Optical connector cleaning tool

Abstract

An optical connector cleaning tool (1) comprises: a cleaning shaft (20) having a pressing surface (211) that presses a cleaning body (5) against a connection end face (111) of an optical connector (100); a housing (60) that holds the cleaning shaft so as to allow relative movement; a first bobbin (31) that supplies the cleaning body; a second bobbin (37) that collects the cleaning body; first and second rollers (33, 34) that sandwich the cleaning body between the pressing surface and the second bobbin; a first rotary drive mechanism (91) that rotationally drives the first roller in association with the relative movement of the cleaning shaft, whereby the cleaning body is drawn out from the first bobbin by the first and second rollers; and a second rotary drive mechanism (92) that rotationally drives the second bobbin in association with the relative movement of the cleaning shaft, whereby the cleaning body drawn into the first and second rollers is collected on the second bobbin.

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. 2023-152504 filed in Japan on September 20, 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 includes a feeding mechanism that pulls out a fixed amount of cleaning medium from a feeding bobbin in conjunction with the movement of a moving body, and a winding mechanism that winds the cleaning medium onto a winding bobbin (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The winding mechanism includes a slip mechanism that causes a driving piece that presses against an engaging protrusion of a rotating body of the winding bobbin to slip relative to the rotating body when the load of the driving piece reaches a predetermined load.

[0003] International Publication No. 2020 / 170539

[0004] As the number of cleaning cycles increases, the amount of cleaning media wound on the take-up bobbin increases, which increases the radius of the cleaning media and increases the amount of cleaning media wound by the take-up mechanism per cycle. To address this issue, the slip mechanism prevents the take-up bobbin from winding more cleaning media after a certain amount has been wound, but fine adjustment of this slip mechanism is difficult. Therefore, as the number of cleaning cycles increases, more cleaning media than the set amount may be wound onto the take-up bobbin, limiting the number of times the optical connector can be cleaned.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an optical connector cleaning tool that can increase the number of cleaning operations.

[0006] [1] Aspect 1 of the present invention is an optical connector cleaning tool for cleaning a connection end face of an optical connector, the tool having a pressing surface that presses a cleaning body against the connection end face, a cleaning shaft around which the cleaning body is wound on the pressing surface, a housing that holds the cleaning shaft so that the cleaning shaft can move relatively along the axial direction of the cleaning shaft, a first bobbin housed in the housing that supplies the cleaning body to the pressing surface, a second bobbin housed in the housing that collects the cleaning body that has passed over the pressing surface, and a bobbin housed in the housing that connects the pressing surface and the second bobbin. This optical connector cleaning tool includes first and second rollers that sandwich the cleaning body between the first and second rollers and a bobbin, a first rotation drive mechanism that rotates the first roller in accordance with the relative movement of the cleaning shaft with respect to the housing, thereby causing the first and second rollers to pull the cleaning body out of the first bobbin, and a second rotation drive mechanism that rotates the second bobbin in accordance with the relative movement of the cleaning shaft with respect to the housing, thereby recovering the cleaning body that has been pulled into the first and second rollers into the second bobbin.

[0007] [2] Aspect 2 of the present invention may be an optical connector cleaning tool according to aspect 1, wherein the optical connector cleaning tool is provided with a first rotation limiting mechanism that limits rotation of the second bobbin when tension greater than a predetermined value is applied to the second bobbin via the cleaning body.

[0008] [3] Aspect 3 of the present invention may be an optical connector cleaning tool according to Aspect 1 or 2, wherein the optical connector cleaning tool comprises a first rotating body attached to the first roller, and the first rotation drive mechanism comprises a first pinion gear portion provided on the first rotating body, and a first rack gear that is movable relative to the first rotating body in accordance with relative movement of the cleaning shaft with respect to the housing and engages with the first pinion gear portion.

[0009] [4] Aspect 4 of the present invention may be an optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the optical connector cleaning tool comprises a second rotating body attached to the second bobbin, and the second rotation drive mechanism comprises a second pinion gear portion provided on the second rotating body, and a second rack gear that is movable relative to the second rotating body in accordance with relative movement of the cleaning shaft with respect to the housing and engages with the second pinion gear portion.

[0010] [5] Aspect 5 of the present invention may be an optical connector cleaning tool according to aspect 2, wherein the optical connector cleaning tool comprises a second rotating body attached to the second bobbin, and the first rotation limiting mechanism comprises a first engaging portion having a first inclined surface and provided on the second rotating body, and a second engaging portion having a second inclined surface corresponding to the first inclined surface and provided on the second bobbin, and when tension greater than the predetermined value is applied to the second bobbin via the cleaning body, the engagement between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion is released, causing the rotating body to rotate freely relative to the second bobbin.

[0011] [6] Aspect 6 of the present invention is an optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein the optical connector cleaning tool comprises: a first rotating body attached to the first roller; a support body that rotatably supports the first roller and the first rotating body; and a second rotation limiting mechanism that prohibits rotation of the first roller in a first direction, wherein the second rotation limiting mechanism has a third inclined surface, a third engaging portion provided on the first rotating body, a fourth inclined surface corresponding to the third inclined surface, a fourth engaging portion provided on the first roller, a fifth engaging portion provided on the first roller, and a sixth engaging portion provided on the support body, wherein when the first rotating body rotates in the first direction, the third engaging portion and the fourth engaging portion do not engage with each other, causing the first rotating body to rotate freely relative to the first roller, and the fifth engaging portion and the sixth engaging portion engage with each other, prohibiting rotation of the first roller in the first direction.

