Optical connector cleaning implement

Abstract

An optical connector cleaning implement (1) comprises: a cleaning shaft (10) that has a pressing surface (111) that presses a cleaning body (5) against a connection end surface (811) of an optical connector (80) and in which the cleaning body (5) is wrapped around so as to be folded back at the pressing surface (111); and a cylindrical member (30) that houses the cleaning shaft (10). The cylindrical member (30) comprises a distal end section (31) having a deformable inner diameter.

Description

Optical connector cleaning tool

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical connector cleaning tool for cleaning the connection end face of an optical connector. For designated countries where incorporation by reference of literature is permitted, the content of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-072526 filed in Japan on April 26, 2023 is incorporated by reference into this specification and made a part of the description of this specification.

[0002] An optical connector cleaning tool is known that can clean both an optical connector plug directly and an optical connector plug attached to an adapter (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] When using this optical connector cleaning tool, it is possible to directly clean the optical connector plug by attaching a cylindrical cap to the tip of the optical connector cleaning tool and inserting the optical connector plug into this cap. On the other hand, it is possible to clean the optical connector plug attached to the adapter by inserting the tip of the optical connector cleaning tool with the cap removed into the adapter.

[0004] JP 2010-191465 A

[0005] In the cleaning work using the optical connector cleaning tool described above, the cap needs to be attached or detached depending on the condition of the optical connector, which has the problem of affecting the efficiency of the cleaning work for the optical connector.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector cleaning tool that can improve the efficiency of cleaning an optical connector.

[0007] [1] Aspect 1 of the present invention is an optical connector cleaning tool for cleaning the connection end face of an optical connector, comprising: a cleaning shaft having a pressing surface that presses a cleaning body against the connection end face, the cleaning body being wrapped around the pressing surface so as to fold back against the pressing surface; and a tubular member that houses the cleaning shaft, the tubular member having a tip end with a deformable inner diameter.

[0008] [2] Aspect 2 of the present invention may be an optical connector cleaning tool according to aspect 1, wherein the inner diameter expands as the tip portion elastically deforms.

[0009] [3] Aspect 3 of the present invention may be an optical connector cleaning tool according to aspect 1 or 2, wherein the inner diameter in normal operation is large enough to insert a ferrule of the optical connector, and the inner diameter when expanded is large enough to insert a tubular portion that holds the ferrule.

[0010] [4] A fourth aspect of the present invention may be an optical connector cleaning tool in which, in the optical connector cleaning tool of the third aspect, the tubular portion is disposed in a receiving member capable of receiving a mating optical connector.

[0011] [5] Aspect 5 of the present invention may be an optical connector cleaning tool in which, in any one of aspects 1 to 4, the tip portion is divided into a plurality of movable pieces, and the inner diameter expands as the plurality of movable pieces elastically deform radially outward of the tubular member.

[0012] [6] Aspect 6 of the present invention may be an optical connector cleaning tool for any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the tip portion has a slit extending along the longitudinal direction of the tubular member, and the tip portion elastically deforms to increase the width of the slit, thereby increasing the inner diameter.

[0013] [7] Aspect 7 of the present invention may be an optical connector cleaning tool in which, in any one of aspects 1 to 6, the tubular member has a main body to which the tip end is connected, and the tip end is made of an elastic material having a Young's modulus smaller than the Young's modulus of the material constituting the main body.

[0014] [8] Aspect 8 of the present invention may be an optical connector cleaning tool in which, in any one of aspects 1 to 7, the tip portion has a tapered surface at the opening of the tubular member, and the inner diameter of the tip portion expands when the tubular portion holding the ferrule of the optical connector abuts against the tapered surface.

