Patent ID: 10162126

Abstract:
A multi-fiber connector (40) that promotes physical contact with a communicating multi-fiber connector. The multi-fiber connector (40) has a connector body (44) with a front end (47) and a back end (49). The multi-fiber connector (40) also includes a ferrule (10a, 10b) with optical contacts (20a, 20b) at a front end (14a, 14b). The ferrule (10a, 10b) is spring biased toward the front end (14a, 14b) of the connector body (44). The ferrule (10a, 10b) has a pair of alignment pin openings (30a, 30b) extending into the ferrule from a front end (14a, 14b). The ferrule (10b) also has a pair of alignment pins (22) mounted within the alignment pin openings (30a, 30b). The base ends of the alignment pins (22) have a different transverse cross-sectional shape than the alignment pin openings (30a, 30b). This difference in transverse cross-sectional shapes allows the alignment pins to pivot relative to the ferrule along a major axis of the ferrule.