[0012] [7] Aspect 7 of the present invention is an optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein the optical connector cleaning tool is an optical connector cleaning tool equipped with a biasing mechanism that biases the second roller toward the first roller.

[0013] [8] Aspect 8 of the present invention may be an optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, wherein the first roller has a first contact surface that contacts the cleaning body, the second roller has a second contact surface that contacts the cleaning body, and at least one of the first and second contact surfaces is made of an elastic material.

[0014] According to the present invention, the first and second rollers sandwich the cleaning body between the pressing surface and the second bobbin, the first rotation drive mechanism rotationally drives the first roller in accordance with the relative movement of the cleaning shaft with respect to the housing, thereby causing the first and second rollers to pull the cleaning body out of the first bobbin, and the second rotation drive mechanism rotationally drives the second bobbin in accordance with the above-mentioned relative movement, thereby recovering the cleaning body pulled into the first and second rollers into the second bobbin, thereby increasing the number of times the optical connector can be cleaned with the optical connector cleaning tool.

[0015] 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 perspective view showing an optical connector cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the optical connector cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a cleaning unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5(a) is a front view showing a tip portion of a cleaning head according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VB-VB in FIG. 5(a). FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a first bobbin according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a cleaning unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a first roller and a first rotating body according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a side view showing the teeth of gear portions of the first roller and the first rotating body according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing first and second rotation drive mechanisms according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a second bobbin and a second rotating body according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12 is a side view showing the teeth of the gear portion of the second bobbin and the second rotating body in an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a support body in an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing an adjustment member in an embodiment of the present invention. Figs. 16(a) and 16(b) are views showing the internal operation of an optical connector cleaning tool in an embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 16(a) is a view showing a state in which the housing is pushed into the cleaning unit, and Fig. 16(b) is a view showing a state in which the housing is released from the cleaning unit.

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] 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 100 that is the object to be cleaned by the optical connector cleaning tool 1 according to this embodiment.

[0018] The optical connector 100 to be cleaned by this optical connector cleaning tool 1 is, but is not limited to, a single-fiber optical connector plug. As shown in Fig. 1, this optical connector 100 includes a cylindrical ferrule 110 and a housing 130 that houses the ferrule 110. The ferrule 110 has a fiber holding hole that penetrates the ferrule 110 in the longitudinal direction (see Fig. 5(b)). An optical fiber 120 is inserted into the fiber holding hole and fixed to the ferrule 110 with an adhesive or the like. The optical fiber 120 is exposed from a circular connection end face 111 of the ferrule 110.

[0019] Specific examples of the optical connector 100 include, but are not limited to, a single-fiber optical connector such as an SC (Single-fiber Coupling) connector defined in JIS C5973, an FC (Fiber Connector) connector defined in JIS C5970, an MU (Miniature Universal) connector defined in JIS C 5983, and an LC (Lucent Connector) connector.

[0020] An adapter is used to connect a pair of optical connectors 100 each having the above-described ferrules 110. Specifically, the pair of optical connectors 100 are inserted into openings on both sides of the adapter, and the ferrules 110 are inserted into openings on both sides of a sleeve 150 (see FIG. 5B ) provided in the adapter. Then, by butting the connection end faces 111 of the pair of ferrules 110 together inside the sleeve 150, the optical fibers 120 exposed from the connection end faces 111 of the ferrules 110 are optically connected to each other.

[0021] If foreign matter such as dirt, dust, or oil adheres to the connecting end surface 111 of the ferrule 110 during this butting, it may cause damage during connection and disconnection, an increase in transmission loss, etc. Therefore, before connecting the optical connectors 100 together, the connecting end surface 111 of the ferrule 110 is cleaned using an optical connector cleaning tool 1 described below.

[0022] The optical connector 100 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 connection end face of the ferrule may be cleaned using the optical connector cleaning tool 1 described below. Specifically, this optical connector receptacle has a ferrule attached to the tip of an optical fiber incorporated into a housing into which the optical connector plug is inserted.

[0023] Alternatively, a cap having an inner hole of the same shape as the inner hole of the adapter may be attached to the tip of the optical connector cleaning tool 1, and the optical connector plug may be inserted into the cap to clean the connection end face of the optical connector plug alone when not inserted into the adapter.

