JPH11242168A - Light switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To highly precisely align the optical axis of an optical switch for physically butting front ends of optical fibers and mechanically displacing the butting position. SOLUTION: A laminated plate in which an optical fiber 1 is interposed between two plate materials is formed, and this laminated plate is cut by a face traversing this optical fiber 1. One is used as a fixed frame 2 where the front end of the fixed optical fiber is exposed on the end face, and the other is used as a mobile frame 4 where the front end of the mobile optical fiber is exposed on the end face. The fixed frame 2 is stuck to an enclosure, and the mobile frame 4 is so arranged that it can be moved in the breadthwise direction while having the end face slid on the end face of the fixed frame 2, and the mobile frame 4 is displaced by a driving means 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an optical switch used for an optical communication device or the like. The present invention relates to an improvement in an optical switch that switches an optical fiber through which an optical signal passes by mechanical movement.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a switch for switching an optical signal arriving from one optical fiber to one of the other optical fibers for connection, the ends of the optical fibers are physically butted and the position thereof is mechanically displaced. Optical switches are known. The optical switch having such a structure needs to have a structure in which the optical axes of two optical fibers abutted by switching just coincide with each other. An optical switch described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-43625 (Fujikura) has a fixed optical fiber fixed in a V-groove and a movable optical fiber is sunk in this groove. By moving the optical axis, the optical axes are aligned.

[0003] Further, in the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-13090, the movable optical fiber is driven by a shaft having a spiral groove, whereby the positional relationship between the two optical fibers can be minutely displaced. It is devised so that it can be done.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-56097 (NTT) discloses an optical fiber on the movable side in which the tip of an optical fiber on the fixed side is housed in a tube having an extremely small inner diameter so as to be in contact with the inner wall. No matter where it is located, it is designed so that the optical axes of two different optical fibers coincide with each other as a structure in contact with the inner wall of the tube.

[0005]

In a device having such a structure, the precision of the optical axis coincides with the precision of the device. However, the number of manufacturing steps is increased and a large number of mechanical parts are required. Because it becomes expensive. In addition, a simple structure cannot accurately align the optical axes with high accuracy over a long period of time, and is easily affected by vibration and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and enables the optical axes to be aligned with high accuracy, has little reflection at the end of an optical fiber, has a small number of manufacturing steps, and has a long-term performance. It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical switch having excellent features such as no change in the optical switch and little change even in response to vibration or impact.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is characterized in that when an optical fiber through which an optical signal passes is switched by mechanical movement, the optical axes thereof are aligned with high accuracy.

That is, a first aspect of the present invention is a structure of an optical switch, wherein a fixed piece in which the tip of a fixed optical fiber appears on an end face, and a movable piece in which the tip of a movable optical fiber appears on an end face; A box fixed to the fixed piece and holding the movable piece so that the movable piece can move while sliding the end face of the fixed piece and the end face of the movable piece; and displacing the movable piece with respect to the box. And a driving means for driving.

The width of the fixed piece is d, the width of the movable piece is d-δd, and the end face is formed perpendicular to the optical fiber and inclined at an angle α about a straight line in the width direction as an axis. The fixed piece, the movable piece, and the box are each formed by laminating a silicon wafer plate material,
The driving means, a magnetic piece attached to the movable piece,
It is desirable to include electromagnetic means disposed outside the box and acting on the magnetic piece.

[0010] A fixed piece is fixed to the box, and the movable piece is arranged so that its end face is in sliding contact with the end face of the fixed piece. Thus, the movable piece can be displaced with respect to the fixed piece while sliding in the width direction while being held by the box.

When the width of the fixed piece is d and the width of the movable piece is smaller than the width of the fixed piece, d-δd, the movable piece is held by the box in the width direction with respect to the fixed piece by δd.
Can only be displaced.

A plurality of (for example, two) optical fibers are fixed to the fixed piece so that the tip thereof appears on the end face of the width d, and one optical fiber is fixed to the movable piece by the end face of the width d-δd. Fix so that appears. Thus, when the movable piece slides on one side of the box by the driving means, the axis of the end face of the optical fiber fixed to the movable piece and the end face of the one optical fiber fixed to the fixed piece coincide. When the movable piece slides to the opposite side by δd by the driving means, the axis of the end face of the optical fiber fixed to the movable piece coincides with the axis of the other optical fiber fixed to the fixed piece.

The end face of the fixed piece and the end face of the movable piece are formed to be inclined by an angle α with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber,
The movable piece is displaced while slidingly contacting the fixed piece at its inclined end face. As a result, even if reflected light is generated when light passing through the optical fiber enters this connection surface, the reflected light does not return to the light incident side and interference with communication light due to reflection can be reduced. It is possible to prevent the mechanical floating of the connection position in the vertical direction.