[0015] In the present invention, the tip of the cylindrical member that houses the cleaning shaft has a deformable inner diameter, eliminating the need to attach and remove the cap, thereby improving the efficiency of cleaning the optical connector.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an optical connector to be cleaned by an optical connector cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the optical connector cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3(a) is a front view showing the cleaning shaft and the tip of the guide nozzle of the optical connector cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIB-IIIB in FIG. 3(a). FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the tip of the guide nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5(a) and FIG. 5(b) are diagrams for explaining a method of directly cleaning a standalone optical connector plug using the optical connector cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5(a) is a diagram showing a state before the optical connector cleaning tool is inserted into the optical connector plug, and FIG. 5(b) is a diagram showing a state after the optical connector cleaning tool is inserted into the optical connector plug. 6(a) and 6(b) are diagrams for explaining a method for cleaning an optical connector plug attached to an adapter using an optical connector cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention, where Fig. 6(a) is a diagram showing a state before the optical connector cleaning tool is inserted into the adapter, and Fig. 6(b) is a diagram showing a state after the optical connector cleaning tool is inserted into the adapter. Fig. 7(a) is a perspective view showing the tip of the guide nozzle in the state shown in Fig. 5(b), and Fig. 7(b) is a perspective view showing the tip of the guide nozzle in the state shown in Fig. 6(b).

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] An optical connector cleaning tool 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a cleaner for cleaning the connection end faces of optical connectors that connect optical fibers together. Fig. 1 is a front view showing an optical connector plug 80 that is the object to be cleaned by the optical connector cleaning tool 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This optical connector plug 80 corresponds to an example of an "optical connector" according to an aspect of the present invention.

[0019] The optical connector plug 80 to be cleaned by this optical connector cleaning tool 1 has an outer diameter D １ The optical fiber 82 is provided with a cylindrical ferrule 81. The ferrule 81 is made of, for example, zirconia (zirconium oxide). The ferrule 81 has a fiber holding hole that penetrates the ferrule 81 in the longitudinal direction (see FIGS. 5( a) and 5(b)). An optical fiber 82 is inserted into the fiber holding hole, and the optical fiber 82 is fixed to the ferrule 81 with an adhesive or the like. The optical fiber 82 is exposed from a circular end face 811 of the ferrule 81. The ferrule 81 is held in a housing 83. The housing 83 is made of, for example, a resin material.

[0020] Although not particularly limited, specific examples of such optical connector plug 80 include a single-fiber optical connector such as an SC (Single-fiber Coupling) connector specified in JIS C5973, an FC (Fiber Connector) connector specified in JIS C5970, an MU (Miniature Universal) connector specified in JIS C 5983, and an LC (Lucent Connector) connector.

[0021] A pair of optical connector plugs 80 each having the above-described ferrules 81 are connected to each other using an adapter 90 (see Figures 6(a) and 6(b)) having a sleeve (cylindrical portion) 92 into which the ferrule 81 can be inserted.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 6, the adapter 90 includes a housing 91 and a cylindrical portion 92. The cylindrical portion 92 is disposed within the housing 91 and is connected to the housing 91. The cylindrical portion 92 has an outer diameter D ２ The inner hole has an inner diameter D ３ (D ２ >D ３ This inner diameter D ３ is the outer diameter D of the ferrule 81 １ It is slightly larger than (D ３ >D １), the ferrule 81 can be fitted into this cylindrical portion 92. This cylindrical portion 92 has two opposing openings, and by inserting a ferrule into each of the two openings, the ferrules can be brought into contact with each other. Although not specifically shown, this cylindrical portion 92 has an inner peripheral portion that contacts the ferrule 81 and an outer peripheral portion that covers the inner peripheral portion. The inner peripheral portion is made of, for example, zirconia, while the outer peripheral portion is made of, for example, a resin material. The housing 91 of this adapter 90 corresponds to an example of a "receiving member" in this aspect of the present invention.

[0023] When a pair of optical connector plugs 80 are inserted into openings 911, 912 on both sides of a housing 91 of the adapter 90, the ferrules 81 enter the cylindrical portion 92. Then, by butting the end faces 811 of the ferrules 81 of the pair of optical connector plugs 80 together in the cylindrical portion 92, the optical fibers 82 exposed from the end faces 811 of the ferrules 81 are optically connected to each other.

[0024] If dirt, dust, oil, or other contaminants adhere to the end face 811 of the ferrule 81 during this butting, this may cause damage during connection and disconnection, an increase in transmission loss, etc. Therefore, before connecting the optical connector plugs 80 together, the end face 811 of the ferrule 81 is cleaned using an optical connector cleaning tool 1 described below.

