Abstract: At a position opposite to a first board 130(a) supporting a fist light-emitting diode group 131 which has light-emitting portions on the same side and is arranged annularly surrounding a light-delivering hole, a concave mirror 150(a) is located so that the focal point thereof would be formed at the position of the light-delivering hole. Behind the concave mirror 150(a), a second board 140 supporting a second light-emitting diode group 141 is located. Light beams emitted from the first light-emitting diode group 131 are reflected by the concave mirror 150 (a) and collected on an optical connector 181, and light beams emitted from the second light-emitting diode group 141 are allowed to pass through a hole formed at the center of the concave mirror 150(a) and directly collected on an optical connector 181. To the optical connector 181, an optical fiber cable as a light guide is connected to form a light source of illumination for a light guide 100.

Abstract: An optical connector plug having fitted therein an optical fiber cable comprised of at least one optical fiber and at least an outside jacket covering the optical fiber.The optical connector is formed by accommodating the plugs respectively in housings each including a through hole adapted to receive the second holding portion of the ferrule and means for anchoring the plug at its base portion and connecting them to each other by an adapter having a through hole for receiving the first holding portion of each of the plugs.

Abstract: A receptacle adapted for connection in tight fit with an optical connector plug having a protective guide member surrounding a ferrule accommodating an optical fiber therein and spaced away from the outer circumference of the ferrule. The receptacle comprises at least a first supporting member having a hollow passage capable of receiving the ferrule, and a second supporting member spaced from the first supporting member for receiving and supporting the protective guide member of the ferrule. The plug comprises at least a ferrule containing an optical fiber therein and adapted to be received in the hollow passage of the first supporting member of the receptacle, and a protective guide member surrounding the ferrule at a position spaced away from the outer circumference of the ferrule and adapted to be received in the space between the first and second supporting members of the receptacle.

Abstract: 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 optical switch has two connector sockets provided in the housing, and a first and a second optical fiber. One end of the first optical 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 at 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.

Abstract: A terminal device for optical fibers is provided. The terminal device includes a connecting member for fixedly securing the covering of an optical fiber to a frame and having a hole through which the strand of the optical fiber can pass idly. The terminal device includes a positioning member for positioning in a predetermined positional relationship a plurality of ferrules disposed at the end portions of a plurality of optical fibers. The terminal device includes a guide member for guiding an optical fiber within the device in such a manner as to permit its movement only in its axial direction.

Abstract: A light-reflector type encoding method which comprises emitting light from one end of an optical fiber to a mobile body which moves relatively to said end of the optical fiber, through an optical lattice disposed at a fixed position relatively to said fiber end, receiving the reflected light from at least plural light-reflective graduations provided in the light-emitted zone of said mobile body through the optical lattice, and detecting the received reflected light with a photoelectric conversion element connected to the other end of the optical fiber. The present invention also provides a light-reflective type encoder suitable for carrying out the encoding method.