The cleaning head (30, 40, 44, 130) of a swab-like cleaning device (28, 36, 42, 134) for cleaning optical fiber end faces, especially the lens of expanded beam (“EB”) optical fibers, has a concave configuration of its cleaning surface (30a, 40a, 44a). This provides for effective engagement of the cleaning surface with the convex, e.g., spherical or nearly spherical, light transmission surfaces of the lenses (16a, 16b) of EB optical fibers. The cleaning head comprises coherent bodies of sintered polymers and may have zones of different density. Deformability of at least that portion of the cleaning head (30, 40, 44, 130) which terminates in the cleaning surface (30a, 40a, 44a) facilitates use of the cleaning device for non-EB as well as EB optical fiber end faces by better conforming the cleaning surface to the end faces during cleaning of the end faces.

It is an object of the present invention to accurately maintain a positional relationship between a lens held in a holding member and an optical fiber without requiring any complicated operation. The invention includes a holder (11), at one end of which a housing section (11c) that houses a ball lens (12) is formed and at the other end of which an insertion hole (11a) for inserting an optical fiber (13) is formed, and a magnet (14) provided outside in a direction crossing a housing direction of the ball lens at the one end of the holder, in which the magnet generates an attracting force for aligning a center of the ball lens with a center of an optical element provided in a coupling target.

There is provided an optical assembly (100) comprising an optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) and a lens arrangement (120). The lens arrangement (120) is spatially disposed relative to the fiber arrangement (220, 230) so as to be capable of providing an axial substantially collimated beam of radiation in response to receiving radiation from the optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) and capable of providing a focused beam of radiation to the optical fiber arrangement (220, 330) in response to receiving substantially collimated radiation to the lens arrangement (120). The assembly (100) further comprises a configuration of elements (110, 130, 200, 260) for spatially disposing the optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) relative to the lens arrangement (120). The configuration of elements (110, 130, 200, 260) provides for independent adjustment of relative lateral position between the optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) and the lens arrangement (120) in relation to axial position of the optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) relative to the lens arrangement (120). Such independent adjustment assists in fabrication of the assembly (100).

There is provided an optical communication device including a lens substrate configured to have a first face on which a plurality of lenses corresponding to a plurality of channels of optical communication are two-dimensionally formed, and a ferrule configured to be disposed facing a second face that is the opposite face of the first face of the lens substrate and to be provided with through holes into which optical fibers are inserted in positions corresponding to each of the plurality of lenses.

A manufacturing method of a set of connectors includes: a step of measuring an emitting direction of light emitted from a plurality of ferrules; a step of grouping the plurality of ferrules into a first group or a second group, based on whether the emitting direction is right or left of a straight line connecting a reference fitting portion closest to the emitting direction of the light and an optical axis; a step of fabricating a plug using the ferrule belonging to the first group; and a step of fabricating a receptacle using the ferrule belonging to the second group.

The present disclosure relates to a method of making a lensed connector in which a glass ferrule has holes within the body of the glass ferrule, and the glass ferrule is subsequently processed to form lens structures along the ferrule.

An optical connector for an endoscope has a first holding member which holds a first waveguide therein, a second holding member which holds a second waveguide therein and replaceable replacement members which intervenes between the first holding member and the second holding member so that replacement waveguides intervenes between the waveguides and is optically coupled to the waveguides. The optical connector has attachment members and a positioning mechanism which positions the holding members and the replacement members relative to one another.

In some examples, a mechanical transfer ferrule based optical switch may include an optical fiber tube unit connectable to an end of an optical fiber. The optical fiber tube unit may include a lens to transmit light through the optical fiber. An optical fiber tube unit positioning assembly may include an optical fiber tube unit support detachably connectable to the optical fiber tube unit, and an optical fiber tube unit guide to operatively position the optical fiber tube unit support relative to a multi-fiber connector. The optical fiber tube unit guide may align the optical fiber tube unit and the lens to a specified lens of the multi-fiber connector, and connect the optical fiber to a specified optical fiber channel.

A ferrule with a fiber of this disclosure includes: a ferrule including a positioning hole, a plurality of fiber holes, and an endface perpendicular to an axial direction of the fiber holes; a lensed fiber with a GRIN lens that has been fusion spliced to a tip of an optical fiber; and a plate that can transmit light propagating through the optical fiber, the plate being attached to the endface of the ferrule, the plate being contacted against with an endface of the lensed fiber that has been inserted into each of the fiber holes, wherein the ferrule is formed with a recess that is depressed from the endface of the ferrule, a refractive index matching material is filled in a space surrounded with the plate and the recess.

An optical connector includes a ferrule, an optical waveguide attached to the ferrule, and a boot attached to the ferrule to protect the optical waveguide, wherein the boot includes a cover part that covers the ferrule.