Patent ID: 8472769

Claim:
An end part processing method of an optical fiber, the optical fiber comprising a core, and a cladding formed around said core, said cladding having a refractive index lower than a refractive index of said core and a plurality of air holes formed therein along the axis of said core, wherein the end part process of said optical fiber is to form sealed portions on the ends of said air holes by sealing them with ultraviolet ray curable resin, said method comprising the steps of: filling said end parts of said air holes of said optical fiber with said ultraviolet ray curable resin; arranging said end part of said optical fiber filled with said ultraviolet ray curable resin on an end part processing member, which is equipped in an end part processing unit, in such a manner that said end part of said optical fiber does not touch said end part processing member, wherein said end part processing member has ultraviolet light reflecting nature; and curing said ultraviolet ray curable resin filled inside said end parts of said air holes to form said sealed portion by irradiating said end part of said optical fiber with ultraviolet light emitted from an irradiator provided in the position opposite to said end part processing member across the arrangement of said end part of said optical fiber, wherein said end part of said optical fiber is irradiated with ultraviolet light emitted from said irradiator and with the reflection of said emitted ultraviolet light reflected off said end part processing member with said end part of said optical fiber heated by said end part processing member that is made to generate heat by absorbing ultraviolet light.