Patent ID: 6886990

Claim:
An optical connector comprising: a ferrule comprised of a cylindrical body for supporting an optical fiber, and a flange member having an end portion connected to a first end of the cylindrical body, the cylindrical body having a second end formed into a convex surface inclined relative to a plane orthogonal to an axis of the optical fiber, and the flange member having a flange part projecting circumferentially from the end portion thereof; a holding member supporting the ferrule in an assembled state of the optical connector to define an axis of the optical connector which is collinear with the optical fiber axis in the assembled state of the optical connector, the holding member having an engaging part; a rotation positioning part formed in the flange part of the flange member for positioning the flange part relative to the holding member to provide a first clearance between the rotation positioning part and the engaging part of the holding member for restricting rotation of the ferrule about the fiber optical axis relative to the holding member; and a rotation allowing part formed in the flange part of the flange member and spaced from the engaging part of the holding member to provide a second clearance therebetween greater than the first clearance for allowing rotational movement of the ferrule so as to permit the ferrule to incline in a direction transverse to the axis of the optical connector.