Light path switching device
By fixing the sliding mechanism and guide rail design, combined with the propulsion and limiting mechanisms, the mechanical error and crosstalk problems in the optical path switching device are solved, and a high-precision, low-loss optical path switching effect is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422945986.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-03
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-11-29
AI Technical Summary
Existing optical path switching devices have mechanical vibration errors and optical path deviations during the switching process, resulting in inaccurate optical path switching and prone to crosstalk.
The combined design of fixed mechanism, sliding mechanism, guide rail, propulsion mechanism, moving mechanism and limit mechanism is adopted. The sliding mechanism and guide rail are used to buffer the mechanical displacement, the stepping motor or servo is used to achieve high-precision optical fiber movement, and the limit mechanism is adjusted to eliminate errors.
It achieves low-loss, high-isolation optical path switching, avoids beam crosstalk, and improves beam coupling efficiency and switching speed.
Smart Images
Figure CN223413506U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to the field of optical applications, in particular to an optical path switching device. Background Art
[0002] The laser detection system mainly consists of an excitation light source, an optical path structure, and a detection system. Different application environments often require different combinations of excitation light sources, optical path structures, and detection systems to measure different physical quantities. In addition, the application scenarios of the system are complex systems, and it is inevitable to measure multiple physical quantities. Cost and economic benefits drive the need for different laser detection systems to be integrated together. The traditional integration method is to use a beam splitting method to split the excitation light source into two beams, or to split the received detection signal into two beams, which are received by the detection system separately. However, in the scenario of weak signal detection, since the signal itself is weak, the intensity after beam splitting cannot reach the detection threshold, and the beam splitting method is not suitable.
[0003] At this time, it is necessary to use the instrument in a time-sharing manner, adopting the same excitation light source and optical path structure, and using different detection systems to detect different scenes. The receiving optical paths and detectors of different detection systems can be switched through the optical path switching device.
[0004] See also Figure 1 The existing optical path switching device includes a mirror holder X, which is a fully reflective mirror. When the mirror holder X is not inserted, the light beam in the input optical fiber 1 will be coupled to the output optical fiber 3, and the light beam in the input optical fiber 2 will be coupled to the output optical fiber 4. After the mirror holder X is inserted, the light beam in the input optical fiber 1 will be reflected by the mirror holder X and coupled to the output optical fiber 4, and the light beam in the input optical fiber 2 will be reflected by the mirror holder X and coupled to the output optical fiber 3.
[0005] However, the existing optical path switching device system mechanically removes or inserts the frame X, and the mechanical displacement inevitably produces vibration and error, resulting in inaccurate optical path switching and easy offset. In addition, there is crosstalk between different optical paths when the frame X is not completely removed or inserted. Utility Model Content
[0006] Based on this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an optical path switching device that can achieve switching between receiving optical paths of different detection systems with low loss and high isolation.
[0007] An optical path switching device, comprising
[0008] A fixing mechanism, provided with at least two through-holes, connected to the optical fiber port and fixing the optical fiber, and provided with a slide rail on one side;
[0009] A sliding mechanism, mounted on the guide rail of the fixing mechanism, provided with at least one through-hole, connected to the optical fiber port and fixing the optical fiber;
[0010] A guide rail is provided on one side of the slide rail and is parallel to the slide rail;
[0011] A propulsion mechanism, mounted on the guide rail;
[0012] The moving mechanism is connected to the propulsion mechanism and drives the propulsion mechanism to move;
[0013] Two limiting mechanisms, respectively provided at both ends of the guide rail, to limit the movement of the moving mechanism; and
[0014] A control mechanism, connected to the moving mechanism, for controlling the movement of the moving mechanism;
[0015] Wherein, the center height of the circular hole in the fixing mechanism is the same as the center height of the circular hole in the sliding mechanism.
[0016] Furthermore, the optical fiber connected to the fixing mechanism is the input optical fiber, and the optical fiber connected to the sliding mechanism is the output optical fiber. The light beam emitted from the input optical fiber passes through the circular hole in the fixing mechanism and then passes through the circular hole in the sliding mechanism, thereby entering the output optical fiber.
[0017] Furthermore, the optical fiber connected to the fixing mechanism is the output optical fiber, and the optical fiber connected to the sliding mechanism is the input optical fiber. The light beam emitted from the input optical fiber passes through the circular hole in the sliding mechanism and then passes through the circular hole in the fixing mechanism, thereby entering the output optical fiber.
[0018] Furthermore, the limiting distance between the two limiting mechanisms is variable, and the control mechanism is connected to the two limiting mechanisms to control the limiting distance between the two limiting mechanisms.
[0019] Furthermore, the moving mechanism is a stepping motor, and the moving step length is 2 μm.
[0020] Furthermore, the moving mechanism is a steering gear, and the moving step length is 2 μm.
[0021] Furthermore, adjacent circular holes in the fixing mechanism are spaced apart by a distance equal to at least one circular hole diameter.