[0024] The configuration of the optical connector cleaning tool 1 in this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 15. FIG.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the optical connector cleaning tool 1 according to this embodiment, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the optical connector cleaning tool 1 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the cleaning unit 10 according to this embodiment. FIG. 5(a) is a front view showing the tip portion of the cleaning head 21 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VB-VB in FIG. 5(a). FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the first bobbin 31 according to this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the cleaning unit 10 according to this embodiment, taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the first roller 33 and the first rotating body 36 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a side view showing the teeth 336 and 362 of the gear portions 335 and 361 of the first roller 33 and the first rotating body 36 according to this embodiment. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the first and second rotation drive mechanisms 91 and 92 according to this embodiment. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the second bobbin 37 and the second rotating body 38 in this embodiment, and Fig. 12 is a side view showing the teeth 376 and 382 of the gear portions 375 and 381 of the second bobbin 37 and the second rotating body 38 in this embodiment. Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing the support body 40 in this embodiment, and Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing the adjustment member 62 in this embodiment.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the optical connector cleaning tool 1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "cleaner 1") in this embodiment includes a cleaning unit 10, a housing 60, and a first biasing member 70. The cleaning unit 10 is accommodated in the housing 60 so that the cleaning unit 10 is movable relative to the housing 60 along the Y-axis direction in the figures. The first biasing member 70 is interposed between the cleaning unit 10 and the housing 60 and biases the cleaning unit 10 forward (+Y direction in the figures). The cleaning unit 10 includes a cleaning shaft 20, a first bobbin 31, a roller unit 32, a first rotating body 36, a second bobbin 37, a second rotating body 38, a support body 40, and a guide nozzle 50. This cleaner 1 cleans the optical connector 100 by pressing the cleaning body 5 wrapped around the cleaning shaft 20 against the connection end face 111 of the ferrule 110 of the optical connector 100 using the pressing surface 211 (described later) of the cleaning shaft 20.

[0027] 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 mm 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.

[0028] The cleaning shaft 20 is a long member for pressing the cleaning element 5 against the connection end surface 111 of the optical connector 100. The cleaning element 5 is wound around the cleaning shaft 20 so as to be folded back at the pressing surface 211. An unused cleaning element 5 is wound around a first bobbin 31. When the roller unit 32 pulls out the cleaning element 5 from the first bobbin 31, the unused cleaning element 5 is supplied to the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning shaft 20. The cleaning element 5 pulled into the roller unit 32 from the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning shaft 20 is then wound around a second bobbin 37 and collected. The cleaning shaft 20 includes a cleaning head (head member) 21, a second biasing member 22, and a shaft member 23.

[0029] The cleaning head 21 is a member that constitutes the tip portion of the cleaning shaft 20. As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the cleaning head 21 has a pressing surface 211 at its tip that presses the cleaning body 5 against the connection end surface 111 of the optical connector 100. The pressing surface 211 has a shape (circular in this embodiment) that corresponds to the shape of the connection end surface 111 of the ferrule 110 of the optical connector 100 to be cleaned.

[0030] A pair of guide holes 212, 213 are formed in this pressing surface 211, allowing the cleaning element 5 to pass through the inside of the cleaning shaft 20. An unused cleaning element 5 fed from the first bobbin 31 passes through the inside of the cleaning shaft 20 and one of the guide holes 212, and is supplied to the pressing surface 211. The cleaning element 5 supplied to this pressing surface 211 passes over the center of the pressing surface 211 and moves on the pressing surface 211 toward the other guide hole 213. A used cleaning element 5 passes through the other guide hole 213 and the inside of the cleaning shaft 20, and is wound onto the second bobbin 37 and collected. Note that instead of the above-mentioned guide holes 212, 213, a pair of guide grooves may be formed on the side surface of the cleaning head 21, and the cleaning element 5 may be supplied to and collected from the pressing surface 211 via these guide grooves.

[0031] 4, the shaft member 23 includes a shaft main body 24 and an expanded diameter portion 25. Both the shaft main body 24 and the expanded diameter portion 25 have a cylindrical shape, and the expanded diameter portion 25 is connected to the rear end of the shaft main body 24. Although not particularly limited, the shaft member 23 is made of, for example, a resin material, and the shaft main body 24 and the expanded diameter portion 25 are integrally formed.

[0032] The cleaning head 21 is disposed at the tip end of the shaft body 24. The cleaning head 21 is supported by the shaft body 24 so that the cleaning head 21 can move along the Y-axis direction in the figure relative to the shaft body 24. Here, the Y-axis direction in the figure is the direction in which the cleaner 1 is inserted into or removed from the adapter during cleaning, as well as the axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the cleaning shaft 20 and the pressing direction in which the cleaning head 21 presses the pressing surface 211 against the connecting end surface 111 of the ferrule 110 via the cleaning body 5. Although not specifically shown, the cleaning shaft 20 is provided with an engagement structure that suppresses relative rotation of the cleaning head 21 with respect to the shaft body 24 around the rotation axis RA.

[0033] The second biasing member 22 is interposed between the cleaning head 21 and the shaft body 24. The cleaning head 21 is biased forward (in the +Y direction in the figure) relative to the shaft body 24 by this second biasing member 22, which enables the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning head 21 to press the cleaning body 5 against the connection end surface 111 of the optical connector 100 with an appropriate pressing force. Specific examples of the second biasing member 22 include an elastic body such as a spring or rubber, and a specific example of a spring is a coil spring.

[0034] A spiral cam groove 251 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the expanded diameter portion 25. This cam groove 251 and a cam pin 63 (described later) of the housing 60 form a rotation mechanism that rotates the cleaning shaft 20. This rotation mechanism rotates the cleaning shaft 20 about a rotation axis RA that is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning shaft 20 as the support body 40 moves relative to the housing 60.

