Hybrid fiber/copper connector system and method

Abstract

A hybrid fiber/copper connector assembly which permits repair of damaged fibers or copper conductors carried by a hybrid fiber/copper cable without requiring replacement of the entire connector assembly or the cable is disclosed. The hybrid fiber/copper connector assembly disclosed also allows individual hybrid fiber/copper connectors of the assembly to be converted from one gender to a different gender. The hybrid fiber/copper connectors of the assembly include removable keying members mountable to housings of the connectors. The removable keying members allow gender conversion and proper mating and orientation. The hybrid fiber/copper connector assembly also allows the individual connectors of the assembly to be converted from being hybrid fiber/copper connectors to being only fiber connectors or only copper connectors.

1 . A hybrid fiber/copper connector comprising:
 a first outer housing with a mating end and a cable entry end and a first inner housing removably mounted within the first outer housing, the first outer housing removably mounted to an opening in a panel, the first inner housing formed from two inner housing halves removably mounted together,   at least one fiber optic adapter removably mounted within one of the first inner housing halves adjacent the mating end;   at least one electrical pin carried by a conductor mount that is removably mounted within the other of the first inner housing halves adjacent the mating end, the electrical pin of the removable conductor mount configured to make electrical contact with an electrical pin stationarily mounted within one of the first inner housing halves; and   a removable keying member mounted to the first inner housing.   
     
     
         2 . The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the cable entry end of the first outer housing includes threads and the first outer housing is mounted to the panel by inserting the cable entry end of the first outer housing through the opening of the panel and threading a nut over the cable entry end of the first outer housing. 
     
     
         3 . The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the first outer housing is sealed against the opening of the panel with an o-ring. 
     
     
         4 . The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one fiber optic adapter is a duplex adapter. 
     
     
         5 . The connector of  claim 1 , further comprising an insert removably mounted within one of the first inner housing halves, the insert including a fiber optic connector received within the fiber optic adapter and a V-groove chip, the fiber optic connector being field-repairable, the V-groove chip including a V-groove for aligning a first segment of optical fiber terminated to the fiber optic connector and a second segment of optical fiber coming from outside the hybrid fiber/copper connector. 
     
     
         6 . A hybrid fiber/copper connector comprising:
 a first outer housing with a mating end and a cable entry end and a first inner housing removably mounted within the first outer housing, the first outer housing removably mounted to an opening in a panel, the first inner housing formed from two inner housing halves removably mounted together,   at least one fiber optic connector removably mounted within one of the first inner housing halves adjacent the mating end;   at least one electrical pin carried by a conductor mount that is removably mounted within the other of the first inner housing halves adjacent the mating end, the electrical pin of the removable conductor mount configured to make electrical contact with an electrical pin stationarily mounted within one of the first inner housing halves; and   a removable keying member mounted to the first inner housing.   
     
     
         7 . The connector of  claim 6 , wherein the cable entry end of the first outer housing includes threads and the first outer housing is mounted to the panel by inserting the cable entry end of the first outer housing through the opening of the panel and threading a nut over the cable entry end of the first outer housing. 
     
     
         8 . The connector of  claim 6 , wherein the first outer housing is sealed against the opening of the panel with an o-ring. 
     
     
         9 . The connector of  claim 6 , wherein two fiber optic connectors are removably mounted within one of the first inner housing halves. 
     
     
         10 . The connector of  claim 6 , further comprising an insert removably mounted within one of the first inner housing halves, the insert including the respective fiber optic connector and a V-groove chip, the fiber optic connector being field-repairable, the V-groove chip including a V-groove for aligning a first segment of optical fiber terminated to the respective fiber optic connector and a second segment of optical fiber coming from outside the hybrid fiber/copper connector. 
     