[0022] In order to better understand and implement the present invention, the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of an existing optical path switching device;
[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of the optical path switching device of the present utility model; DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] The applicant carefully analyzed the optical path switching device of the prior art and found that because the different optical paths intersect, and the mirror frame X used for switching the paths is located at this intersection, the mirror frame X cannot instantly complete the switching process during switching. During the switching process, some light maintains its original path direction, while some light is reflected and changes its path direction, resulting in crosstalk. Therefore, the applicant attempted to completely isolate the different optical paths, placing optical fibers with the same transmission function on the same side and separated by at least the diameter of the optical fiber itself. Furthermore, because the mirror frame X uses mechanical movement when switching the optical path, vibration errors are present, which directly affect the optical path. Therefore, the applicant attempted to provide a sliding mechanism for one optical fiber to move the optical fiber to switch the optical path. A propulsion mechanism is provided on the guide rail as a displacement transmission, and a moving mechanism is provided as a displacement generator. As a result, the mechanical error generated by the moving mechanism does not directly affect the optical path. The dual displacement transmission greatly reduces the error ultimately affecting the optical path. Furthermore, the applicant considered providing a limit mechanism with a variable limit distance. After the optical path switching device generates a fixed error, the error can be eliminated by adjusting the limit distance of the limit mechanism.
[0026] See also Figure 2 The optical path switching device of the present invention includes a base 10, a fixing mechanism 20, a sliding mechanism 30, a guide rail 40, a propulsion mechanism 50, a moving mechanism (not shown), two limiting mechanisms 60 and a control mechanism 70.
[0027] The base 10 is a planar bottom plate extending in the x and y directions, serving as a support for the optical path switching device. Its height is in the z direction. It is understood that the shape of the base 10 can be modified to any desired form, such as a flat circular shape, a curved arc shape, a solid cylindrical shape, or a spherical shell shape. There are also no restrictions on the material used, as long as it can support other components. The shell-like shape can also serve as a dustproofing mechanism.
[0028] The fixing mechanism 20 comprises a receiving portion and a sliding portion. The receiving portion is a rectangular parallelepiped fixed to the base 10 and has two circular holes extending through the receiving portion along the x-direction, serving as input holes. Each input hole has a threaded portion along one side of the positive x-direction, which is used to securely connect input optical fiber 1 and input optical fiber 2. Input optical fiber 1 and input optical fiber 2 can be screwed into the receiving portion via their respective connector threads, allowing the light beams emitted from input optical fiber 1 and input optical fiber 2 to pass through the receiving portion. The sliding portion is fixed to the base 10 and comprises two fixing blocks connected to the receiving portion along the opposite x-direction, located at either end of the receiving portion along the y-axis. A sliding rail along the y-axis is provided between the two protrusions, with the height of the sliding rail being lower than the input holes of the receiving portion. The input and output optical fibers are both existing and identical structures, comprising a fiber optic patch cord, a terminal block, and a connector. The terminal block is provided at one end of the fiber optic patch cord, securing the fiber optic patch cord at the center of the terminal block. The connector is provided between the terminal block and the fiber optic patch cord, surrounding the end face of the fiber optic patch cord.
[0029] The sliding mechanism 30 is arranged between the two fixed blocks of the fixing mechanism 20 and is installed on the slide rail. The sliding mechanism 30 has a circular hole that penetrates the sliding mechanism 30 as an output hole. The output hole is provided with a thread along the side opposite to the x direction for fixing the output optical fiber 3. The output optical fiber 3 can be screwed into the sliding mechanism 30 through the thread of its own connector and fixed. The center height of the output hole is the same as the center height of the input hole. When the output optical fiber 3 is aligned with the input hole, the light beam emitted from the fixing mechanism 20 can pass through the output hole of the sliding mechanism 30 and enter the output optical fiber 3; the sliding mechanism 30 can slide on the slide rail, driving the output optical fiber 3 to move together.
[0030] The guide rail 40 is fixed to the base 10 and includes a plurality of guide rails arranged parallel to the y-axis. The guide rails are parallel to the slide rails of the fixing mechanism 20 and are located above or below the output hole of the sliding mechanism 30 so as not to obstruct the output optical fiber 3. It will be appreciated that when the guide rails are located above the output hole of the sliding mechanism 30, the propulsion mechanism 5 slides below the guide rails; and when the guide rails are located below the output hole of the sliding mechanism 30, the propulsion mechanism 5 slides above the guide rails.
[0031] The propulsion mechanism 5 is mounted on the guide rail 40 and can slide along the guide rail. The height of the propulsion mechanism 50 is the same as the position of the output hole of the sliding mechanism 30. The propulsion mechanism 50 can drive the output optical fiber 3 to move together. It is understood that this application only limits the propulsion mechanism 50 to driving the output optical fiber 3 when sliding on the guide rail, and does not limit its shape or the contact method with the output optical fiber 3. The propulsion mechanism 50 can be set on one side of the output optical fiber 3 or clamp the output optical fiber 3, etc.
