Latching fiber optic connector system

The system described in claim 5 wherein:

• said second housing has a retainer arrangement for retaining said second fiber block in an initial forward position relative to said second housing, said arrangement including a cam on said second fiber block and said arrangement also including a pair of resilient arms on said second connector each arm having a free arm end forming a cam follower;
• said cam having a wedge-shaped forward surface for separating said free arm ends as said second fiber block moves forward relative to said second housing.

In an optical fiber connector system which includes first and second mateable connectors with fiber-holding ferrules that abut during mating, wherein the first connector includes a first housing and a first fiber block fixed therein, and the second connector has a second housing and a second fiber block that is slideable between forward and rearward positions in the second housing, each of said fiber blocks holding optic fiber termini with the termini in one of said fiber blocks being spring biased by springs toward the other termini, the improvement wherein:

• said first connector has a deflectable first latch and said second fiber block has a second fiber block latch, said latches being positioned to hold said second fiber block mated to said first fiber block and with tips of said ferrules abutting and said springs compressed;
• said second housing has a latch blocker that blocks deflection of said first latch out of engagement with said second fiber block latch when said second housing has moved forward so said second fiber block lies in said rearward position relative to said second housing.

A method for mating first and second connectors that have respective first and second housings and respective first and second fiber blocks that each hold optical fiber termini with the termini in at least one block being spring biased toward a mating end of the corresponding connector, comprising:

• moving said second connector forwardly with respect to said first connector to mate said connectors until a second latch on said second fiber block deflects and passes forwardly past a first latch end of a first latch on said first connector, wherein said first latch includes a first resilient arm and said first latch end is on said first resilient arm;
• said step of moving said connectors includes moving said second housing forwardly while said said termini in said connectors abut and said second fiber block does not move forwardly as much as said second housing, while moving a blocking portion of said second housing beside said first latch to prevent said first latch from deflecting out of the path of said second latch as said second latch moves rearwardly to a final mating position.