[0035] The shaft member 23 also has a passage 26 (see FIG. 7 ) therein that penetrates along the longitudinal direction of the shaft member 23. The cleaning element 5 fed out from the first bobbin 31 passes through the passage 26 of the shaft member 23 and is supplied to the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning head 21. On the other hand, the cleaning element 5 used on the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning head 21 passes through the passage 26 of the shaft body 24 and is wound onto the second bobbin 37 and collected. Note that FIG. 7 does not show the cleaning element 5 wound around the first bobbin 31 or the cleaning element 5 fed out from the first bobbin 31 to the passage 26.

[0036] The first bobbin 31 is a bobbin that feeds out the cleaning element 5 used on the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning head 21 and supplies the cleaning element 5 to the pressing surface 211. As shown in Fig. 6, the first bobbin 31 has a body portion 311 and a pair of flange portions 312 and 313. The first bobbin 31 is made of, for example, a resin material, and the body portion 311 and the flange portions 312 and 313 are integrally formed.

[0037] An unused cleaning element 5 is wound in advance around the body portion 311 of the first bobbin 31. The body portion 311 has a cylindrical shape, and a first shaft portion 43a (described later) of the support body 40 is inserted into the body portion 311. The pair of flange portions 312, 313 have a disk shape with an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the body portion 311, and are provided on both ends of the body portion 311.

[0038] A plurality of recesses 314 are formed on the outer surface (surface on the −Z direction side in the figure) of the flange portion 312 on the lower side (−Z direction side in the figure) of the first bobbin 31. The plurality of recesses 314 are arranged intermittently along the circumferential direction of the flange portion 312. Claw portions 411a (see FIG. 14) of the support body 40, which will be described later, can engage with the recesses 314. The claw portions 411a allow the first bobbin 31 to rotate in one direction (rightward (clockwise) in FIG. 7) but prohibit the first bobbin 31 from rotating in the other direction (leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7).

[0039] The roller unit 32 is a unit that supplies the cleaning body 5 to the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning shaft 20 by pulling out the cleaning body 5 from the first bobbin 31 in accordance with the relative movement of the cleaning shaft 20 with respect to the housing 60. As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the roller unit 32 includes a first roller 33, a second roller 34, and a support member 35.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 8 , the first roller 33 has a body 331 and a pair of flanges 332, 333. The first roller 33 is made of, for example, a resin material, and the body 331 and the flanges 332, 333 are integrally formed. The body 331 has a cylindrical shape, and a second shaft 43b (described later) of the support 40 is inserted into the body 331. The pair of flanges 332, 333 have a disk shape with an outer diameter larger than that of the body 331 and are provided on both ends of the body 331. Note that, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 , in this embodiment, the first bobbin 31 and the first roller 33 have the same structure, but the first bobbin 31 does not necessarily have to include a gear portion 335 on the flange 313.

[0041] Similar to the recesses 314 of the first bobbin 31 described above, a plurality of recesses 334 (see FIG. 6) are formed on the outer surface (surface on the −Z direction side in the figure) of the flange portion 332 on the lower side (−Z direction side in the figure) of this first roller 33. These recesses 334 are arranged intermittently along the circumferential direction of the flange portion 332. Claw portions 411b (see FIG. 13) of the support body 40, which will be described later, can engage with these recesses 334. These claw portions 411b allow the first roller 33 to rotate in one direction (rightward (clockwise) in FIG. 7) but prohibit the first roller 33 from rotating in the other direction (leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7).

[0042] 8, a gear portion 335 is formed on the outer surface (the surface on the +Z direction side in the drawing) of the flange portion 333 on the upper side (the +Z direction side in the drawing) of the first roller 33. Each tooth 336 constituting the gear portion 335 has a reverse inclined surface 336a on one side and an inclined surface 336b on the other side. Although not particularly limited, as shown in FIG. 9, the angle θ of the reverse inclined surface 336a with respect to the main surface of the flange portion 333 of the first roller 33 is １ can be set to 90 degrees or more and 135 degrees or less (90°≦θ １ ≦135°). On the other hand, the angle θ of the inclined surface 336b with respect to the main surface of the flange portion 333 of the first roller 33 ２ can be greater than 0 degrees and less than 45 degrees (0°<θ ２ <45°).

[0043] As shown in Fig. 4, the second roller 34 is a cylindrical member. As shown in Fig. 7, the second roller 34 is supported by a support member 35 so that an outer peripheral surface 341 of the second roller 34 contacts an outer peripheral surface 331a of the body portion 331 of the first roller 33. The first roller 33 and the second roller 34 are disposed on the path of the cleaning body 5 between the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning shaft 20 and the second bobbin 37, and sandwich the cleaning body 5 between the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning shaft 20 and the second bobbin 37. As the first and second rollers 33 and 34 rotate, the cleaning body 5 is sent from the pressing surface 211 side to the second bobbin 37 side.

