Patent ID: 7625134

Claim:
An optical connector for connecting a user circuit to an optical backplane, in use the connector being adapted for mounting on a user circuit, the connector comprising: an optical interface through which optical signals may be transmitted and received between a user circuit and a said optical backplane; a primary aligner for engagement with a corresponding aligner on a backplane to ensure alignment of the optical interface with the backplane; a support for supporting the aligner and/or the optical interface on the connector, the support being selected to enable relative movement between a user circuit to which the connector is connected in use and the aligner and/or the optical interface; and a movement mechanism for urging engagement of the primary aligner on the connector with the aligner of the backplane, in which the support comprises a flexible substrate having a first end fixedly mounted to the connector and a second end movable relative to the first end and in which the movement mechanism comprises a cam movable to urge the flexible substrate into an engagement position in which, in use, the primary aligner is engaged with the corresponding aligner on the backplane.