Patent ID: 7052162

Claim:
An illuminating unit for illuminating a target portion of an object to be illuminated, comprising: a fiber holding portion having a fiber insert hole holding a light-emitting end portion of an optical fiber; a lens; a lens located downstream of the fiber holding portion in a light traveling direction, light emitted from a light-emitting end of the optical fiber being directed to the target portion through the lens held by the lens holding portion, wherein: the fiber insert hole comprises an equal-diameter portion having a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of the optical fiber, and a larger-diameter portion having a larger diameter than the equal-diameter portion at an opening on one end face of the fiber holding portion, the fiber insert hole having the optical fiber extending through the equal-diameter portion; and the lens is abutted against the one end face of the fiber holding portion or a forward end face of a fusion-deformed portion of the optical fiber, the fusion-deformed portion being fitted in the larger-diameter portion and resulting from fusion deformation of a leading end portion of the optical fiber projecting from the equal-diameter portion to prevent withdrawal of the optical fiber from the fiber holding portion.