A light irradiation device includes at least one irradiation unit including a reflective surface which is disposed in a concave inner surface formed to have a substantially arc shape and into which a wire member is inserted, and a light source which is configured to emit light toward the wire member and is disposed so as to face the reflective surface in a direction of an optical axis of the emitted light, and an insertion portion configured to interiorly form an insertion path for inserting the wire member into the reflective surface. The reflective surface is disposed such that a center of the substantially arc shape is eccentric with respect to a center of the insertion path.

An apparatus for curing a coating composition disposed on a glass fiber includes a diffuse reflector surrounding a coating composition disposed on a glass fiber. The diffuse reflector defines a cavity having a sidewall extending from a first end to a second end. The first end has a first opening and the second end has a second opening. The glass fiber passes through the cavity from the first opening to the second opening. The sidewall has an interior surface facing the coating composition disposed on the glass fiber. The interior surface includes a scattering material. A light source integrated with the diffuse reflector. The light source directs light to the scattering material. The scattering material diffusely reflects at least 90% of the light. The diffusely reflected light has sufficient intensity to cure the coating composition.

A non-contact direction changer includes: a guide groove that guides an optical fiber and changes a direction of advancement of the optical fiber from a first direction to a second direction; a bottom ejection opening at a bottom of the guide groove; and one or more side ejection openings on at least one of opposite side surfaces of the guide groove. A fluid is ejected into the guide groove through the bottom ejection opening. A fluid is ejected into the guide groove through the one or more side ejection openings.

An optical fiber manufacturing apparatus includes a heating furnace configured to heat and melt an optical fiber preform; a pulling mechanism configured to adjust an outer diameter of a glass optical fiber by drawing out the glass optical fiber from the optical fiber preform melted through the heating by the heating furnace, and to draw the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter; a coating mechanism configured to apply a predetermined resin on an outer circumference of the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter; and a transport mechanism configured to returnably retract the coating mechanism from a passage route of the glass optical fiber.

A control device which is used in a manufacturing apparatus of an optical fiber, the manufacturing apparatus including a drawing unit and a coating unit. The control device includes: one or a plurality of non-contact holding portions which hold the bare optical fiber at any position between the drawing unit and the coating unit; a position detection unit; and a control unit which controls a flow rate of a fluid introduced into the non-contact holding portion on the basis of the floating position detected by the position detection unit. The non-contact holding portion comprises a guide groove. The control unit detects the floating position of the bare optical fiber at at least one of the non-contact holding portions, compares the detected floating position with a predetermined reference floating position, and controls a flow rate of the fluid introduced into the non-contact holding portions.

A control device which is used in a manufacturing apparatus of an optical fiber, the manufacturing apparatus including a drawing unit and a coating unit. The control device includes: one or a plurality of non-contact holding portions which hold the bare optical fiber at any position between the drawing unit and the coating unit; a position detection unit; and a control unit which controls a flow rate of a fluid introduced into the non-contact holding portion on the basis of the floating position detected by the position detection unit. The non-contact holding portion comprises a guide groove. The control unit detects the floating position of the bare optical fiber at at least one of the non-contact holding portions, compares the detected floating position with a predetermined reference floating position, and controls a flow rate of the fluid introduced into the non-contact holding portions.

A photoirradiation device includes an insertion path for inserting a wire rod; a first reflector having a circular arc shape centered on a point shifted from a center of the insertion path by a first distance, one side of the first reflector facing the insertion path being a reflective surface; a second reflector disposed adjacent open edges of the first reflector and having a circular arc shape centered on a point shifted from the center of the insertion path by a second distance that is different from the first distance, one side of the second reflector facing the insertion path being a reflective surface; and a light source that is positioned on an opposite side of the insertion path from the first reflector and that projects light toward the wire rod.

A method of manufacturing a side-coupling structure, associated with coupling an aiming beam from an aiming beam fiber into a laser beam fiber, may include removing a coating from a section of the laser beam fiber and removing a coating from a section of the aiming beam fiber. The method may further include bringing the section of the aiming beam fiber in physical contact with the section of the laser beam fiber in order to create the side-coupling structure. The method may further include recoating the section of the laser beam fiber and the section of the aiming beam fiber in order to coat the side-coupling structure.

A method of manufacturing a side-coupling structure, associated with coupling an aiming beam from an aiming beam fiber into a laser beam fiber, may include removing a coating from a section of the laser beam fiber and removing a coating from a section of the aiming beam fiber. The method may further include bringing the section of the aiming beam fiber in physical contact with the section of the laser beam fiber in order to create the side-coupling structure. The method may further include recoating the section of the laser beam fiber and the section of the aiming beam fiber in order to coat the side-coupling structure.

A light irradiation device includes a light source having a plurality of solid-state elements disposed on a substrate to be defined by a first direction and a second direction in a plurality of rows and irradiate the irradiation target with light from a third direction, an optical element refracting light from the solid-state elements, emitting the light and narrowing a spread angle of light to be emitted from the solid-state elements relative to the third direction, a first reflection portion having at least two first reflection surfaces on a downstream side in the third direction of the irradiation target and reflecting a part of light incident on the first reflection surface to the irradiation target, and a second reflection portion having a pair of second reflection surfaces disposed between the optical element and the first reflection portion and guiding light from the optical element to the first reflection surface.