The fixed piece, the movable piece and the box can be formed by laminating silicon wafer plates, so that the excellent processing technology developed in semiconductor manufacturing can be used and a large number of wafers can be formed from a single wafer. The element can be manufactured uniformly. Further, the reliability of the product can be improved and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

The driving means for displacing the movable piece in the width direction includes:
For example, switching can be performed by driving the magnetic piece attached to the movable piece by the electromagnetic force of an electromagnetic means arranged outside the box and changing the polarity of the supplied power.
Displacements using springs or gravity are also possible.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an optical switch, wherein a fixed piece in which the tip of a fixed optical fiber appears on an end face and a movable piece in which the tip of a movable optical fiber appears on an end face are mutually separated. In a method for manufacturing an optical switch having a structure in which an end face thereof slides, an optical fiber through which an optical fiber penetrates is provided.
Manufacturing the fixed piece and the movable piece by cutting the member at a plane crossing the optical fiber, and making the cut surfaces the end faces, respectively. And

Preferably, the optical fiber penetrates through the inside of the member, and the member is formed by laminating silicon wafer plates.

One member through which the optical fiber penetrates is formed, and the member is cut along a plane crossing the optical fiber to form a fixed piece and a movable piece, and the fixed piece and the movable piece are slid on the cut surface.

For example, a laminated plate having a plurality of optical fibers sandwiched between two plate members is formed, and cut at a plane crossing the optical fibers sandwiched between the laminated plates. This cutting is performed by inclining by an angle α about a straight line in the width direction of the plate as an axis. One of the cut pieces separated by this cutting is used as a fixed piece, and one of the other cut pieces is removed by a width δd and one of the plurality of optical fibers is left as a movable piece. The fixed piece thus formed is fixed to the box, and the movable piece is housed in the box so that its end face and the end face of the fixed piece move while sliding.

Thus, an optical switch whose optical axis coincides with high accuracy when the optical fiber through which the optical signal passes is switched by mechanical movement can be realized with a small number of manufacturing steps. Furthermore, the inclination of the connection surface of the optical fiber reduces the reflection of communication light that enters, and also eliminates the mechanical lifting of the movable piece, thereby reducing changes in performance over a long period of time and changes in sliding and impact. Reliability can be improved.

[0021]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0022]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a switch section of the first embodiment of the present invention.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, the fixed optical fiber 1
A fixed piece 2 whose tip appears on an end face of width d, a movable piece 4 whose tip of a movable optical fiber 1 appears on an end face of width d-δd,
A box 5 fixed to the fixed piece 2 and holding the movable piece 4 so that the movable piece 4 can move in the width direction by δd while sliding the end face of the fixed piece 2 and the end face of the movable piece 4; Body 5
And a driving means 6 for displacing the movable piece 4 in the width direction.

The end faces of the fixed piece 2 and the movable piece 4 are formed so as to be inclined by an angle α with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber 1, and the fixed piece 2, the movable piece 4 and the box 5 are all formed. The driving means 6 is formed by laminating silicon wafer plates.
Includes a magnetic piece 7 attached to the movable piece 4 and electromagnetic means 8 arranged outside the box 5 and acting on the magnetic piece 7.

An optical switch of this type has, for example, a dimension D shown in FIG.
It is formed in a size of 1.2 mm, and the moving dimension δ of the movable piece 4
d is set to 125 to 250 μm.

Here, a method of manufacturing the optical switch according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, two silicon wafer plate members having a width d and a length W are prepared, and two V grooves 3 having a pitch dimension δd are formed on one surface of one of the silicon wafers with an accuracy of 0.1 μm by etching.

The optical fiber 1 is accommodated in each of the formed two V-grooves 3 and fixed with an epoxy-based photocurable resin, and another surface of the silicon wafer is joined to the upper surface thereof. In this state, the bottom surface and both side surfaces that are in sliding contact with the box 5 have a parallelism of 0.
Lapping is performed with an accuracy of 1 to 0.2 μm and a flatness of 0.5 to 0.6 μm.

As shown in FIG. 3, the substrate on which the two optical fibers are fixed is angled α (preferably 5 ° to 4 °).
5 °), the base material having the cut surface facing downward is defined as a fixed piece 2, and the base material having the cut surface facing upward is defined as a movable piece 4, and the two optical fibers 1 fixed to the movable piece 4 One of them is cut at the end face. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing a cut surface of the fixed piece 2 provided with two V grooves 3. As shown in FIG. 5, two optical fibers 1 can be accommodated and fixed in one V-groove 3. In this case, the pitch distance δd of the optical fiber 1 can be made extremely small, and the sliding distance of the movable piece 4 can be made extremely short.

