Patent ID: 8104973

Claim:
A ferrule-to-ferrule adapter comprising: a main body having an outside surface; an opening extending through the main body between a first side of the main body and a second side of the main body, the opening configured to receive and to optically and mechanically mate two monolithic multi-fiber ferrules to one another, each monolithic multi-fiber ferrule directly attached to at least one optical fiber, the monolithic multi-fiber ferrules having a front face and a rearmost face opposite thereto, the front face being inserted into the opening perpendicularly oriented to an insertion direction of the monolithic multi-fiber ferrules; and two ferrule engagement members connected to the main body and disposed adjacent the opening on each side of the main body, each ferrule engagement member movable to a first position to engage only the rearmost face of a respective one of the monolithic multi-fiber ferrules after being inserted into the opening, the engagement members retaining the monolithic multi-fiber ferrules in the ferrule-to-ferrule adapter in mechanical and optical engagement.