Electro-optical plug-in interconnection

Claim 1

A plug-in interconnection for optically coupling fiber optic cable means to avioptic circuit devices, said interconnection comprising a male optical connector encasing the terminal portion of said cable means, said cable means having an end exposed such that light passes therethrough; a female optical receptable mounted on said circuit device for receiving said male optical connector in an on-axis, coaxial relationship, said receptacle having a bore on the longitudinal axis of said interconnection and a wall with an aperture formed through said wall, said aperture having an axis normal to the axis of said bore, said aperture axis being aligned with the axis of at least the end portion of an optical element of a circuit device; reflecting means in said bore of said receptacle, said reflecting means having a reflecting surface in operative alignment with said axis of said optical element such as to reflect light between said cable means in said connector and said optical element of said circuit device whereby light signals can be communicated therebetween; a male electrical termination element associated with said male optical connector; and an electrical termination receptacle associated with said female optical receptacle with the axes of said electrical termination element and said interconnection have a parallel relationship such that there is a simultaneous coupling of both said electrical and optical elements thereof when said interconnection is plugged in.