6 is excited, (
b) Input light 7 Aiba 20! is output optical fiber 2
2. Then, by excitation in the opposite direction to the front line (b), the input optical fiber 20. can be switched to the output optical fiber 221.

In the present invention, a plurality of input optical fibers to be attached to the switching section are arranged in parallel within the same permanent magnet so as to be perpendicular to the magnetic pole axis of one electromagnet, and output optical fibers are also arranged correspondingly. It can be made into a small optical switch having a switching path.

Furthermore, as a movable optical device, branching by pre-emission or refraction, or splitting of multiplexed light by adding a wavelength filter film array can be performed.

In the above embodiment, by excitation of the expanding magnet, one of the optical paths on both sides of the stain magnet is selectively moved and switched, but the polarity of the pair of permanent magnets is changed without making the opposite directions of the electromagnets the same. If it is a pole, it is possible to remove several layers or more on both sides at once depending on the polarity of d excitation, and the optical path can be switched at the same time. The same applies to such a case of alternately energizing and de-energizing.

As explained above, the present invention enables miniaturization by arranging all the switching parts at positions corresponding to the two poles of the electromagnet that can change the polarity. It is a light switch that has the superior effect of being able to switch the optical path.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a conventional optical switch, (A) shows an input optical fiber, (B) shows a moving reflecting mirror, Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 shows a configuration diagram of a conventional optical switch. It is a block diagram of another Example. In the figure 1 + 10+ H10t @ 201 y 20
th input light 7 iba, 2112g, 111 Htt,
, 1z, t i2. ,21+t21,,22. ,
22 is the output optical fiber, 4, 17. . 17,,27. , 27 Mayuzumi is a tension spring t 51,51@
16126 is an electromagnet, 141, 14 so 1241124
g is a permanent magnet, 6°s 61+ 61t 2s, 2
8! is a convex lens, 13I. Reference numeral 131 indicates a switching section. Akira 1 Figure (A) \5□ %2 Figure ← Up 1 f7゜View 3 Figure (4)

Claims (1)

[Claims] An optical input path for inputting and transmitting transmission light to the optical path switching section; and at least a first optical path for receiving the transmission light from the optical input path and transmitting it to the output side. The optical output path of the optical path switching section 2 is provided with a Kmm optical switching section on both sides of the electromagnet OII pole that switches and drives the optical path of the optical path switching section, and selects the transmitted light from the optical input path to the optical output INK. An optical switch characterized in that 11 poles of a movable body made of a permanent magnet that can be moved according to ii & depending on the excitation of the electromagnet are provided opposite a[iK of the electromagnet for switching.