Next, one end face of the movable piece 4 is set to δd (125
(Up to 250 μm) with a parallelism of 0.1 to 0.2 μm, and the magnetic piece 7 is adhered to the upper surface thereof.

On the other hand, apart from this, a plurality (in this embodiment,
A concave box 5 is formed using (three) silicon wafers, and both sides and the bottom surface of the concave are formed with a parallelism of 0.1 to 0.1.
Lapping is performed with an accuracy of 0.2 μm and a flatness of 0.5 to 0.6 μm. The bonding of the silicon wafer is performed with an epoxy-based photocurable resin.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a fixed piece 2 is fitted into one side of the recess of the box 5 thus formed and fixed using an adhesive, and the movable piece 4 is fixed on the opposite side. To accommodate. The movable piece 4 has a gap δd with respect to the width d of the concave portion of the box 5.
It is housed in a state having

When the driving means 6 is arranged on the switch thus formed and power is supplied to the power supply terminal 9, the magnetic piece 7 is attracted to one side by the action of the electromagnetic means 8, and the movable piece 4 is moved to the box. 5 slides into contact with one end face of the recess. By this sliding, the end face of the optical fiber 1 fixed to the movable piece 4 is connected to the end face of one optical fiber 1 fixed to the fixed piece 2. The movable piece 4 slides to the opposite side by changing the polarity of the power supplied from the power supply terminal 9, and the end face of the optical fiber 1 of the movable piece 4 is connected to the end face of another optical fiber 1 of the fixed piece 2.

The end face of the optical fiber 1 fixed to the movable piece 4 and the end face of the optical fiber 1 fixed to the fixed piece 2 are obtained by cutting and dividing an integrally formed base material.
The optical fibers 1 are connected with their axes aligned.

The communication light passing through the optical fiber 1 enters the opposing optical fiber 1 again from the connection end face.
Since the end face is formed with an inclination of the angle α, reflected light is extremely small, and high transmission efficiency can be obtained.
In addition, since the movable piece 4 is prevented from floating in the vertical direction by the fixed piece 2, a change in performance over time or due to vibration or impact is extremely small.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a switch section of the second embodiment of the present invention.

In the second embodiment of the present invention, the fixed optical fiber 1
A fixed piece 2 whose tip appears on an end face of width d, a movable piece 4 whose tip of a movable optical fiber 1 appears on an end face of width d-δd,
The fixed piece 2 is fixed, and a space for holding the movable piece 4 is formed so that the movable piece 4 slides by δd in the width direction while sliding the end face of the fixed piece 2 and the end face of the movable piece 4. A box 15 and driving means 6 for displacing the movable piece 4 in the width direction with respect to the box 15 are provided. A relief groove 11 is formed in the box 15 to take out the optical fiber 1 fixed to the fixed piece 2 and the movable piece 4 to the outside and fix it with the filler 10. The driving means 6 includes a magnetic piece 7 attached to the movable piece 4 and an electromagnetic means 8 arranged outside the box 15 and acting on the magnetic piece 7.

The dimensions W, D, T, d, δ and the angle α shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the second embodiment are set in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the material, manufacturing method and switching operation are also the same. This is the same as the first embodiment.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 8A is a plan view showing the structure of a main part of a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8B is a plan view showing a state where the movable piece has moved.

In the third embodiment of the present invention, the fixed piece 22 and the movable piece 24 are formed to have the same width d, and the box 25 is provided with the movement adjusting arm 26. The movement adjustment arm 26 is fixed in a state where it is displaced in advance so that one of the optical fibers 1 has a dimension δd for connecting to the other optical fiber 1 of the fixed piece 22 when the movable piece 24 moves. By changing the bending angle of the moving amount adjusting arm 26, the movable piece 2
4 can be arbitrarily set. Movable piece 24
The switching operation performed by the movement is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

(Fourth Embodiment) FIG. 9A is a plan view showing the structure of a main part of a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9B is a plan view showing a state where a movable piece has moved.

The fourth embodiment of the present invention is similar to the third embodiment,
The fixed piece 32 and the movable piece 34 are formed with the same width d, and the box 35 has a dimension δd in which one of the optical fibers 1 is connected to the other optical fiber 1 of the fixed piece 32 when the movable piece 24 moves.
A moving amount adjusting frame 36 to be stopped by the above and a concave portion 38 for contacting and fixing a fixing arm 37 formed on the moving amount adjusting frame 36 are formed. By forming fine irregularities on both side surfaces of the fixed arm 37 and the inner surface of the concave portion,
After the positioning of the moving amount adjusting frame 36, the fixing by the laser or the adhesive can be ensured. In the fourth embodiment, the switching operation by the movable piece 34 is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

(Fifth Embodiment) FIG. 10A is a plan view showing the structure of a main part of a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10B is a plan view showing a state where the movable piece has moved.