[0032] The moving mechanism is mounted on the base 10 and connected to the propulsion mechanism 50. It controls the propulsion mechanism's movement along the guide rail in the positive or negative y-axis direction, thereby driving the output fiber 3 in motion. The moving mechanism's step size reaches 2μm, enabling high-precision control and meeting the required coupling accuracy between the output fiber 3 and the input fiber. The moving mechanism can be a low-cost stepper motor. Alternatively, a servo motor can further increase the speed of the propulsion mechanism 50, completing the switching operation within 1 second, but at a higher cost. Users can choose the preferred method based on their needs.
[0033] The two limiting mechanisms 60 are fixed on the base 10 and are respectively arranged on both sides of the output optical fiber 3 to limit the distance that the output optical fiber 3 moves along the y-axis. In particular, the positions of the two limiting mechanisms 60 correspond to the input optical fiber 1 and the input optical fiber 2, respectively, so that when the output optical fiber 3 moves to the limiting position of the limiting mechanism 60, it is just aligned with one of the input optical fibers. It is understandable that after completing the optical path switching, the optical fiber alignment effect can be verified by detecting the insertion loss, that is, the loss of the light beam passing through. The position of the output optical fiber 3 is continuously changed and the insertion loss is monitored at the same time, so as to determine the position with the minimum insertion loss, and the limiting distance of the limiting mechanism 60 is determined according to the position. It is understandable that the limiting mechanism 60 is not limited to directly limiting the movement of the output optical fiber 3, and can be indirectly limiting the movement of the output optical fiber 3 by limiting the movement of the propulsion mechanism 50 or the moving mechanism.
[0034] The control mechanism 70 is connected to the moving mechanism and the limiting mechanism 60 to control the movement of the moving mechanism and the limiting distance of the limiting mechanism 60. When there is an error, the limiting distance can be adjusted to eliminate the influence.
[0035] In practical applications, after testing, the optical path switching device of the present application has shown that the optical fiber transmittance of the light beam after alignment can reach 90%, the coupling efficiency is high, and the switching speed is fast.
[0036] Because the two input optical fibers in this application are directly spaced a certain distance equal to the diameter of a circular hole, the output optical fiber does not simultaneously receive beams from both input optical fibers during movement, thus completely avoiding beam crosstalk. The provision of guide rails 40 and propulsion mechanism 50 buffers the mechanical displacement of the moving mechanism, transforming step-like displacement into smooth displacement. Errors generated by the moving mechanism are less likely to be transmitted to the movement of the optical fibers. Furthermore, the adjustable limit distance of the limit mechanism 60 allows errors to be eliminated even if they occur.
[0037] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the description of this application using input and output fibers is merely for ease of understanding. Essentially, it simply represents the transmission of light beams. That is, an input fiber can function as an output fiber, and an output fiber as an input fiber. Similarly, input and output fibers are not limited to one port corresponding to two ports; one port can also correspond to three or more ports, or multiple ports can correspond to multiple ports.
[0038] The above-described embodiment merely represents one embodiment of the present invention. While the description is relatively specific and detailed, it should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and the present invention is intended to encompass such modifications and variations.
Claims
1. An optical path switching device, characterized in that: include A fixing mechanism, provided with at least two through-holes, connected to the optical fiber port and fixing the optical fiber, and provided with a slide rail on one side; A sliding mechanism, mounted on the guide rail of the fixing mechanism, provided with at least one through-hole, connected to the optical fiber port and fixing the optical fiber; A guide rail is provided on one side of the slide rail and is parallel to the slide rail; A propulsion mechanism, mounted on the guide rail; The moving mechanism is connected to the propulsion mechanism and drives the propulsion mechanism to move; Two limiting mechanisms, respectively provided at both ends of the guide rail, to limit the movement of the moving mechanism; and A control mechanism, connected to the moving mechanism, for controlling the movement of the moving mechanism; Wherein, the center height of the circular hole in the fixing mechanism is the same as the center height of the circular hole in the sliding mechanism.
2. The optical path switching device according to claim 1, wherein: The optical fiber connected to the fixing mechanism is the input optical fiber, and the optical fiber connected to the sliding mechanism is the output optical fiber. The light beam emitted from the input optical fiber passes through the circular hole in the fixing mechanism and then passes through the circular hole in the sliding mechanism, thereby entering the output optical fiber.
3. The optical path switching device according to claim 1, wherein: The optical fiber connected to the fixing mechanism is the output optical fiber, and the optical fiber connected to the sliding mechanism is the input optical fiber. The light beam emitted from the input optical fiber passes through the circular hole in the sliding mechanism and then passes through the circular hole in the fixing mechanism, thereby entering the output optical fiber.
4. The optical path switching device according to any one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that: The limiting distance of the two limiting mechanisms is variable, and the control mechanism is connected to the two limiting mechanisms to control the limiting distance of the two limiting mechanisms.
5. The optical path switching device according to claim 4, wherein: The moving mechanism is a stepping motor, and the moving step length is 2 μm.
6. The optical path switching device according to claim 4, wherein: The moving mechanism is a steering gear, and the moving step length is 2 μm.
7. The optical path switching device according to any one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that: Adjacent circular holes in the fixing mechanism are spaced apart by a distance equal to at least one circular hole diameter.