Patent ID: 6882791

Claim:
A packaging unit for an optical fiber array having a planar lightwave circuit (PLC), comprising: an optical fiber array; a housing having peripheral sides with inner and outer side walls, said optical fiber array being fixed in said housing, and said housing having first and second slots formed on respective peripheral sides so as to face each other, each of the first and second slots having open ends so that the inner and outer side walls of the housing are in communication with each other; and first and second boots inserted in the first and second slots, respectively, wherein an optical fiber of the optical fiber array is inserted through the first and second boots, to fix the optical fiber lengthwise, and wherein the second boot is sized to receive a ribbon optical fiber, the second boot having a planar portion secured in the second slot, a tapered portion extended from the planar portion and positioned outside the housing, an opening formed alone the center of the planar and tapered portions in the length direction, for receiving the ribbon fiber, and an engaging portion extended perpendicularly from the planar portion.