[0044] The outer peripheral surface 341 of the second roller 34 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber, or the outer peripheral surface 331a of the first roller 33 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber. Alternatively, the outer peripheral surfaces 331a, 341 of both the first and second rollers 33, 34 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber. This can further prevent the cleaning element 5 from slipping between the first and second rollers 33, 34. The outer peripheral surface 331a of the first roller 33 corresponds to an example of a "first contact surface" in this aspect of the present invention, and the outer peripheral surface 341 of the second roller 34 corresponds to an example of a "second contact surface" in this aspect of the present invention.

[0045] The support member 35 that supports the second roller 34 includes a support piece 351, an elastic piece 352, and a bent portion 353. The support piece 351 and the elastic piece 352 are connected by the bent portion 353. A support pin 44 (described later) of the support body 40 is inserted into an insertion hole 353a formed in the bent portion 353, and the support member 35 is supported by the support body 40.

[0046] The second roller 34 is inserted into a shaft portion 351a provided at the tip of the support piece 351 and is rotatably supported by the support piece 351. An outer peripheral surface 341 of the second roller 34 contacts an outer peripheral surface 331a of the first roller 33, and an end of an elastic piece 352 contacts a side wall 46 (described below) of the support 40, so that the elastic piece 352 is elastically deformed toward the support piece 351. Therefore, the second roller 34 is biased toward the first roller 33 by the support member 35. The support member 35 corresponds to an example of a "biasing mechanism" in this aspect of the present invention. Note that instead of the support member 35, an elastic member such as a spring or rubber may be used to bias the second roller 34 toward the first roller 33. Specific examples of the spring include a coil spring and a torsion spring.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 4 , the first rotating body 36 is a gear member attached to the first roller 33. Specifically, the second shaft portion 43b of the support body 40, which is inserted into the inner hole of the first roller 33, is also inserted into the inner hole of the first rotating body 36. As a result, the first rotating body 36 is adjacent to the outer surface of the first roller 33 and is disposed coaxially with the first roller 33. As shown in FIG. 8 , the first rotating body 36 includes a gear portion 361 and a pinion gear portion 363. The first rotating body 36 is made of, for example, a resin material, and the gear portion 361 and the pinion gear portion 363 are integrally formed.

[0048] The gear portion 361 is formed on the lower surface (the surface on the −Z direction side in the drawing) of the first rotating body 36 so as to face the gear portion 335 of the first roller 33. Each tooth 362 constituting this gear portion 361 has a reverse inclined surface 362a on one surface and an inclined surface 362b on the other surface, similar to the gear portion 335 of the first roller 33 described above. Although not particularly limited, as shown in FIG. 9, the angle θ of the reverse inclined surface 362a with respect to the main surface of the first rotating body 36 ３ can be set to 90 degrees or more and 135 degrees or less (90°≦θ ３ ≦135°). On the other hand, the angle θ of the inclined surface 362b with respect to the main surface of the first rotor 36 is ４ can be greater than 0 degrees and less than 45 degrees (0°<θ ４ <45°). The reverse inclined surface 336 a of the first roller 33 faces the reverse inclined surface 362 a of the first rotating body 36 , and the inclined surface 336 b of the first roller 33 faces the inclined surface 362 b of the first rotating body 36 .

[0049] When the first rotating body 36 rotates in one direction (rightward (clockwise) in FIG. 7 ), the reverse inclined surfaces 336 a and 362 a of the gear portions 335 and 361 engage with each other, causing the first roller 33 to rotate together with the first rotating body 36. In contrast, as described above, the recessed portion 334 of the first roller 33 and the claw portion 411 b of the support body 40 prohibit rotation of the first roller 33 in the other direction (leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7 ). Therefore, when the first rotating body 36 rotates in the other direction (leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7 ), the inclined surfaces 336 b and 362 b cause the teeth 362 of the first rotating body 36 to ride over the teeth 336 of the first roller 33, causing the first rotating body 36 to rotate freely relative to the first roller 33.

[0050] A second rotation limiting mechanism 94 is realized by the gear portions 335 and 361 of the first roller 33 and the first rotating body 36, the recessed portion 334 of the first roller 33, and the claw portion 411b of the support body 40. The second rotation limiting mechanism 94 allows the first roller 33 to rotate in one direction (right-handed (clockwise) in FIG. 7 ) while prohibiting the first roller 33 from rotating in the other direction (left-handed (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7 ).

[0051] The gear portion 361 of the first rotating body 36 corresponds to an example of a "third engagement portion" in the present invention, and the inclined surface 362b of the gear portion 361 corresponds to an example of a "third inclined surface" in the present invention. Furthermore, the gear portion 335 of the first roller 33 corresponds to an example of a "fourth engagement portion" in the present invention, and the inclined surface 336b of the gear portion 335 corresponds to an example of a "fourth inclined surface" in the present invention. Furthermore, the recess 334 of the first roller 33 corresponds to an example of a "fifth engagement portion" in the present invention, and the claw portion 411b of the support body 40 corresponds to an example of a "sixth engagement portion" in the present invention. Furthermore, the other direction of the first roller 33 (leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7 ) corresponds to an example of a "first direction" in the present invention.

