Patent ID: 7341381

Claim:
A optical connector comprising: an optical fiber; a ferrule for holding said optical fiber in such manner that a terminal end surface of said optical fiber is exposed; an optical connector plug having a plug housing for accommodating said ferrule and said optical fiber, said plug housing having a uniform cross section across a main body portion thereof; an adapter having an opening portion to/from which said optical connector plug is attachable/detachable; an engaging hole arranged at a predetermined location of said adapter; and a cantilever type latch provided on at least one side surface of said plug housing, said latch having a fixed end fixed to said plug housing at said opening portion side to which the terminal end surface of the optical fiber is exposed, and an operable terminal end which is operated to elastic-deformably press to a direction which is perpendicular to an optic axis of the optical fiber at an opposite side of the fixed end, wherein each of said latch is configured such that an upper surface thereof is parallel with a side of said plug housing, an engaging projection is provided near a center of said upper side of the latch, so as to be engaged in said engaging hole formed in said adapter, said engaging projection has a slope that declines toward the fixed end of said latch, a clearance which is nearly equal to or greater than a height of said engaging projection is provided, between a lower surface of said latch which comprises a back side of said engaging projection and the side surface of the plug housing, another slope is formed by a lower surface of the latch, such that a clearance from the side surface of said plug housing increases from a vicinity of the engaging projection to the operable terminal end, and a gradient of said slope of the latch is formed so as to be nearly equal to or greater than a rotation angle required for elastic deformation of the latch in which the fixed end of the latch functions as a fulcrum.