[0025] The optical connector cleaning tool 1 of this embodiment can directly clean the optical connector plug 80 in a standalone state (a state where it is not attached to the adapter 90) without the above-mentioned cap attaching and detaching operation, and can also clean the optical connector plug 80 in a state where it is attached to the adapter 90. In other words, the optical connector cleaning tool 1 can clean the connection end face 811 of the optical connector plug 80 without using a cap, regardless of the state of the optical connector plug 80.

[0026] Specifically, when directly cleaning the optical connector plug 80 in a standalone state, the tip of the optical connector cleaning tool 1 is inserted into the opening 831 of the optical connector plug 80 to clean the end face 811 of the ferrule 81 of the optical connector plug 80 (see FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b)). On the other hand, when cleaning the optical connector plug 80 attached to the adapter 90, the optical connector cleaning tool 1 is inserted into one opening 911 of the adapter 90, and the optical connector plug 80 is inserted into the other opening 912 of the adapter 90 to clean the end face 811 of the ferrule 81 of the optical connector plug 80 (see FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b)).

[0027] The optical connector plug 80 described above is an optical connector plug used in a plug-adapter-plug coupling system, but in an optical connector receptacle used in a plug-receptacle coupling system, the end face of the ferrule may be cleaned using the optical connector cleaning tool 1 described below.

[0028] Although not specifically shown, this optical connector receptacle also includes a housing and a tubular portion, similar to the adapter 90 described above. The tubular portion is disposed within and connected to the housing. In this optical connector receptacle, a ferrule attached to the tip of an optical fiber is incorporated into the tubular portion.

[0029] This cylindrical portion has the same shape as the cylindrical portion 92 of the adapter 90 described above, and the outer diameter D ２ The same outer diameter D ２ and the cylindrical portion 92 has an inner diameter D ３ The same inner diameter D ３ This allows the ferrule of the mating optical connector plug to fit into this cylindrical portion. This cylindrical portion has an inner circumferential portion that contacts the ferrule 81 and an outer circumferential portion that covers the inner circumferential portion. The inner circumferential portion is made of, for example, zirconia, while the outer circumferential portion is made of, for example, a resin material. This optical connector receptacle corresponds to an example of an "optical connector" in this aspect of the present invention, and the housing of this optical connector receptacle corresponds to an example of a "receiving member" in this aspect of the present invention.

[0030] The configuration of the optical connector cleaning tool 1 in this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 3(b).

[0031] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the optical connector cleaning tool 1 in this embodiment, FIG. 3(a) is a front view showing the cleaning shaft 10 and the tip of the guide nozzle 30 of the optical connector cleaning tool 1 in this embodiment, and FIG. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIB-IIIB in FIG. 3(a).

[0032] 2, the optical connector cleaning tool 1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "cleaner 1") in this embodiment includes a cleaning shaft 10, a delivery bobbin 21, a take-up bobbin 22, a guide nozzle 30, a support body 40, a housing 50, and a first biasing member 60. This optical connector cleaning tool 1 cleans the optical connector plug 80 by pressing the cleaning body 5 wound around the cleaning shaft 10 against a connection end surface 811 of a ferrule 81 of the optical connector plug 80 with a pressing surface 111 (described later) of the cleaning shaft 10.

[0033] The cleaning element 5 is a continuous piece of cleaning cloth processed into a thread or string shape. Specific examples of cleaning cloth include nonwoven or woven fabrics made of ultrafine fibers such as polyester or nylon. While the cleaning element 5 in this embodiment has a circular cross-sectional shape, this is not particularly limited, and the cross-sectional shape of the cleaning element 5 may be polygonal, for example. Furthermore, although not particularly limited, the cleaning element 5 has a diameter of 0.1 mm to 1 mm, preferably 0.2 to 0.3 mm. A narrow, tape-like continuous piece formed by processing the cleaning cloth into a strip may also be used as the cleaning element 5.

