A METHOD OF ASSEMBLING AN OPTICAL CONNECTOR AND AN OPTICAL CONNECTOR

摘要

An optical connector and a method of assembling an optical connector that is capable of avoiding generation of unnecessary tension in the optical fiber cable in which plain fiber portions are optically connected to each other using a splice assembly. The optical connector comprises a connector housing having splice means configured to abut a stripped and cleaved end surface of a plain fiber of an optical fiber cable (2) onto an end of a fiber stub predisposed in the splice means to form an optical connection; and a cable fixing assembly (26, 40), that includes a cable fixing member (26) and a cable holder (40), for fixing an outer covering (2c) of the optical fiber cable (2) introduced into said connector housing (10). The cable fixing member (26), which includes an opposing piece (26b) for slidably engaging with a guide section (24) formed on the wall of an end cap (21) of the connector housing (10), is pressed in from the direction perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber cable (2) and is mounted on the wall of the end cap (21). A step section is formed on the sliding surface of the opposing piece (26b) to be in sliding contact with the sliding surface of the guide section (24), for moving the cable fixing member (26) together with the optical fiber cable (2) so as to reduce a distance between the splice means (3) and the cable holder (40).