Abstract: A press mold for glass substrate includes an upper mold and a lower mold, and a pressure apparatus for applying pressure to the upper mold and the lower mold, for molding a plate-shaped glass substrate having a predetermined thickness between the upper mold and the lower mold. An engaging projected piece is projectingly provided on the side portion of the upper mold, an engaging projected piece supporting portion for supporting the engaging projected piece is provided on the side portion of the lower mold, and an end portion of the upper mold is formed so as to be released from the lower mold with the engaging projected piece as a rotating shaft. Variance in pressure on mold surfaces between the upper mold and lower mold is detected, and a buffer made of material having lower compressive yield strength than material constituting the lower mold is inserted between the lower mold and the pressure apparatus in a position corresponding to the mold surface portion at lower pressure.

Abstract: An optical fiber array includes an upper substrate and a lower substrate in which V-shaped grooves are formed, optical fibers being inserted and arranged in the V-shaped grooves. The tips of a plurality of protruding portions formed between the plurality of V-shaped grooves are shaped like planes. The optical fiber array can prevent optical fibers from being damaged or cut while preventing substrates from being cut when the fibers are placed in V-shaped grooves for alignment.

Abstract: A sealed fiber array capable of preventing ambient air from entering into a package through gaps between guide holes and guide pins. The fiber array includes a lower substrate (19) in which V grooves (20) and guide grooves (21) are formed in the lengthwise direction, and an upper substrate (23) having the same dimensions as those of the lower substrate (19) in the lengthwise direction and in the direction perpendicular thereto, and disposed over the lower substrate (19). Guide holes are defined by the V. grooves of the lower substrate (19) and the upper substrate (23). Ambient air is prevented from entering into the package, from the side where the guide holes for the sealed fiber array are provided, toward the opposite side.

Abstract: An optical transmitting member-holding structure for holding an optical transmitting member at a given location, said holding structure comprising a holding substrate, an optical transmitting member placed on the holding substrate, a fixing substrate covering the optical transmitting member on the holding substrate, and a joining layer joining the holding substrate and the fixing substrate and fixing the optical transmitting member at said given location, said joining layer comprising an eutectic solder layer.

Abstract: An optical fiber array includes an upper substrate and a lower substrate in which V-shaped grooves are formed. Optical fibers are inserted and arranged in the V-shaped grooves and are solidified using an adhesive. The upper substrate comprises a fiber presser substrate for pressing the optical fibers in the V-shaped grooves and a covered fiber housing substrate in which covered optical fibers are housed. The lower substrate comprises a V-shaped groove section having V-shaped grooves in which the optical fibers are aligned and arranged, a covered optical fiber support section for supporting the covered optical fibers, and a V-shaped groove step section located between the V-shaped groove section and the covered optical fiber support section. The top surface and/or sides of a non-covered optical-fiber section are opened between the V-shaped groove section or the V-shaped groove step section and the coverage-removed end of the covered optical fibers.

Abstract: A heat-fused unitary ferrule includes a first glass substrate and a second glass substrate. The first glass substrate and the second glass substrate are unitarily joined by heat-fusion. A method for producing a heat-fused unitary ferrule includes the steps of: bringing a surface to be heat-fused of the first glass substrate having a groove for fixing an optical fiber into contact with a surface to be heat-fused of the second glass substrate; and subjecting the first and second glass substrates to heat-fusion at a temperature ranging from (Tg1-100).degree. C. to (Tg2+150).degree. C. (Tg1 denotes the higher glass transition temperature, and Tg2 denotes the lower glass transition temperature of the first and second glass substrates).

Abstract: An optical fiber array including a V-groove substrate having a V-groove on which an optical fiber is arranged and a fiber fix substrate for fixing the optical fiber arranged on the V-grooves. In the optical fiber array according to the invention, one of the V-groove substrate and the fiber fix substrate has a concave portion into which the other substrate is arranged in such a manner that a bottom surface of the concave portion of the one substrate is connected to a bottom surface of the other substrate directly or via the optical fiber, and the concave portion has side end walls whose thickness is thicker than that of a bottom portion in which the V-grooves are formed. Moreover, side inner surfaces of the concave portion of the one substrate and side surfaces of the other substrate have a taper shape extending gradually wider toward an opening of the concave portion.

