An optical connector (100) comprises one or more optical cables (110) disposed within a housing (120). Each optical In cable (110) includes an array of at least one optical waveguide (111) and at least one optical ferrule (112) attached to the array of optical waveguides (111). The housing (120) includes a first housing portion (121) and a second housing portion (122) engaged with the first housing portion (121). The second housing portion (122) comprises at least one carrier (130) and one frame (140). The carrier (130) and frame (140) of the second housing portion (122) are configured to support the one or more optical cables (110). The first housing portion (121) and the second housing portion (122) are configured such that mechanical engagement of the first housing portion (121) with the second housing portion (122) moves the carrier (130) relative to the frame (140). Movement of the carrier (130) relative to the frame (140) causes a bend in each optical waveguide (111) and rotation of each ferrule (112). The bend provides a predetermined spring force of the optical waveguides (111) at a predetermined angle of the ferrule (112).

An optical cable subassembly includes one or more optical waveguides, at least light coupling unit comprising a first attachment area permanently attached to the optical waveguides, and at least one cable retainer comprising a second attachment area permanently attached to the optical waveguides and adapted to be installed in a housing. A length of the optical waveguides between the first attachment area and the second attachment area allows a bend in the optical waveguides that provides a predetermined mating spring force at a predetermined angle of the light coupling unit when installed in the housing.

An optical connector includes a first attachment area for receiving and permanently attaching to an optical waveguide. A light coupling unit is disposed and configured to move translationally and not rotationally within the housing of the connector. The light coupling unit includes a second attachment area for receiving and permanently attaching to an optical waveguide received and permanently attached at the first attachment area. The light coupling unit also includes light redirecting surface. The light redirecting surface is configured such that when an optical waveguide is received and permanently attached at the first and second attachment areas, the light redirecting surface receives and redirects light from the optical waveguide. The optical waveguide limits, but does not prevent, a movement of the light coupling unit within the housing.

A fiber optic connector includes a positioning member formed with two installation holes and two guiding grooves, two central rods and a locking member. The locking member has two guiding portions and is operable to move relative to the positioning member between a locking position, where each of the guiding portions extends into an intersection of the corresponding guiding groove and the corresponding installation hole to engage an annular groove of the corresponding central rod for restricting movement of the central rods along the installation holes, and an open position, where the guiding portions are disengaged from the annular grooves, thereby allowing the central rods to move along the installation holes.

A pair of optical ferrules is disclosed. Each of a first ferrule and a second ferrule of the pair may include at least one protrusion and at least one recess. Each of the protrusions or recesses may have at least one channel for holding an optical fiber. Upon mating the two ferrules, the protrusion of the first ferrule is configured to be inserted into the recess of the second ferrule and the protrusion of the second ferrule is configured to be inserted into the recess of the first ferrule such that the optical fibers held in each protrusion are optically aligned to be connected face to face with the optical fibers held in the corresponding recess of the other ferrule.

Optical connectors are provided for connecting sets of optical waveguides, such as optical fiber ribbons to each other, to printed circuit boards, or to backplanes. The provided connectors utilize expanded beam optics with non-contact optical mating resulting in relaxed mechanical precision requirements. The provided connectors can have low optical loss, are easily scalable to high channel count (optical fibers per connector) and can be compatible with low insertion force blind mating.

An optical connector assembly includes a first optical connector and a second optical connector. The first optical connector includes a first housing, a plurality of first optical fibers, a first cable retainer and a first light coupling unit attached to the plurality of first optical fibers and separated by a first optical fiber length L1. The second optical connector includes a second housing, a plurality of second optical fibers, a second cable retainer and a second light coupling unit attached to the plurality of second optical fibers and separated by a second optical fiber length L2, different from L1. The ratio of L1/L2 is such that, when the first optical connector is mated with the second optical connector, the first light coupling unit and the second light coupling unit rotate relative to the first housing and the second housing, respectively, and mate.

A connector includes a latching mechanism configured to mechanically unlatch the connector and a mating connector. The latching mechanism of the connector, when actuated to unlatch the connector and the mating connector, disengages both a retention feature of the connector and a retention feature of the mating connector.

An assembly of two fiber optic ferrules allows for the mating of a CWDM fiber optic ferrule with a non-CWDM fiber optic ferrule. The CWDM fiber optic ferrule has optical fibers that carry optical beams with at least two different wavelengths, which the non-CWDM ferrule has optical fibers that carry only one wavelength. The CWDM fiber optic ferrule and the non-CWDM fiber optic ferrule have optical fibers that are inserted along parallel axes. The non-CWDM fiber optic ferrule has a lens pitch that matches the CWDM ferrule.

An optical cable subassembly includes one or more optical waveguides, at least light coupling unit comprising a first attachment area permanently attached to the optical waveguides, and at least one cable retainer comprising a second attachment area permanently attached to the optical waveguides and adapted to be installed in a housing. A length of the optical waveguides between the first attachment area and the second attachment area allows a bend in the optical waveguides that provides a predetermined mating spring force at a predetermined angle of the light coupling unit when installed in the housing.