[0034] The cleaning shaft 10 is a long member for pressing the cleaning element 5 against the connection end surface 811 of the optical connector plug 80. The cleaning element 5 is wound around the cleaning shaft 10 so as to bend back at the pressing surface 111. An unused cleaning element 5 is supplied to the cleaning shaft 10 from a delivery bobbin 21. The cleaning element 5 used on the pressing surface 111 is collected in a take-up bobbin 22. The cleaning shaft 10 includes a cleaning head (head member) 11, a second biasing member 12, and a shaft body 13.

[0035] In this embodiment, the cleaning shaft 10 is made up of multiple members 11 to 13, but the number of members making up the cleaning shaft 10 is not particularly limited to this. For example, the cleaning head 11, the second biasing member 12, and the shaft body 13 may be integrally molded from a resin material, so that the cleaning shaft 10 is made up of a single member.

[0036] The cleaning head 11 is a member that constitutes the tip portion of the cleaning shaft 10. As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the cleaning head 11 has a pressing surface 111 at its tip that presses the cleaning element 5 against the connection end surface 811 of the optical connector plug 80. The pressing surface 111 has a circular shape that corresponds to the shape of the connection end surface 811 of the ferrule 81 of the optical connector plug 80 that is to be cleaned.

[0037] A pair of guide holes 112, 113 are formed in this pressing surface 111, allowing the cleaning element 5 to pass through the inside of the cleaning shaft 10. An unused cleaning element 5 fed from the feed bobbin 21 passes through the inside of the cleaning shaft 10 and one of the guide holes 112, and is supplied to the pressing surface 111. The cleaning element 5 supplied to this pressing surface 111 passes over the center of the pressing surface 111 and moves on the pressing surface 111 toward the other guide hole 113. Then, a used cleaning element 5 passes through the other guide hole 113 and the inside of the cleaning shaft 10, and is taken up onto the take-up bobbin 22. Note that instead of the above-mentioned guide holes 112, 113, a pair of guide grooves may be formed on the side surface of the cleaning head 11, and the cleaning element 5 may be supplied to and collected from the pressing surface 111 via these guide grooves.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2 , the cleaning head 11 is supported on the cleaning shaft 13 so as to be relatively movable along a first direction. Here, the first direction is the direction in which the cleaner 1 is inserted into or removed from the optical connector plug 80, adapter 90, or optical connector receptacle during cleaning, and is also the axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the cleaning shaft 10. A second biasing member 12 is interposed between the cleaning head 11 and the cleaning shaft 13. The second biasing member 12 biases the cleaning head 11 forward relative to the shaft body 13, allowing the pressing surface 111 of the cleaning head 11 to press the cleaning body 5 against the connection end surface 811 of the optical connector plug 80 with an appropriate pressing force. Specific examples of the second biasing member 12 include an elastic body such as a spring or rubber, and a specific example of the spring is a coil spring. Although not specifically shown, the cleaning shaft 10 is provided with a guide mechanism that guides the relative movement of the cleaning head 11 with respect to the shaft body 13 along the first direction.

[0039] The guide nozzle 30 is a cylindrical member that houses the cleaning shaft 10. The ferrule 81 of the optical connector plug 80, the cylindrical portion 92 of the adapter 90, or the cylindrical portion of the optical connector receptacle is inserted into an opening 301 on the tip side of the guide nozzle 30. As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the guide nozzle 30 includes a tip portion 31 having the opening 301 and a main body portion 32 connected to the tip portion 31.

[0040] In this embodiment, the tip portion 31 is divided into multiple (four in this example) movable pieces 311, and slits 312 are formed between these movable pieces 311. The slits 312 extend along the first direction and open at their tip-side ends. Each movable piece 311 is supported by the main body 32 and can be elastically deformed with its connection to the main body 32 as a fixed end. The movable pieces 311 elastically deform radially outward of the guide nozzle 30, thereby expanding the inner diameter of the tip portion 31. In other words, the tip portion 31 elastically deforms so as to increase the width of each slit 312, thereby expanding the inner diameter of the tip portion 31.

