Patent ID: 6960025

Claim:
A connector system for providing discriminating mating among optical fiber plugs and receptacles, said system comprising; a plurality of receptacles, each receptacle comprising a jack having a tub having an inner surface with a first geometry, said first geometry comprising at least a key, each tub also comprising a plurality of ribs extending inward, at least two or more receptacles having different first geometries; and a plurality of optical fiber plugs, each optical fiber plug comprising a housing having a second geometry and a ferrule contained within the housing, said second geometry comprising a slot to receive a key of one of said plurality of receptacle, said housing also comprising secondary slots to receive said ribs of said each receptacle, at least two or more optical fiber plugs having different second geometries; wherein a particular optical fiber plug of said plurality of optical fiber plugs having a particular second geometry and a particular receptacle of said plurality of receptacles having a particular first geometry mate such that the key and ribs of said particular receptacle are received by the slot and the secondary slots of said particular optical fiber plug to effect pre-alignment of the ferrule of said particular optical fiber plug, and wherein said particular second geometry physically interfering with all other first geometries to prevent said particular optical fiber plug from mating with one or more of said plurality of receptacles having said other first geometries.