Optical fiber selector

Details Optical fiber selector Optical fiber selector

2001-12-07

2003-07-22

Bruce, David V. (Department: 2882)

Optical waveguides

With optical coupler

Movable coupler

C385S056000, C385S058000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06597832

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical fiber selector, and more particularly to an optical fiber selector that is compact and can be operated by a single hand.
2. Description of Related Art
With the rapid growth of electronic technology, a medium used today for transmitting signals in electronic devices needs to have a significant capacity of transmitting a large quantity of signals. An optical fiber is invented and used in order to satisfy this demand of the high performance medium. The optical fiber can transmit signals in a level of efficiency that a traditional medium such as a copper wire can never reach. Therefore, the optical fiber is becoming an important medium for transmitting signals in the electronic and the photoelectric technologies.
FIG. 6
shows a conventional optical fiber selector used to selectively connect a main optical fiber (not shown) to several branch optical fibers (not shown).The optical selector includes a housing (
60
) and a switch (
70
) rotatably received in the housing (
60
). An in/out port (
61
) and multiple connecting ports (
62
,
63
and
64
) are mounted in the housing (
60
), wherein the in/out port (
61
) is to be connected to the main optical fiber and the connecting ports (
62
,
63
and
64
) are to be respectively connected to the branch optical fibers. It should be appreciated that the number of connecting ports (
62
,
63
, and
64
) can vary in order to meet practical needs and three connecting ports are shown and described for exemplary illustration. A boss (
71
) is formed on a top surface of the switch (
70
), and has a button (
72
) moveably protruding from an end of the boss (
71
).
Further referring to
FIG. 7
, a sliding block (
73
) mounted on a circular side of the switch (
70
) is located in the housing (
60
) and slidable on a rail (
65
) formed in the housing (
60
). Two abutting pieces (
66
) are respectively formed at distal ends of the rail (
65
) so as to prevent the sliding block (
73
) from derailing. A connector (
74
) is moveably mounted inside the sliding block (
73
) and provided with a spring (
75
) to urge a head (
742
) of the connector (
74
) to protrude out of the sliding block (
73
) to be connected with one of the connecting ports (
62
,
63
and
64
). The movement of the connector (
74
) is controlled by the pushbutton (
72
). An internal optical fiber (
80
) is further provided to link the in/out port (
61
) to the connector (
74
), or in other words to link the main optical fiber to one of the branch optical fibers. More specifically, a user is able to push the button (
72
) to withdraw the connector (
74
) inside the sliding block (
73
), and rotate the switch (
70
) to align the connector (
74
) to a desired one of the connecting ports (
62
,
63
and
64
). Therefore, the user can select one of the branch optical fibers to be connected to the main optical fiber.
However, the conventional optical fiber selector has the following two main disadvantages:
1. Large Size
Any optical fiber by nature can not be bent to have a sharp corner. Otherwise, signals transmitted via the optical fiber will experience a significant loss. Therefore, an interior of the housing (
60
) must be large enough to allow the internal optical fiber (
80
) to turn gradually. Accordingly, the conventional optical fiber selector is large in size.
2. Inconvenience
The mentioned optical fiber selector has to be operated using both hands of the user, and more specifically a hand of the user has to hold the housing (
60
) and the other hand has to operate the switch (
70
). This operation which requires both hands is considered to be inconvenient.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an improved optical fiber selector to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objective of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber selector that can be used to selectively connect a main optical fiber to one of multiple branch optical fibers.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber selector that is compact and can be conveniently operated by a single hand.


REFERENCES:
patent: 411344681 (1999-12-01), None

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