OPTICAL SWITCH

TITLE OF THE INVENTION OPTICAL SWITCH An optical switch for opening and shutting a light path comprising a housing, a shutter movably supported in the housing for shutting off and transmitting incident light, and a drive mechanism supported in the housing for displacing the shutter. The optica1 switch has two connector sockets provided in the housing, and a first and a second optical fiber. One end of the first optica1 fiber faces one end of the second optical fiber with a predetermined distance between them and the other ends of these optical fibers are fitted respectively in the connector sockets. The shutter is disposed between the facing ends of the optical fibers. In another aspect, the housing includes the least one pair of fiber holding sections for holding the end portions of at least one pair of optical fibers so that they face each other with a predetermined distance between them, and the shutter is movably supported between the fiber holding sections in each pair of the fiber holding sections.