     
         11 . A hybrid fiber/copper connector assembly comprising:
 a first hybrid fiber/copper connector including a first outer housing with a mating end and a cable entry end and a first inner housing removably mounted within the first outer housing, the first inner housing formed from two inner housing halves removably mounted together; and   a second hybrid fiber/copper connector including a second outer housing with a mating end that is adapted to mate with the mating end of the first hybrid fiber/copper connector and a cable entry end, the second hybrid fiber/copper connector including a second inner housing removably mounted within the second outer housing, the second inner housing formed from two inner housing halves removably mounted together;   wherein the first hybrid fiber/copper connector includes at least one fiber optic adapter removably mounted within one of the first inner housing halves adjacent the mating end and at least one electrical pin carried by a conductor mount that is removably mounted within the other of the first inner housing halves adjacent the mating end, the electrical pin of the removable conductor mount configured to make electrical contact with an electrical pin stationarily mounted within one of the first inner housing halves;   wherein the second hybrid fiber/copper connector includes at least one fiber optic connector removably mounted within one of the second inner housing halves adjacent the mating end and at least one electrical pin conductor carried by a conductor mount that is removably mounted within the other of the second inner housing halves adjacent the mating end, the electrical pin of the removable conductor mount configured to make electrical contact with an electrical pin stationarily mounted within one of the second inner housing halves;   wherein the first hybrid fiber/copper connector includes a removable keying member mounted to the first inner housing;   wherein the second hybrid fiber/copper connector includes a removable keying member mounted to the second inner housing, the keying member of the first hybrid fiber/copper connector configured to mate with the keying member of the second hybrid fiber/copper connector when the first and the second hybrid fiber/copper connectors mate;   wherein the fiber optic connector of the second hybrid fiber/copper connector configured to mate with the fiber optic adapter of the first hybrid fiber/copper connector and the electrical pin conductor carried by the removably mounted conductor mount of the second hybrid fiber/copper connector adapted to electrically mate with the electrical pin conductor carried by the removably mounted conductor mount of the first hybrid fiber/copper connector.   
     
     
         12 . A fiber connector assembly comprising:
 a first fiber connector including a first outer housing with a mating end and a cable entry end and a first inner housing removably mounted within the first outer housing, the first inner housing formed from two inner housing halves removably mounted together, the first fiber connector including a removable keying member mounted to the first inner housing; and   a second fiber connector including a second outer housing with a mating end that is adapted to mate with the mating end of the first fiber connector and a cable entry end, the second fiber connector including a second inner housing removably mounted within the second outer housing, the second inner housing formed from two inner housing halves removably mounted together, the second fiber connector including a removable keying member mounted to the second inner housing;
 wherein the first fiber connector includes at least one fiber optic adapter removably mounted within each one of the first inner housing halves adjacent the mating end; 
 wherein the second fiber connector includes at least one fiber optic connector removably mounted within each one of the second inner housing halves adjacent the mating end; 
 wherein the fiber optic connectors of the second fiber connector are configured to mate with the fiber optic adapters of the first fiber connector, wherein the keying member of the first fiber connector mates with the keying member of the second fiber connector when the first fiber connector and the second fiber connector mate. 
   
     
     
         13 . The connector assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the fiber optic adapter is a duplex adapter. 
     
     
         14 . The connector assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising an insert removably mounted within each one of the second inner housing halves, each insert including the respective fiber optic connector and a V-groove chip, each fiber optic connector being field-repairable, the V-groove chip including a V-groove for aligning a first segment of optical fiber terminated to the respective fiber optic connector and a second segment of optical fiber coming from outside the connector assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The connector assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the fiber optic connectors are LX.5 format connectors. 
     
     
         16 . The connector of  claim 1 , further comprising a mounting flange extending in a direction radially outwardly with respect to an outer surface of the first outer housing, the mounting flange being for mounting the hybrid fiber/copper connector to the panel. 
     
     
         17 . The connector of  claim 6 , further comprising a mounting flange extending in a direction radially outwardly with respect to an outer surface of the first outer housing, the mounting flange being for mounting the hybrid fiber/copper connector to the panel.