Hybrid fiber/copper connector system and method

A hybrid fiber and electrical cable connector comprising:

• a housing with a mating end and a cable entry end, the housing formed from two housing portions removably mounted together to form an interior with an opening extending from the mating end to the cable entry end;
• at least one electrical pin connector mounted within the interior adjacent the mating end and a fiber connector retainer mounted within the interior adjacent the mating end, the fiber connector retainer extending across a portion of the interior adjacent the mating end and including at least one opening for mounting a fiber optic connector so that a terminal end of an optical fiber held by the connector is accessible through the mating end, and the at least one electrical pin connector mounted adjacent the fiber connector retainer so that a terminal end of an electrical wire held by the electrical pin connector is accessible through the mating end;
• the cable entry end of the housing configured to receive a hybrid fiber/copper cable from outside the connector into the interior, the hybrid fiber/copper cable including at least one optical fiber and at least one pair of electrical wires;
• the housing including a cable management structure within the interior positioned between the cable entry end and the adapter.

A hybrid communications cable connector system comprising;

• a first cable connector mounted to the end of a first hybrid fiber/copper telecommunications cable, the first cable including at least one optical fiber and at least one pair of copper wires, the first connector including a termination for each of the optical fibers and the wires of the first cable;
• a second cable connector mounted to the end of second hybrid fiber/copper telecommunications cable, the second cable including at least one optical fiber and at least one pair of copper wires, the second connector including a termination for each of the optical fibers and the wires of the second cable;
• the first and second connectors each including a housing with a mating end, the mating ends of the first and second connectors configured to engage each other so that each fiber termination of the first connector is optically linked with one of the fiber terminations of the second connector and each wire termination of the first connector is optically linked with one of the wire termination of the second connector;
• each connector including a housing defining an interior and within the interior, each connector including a cable management structure.