| 主权项 |
1. An apparatus comprising:
a flexing member having sufficient strength so that sagging of the flexing member under a weight of the flexing member is substantially avoided; an optical coupler disposed inside the flexing member, the optical coupler comprising:
an output region on a first side of an optical fiber;an input region on a second side of the optical fiber, opposite the first side;a coupling region between the output region and the input region, wherein optical fiber cores in the coupling region are located in a single cladding having a substantially circular cross section, wherein the optical fiber cores are all selected distances from each other, and wherein the single cladding substantially fills spaces between the optical fiber cores within the selected distances; anda retaining material surrounding and constraining the coupling region such that the coupling region does not move substantially laterally within the flexing member, and holds the coupling region in a position within the flexing member; a switching system configured to move the coupling region in a manner that causes a light signal entering a first optical fiber core to couple between the first optical fiber core and a second optical fiber core in the coupling region based on a position of the coupling region as the light signal travels through the coupling region to the output region, and wherein the first optical fiber core and the second optical fiber core both are among the optical fiber cores. |
