Patent ID: 7758255

Claim:
A fiber optic connector assembly, comprising: a receptacle having an axis, an aperture extending through the receptacle in an axial direction, a mounting structure adapted to mount the receptacle to an object, and a pair of fastening elements located on opposite sides of the mounting structure; a pair of optical fibers coupled to opposite ends of the receptacle, each optical fiber having a socket termini with an alignment sleeve; at least one pin mounted in the receptacle and extending through the axial aperture, the at least one pin having a termini body with at least one external retention shoulder, at least one ferrule extending through and protruding from opposite ends of the termini body, and an expanded beam optical component mounted in an axial passage inside the at least one ferrule, the expanded beam optical component having axial ends located adjacent to axially opposite ends of the at least one ferrule, the expanded beam optical component being adapted to expand and collimate light from one of the optical fibers coupled to one of the ends of the receptacle, and focus the light to the other optical fiber coupled to the opposite end of the receptacle; wherein the at least one ferrule has at least one axial end with a diameter such that the at least one axial end interfaces, in an abutting manner, an axial end of the alignment sleeve of a respective one of the pair of optical fibers when the optical fibers are coupled to opposite ends of the receptacle; the receptacle has a plurality of parallel apertures extending therethrough in the axial direction, and the at least one pin comprises a plurality of pins that are mounted in at least some of the parallel apertures; and wherein the expanded beam optical component comprises a pair of lenses that are axially spaced apart from each other, and the axial ends of the pair of lenses are axially recessed from the axially opposite ends of the at least one ferrule.