[0052] The pinion gear portion 363 of the first rotating body 36 is formed on the upper surface (the surface on the +Z direction side in the figure) of the first rotating body 36. As shown in FIG. 10 , a rack gear portion 64 (described later) of the housing 60 is engaged with the pinion gear portion 363. The pinion gear portion 363 and the rack gear portion 64 constitute a first rotation drive mechanism 91 that rotates the first roller 33 and pulls out the cleaning element 5 from the first bobbin 31 using the first and second rollers 33, 34. The first rotation drive mechanism 91 rotationally drives the first roller 33 in accordance with the relative movement of the cleaning shaft 20 with respect to the housing 60, thereby pulling out the cleaning element 5 from the first bobbin 31 using the first and second rollers 33, 34 and supplying the cleaning element 5 to the pressing surface 211. The first rotation drive mechanism 91 and the roller unit 32 allow a constant amount of cleaning element 5 to be supplied from the first bobbin 31 to the pressing surface 211 .

[0053] The second bobbin 37 is a bobbin that winds up the cleaning element 5 used on the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning head 21 and collects the cleaning element 5 that has passed through the pressing surface 211. As shown in Fig. 11, the second bobbin 37 has a body portion 371 and a pair of flange portions 372 and 373. The second bobbin 37 is made of, for example, a resin material, and the body portion 371 and the flange portions 372 and 373 are integrally formed.

[0054] A used cleaning element 5 is wound around the body portion 371. The body portion 371 has a cylindrical shape, and a third shaft portion 43c (described later) of the support body 40 is inserted into the body portion 371. The pair of flange portions 372, 373 have a disk shape with an outer diameter larger than that of the body portion 371, and are provided on both ends of the body portion 371. Note that the second bobbin 37 differs from the first roller 33 described above in that the shape of the gear portion 375 is different from the shape of the gear portion 335.

[0055] Although not specifically shown, similar to the recess 314 of the first bobbin 31 described above, a plurality of recesses are formed on the outer surface (surface on the −Z direction side in the drawing) of the flange portion 372 on the lower side (−Z direction side in the drawing) of the second bobbin 37. These recesses are arranged intermittently along the circumferential direction of the flange portion 372. Claw portions 411c (see FIG. 13) of the support body 40, which will be described later, can engage with these recesses. These claw portions 411c allow rotation of the second bobbin 37 in one direction (rightward (clockwise) in FIG. 7) but prohibit rotation of the second bobbin 37 in the other direction (leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7).

[0056] 11, a gear portion 375 is formed on the outer surface (the surface on the +Z direction side in the drawing) of a flange portion 373 on the upper side (the +Z direction side in the drawing) of the second bobbin 37. Each tooth 376 constituting the gear portion 375 has a steeply inclined surface 376a on one side and a gently inclined surface 376b on the other side. Although not particularly limited, as shown in FIG. 12, the angle θ of the steeply inclined surface 376a with respect to the main surface of the flange portion 373 of the second bobbin 37 is ５ can be set to 45 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees (45°≦θ ５ <90°). On the other hand, the angle θ of the gentle slope 376b with respect to the main surface of the flange portion 373 of the second bobbin 37 ６ can be greater than 0 degrees and less than 45 degrees (0°<θ ６ <45°).

[0057] As shown in FIG. 4 , the second rotating body 38 is a gear member attached to the second bobbin 37. Specifically, the third shaft portion 43c of the support body 40, which is inserted into the inner hole of the second bobbin 37, is also inserted into the inner hole of the second rotating body 38. As a result, the second rotating body 38 is adjacent to the outer surface of the second bobbin 37 and is disposed coaxially with the second bobbin 37. As shown in FIG. 11 , the second rotating body 38 includes a gear portion 381 and a pinion gear portion 383. The second rotating body 38 is made of, for example, a resin material, and the gear portion 381 and the pinion gear portion 383 are integrally formed.

[0058] The gear portion 381 is formed on the lower surface (the surface on the −Z direction side in the drawing) of the second rotating body 38 so as to face the gear portion 375 of the second bobbin 37. Each tooth 382 constituting this gear portion 381 has a steeply inclined surface 382a on one side and a gently inclined surface 382b on the other side, similar to the gear portion 375 of the second bobbin 37 described above. Although not particularly limited, as shown in FIG. 12 , the angle θ of the steeply inclined surface 382a with respect to the main surface of the second rotating body 38 is ７ can be set to 45 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees (45°≦θ ７ <90°). On the other hand, the angle θ of the gentle slope 382b with respect to the main surface of the second rotor 38 ８ can be greater than 0 degrees and less than 45 degrees (0°<θ ８ <45°). The steeply inclined surface 376 a of the second bobbin 37 faces the steeply inclined surface 382 a of the second rotating body 38 , and the gently inclined surface 376 b of the second bobbin 37 faces the gently inclined surface 382 b of the second rotating body 38 .

[0059] When the second rotating body 38 rotates in one direction (rightward (clockwise) in FIG. 7 ), if the force transmitted from the second rotating body 38 to the second bobbin 37 is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the gear portions 375, 381 are engaged, and the second bobbin 37 rotates together with the second rotating body 38. On the other hand, if the force transmitted from the second rotating body 38 to the second bobbin 37 is greater than the predetermined value, the steep slopes 376 a, 382 a cause the teeth 382 of the second rotating body 38 to climb over the teeth 376 of the second bobbin 37, and the engagement between the gear portions 375, 381 is released.

