Abstract: An optical fiber array including a substrate having a grooved portion and a planar portion which are formed integrally on opposite sides of a shoulder, and wherein the grooved portion has a plurality of grooves each defined by two side walls forming a predetermined angle therebetween, and a plurality of optical fibers are accommodated within the respective grooves and supported by the planar portion. Each of the optical fibers accommodated in the grooves is forced onto the two side walls by a covering plate disposed on the grooved portion, and thereby positioned.

Abstract: An optical fiber array including a substrate having a grooved portion and a planar portion which are formed integrally on opposite sides of a shoulder, and wherein the grooved portion has a plurality of grooves each defined by two side walls forming a predetermined angle therebetween, and a plurality of optical fibers are accommodated within the respective grooves and supported by the planar portion. Each of the optical fibers accommodated in the grooves is forced onto the two side walls by a covering plate disposed on the grooved portion, and thereby positioned.

Abstract: A circuit connection method using an optical fiber array capable of connecting the optical fiber array to an optical part through circuits, comprising the steps of preparing the optical fiber array having a marker visible from the upper or side surface of the optical fiber array disposed parallel with an optical fiber (1) while maintaining specified interval from the disposed position of the fiber (1), and aligning the position of the end face of the marker of the optical fiber array to a marker provided on the optical part, whereby, an operation allowing monitor light to be mutually transmitted between the core part of the optical fiber and the core part of an optical wave guiding passage can be performed easily by roughly matching the position of the core part of an optical fiber to the position of the core part of an optical wave guiding passage opposedly to each other as a preliminary stage for aligning operation.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide an optical switch that enables size reduction of the switch, facilitation of positioning of an optical fiber, simplification of the structure of an actuator, improvements in assembly operability and reliability of the apparatus, facilitation of an application to a multi-core structure, facilitation of alignment of a plurality of optical fibers, and the like. A displacement stage 5 for mounting a single optical fiber 2 thereon, an elevating stage 20 for mounting a plurality of second optical fibers 3 thereon in a lateral line, and a linear encoder 14 for controlling a coil motor 9 are disposed in a case 1. The displacement stage 5 is displaced by the coil motor in the horizontally lateral direction. Simultaneously, the elevating stage 20 is moved upward by the actuator 19, and the first optical fiber 2 is caused to abut against an arbitrary second optical fiber to selectively couple them, thereby switching the optical path of an optical fiber.