Abstract: The invention includes an interconnection assembly for coupling optical fibers to respective optical waveguides of an optical integrated circuit (OIC). The interconnection assembly includes an OIC assembly preferably formed by adhering a protective plate to a substrate on which the OIC and its optical waveguides are integrated. In one end of the OIC assembly, ends of the optical waveguides are exposed. Importantly, the protective plate and the substrate have substantially similar thermal coefficients of expansion to reduce or eliminate stresses or strains on the adhesive when the interconnection assembly is subjected to temperature and/or humidity conditions that are different from those under which the interconnection assembly was formed. The interconnection assembly also includes an optical fiber array that houses end portions of the optical fibers.

Abstract: An optical fiber array according to the present invention comprises an optical coupling end face to be optically coupled to another optical line, and one ends of a plurality of optical fibers are arrayed in the optical coupling end face. The optical fiber array comprises a lower plate (3a) comprising a plurality of V-shaped grooves (4) for positioning the optical fibers exposing from one end of a ribbon part of the optical fibers, and an upper plate (3b) for pressing each optical fiber provided in each V-shaped groove (4) of the lower plate into the positioning groove. A boundary portion between the ribbon part (7) and the optical fibers (1) is fixed between the first and second plates (3a, 3b) by heat resistant adhesive (10), and the optical fibers from the boundary portion to a front end are fixed by solder (6) in an airtightness state. Accordingly, the hermetic sealing with sufficiently high airtightness can be achieved.

Abstract: A device for interconnecting the bare ends of two or more optical fibers uses a common receptacle having a fiber clamping element therein and camming surfaces for actuating the element, and at least one plug having a camming finger for engaging one of the camming surfaces. The camming surfaces are located such that, when only one of the camming surfaces is actuated, the clamping element rocks to a side of the pocket opposite the one camming surface and remains in the open state, but when both of the camming surfaces are actuated, the clamping element is forced to the closed state. The plug includes a fiber protector free to slide within the plug housing, substantially enclosing the bare end of the fiber when the plug housing is removed from the receptacle, but retracting when the plug housing is inserted into the receptacle to direct the bare end of the fiber toward said guide tube.

Abstract: There is disclosed a transmission line switching apparatus comprising a coupling board having a first surface adapted to be connected a first line and a second surface adapted to be connected a second line, adjusting means having a line length adjusting unit for handling surplus portions of the second lines and switching means for changing the connection between the first and second lines, and partition means for dividing the second surface of the coupling board into a plural rows.

Abstract: An optical waveguide component which has end faces to be connected with optical fiber connectors by means of guide pins, comprises an optical waveguide component body having an optical waveguide core portion, and a resin mold cladding portion covering all the faces of the optical waveguide component body except for the end faces of the optical waveguide component body. Each end face of the resin mold portion has guide pin holes which were formed with the optical waveguide core portion being used as a positioning reference. Since the guide pin holes for connection with the optical fiber connectors are formed in the resin mold portion which, preferably has some elasticity and which covers the optical waveguide component body, the guide pin holes and a substrate are not broken even if subjected to a load after connection.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical fiber connector for a plurality of covered optical fibers, including (a) a lower ceramics plate with a top plane surface having a plurality of V-grooves, each groove for respectively holding one fiber, (b) an upper plate, in spaced apart combination with the lower plate, for firmly holding the optical fibers in the lower plate grooves, and (c) a holder having two opposed end portions in which (i) a first cavity is profiled in the first end portion to accommodate the combination of the upper and lower plates, and (ii) a second cavity is profiled in the second end portion to accommodate the covered fibers, and wherein the first cavity has a connection portion proximate to an inner end of the second cavity, which connects the first and second cavities to provide a through passage for the fibers.

Abstract: A first array of microlenses (16) on a lens substrate (15) is accurately aligned with a lens holder (20) by making a second array of microlenses (17) simultaneously with the first array. The second array of microlenses is arranged around the periphery of the lens substrate and is made solely for alignment purposes, rather than for focusing light. An array of detents (21, FIG. 2) is made in one surface of the lens holder such that, when the lens holder is abutted against the lens substrate, each microlens (17) of the second array can extend into one of the detents of the lens holder member, thereby to align the first array of microlenses with the lens holder member. The lens holder member has an opening (22) to permit light to be transmitted to or from the first array of microlenses (16). A pair of alignment pins (24) aligns the lens holder member with an array of optical fibers (12).

Abstract: On an optical connector plug main body 3 whose transverse section is a trapezoid, a groove 6 of rectangular transverse section is provided, at a bottom of which a plurality of alignment V grooves 7 are formed. In a plate member 9 of rectangular transverse section has a receiving groove 10 of also rectangular transverse section, the groove 10 being connected with the bottom of the plate member 9. An alignment sleeve 12 has an alignment groove 14 of wedge head shape. The plate member 9 is engaged with the groove 6 of the connector plug main body 3, and protrusions 11 of the plate member 9 is ultrasonic bonded into recesses 8 provided in the connector plug main body 3. A ribbon type optical fiber to which an adhesive is applied is inserted from the groove 6 to complete the connector plug. Thus assembled connector plugs are inserted in the state whose ends are faced with each other into the groove 14 of the alignment sleeve 12 to make the connection of the ribbon type optical fiber.