Fiber optic connector

A fiber optic connector assembly for connecting two fiber optic transmission means together, of the type comprising a rigid housing having a profiled bore extending therethrough, said bore including a central cylindrical bore portion of selected diameter and having other bore portions outwardly therefrom towards each housing end of greater dimension than said selected diameter, and two ferrules of resiliently rigid but deformable material each terminated onto an end of a respective fiber optic transmission means secured in a central both thereof, and a means for securing each ferrule in the housing and urging the ferrules toward and to each other within the housing bore, each said ferrule having a profiled front end including a substantially flat front surface and with the front end of the fiber optic transmission means being coincident with the flat front surface, where the profiled front end of each ferrule is insertable into the profiled bore of the housing from a respective end thereof, each said profiled front end having a front cylindrical section slightly greater in diameter than the diameter of the central cylindrical bore portion along which the profiled front end is disposed so that the central cylindrical bore portion tightly engages the larger diameter front cylindrical sections of both ferrules and reduces both front cylindrical sections in diameter centering end portions of both respective fiber optic transmission means within the bore and axially aligning them, characterized in that:

• said housing has a support bore portion spaced axially outwardly from each end of said central cylindrical bore portion a selected distance therefrom and having a selected diameter larger than said selected diameter of said central cylindrical bore portion, said bore having a transition portion between said central cylindrical bore portion and each said support bore portion;
• and
• each said ferrule has an alignment section means located a selected distance axially rearwardly from said front cylindrical section to be disposed along a respective said support bore portion, said alignment section means being slightly larger in dimension than said selected diameter of said respective support bore portion to be tightly and sealingly engaged thereby, said ferrule including a transition section between said front cylindrical section and said alignment section means adapted to be disposed along a corresponding said transition bore portion and substantially unengaged therewith,
• each said transition section being approximately as long as the combined axial lengths of said front cylindrical section and said alignment section means, and each said transition bore portion being correspondingly at least as long as said transition section, whereby the total axial length of tight engagement of each said ferrule in said housing is substantially less than the distance from the forwardmost point to the rearwardmost point of tight engagement between said ferrule and said housing,
• whereby said central cylindrical bore portion tightly engages each said ferrule at a respective first location and each said support bore portion tightly engages a respective said ferrule at respective second location spaced axially rearwardly from said respective first location, and whereby said housing thus tightly engages each said ferrule at two axially spaced locations axially aligning said ferrules and thereby said respective fiber optic transmission means therewithin and enabling said ferrules to resist lateral forces thereon and maintain said respective fiber optic transmission means therewithin in axial alignment.