[0060] That is, the gear portion 375 of the second bobbin 37 and the gear portion 381 of the second rotating body 38 constitute a first rotation limiting mechanism 93. When tension greater than a predetermined value is applied to the second bobbin 37 via the cleaning body 5, the first rotation limiting mechanism 93 causes the second rotating body 38 to rotate freely relative to the second bobbin 37, thereby limiting the rotation of the second bobbin 37.

[0061] Here, in the above-mentioned optical connector cleaning tool that does not have a roller unit, the "predetermined value of tension" is a tension greater than or equal to the tension that winds a certain amount of cleaning body pulled out from the first bobbin onto the second bobbin, and less than the tension that causes the first bobbin to rotate due to the rotation of the second bobbin, pulling out the cleaning body from the first bobbin.

[0062] In contrast, in the present embodiment, as described above, the cleaning body 5 is sandwiched between the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning shaft 20 and the second bobbin 37 by the roller unit 32, so the upper limit of this "predetermined tension" is wider. That is, the "predetermined tension" in this embodiment is equal to or greater than the tension that causes a certain amount of the cleaning body 5 pulled out by the first rotation drive mechanism 91 and the roller unit 32 to be wound onto the second bobbin 37, but is less than the tension that causes the cleaning body 5 sandwiched between the first and second rollers 33, 34 to slip relative to the first and second rollers 33, 34 and be pulled out from the first bobbin 31. The upper limit of this "predetermined tension" is set based on, for example, the frictional force between the first and second rollers 33, 34 and the cleaning body 5, the pressing force of the second roller 34 against the first roller 33 by the elastic piece 352 of the support member 35, etc. In this embodiment, the upper limit of the "predetermined value of tension" is widened in this way, which makes it easier to design the first rotation limiting mechanism 93.

[0063] On the other hand, as described above, rotation of the second bobbin 37 in the other direction (left-handed (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7 ) is prohibited by the claw portion 411 c of the support body 40. Therefore, when the second rotating body 38 rotates in the other direction (left-handed (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7 ), the teeth 382 of the second rotating body 38 climb over the teeth 376 of the second bobbin 37 due to the gentle slopes 376 b and 382 b, and the second rotating body 38 rotates freely relative to the second bobbin 37.

[0064] The gear portion 381 of the second rotating body 38 corresponds to an example of a "first engagement portion" in this aspect of the present invention, and the steep slope 382a of the second rotating body 38 corresponds to an example of a "first inclined surface" in this aspect of the present invention. Furthermore, the gear portion 375 of the second bobbin 37 corresponds to an example of a "second engagement portion" in this aspect of the present invention, and the steep slope 376a of the second bobbin 37 corresponds to an example of a "second inclined surface" in this aspect of the present invention.

[0065] The pinion gear portion 383 of the second rotating body 38 is formed on the upper surface of the second rotating body 38 (the surface on the +Z direction side in the figure). As shown in FIG. 10 , a rack gear portion 64 (described later) of the housing 60 engages with the pinion gear portion 383. The pinion gear portion 383 and the rack gear portion 64 constitute a second rotation drive mechanism 92 that rotates the second bobbin 37 and winds up the cleaning element 5 that has passed between the first and second rollers 33, 34 onto the second bobbin 37. The second rotation drive mechanism 92 rotationally drives the second bobbin 37 in accordance with the relative movement of the cleaning shaft 20 with respect to the housing 60, thereby winding up and recovering the cleaning element 5 that has been drawn into the first and second rollers 33, 34 from the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning shaft 20 onto the second bobbin 37.

[0066] The support body 40 is a member that supports the above-mentioned cleaning shaft 20, first bobbin 31, roller unit 32, first rotating body 36, second bobbin 37, and second rotating body 38. As shown in Fig. 13, the support body 40 includes a base portion 41, a support wall 42, shaft portions 43a to 43c, a support pin 44, a guide pin 45, a side wall 46, a cylindrical portion 47, and a convex portion 48.

[0067] The support wall 42, shafts 43a to 43c, support pins 44, guide pins 45, and sidewalls 46 are supported by the base 41. The sidewalls 46 are provided on the lateral edges (+X direction side in the figure) of the base 41, and the ends of the elastic pieces 352 of the support members 35 of the roller unit 32 contact these sidewalls 46. The cylindrical portion 47 protrudes in the +Y direction in the figure from the wall on the leading end side (+Y direction side in the figure) of the support 40. The convex portion 48 protrudes in the -Y direction in the figure from the wall on the rear end side (-Y direction side in the figure) of the support 40. The support 40 is made of, for example, a resin material, and the base 41, support wall 42, shafts 43a to 43c, support pins 44, guide pins 45, sidewalls 46, cylindrical portion 47, and convex portion 48 are integrally formed.

[0068] 3 and 4, the cleaning shaft 20 is supported by the support body 40 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis RA. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 13, the multiple support walls 42 of the support body 40 each have an arc-shaped recess corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the expanded diameter portion 25 of the cleaning shaft 20. The expanded diameter portion 25 is held in the recess of the support wall 42, so that the cleaning shaft 20 is rotatably supported by the support body 40. Meanwhile, the shaft main body 24 of the cleaning shaft 20 protrudes from the support body 40 in the +Y direction in the figures via a cylindrical portion 47 of the support body 40.

