Latching micro optical switch
| DWPI Title: Optical switch for e.g. aircraft, has drive actuator provided integral to drive arm and reset actuator provided integral to reset arm positioned at side of latching mechanism opposite to drive arm |
| Abstract: An optical switch reliably maintains its on or off state even when subjected to environments where the switch is bumped or otherwise moved. In addition, the optical switch maintains its on or off state indefinitely without requiring external power. External power is used only to transition the switch from one state to the other. The optical switch is configured with a fixed optical fiber and a movable optical fiber. The movable optical fiber is guided by various actuators in conjunction with a latching mechanism that configure the switch in one position that corresponds to the on state and in another position that corresponds to the off state. |
| Use: Optical switch for a moving vehicle e.g. aircraft. |
| Advantage: The latching mechanism secures the switch's position in one configuration when in ON condition and in another configuration when in OFF condition, so that the switch can operate in extreme environments without undesirably switching to different states when bumped or moved, thus ensuring that the switch reliably maintains on or off state even when subjected to environments where the switch is bumped or moved, and maintains on or off state indefinitely without requiring external power. |
| Novelty: The switch has a movable optical fiber (120) movably positioned in alignment with a fixed optical fiber (110). An intent actuator (130) is provided integral to an intent arm (135) that is positioned at a side of the movable fiber. A drive actuator (140) is provided integral to a drive arm (145) having an end at another side of the movable fiber, another end integral to a protruding element, and a latching mechanism (185) coupled with the element. A reset actuator (150) is provided integral to a reset arm (155) positioned at a side of the latching mechanism opposite to the latter arm. |
| Filed: 3/29/2011 |
| Application Number: US13075004A |
| Tech ID: SD 10808.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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