Patent ID: 7665907

Claim:
An optical connector assembly ( 10 ), comprising: a connector ( 12 ), the connector ( 12 ) including a connector housing ( 14 ), the connector housing ( 14 ) including a mating connector receptacle ( 16 ) formed by a cavity, the cavity being open on a front side ( 20 ) of the connector ( 12 ), the connector ( 12 ) further including first and second connection elements ( 66 , 68 ) protruding into the cavity from a rear side ( 22 ) of the connector ( 12 ); a mating connector ( 112 ) to mate with the connector ( 12 ); and first and second optical fibers ( 126 , 128 ), each optical fiber ( 126 , 128 ) being held by the mating connector ( 112 ) at a contact end ( 136 , 138 ) thereof, each optical fiber ( 126 , 128 ) used to establish an optical connection, when the connector ( 12 ) is mated with the mating connector ( 112 ), between the first optical fiber ( 126 ) and a first electro-optical converter ( 56 ) and between the second optical fiber ( 128 ) and a second electro-optical converter ( 58 ), the first and second electro-optical converters ( 56 , 58 ) being arranged side-by-side on the rear side ( 22 ) of the connector ( 12 ), the second electro-optical converter ( 58 ) including an optically active area ( 428 ) for coupling optical signals in; wherein a first optical coupling element ( 26 ) is arranged in the connector ( 12 ) between the first optical fiber ( 126 ) and the first electro-optical converter ( 56 ) for passing light waves from the first electro-optical converter ( 56 ) through the first optical coupling element ( 26 ) into the first optical fiber ( 126 ); wherein a second optical coupling element ( 28 ) is arranged within the connector ( 12 ) between the second optical fiber ( 128 ) and the second electro-optical converter ( 58 ) for passing light waves from the second optical fiber ( 128 ) through the second optical coupling element ( 28 ) into the second electro-optical converter ( 58 ), the second coupling element ( 28 ) comprising a substantially cylindrical optical waveguide section ( 318 ); and wherein the optically active area ( 428 ) of the second electro-optical converter ( 58 ) has a larger diameter than the second optical fiber ( 128 ), and the second optical waveguide section ( 318 ) has a larger diameter than the second optical fiber ( 128 ).