Indoor hybrid connectivity system for providing both electrical power and fiber optic service

Abstract

A hybrid optical and electrical connection system includes a fiber optic connector; and a connector contact holder. The connector includes a connector body defining a forward plug end, a ferrule, a spring that biases the ferrule in a forward direction, and a rear piece that retains the spring within the connector body. The connector contact holder includes an attachment portion that attaches to the fiber optic connector, a lateral offset portion that extends laterally outwardly from the fiber optic connector and a forward extension structure that projects forwardly from the lateral offset portion toward the forward plug end of the connector body. The forward extension structure includes connector contact mounts. Connector electrical contacts are held by the connector contact mounts.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of converting an optical connector to an optical-electrical connector system comprising:
 supplying a fiber optic connector having a structure that includes a connector body and an optical fiber that transmits light; and   attaching a connector contact holder to the fiber optic connector while maintaining the structure of the fiber optic connector in an unaltered state, the connector contact holder including an electrical contact mount.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the connector contact holder is removably attached. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector contact mount supports an electrical pin contact or an electrical socket contact. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the connector body of the fiber optic connector defines a forward plug, and   wherein the fiber optic connector further includes a ferrule mounted within the connector body with a ferrule end face accessible at the forward plug end of the connector body, a spring that biases the ferrule in a forward direction, and a rear piece that is secured to a rear end of the connector body and that retains the spring within the connector body.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the connector contact holder includes an attachment portion that attaches to the fiber optic connector, a lateral offset portion that extends laterally outwardly from the fiber optic connector and a forward extension structure that projects forwardly from the lateral offset portion toward the forward plug end of the connector body, the forward extension structure including the electrical contact mount. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the rear piece of the fiber optic connection includes a rear extension and wherein attaching the connector contact holder to the fiber optic connector comprises press fitting the attachment portion of the contact holder over the rear extension. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the connector contact holder includes a rear projection in alignment with the rear extension of the rear piece of the fiber optic connector, and wherein a tapered boot is mounted on the rear extension. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic connector is an SC-type connector, wherein the fiber optic connector includes a release sleeve that mounts over the connector body, and wherein the release sleeve is mounted to slide relative to the connector body and the connector contact holder. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  5 , wherein the fiber optic connector is an SC-type connector, wherein the fiber optic connector includes a release sleeve that mounts over the connector body, wherein the release sleeve is mounted to slide relative to the connector body and the connector contact holder, and wherein a portion of a wall of the release sleeve is positioned laterally between the forward extension structure of the connector contact holder and the connector body of the fiber optic connector. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  9 , wherein the release sleeve includes a keying rail positioned at one side of the release sleeve, and the forward extension of the connector contact holder extends forwardly along a second side of the release sleeve that is opposite from the first side. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic connector comprises a duplex fiber optic connector. 
     
     
         12 . A method of converting an optical adapter to an optical-electrical adapter, the method comprising:
 providing a fiber optic adapter, the fiber optic adapter having a structure that includes an adapter body having a first optical connector port and an opposing second optical connector port connected to the first optical connector port by an alignment sleeve, the alignment sleeve coaxially aligning and optically coupling first and second fiber optic connectors received in the first and second optical connector ports, respectively; and   attaching an adapter contact holder to the fiber optic adapter while maintaining the structure of the fiber optic adapter in an unaltered state, the adapter contact holder including an electrical contact mount.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the adapter contact holder includes an attachment portion that attaches to the adapter body of the fiber optic adapter, includes a lateral offset portion that projects outwardly from the adapter body and an axial extension structure that extends from the lateral offset portion toward an open end of the first optical connector port of the fiber optic adapter. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the axial extension structure includes the electrical contact mount. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the electrical contact mount comprises a sleeve. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the converted optical-electrical adapter receives in at least one of the first and second ports a fiber optic connector that is converted to an optical-electrical connector. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the fiber optic connector is converted to the optical-electrical connector by:
 supplying the fiber optic connector, the fiber optic connector having a structure that includes a connector body and an optical fiber that transmits light; and   attaching a connector contact holder to the fiber optic connector while maintaining the structure of the fiber optic connector in an unaltered state, the connector contact holder including an electrical contact mount.   
     
     
         18 . A method of converting and coupling optical-electrical connectors comprising:
 supplying a first fiber optic connector having a structure that includes a connector body and an optical fiber that transmits light;   attaching a connector contact holder to the first fiber optic connector while maintaining the structure of the first fiber optic connector in an unaltered state, the connector contact holder including a connector electrical contact mount supporting a single pair of connector electrical contacts coupled to a single pair of electrical conductors;   supplying a second fiber optic connector having a structure that includes a connector body and an optical fiber that transmits light;   supplying a single pair of electrical conductors each having a conductor electrical contact;   supplying a fiber optic adapter, the fiber optic adapter having a structure that includes an adapter body having a first optical connector port and an opposing second optical connector port connected to the first optical connector port by an alignment sleeve;   attaching an adapter contact holder to the fiber optic adapter while maintaining the structure of the fiber optic adapter in an unaltered state, the adapter contact holder including an adapter electrical contact mount having a first electrical port and a second electrical port;   receiving the first fiber optic connector having the connected contact holder in the first optical connector port of the fiber optic adapter having the attached adapter contact holder and receiving the connector electrical contact mount including the single pair of connector electrical contacts in the first electrical port of the adapter electrical mount;   receiving the second fiber optic connector in the second optical connector port of the fiber optic adapter having attached adapter contact holder to optically couple the optical fiber of the first fiber optic connector with the optical fiber of the second fiber optic connector; and   receiving the pair of conductor electrical contacts in the second electrical port of the adapter electrical mount causing electrical coupling of the pair of conductor electrical contacts with the single pair of connector electrical contacts.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the alignment sleeve coaxially aligns and optically couples the first and second fiber optic connectors. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the pair of conductor electrical contacts comprise socket contacts and the pair of connector electrical contacts comprise pin contacts or wherein the pair of conductor electrical contacts comprise pin contacts and the pair of connector electrical contacts comprise socket contacts.