Abstract: The present invention aims to prevent formation of defect or break-off at ridges of fixing grooves of optical fiber-fixing substrates, when an optical fiber is received in the fixing groove or when an end surface of the substrate is polished by a grinding work. For that purpose, the ridges of the fixing grooves of the substrate have a curvature of radius of not less than 5 .mu.m over the entire portion of the ridges viewed in the lateral cross-sectional view of the fixing grooves. Preferably, the bottoms of the fixing grooves of the substrate have a curvature of radius of not more than 5 .mu.m viewed in the lateral crass-sectional view of the fixing groove. The fixing grooves may be produced by press forming.

Abstract: In a retainer holding a plurality of optical transmission members at given positions, a position of an optical center of each of the optical transmission members is measured at a high measuring accuracy. In this case, a lens system forming a beam waist in its output beam is arranged so as to oppose to an end face of each of the optical transmission members, and then the output beam is input to the optical transmission member, and subsequently a position of the lens system is measured when a light intensity of a beam emanated from the optical transmission member is maximum, and thereafter a position of the optical transmission member is calculated from the measured value.

Abstract: The present invention aims to prevent formation of defect or break-off at ridges of fixing grooves of optical fiber-fixing substrates, when an optical fiber is received in the fixing groove or when an end surface of the substrate is polished by a grinding work. For that purpose, the ridges of the fixing grooves of the substrate have a curvature of radius of not less than 5 .mu.m over the entire portion of the ridges viewed in the lateral cross-sectional view of the fixing grooves. Preferably, the bottoms of the fixing grooves of the substrate have a curvature of radius of not more than 5 .mu.m viewed in the lateral cross-sectional view of the fixing groove. The fixing grooves may be produced by press forming.

Abstract: In the case of fixing an optical fiber array to a substrate, wherein the optical fiber includes a V-groove substrate having at least one V-groove used for arranging an optical fiber, a fix substrate for fixing the optical fiber in the V-groove, and a pair of guide grooves arranged at both ends of the V-groove through which a guide pin used for a connection is arranged, the guide pin is arranged in the guide groove and the optical fiber array is fixed to the substrate under such a condition that one point of the guide pin is brought into contact with the substrate.

Abstract: A V groove and guide grooves are defined in a ceramic substrate, and an optical fiber is fixedly disposed in the V groove by the ceramic substrate and a cover, thereby producing a first optical waveguide chip. A V groove and guide grooves are also defined in another ceramic substrate, and an optical fiber is fixedly disposed in the V groove by the ceramic substrate and a cover, thereby producing a second optical waveguide chip. The first optical waveguide chip has an end face inclined to the direction of propagation of light through the optical fiber thereof, and the second optical waveguide chip also has an end face inclined to the direction of propagation of light through the optical fiber thereof. The first and second optical waveguide chips are positioned relatively to each other by guide pins intimately placed in the guide grooves, and the inclined end faces extend substantially parallel to each other with an air layer interposed therebetween.

Abstract: A process for optically joining a plurality of optical fibers to an opponent member, comprising the steps of forming an optical fiber array by fixing the optical fibers between a V-grooved base plate and a fixing base plate in the state that the optical fibers are fitted to respective V-grooves formed on a surface of the V-grooved base plate, and optically joining the optical fibers of the optical fiber array to the opponent member by using, as a joining reference surface, either one of a first surface of the fixing base plate at which the optical fibers are fixed and a second surface of the fixing base plate opposite to said surface.

Abstract: An optical collimator array having an optical fiber array for aligning and fixing optical fibers, and a microlens array formed by arranging lenses integrally and connected to the optical fiber array with a predetermined distance, has a spacer for fixing the microlens array connected to said optical fiber array in such a manner that light axes at an end of the optical fibers in the optical fiber array are made coincident with those of said lenses in the microlens array.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical fiber connector comprising, (i) a lower plate having a first upper flat surface, a second upper flat surface being lower than the first upper flat surface, and a stepped portion interposed between the first and second upper flat surfaces and having a transversely-extending side surface, (ii) a first upper plate disposable on or above the first upper flat surface and having a bottom flat surface, (iii) at least one longitudinally-extending V-groove, formed in one of the upper flat surface of the lower plate and the bottom surface of the first upper plate, for accommodating respective corresponding optical fibers of an optical fiber cable, and (iv) a second upper plate provided with an accommodation groove having an opening at each end thereof, for accommodating a covering of the optical fiber cable, the second upper plate having an end surface and being disposable on the second upper flat surface so that the end surface contacts the side surface of the stepped portion.

Abstract: An optical fiber connector for splicing a plurality of optical fibers integrally, including V-groove substrates each comprising V-grooves for setting optical fibers therein. Further, positioning standard surfaces arranged in parallel with a V-groove forming direction are formed in the substrates to enable stacking of the substrates on the basis of the positioning standard surfaces.

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.