[0041] In a normal state (when not expanded), the tip portion 31 has an outer diameter D １ The inner diameter D is slightly larger than ４ (D ４ >D １ ), it is possible to fit with the ferrule 81. The inner diameter D ４ is the outer diameter D of the cylindrical portion 92 of the adapter 90 described above. ２ (See FIG. 6(a)) (D ４ <D ２ ). Although not particularly limited, the inner diameter D of the tip portion 31 in normal state is ４ is the inner diameter D of the cylindrical portion 92 of the adapter 90 or the cylindrical portion of the optical connector receptacle. ３ (See FIG. 6(a)) (D ４ =D ３ ).

[0042] On the other hand, the inner diameter D of the tip portion 31 when expanded ５ (See FIG. 7B) shows the outer diameter D of the cylindrical portion 92 of the adapter 90 and the cylindrical portion of the optical connector receptacle. ２ (See FIG. 6(a)) (D ５ >D ２ ). Therefore, it is possible to insert the cylindrical portion 92 of the adapter 90 or the cylindrical portion of the optical connector receptacle into the expanded tip portion 31. The inner diameter D of the expanded tip portion 31 is ５ is the normal inner diameter D ４ is greater than (D ５ >D ４ ).

[0043] The number of movable pieces 311 included in the tip portion 31 is not particularly limited to the above. In addition, in this embodiment, the tip portion 31 has four slits 312, but the number of slits 312 is not particularly limited to this and is set according to the number of movable pieces 311. In addition, the slits 312 having a width do not have to be formed between the movable pieces 311, and for example, the ends of adjacent movable pieces 311 may overlap each other.

[0044] Furthermore, as long as the inner diameter of the tip portion 31 can be expanded by elastic deformation of the tip portion 31, the configuration of the tip portion 31 is not particularly limited to the above. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , the tip portion 31 may not have a slit 312 and may be made of an elastic material having a Young's modulus smaller than that of the material making up the main body 32. While not particularly limited, the tip portion 31 may be made of rubber, which is more easily elastically deformed than the resin material making up the main body 32. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the tip portion 31 of the guide nozzle 30 in this embodiment. The tip portion 31 shown in FIG. 4 may be divided into multiple movable pieces, and slits may be formed between the multiple movable pieces.

[0045] Furthermore, as long as the inner diameter of the tip portion 31 is deformable, elastic deformation need not be utilized. For example, the tip portion 31 may be configured with an aperture mechanism such as that used in imaging optical systems such as cameras. Although not specifically shown, this aperture mechanism uses a cam to synchronously rotate multiple blades, each of which can rotate around a rotation axis, thereby enabling the diameter of the opening defined by the blades to be expanded without utilizing elastic deformation.

[0046] 3( a) and 3(b), the tip portion 31 has a tapered surface 313 at the opening 301 of the guide nozzle 30. This tapered surface 313 is formed at the tip of the inner surface of the tip portion 31. This tapered surface 313 is inclined toward the inside of the guide nozzle 30 from the front end to the rear end of the guide nozzle 30. When cleaning the optical connector plug 80 attached to the adapter 90, the tip portion 31 is pushed open by the cylindrical portion 92 of the adapter 90 in accordance with the tapered surface 313, which makes it easy to expand the inner diameter of the tip portion 31.

[0047] Returning to FIG. 2 , the guide nozzle 30 is supported by the support 40 so as to be movable relative to the guide nozzle 30 in the first direction. This allows the cleaning shaft 10 to move relative to the guide nozzle 30 in the first direction, allowing the tip of the cleaning shaft 10 to protrude from the guide nozzle 30 and retract into the guide nozzle 30. The rear end of the cleaning shaft 10 housed in the guide nozzle 30 is located within the support 40. A third biasing member 35 is interposed between the guide nozzle 30 and the support 40. Specific examples of the third biasing member 35 include an elastic body such as a spring or rubber, and a specific example of the spring is a coil spring. Although not specifically shown, the optical connector cleaning tool 1 includes a guide mechanism that guides the relative movement of the guide nozzle 30 with respect to the support 40 in the first direction.

[0048] The cleaning shaft 10 is supported by the support 40 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the first direction. Although not shown, the cleaning shaft 10 has a locking structure that prevents the cleaning head 11 from rotating relative to the shaft body 13.

