Gender changeable multi-fiber fiber optic connector

A fiber optic connector comprising:

• a connector body extending along a longitudinal axis and including opposing major sides and opposing minor sides, wherein at least one of the opposing major sides defines a tool access opening that at least partially defines a tool path;
• a multi-fiber ferrule disposed within the connector body and including left and right alignment pin openings that extend along the longitudinal axis;
• a main grip-sleeve body slidably mounted on the connector body and rearward of the tool access opening;
• left and right alignment pins mountable in the left and right alignment pin openings of the multi-fiber ferrule;
• and
• a pin retention structure disposed within the connector body, the pin retention structure comprising:
• a pin-holder body defining left and right pin openings configured to receive a rear end of the left and right alignment pins;
• and
• a U-shaped spring clip having a base portion and left and right legs for selectively retaining the left and right alignment pins, the spring clip moveable relative to the pin-holder body between a pin retaining position and a pin release position, the base portion is at least partially disposed within the tool path and flexes inwardly towards the longitudinal axis upon inserting a tool within the tool path to move the left and right legs to the pin release position and in a direction away from the longitudinal axis and towards the minor sides of the connector body.

A fiber optic connector comprising:

• a connector body having opposite front and rear ends, the connector body also including opposite upper and lower major sides that extend lengthwise between the front and rear ends, the connector body further including opposite left and right minor sides that extend between the upper and lower major sides and also extend lengthwise between the front and rear ends, the connector body defining a central longitudinal axis that extends between the front and rear ends;
• a multi-fiber ferrule positioned within the connector body adjacent the front end, the multi-fiber ferrule having an elongate transverse cross-sectional profile defining perpendicular major and minor dimensions, the major dimension extending between the left and right minor sides of the connector body and the minor dimension extending between the upper and lower major sides, the multi-fiber ferrule defining a plurality of fiber openings for receiving optical fibers, at least one of the fiber openings being arranged in a row that extends along the major dimension of the multi-fiber ferrule, the multi-fiber ferrule being movable relative to the connector body along the central longitudinal axis of the connector body, the multi-fiber ferrule defining left and right alignment pin openings that extend along the central longitudinal axis of the connector body when the multi-fiber ferrule is positioned within the connector body;
• a spring stop mounted within the rear end of the connector body;
• a ferrule spring for biasing the multi-fiber ferrule in a forward direction relative to the connector body, the ferrule spring being located within the connector body and being captured between the spring stop and the multi-fiber ferrule;
• a main grip-sleeve body mounted on the connector body, the main grip-sleeve body including upper and lower major sides that respectively oppose the upper and lower major sides of the connector body, the main grip-sleeve body also including left and right minor sides that respectively oppose the left and right minor sides of the connector body, the main grip-sleeve body being movable relative to the connector body along the central longitudinal axis of the connector body between a forward position and a rearward position;
• left and right alignment pins mountable in the left and right alignment pin openings of the multi-fiber ferrule, wherein when the left and right alignment pins are mounted within the multi-fiber ferrule within the connector body, the left and right alignment pins include inner surfaces that face towards each other and toward the central longitudinal axis, and the left and right alignment pins also include outer surfaces that face away from one another and away from the central longitudinal axis, the left and right alignment pins further including circumferential grooves defined adjacent rear ends of the left and right alignment pins;
• and
• a pin retention structure positioned at a rear end of the multi-fiber ferrule for retaining the left and right alignment pins within the left and right alignment pin openings, the pin retention structure including:
• a pin-holder body;
• and
• a U-shaped spring clip for retaining the left and right alignment pins in the left and right alignment pin openings, the spring clip including a base portion extending along the major dimension of the multi-fiber ferrule and left and right legs extending along the minor dimension of the multi-fiber ferrule, the spring clip being movable relative to the pin-holder body between a pin retaining position and a pin release position, the spring clip biased toward the pin retaining position, the left and right legs being positioned and configured to fit within the circumferential grooves of the alignment pins when the alignment pins are installed within the alignment pin openings, the left and right legs being adapted to fit within the circumferential grooves at the outer surfaces of the alignment pins, the base portion being positioned outwardly relative to the central longitudinal axis, wherein the base portion flexes inwardly relative to the central longitudinal axis to move the left and right legs from the pin retaining position to the pin release position and outwardly relative to the central longitudinal axis.