US Patent 7653275 Optical device having connections with optical members through protective medium

An optical device includes: a first optical member having a light-exit end at which light exits the first optical member; a second optical member having a light-entrance end which abuts the light-exit end through a protective medium and from which the light enters the second optical member; and the protective medium which is arranged between the light-exit end and the light-entrance end, and suppresses fixing together of the light-exit end and the light-entrance end. Specifically, the protective medium is transparent and arranged between the light-exit end and the light-entrance end, and is reusable even after the light-exit end and the light-entrance end are pressed together with a pressure of approximately 0.5 or 1 kgf and are then separated from each other.