Ferrule holding member and optical connector

1. A ferrule holding member, comprising:

a tube-shaped receiving portion including a receiving space therein, the receiving space receiving at least partially a ferrule mounted to a terminal of an optical fiber; and

an engaging portion engaged to the ferrule received in the receiving portion, to thereby regulate movement of the ferrule relative to the receiving portion,

wherein the receiving portion includes a communicating hole to allow the receiving space to communicate externally,

wherein the engaging portion includes an engaging protrusion configured to be inserted in the communicating hole from an outer periphery side of the receiving portion, to engage the ferrule,

wherein the receiving portion includes a groove provided in an outer periphery and extended along a center axis of the receiving portion and an opening of the communicating hole provided in a bottom of the groove, the engaging portion includes a supporting portion to elastically support the engaging protrusion, and the supporting portion is at least partially disposed in the groove with the engaging protrusion engaging the ferrule,

wherein the groove and the opening are located in two opposite areas around the center axis of the receiving portion, and two of the engaging portions are provided in correspondence with the grooves and the openings in the two areas, respectively.

2. The ferrule holding member according to claim 1 , further comprising:

gaps provided between the supporting portions and the bottoms of the grooves respectively, to insert tips of a tool into the gaps respectively to separate the supporting portions from the bottoms of the grooves respectively and disengage the engaging protrusion from the ferrule.

3. The ferrule holding member according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving portion comprises a plurality of tube-shaped members interlocked together in an axial direction of the receiving portion, the engaging portion is a portion of an engaging member including a ring base sandwiched between the plurality of the tube-shaped members, and the supporting portion is connected to the base at one end.

4. An optical connector, comprising:

a fixed ferrule mounted to a terminal of an optical fiber; and

a ferrule holding member which fixedly holds the fixed ferrule,

the ferrule holding member comprising:

a tube-shaped receiving portion including a receiving space therein, the receiving space receiving at least partially a second ferrule mounted to a terminal of a second optical fiber; and

an engaging portion engaged to the second ferrule received in the receiving portion, to thereby regulate movement of the second ferrule relative to the receiving portion,

wherein the receiving portion includes a communicating hole to allow the receiving space to communicate externally,

wherein the engaging portion includes an engaging protrusion configured to be inserted in the communicating hole from an outer periphery side of the receiving portion, to engage the second ferrule,

wherein the receiving portion includes a groove provided in an outer periphery and extended along a center axis of the receiving portion and an opening of the communicating hole provided in a bottom of the groove, the engaging portion includes a supporting portion to elastically support the engaging protrusion, and the supporting portion is at least partially disposed in the groove with the engaging protrusion engaging the second ferrule,

wherein the groove and the opening are located in two opposite areas around the center axis of the receiving portion, and two of the engaging portions are provided in correspondence with the grooves and the openings in the two areas, respectively.