[0049] The above-mentioned supply bobbin 21 and take-up bobbin 22 are also housed in the support body 40. These bobbins 21, 22 are rotatably supported by the support body 40. As shown in Fig. 2, both bobbins 21, 22 are rotatable only clockwise in the figure, and counterclockwise rotation is restricted by a ratchet mechanism (not shown). The rotation direction of these bobbins 21, 22 only needs to be unidirectional, and the bobbins 21, 22 may be rotatable only counterclockwise, with clockwise rotation of the bobbins 21, 22 restricted.

[0050] The support 40 is accommodated in a housing 50 so as to be relatively movable along the first direction. An opening 51 is formed in the housing 50, and the guide nozzle 30 and the third biasing member 35 protrude forward from the housing 50 through this opening 51. Although not particularly shown, the optical connector cleaning tool 1 is equipped with a guide mechanism that guides the relative movement of the support 40 with respect to the housing 50 along the first direction.

[0051] A first biasing member 60 is interposed between the support body 40 and the housing 50. This first biasing member 60 biases the support body 40 forward relative to the housing 50. Specific examples of this first biasing member 60 include an elastic body such as a spring or rubber, and a specific example of a spring is a coil spring.

[0052] The take-up bobbin 22 supported by the support body 40 has a pinion gear 23. Furthermore, the housing 50 has a rack gear 52 meshing with the pinion gear 23. Therefore, when the support body 40 moves relative to the housing 50 in the first direction, the rack gear 52 and the pinion gear 23 convert the linear motion into rotational motion, causing the take-up bobbin 22 to rotate, and the cleaning element 5 used on the pressing surface 111 of the cleaning shaft 10 is taken up onto the take-up bobbin 22. Furthermore, a tensile force acts on the cleaning element 5 in association with this winding operation, causing the delivery bobbin 21 to rotate, and an unused cleaning element 5 is delivered from the delivery bobbin 21 to the pressing surface 111 of the cleaning shaft 10.

[0053] A spiral cam groove 131 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rear end portion of the shaft body 13 of the cleaning shaft 10. Meanwhile, the housing 50 has a cam pin 53 inserted into this cam groove 131. Therefore, when the support body 40 moves relative to the housing 50 in the first direction, the cam pin 53 slides relatively within the cam groove 131, causing the cleaning shaft 10 to rotate about a rotation axis along the first direction.

[0054] Next, a method of using the optical connector cleaning tool 1 described above will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0055] 5(a) and 5(b) are diagrams for explaining a method for directly cleaning a standalone optical connector plug 80 using the optical connector cleaning tool 1 of this embodiment, where Fig. 5(a) is a diagram showing a state before the optical connector cleaning tool 1 is inserted into the optical connector plug 80, and Fig. 5(b) is a diagram showing a state after the optical connector cleaning tool 1 is inserted into the optical connector plug 80. Meanwhile, Figs. 6(a) and 6(b) are diagrams for explaining a method for cleaning an optical connector plug 80 attached to an adapter 90 using the optical connector cleaning tool 1 of this embodiment, where Fig. 6(a) is a diagram showing a state before the optical connector cleaning tool 1 is inserted into the adapter 90, and Fig. 6(b) is a diagram showing a state after the optical connector cleaning tool 1 is inserted into the adapter 90. Also, Fig. 7(a) is a perspective view showing the tip portion 31 of the guide nozzle 30 in the state shown in Fig. 5(b), and Fig. 7(b) is a perspective view showing the tip portion 31 of the guide nozzle 30 in the state shown in Fig. 6(b). It should be noted that the cleaning element 5 is omitted from illustration in FIGS. 5(a) to 6(b).

[0056] 5(a) and 5(b), when directly cleaning the optical connector plug 80 in a standalone state, the worker first inserts the tip 31 of the guide nozzle 30 of the cleaner 1 into the opening 831 of the housing 83 of the optical connector plug 80, and inserts the ferrule 81 into the inner hole 314 of the tip 31 of the guide nozzle 30. As a result, the inner diameter of the tip 31 of the guide nozzle 30 and the outer diameter of the ferrule 81 fit together, and the pressing surface 111 of the cleaning shaft 10 is positioned relative to the connection end surface 811 of the ferrule 81. At this time, as described above, the tip 31 is inserted into the opening 831 of the housing 83 of the optical connector plug 80. １ The inner diameter D is slightly larger than ４ 7A, the tip end portion 31 does not have an expanded diameter.

