Optical connectors for coupling light sources to optical fibers

An optical assembly comprising:

• a housing having a first end and a second end positioned at opposite ends of an optical axis of the housing, the first end of the housing having an open aperture and the second end of the housing having a blind aperture, wherein the optical axis of the housing passes through the open aperture and the blind aperture;
• a light source coupled to the open aperture;
• an optical fiber positioned in the blind aperture;
• and
• at least one refracting surface positioned between the open aperture and a termination of the blind aperture such that an optical path from the light source to an input face of the optical fiber passes through the at least one refracting surface, the optical path extending through at least two different materials between the light source and the input face of the optical fiber.

An optical connector comprising:

• a housing having a first end and a second end positioned at opposite ends of an optical axis of the housing;
• a chamber disposed in an interior volume of the housing such that the optical axis of the housing passes through the chamber, the chamber having a reflecting material positioned on a sidewall of the chamber, wherein the chamber tapers from the first end of the housing to the second end of the housing such that a first diameter of the chamber at the first end of the housing is larger than a second diameter of the chamber at the second end of the housing;
• and
• a light source coupled to the first end of the housing wherein, when the light source is powered on, divergent light from the light source propagates through the chamber and is reflected by the reflecting material to concentrate the light proximate the second end of the housing.