Patent ID: 7517157

Claim:
An optical fiber connector comprising: a first connector insert for holding exposed ends of a bundle of optical fibers of a specified number packed in a pre-determined packing pattern; a second connector insert for holding similarly exposed ends of an opposite bundle of optical fibers of the specified number packed in the pre-determined packing pattern; a center connector component having opposite first and second ends into which the first and second connector inserts are respectively inserted; and fasteners provided with the first and second ends for securely holding the first and second connector inserts so that the optical fiber bundles are in abutting contact with an optical core element in the center connector component and substantially in alignment with each other in order to obtain a high level of optical transmission and uniform light distribution between the optical fiber bundles; wherein the fiber ends of each optical fiber bundle are held in a respective ferrule, the respective ferrules having a corresponding hexagonal cross-sectional shape that matches a hexagonal inner cross-section of the connector inserts so that each connector insert has one of the ferrules sleeved into it in proper alignment; and wherein the pre-determined packing pattern is a dense hexagonal packing pattern.