[0057] When the operator presses the tip 31 of the guide nozzle 30 of the cleaner 1 into the opening 831 of the optical connector plug 80, the pressing surface 111 of the cleaning shaft 10 presses the cleaning body 5 against the connection end surface 811 of the optical connector plug 80. At this time, the cleaning head 11 is pressed by a reaction force from the connection end surface 811 of the optical connector plug 80. As a result, the cleaning head 11 approaches the shaft body 13, and the second biasing member 12 is compressed, so that the cleaning body 5 is pressed against the connection end surface 811 with an appropriate pressing force.

[0058] Next, when the operator pushes the housing 50 against the guide nozzle 30 in the first direction, the first biasing member 60 contracts, and the rack gear 52 and the pinion gear 23 rotate the take-up bobbin 22. As a result, the used cleaning element 5 is collected from the pressing surface 111 of the cleaning shaft 10 onto the take-up bobbin 22, and an unused cleaning element 5 is supplied from the delivery bobbin 21 to the pressing surface 111. As a result, the cleaning element 5 slides while being pressed against the connection end surface 811 of the optical connector plug 80, wiping off dirt adhering to the connection end surface 811.

[0059] At this time, when the operator pushes the housing 50 into the guide nozzle 30, the cam pin 53 of the housing 50 slides relatively within the cam groove 131 of the cleaning shaft 10, causing the cleaning shaft 10 to rotate about a rotation axis along the first direction. Therefore, even if the width of the thread-like or string-like cleaning element 5 is narrower than the connection end surface 811 to be cleaned, dirt can be wiped off from the entire area of ​​the connection end surface 811. Although not particularly limited, the rotation angle of the cleaning shaft 10 is preferably 180 degrees or more.

[0060] Next, when the operator releases the pushing of the housing 50 against the guide nozzle 30, the elastic force of the first biasing member 60 causes the housing 50 to move back relative to the guide nozzle 30. At this time, the bobbins 21, 22 do not rotate because their counterclockwise rotation in the drawing is restricted by a ratchet mechanism (not shown).

[0061] On the other hand, when the operator releases the pushing, the cam pin 53 of the housing 50 slides relatively within the cam groove 131 of the cleaning shaft 10, causing the cleaning shaft 10 to rotate in the direction opposite to the rotation direction during the above-mentioned pushing operation.

[0062] When cleaning is completed, the worker removes the cleaner 1 from the optical connector plug 80 by pulling out the tip 31 of the guide nozzle 30 of the cleaner 1 from the optical connector plug 80 .

[0063] On the other hand, when cleaning the optical connector plug 80 attached to the adapter 90, as shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the worker first inserts the tip 31 of the guide nozzle 30 of the cleaner 1 into the opening 912 of the housing 91 of the adapter 90. At this time, as described above, the normal inner diameter D ４ is the outer diameter D of the cylindrical portion 92 of the adapter 90 ２ 3, the end of the cylindrical portion 92 of the adapter 90 abuts against the tapered surface 313 that is a part of the inner wall of the guide nozzle 30.

[0064] When the operator presses in the tip portion 31 of the guide nozzle 30 of the cleaner 1, the movable piece 311 is elastically deformed radially outward by the tubular portion 92 of the adapter 90, following the tapered surface 313. In other words, the tubular portion 92 is inserted into the inner hole 314 of the tip portion 31 while the inner diameter of the tip portion 31 is being expanded. The tip portion 31 with the expanded inner diameter is shown in Figure 7(b).

