Patent ID: 7210861

Claim:
An optical connector comprising: a female connector comprising: a photoelectric conversion module that converts an electrical signal and an optical signal; a first housing that accommodates the photoelectric conversion module; an opening in the first housing that communicates with the photoelectric conversion module; and an optical element that at least one of transmits and receives the optical signal; a male connector that supports one end of an optical transmission medium and cooperates with the female connector, the male connector comprising: a plug adapted to be received by the first housing to optically connect the optical transmission medium and the photoelectric conversion module; and a second housing having an enclosure section extending around the plug and defining a space between the plug and the second housing, the second housing extends around the optical element of the female connector when the male connector and the female connector are in engagement with each another; wherein the photoelectric conversion module includes: a transparent substrate that has an optical transparency for wavelengths of the optical signal; the optical element is disposed at one surface side of the transparent substrate and emits the optical signal to another surface side of the transparent substrate in response to a supply of a current or a voltage, or outputs a current or a voltage according to an intensity of the optical signal that enters the transparent substrate from the other surface side; a reflector disposed on the other surface side of the transparent substrate and changes a course of the optical signal emitted from the optical element by about 90 degrees to be conducted to the optical transmission medium, or changes a course of the optical signal emitted from the optical transmission medium to be conducted to the optical element; and a receptacle disposed on the other surface side of the transparent substrate for inserting the plug.