The fifth embodiment of the present invention employs a fixed piece 42 having a width d.
And a movable piece 44 formed with a width d ₁ larger than the fixed piece 42, and a movement amount adjusting arm 46 is formed on the box 45. Also in the case of the fifth embodiment, the moving amount of the movable piece 43 is set by displacing the moving amount adjusting arm 46 as in the third embodiment. The switching operation by the movement of the movable piece 42 is performed as in the first embodiment.

(Sixth Embodiment) FIG. 11A is a plan view showing the structure of a main part of a sixth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11B is a plan view showing a state where the movable piece has moved.

The sixth embodiment of the present invention is similar to the fifth embodiment,
A fixed piece 52 having a width d and a width d ₁ larger than the fixed piece 52
And a movable piece 54 formed of
As in the fourth embodiment, a movement amount adjusting frame 56 having a fixed arm 57 formed therein and a recess 58 for contacting and fixing the fixed arm 37 are formed. The switching operation by the movable piece 52 is performed as in the first embodiment.

[0047]

As described above, according to the present invention, the optical axes of an optical switch for switching an optical fiber through which an optical signal passes by mechanical movement can be matched with high accuracy with a small number of manufacturing steps. Further, since the connection surface of the optical fiber is formed with an inclination, it is possible to reduce the reflection generated at the connection end surface, and to reduce the mechanical floating of the movable portion.
Changes in performance over a long period of time, changes in vibration and impact are reduced, and product reliability can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a switch unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 showing the angle of a sliding contact portion between a fixed piece and a movable piece in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 2 showing a fixed state of the optical fiber of the fixed piece in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view showing another fixed state of the optical fiber of the fixed piece in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a switch unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8A is a plan view showing a configuration of a main part of a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8B is a plan view showing a state where a movable piece has moved.

FIG. 9A is a plan view showing a configuration of a main part of a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9B is a plan view showing a state where a movable piece has moved.

FIG. 10A is a plan view showing a configuration of a main part of a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10B is a plan view showing a state where a movable piece has moved.

FIG. 11A is a plan view showing a configuration of a main part of a sixth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11B is a plan view showing a state where a movable piece has moved.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Optical fiber 2, 22, 32, 42, 52 Fixed piece 3 V groove 4, 24, 34, 44, 54 Movable piece 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 Box 6 Driving means 7 Magnetic piece 8 Electromagnetic means REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 9 power supply terminal 10 filler 11 relief groove 26, 46 moving amount adjusting arm 36, 56 moving amount adjusting frame 37, 57 fixed arm 38, 58 recess

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Keiichi Hara 1382-1 Shino Otsu, Tobu-cho, Oguni-gun, Nagano Prefecture 1 Mimaki Electronic Components Co., Ltd.

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A fixed piece in which a tip of a fixed optical fiber appears on an end face, a movable piece in which a tip of a movable optical fiber appears on an end face, and an end face of the fixed piece fixed to the fixed piece and an end face of the movable piece. An optical switch, comprising: a box for holding the movable piece so that the movable piece can move while being slid, and driving means for displacing the movable piece with respect to the box. 2. The optical switch according to claim 1, wherein the width of the fixed piece is d, and the width of the movable piece is d−δd. 3. The optical switch according to claim 1, wherein the end face is formed to be perpendicular to the optical fiber and inclined by an angle α about a straight line in the width direction as an axis. 4. The optical switch according to claim 3, wherein each of the fixed piece, the movable piece, and the box is formed by laminating a silicon wafer plate. 5. The optical switch according to claim 1, wherein said driving means includes a magnetic piece attached to said movable piece, and electromagnetic means arranged outside said box and acting on said magnetic piece. 6. A method of manufacturing an optical switch having a structure in which a fixed piece in which the tip of a fixed optical fiber appears on an end face and a movable piece in which the tip of a movable optical fiber appears on an end face slide on the end faces thereof. In one, the optical fiber penetrates
And a step of manufacturing the fixed piece and the movable piece by cutting the member at a surface crossing the optical fiber, wherein the cut surfaces are each the end surface. A method for manufacturing an optical switch. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of the optical fibers penetrate the inside of the member. 8. The method for manufacturing an optical switch according to claim 7, wherein said member is formed by laminating plate members of a silicon wafer.