[0065] When the operator further presses the tip 31 of the guide nozzle 30 from this state, the third biasing member 35 is compressed, causing the cleaning head 11 to protrude from the guide nozzle 30. Then, the cleaning head 11 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 92 of the adapter 90, and after the pressing surface 111 of the cleaning shaft 10 is positioned with respect to the connection end surface 811 of the ferrule 81 located inside the cylindrical portion 92, the cleaning shaft 10 presses the cleaning element 5 against the connection end surface 811. At this time, the reaction force from the connection end surface 811 of the optical connector plug 80 moves the cleaning head 11 closer to the shaft body 13, and the second biasing member 12 is compressed, so that the cleaning element 5 is pressed against the connection end surface 811 with an appropriate pressing force.

[0066] Next, when the worker pushes the housing 50 against the guide nozzle 30 in the first direction, the cleaning body 5 slides while being pressed against the connection end surface 811 of the optical connector plug 80, wiping away dirt adhering to the connection end surface 811, just as in the case of the optical connector plug 80 in a standalone state described above. At this time, the cleaning shaft 10 rotates about a rotation axis along the first direction. Then, after releasing the pushing of the housing 50 against the guide nozzle 30, the worker removes the cleaner 1 from the optical connector plug 80 by pulling out the tip 31 of the guide nozzle 30 of the cleaner 1 from the optical connector plug 80.

[0067] Although not specifically shown, when cleaning the connection end face of a ferrule provided in an optical connector receptacle, the connection end face can be cleaned using the optical connector cleaning tool 1 in the same manner as when cleaning the optical connector plug 80 attached to the adapter 90 (the manner described above with reference to Figures 6(a) and 6(b)).

[0068] As described above, in this embodiment, the tip 31 of the guide nozzle 30 that houses the cleaning shaft 10 has a deformable inner diameter, so it is possible to clean the connection end surface 811 of the optical connector plug 80 without using a cap, regardless of the state of the optical connector plug 80. This eliminates the need to attach and detach a cap, and improves the efficiency of the cleaning work for the optical connector plug 80.

[0069] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments have been described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, the elements disclosed in the above embodiments are intended to include all design modifications and equivalents that fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0070] 1...optical connector cleaning tool 5...cleaning body 10...cleaning shaft 11...cleaning head 111...pressing surface 112, 113...guide hole 12...second urging member 13...shaft body 131...cam groove 21...feed bobbin 22...winding bobbin 23...pinion gear 30...guide nozzle 301...opening 31...tip portion 311...movable piece 312...slit 313...tapered surface 32...main body portion 35...third urging member 40...support 50...housing 51...opening 52...rack gear 53...cam pin 60...first urging member 80...optical connector plug 81...ferrule 811...connection end face 82...optical fiber 83...housing 831...opening 90...adapter 91...housing 911, 912...opening 92...tubular portion

Claims

1. An optical connector cleaning tool for cleaning a connection end face of an optical connector, a cleaning shaft having a pressing surface that presses the cleaning body against the connecting end surface, the cleaning body being wound around the pressing surface so as to bend back; a tubular member that houses the cleaning shaft, The cylindrical member has a tip portion with a deformable inner diameter.

2. 2. The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 1, The inner diameter of the optical connector cleaning tool expands as the tip portion elastically deforms.

3. 2. The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 1, the inner diameter in a normal state is large enough to insert a ferrule of the optical connector; The optical connector cleaning tool has an inner diameter when expanded large enough to allow insertion of a cylindrical portion holding the ferrule.

4. 2. The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 1, The tip portion is divided into a plurality of movable pieces, The optical connector cleaning tool has an inner diameter that expands as a result of the plurality of movable pieces elastically deforming radially outward of the cylindrical member.

5. 2. The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 1, the tip portion has a slit extending along the longitudinal direction of the tubular member, The optical connector cleaning tool has an inner diameter that expands as the tip elastically deforms to increase the width of the slit.

6. 2. The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 1, the cylindrical member includes a main body portion to which the tip portion is connected, The tip portion is made of an elastic material having a Young's modulus smaller than that of the material constituting the main body portion.

7. The optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the tip portion has a tapered surface at the opening of the cylindrical member, The optical connector cleaning tool has an inner diameter of the tip portion expanded by abutting the cylindrical portion holding the ferrule of the optical connector against the tapered surface.