OPTICAL FIBER BUNDLE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

摘要

An optical fiber bundle and a method of manufacturing the optical fiber bundle. In the method, a plurality of optical fibers (101) are bundled and the optical fiber bundle obtained is cut off at the portion of a mouthpiece (21) fixed to the intermediate part thereof to divide the optical fiber bundle into a first optical fiber bundle (11) and a second optical fiber bundle (12). The first and second optical fiber bundles (11) and (12) have the same properties since the divided faces (11a) and (11b) thereof are formed of the fiber bundle (20) formed by bundling the same optical fibers (101). Since a first light guide inside the insertion part (8) of an endoscope (1) and a second light guide inside the corrugated tube (7) are formed by assembling the first optical fiber bundle (11) into the insertion part (8) of the endoscope and the second optical fiber bundle (12) into the corrugated tube (7), separable light transmission routes can be formed in the light guides.