Patent ID: 11892688
Assignee: SENKO ADVANCED COMPONENTS, INC.
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A multi-fiber fiber optic connector configured to be converted from a female connector configuration to a male connector configuration by releasing or connecting notched guide pins, each notched guide pin including a retention notch, the multi-fiber fiber optic connector comprising:
an inner housing having a front end portion and a rear end portion spaced apart along a longitudinal axis, the inner housing having opposite first and second side walls spaced apart along a lateral axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a top wall and a bottom wall spaced apart along a vertical axis perpendicular to the lateral axis, the bottom wall having an access opening for facilitating gender change;
a ferrule disposed in the inner housing for terminating a plurality of optical fibers, the ferrule having a front end portion and a rear end portion spaced apart along a longitudinal axis, the ferrule comprising first and second guide pin passages extending longitudinally from the rear end portion through the front end portion, the first and second guide pin passages being spaced apart along a fiber alignment axis parallel to the lateral axis, the ferrule configured to hold a plurality of optical fibers in one or more rows parallel to the fiber alignment axis, the ferrule being configured to accept one of the notched guide pins in each of the first and second guide pin passages such that the retention notch is rearward of the rear end portion of the ferrule;
a pin keeper disposed in the inner housing rearward of the rear end portion of the ferrule, the pin keeper comprising a retention clip, the pin keeper adjustable via the access opening for moving the retention clip between a retaining position and a release position by displacing the entire retention clip relative to the ferrule in a plane parallel to the lateral axis and the vertical axis;
wherein when the retention clip is in the retaining position, the retention clip is configured to engage into the retention notches of the notched guide pins received in the first and second guide pin passages for retaining the notched guide pins in the first and second guide pin passages; and
wherein when the retention clip is in the release position, the retention clip disengages from the retention notches of notched guide pins received in the first and second guide pin passages for releasing the guide pins from the first and second guide pin passages.