Optical fiber interfaces comprising light blocking elements and illumination systems comprising light blocking elements

An optical fiber interface comprising:

• (a) an interface housing comprising a receptacle, a light input for receiving light, an optical path between the light input and the receptacle through which the light traverses the interface housing along an axis of propagation, and a movable light blocking element, wherein:
• the light blocking element has a blocking position relative to the receptacle in which the light blocking element is disposed in the optical path between the light input and the receptacle;
• the light blocking element has a transmitting position relative to the receptacle in which the light blocking element does not interrupt the optical path between the light input and the receptacle;
• and
• the light blocking element transitions from the blocking position to the transmitting position by moving in a direction substantially nonparallel to the axis of propagation
• (b) a first optical fiber connector comprising a first mirror, wherein the light blocking element is in the blocking position when the first optical fiber connector is not inserted in the receptacle;
• and
• the first optical fiber connector engages the light blocking element as the first optical fiber connector is inserted into the receptacle, thereby moving the light blocking element from the blocking position to the transmitting position;
• and
• when the light blocking element is in the transmitting position, the light input is incident upon the first mirror, which reflects the light through the first optical fiber connector.

An illumination system comprising:

• a light source that emits light;
• a plurality of bus input fibers, each bus input fiber having an input end, an output end, and an input fiber connector affixed to the bus input fiber;
• a plurality of bus output fibers, each bus output fiber having an input end and an output fiber connector affixed to the input end;
• and
• a bus housing having a plurality of bus input fiber receptacles optically aligned with a plurality of bus output fiber receptacles and a plurality of light blocking elements disposed between the plurality of bus input fiber receptacles and the plurality of bus output fiber receptacles, wherein for at least one input fiber and at least one output fiber:
• the input end of the bus input fiber is optically coupled to the light source;
• the input fiber connector of the bus input fiber is releasably engageable with the bus input fiber receptacle;
• and
• the output fiber connector of the bus output fiber is releasably engageable with the bus output fiber receptacle;
• when the output fiber connector of the bus output fiber does not engage the bus output fiber receptacle, the light blocking element is in a blocking position in which the light blocking element interrupts an optical path between the bus input fiber receptacle and the bus output fiber receptacle;
• and
• as the output fiber connector of the bus output fiber is inserted into the bus output fiber receptacle, the light blocking element is moved from the blocking position to a transmitting position in which the light blocking element no longer interrupts the optical path between the bus input fiber receptacle and the bus output fiber receptacle, thereby permitting the light emitted from the light source to traverse through the bus input fiber and to be coupled into the bus output fiber in the bus housing.