[0069] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 , the first shaft portion 43 a is inserted into the inner hole of the first bobbin 31, and the first bobbin 31 is rotatably supported by the support 40. The second shaft portion 43 b is inserted into the inner hole of the first roller 33, and the first roller 33 is rotatably supported by the support 40. The second shaft portion 43 b is also inserted into the inner hole of the first rotating body 36, and the first rotating body 36 is supported by the support 40 rotatably on the same axis as the first roller 33. Similarly, the third shaft portion 43 c is inserted into the inner hole of the second bobbin 37, and the second bobbin 37 is rotatably supported by the support 40. The third shaft portion 43 c is also inserted into the inner hole of the second rotating body 38, and the second rotating body 38 is supported by the support 40 rotatably on the same axis as the second bobbin 37. Furthermore, the cleaning element 5 that passes through the passage 26 of the cleaning shaft 20 and enters the support body 40 is guided between the first roller 33 and the second roller 34 via the guide pin 45 .

[0070] As shown in FIG. 13 , the base portion 41 of the support 40 has a claw portion 411 a at a position facing the first bobbin 31. This claw portion 411 a is elastically deformable along the normal direction of the base portion 41. As shown in FIG. 14 , this claw portion 411 a has an inclined surface 412 and a vertical surface 413 at its tip. The inclined surface 412 allows the claw portion 411 a to be released from the recess 314, so the first bobbin 31 can rotate in one direction (rightward (clockwise) in FIG. 7 ). On the other hand, when the vertical surface 413 abuts against the inner wall surface of the recess 314, the claw portion 411 a cannot be released from the recess 314, so the first bobbin 31 cannot rotate in the other direction (leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7 ).

[0071] 13, the base portion 41 of the support body 40 also has a claw portion 411b at a position facing the first roller 33. This claw portion 411b has an inclined surface and a vertical surface at its tip, similar to the above-mentioned claw portion 411a. This claw portion 411b and the recess 334 of the first roller 33 allow the first roller 33 to rotate in one direction (rightward (clockwise) in FIG. 7) but prevent it from rotating in the other direction (leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7).

[0072] 13, the base portion 41 of the support body 40 also has a claw portion 411c at a position facing the second bobbin 37. This claw portion 411c has an inclined surface and a vertical surface at its tip, similar to the claw portion 411a described above. This claw portion 411c and a recess (not shown) in the second bobbin 37 allow the second bobbin 37 to rotate in one direction (rightward (clockwise) in FIG. 7) but prevent it from rotating in the other direction (leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7).

[0073] 3 and 4, the guide nozzle 50 includes a first cylindrical body 51, a second cylindrical body 52, and a third biasing member 53. The guide nozzle 50 is disposed on the tip side (the +Y direction side in the drawings) of the support body 40. The guide nozzle 50 is supported by the support body 40 so that the first cylindrical body 51 is movable relative to the support body 40 along the Y-axis direction in the drawings.

[0074] Both the first and second cylindrical bodies 51, 52 have a cylindrical shape. The first cylindrical body 51 has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the second cylindrical body 52 and is inserted into the second cylindrical body 52. ​​The first cylindrical body 51 is inserted into the second cylindrical body 52 so as to be relatively movable along the Y-axis direction in the figure. Note that a step portion 511 provided approximately in the center of the first cylindrical body 51 engages with a protrusion (not shown) formed on the inner circumference at the tip of the inner hole of the second cylindrical body 52, thereby restricting the movement of the first cylindrical body 51 forward (in the +Y direction in the figure).

[0075] The third biasing member 53 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 47 of the support body 40. The rear end (-Y direction side in the figure) of the third biasing member 53 contacts the wall on the front end (+Y direction side in the figure) of the support body 40. Meanwhile, the rear end (-Y direction side in the figure) of the first cylindrical body 51 contacts the front end (+Y direction side in the figure) of the third biasing member 53. In other words, the third biasing member 53 is interposed between the first cylindrical body 51 and the support body 40. Specific examples of the third biasing member 53 include an elastic body such as a spring or rubber, and a specific example of the spring is a coil spring.

[0076] The third biasing member 53 is inserted into the second cylindrical body 52 together with the first cylindrical body 51. The cylindrical portion 47 of the support body 40 is also inserted into the second cylindrical body 52. ​​A protrusion 471 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 47 of the support body 40, and a window portion 521 is formed in the rear end portion of the outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical body 52. ​​The protrusion 471 is inserted into the window portion 521, thereby fixing the second cylindrical body 52 to the support body 40. In this state, the third biasing member 53 biases the first cylindrical body 51 forward (in the +Y direction in the figure).

[0077] The portion of the cleaning shaft 20 that protrudes from the support body 40 is inserted into this guide nozzle 50. The portion of the cleaning shaft 20 that protrudes from the support body 40 is the portion of the cleaning shaft 20 that is closer to the tip end (the +Y direction in the figure) than the expanded diameter portion 25, and specifically, the cleaning head 21, the second biasing member 22, and the shaft body 24.

[0078] In the normal state (when the cleaner 1 is not in use (when the tip of the guide nozzle 50 is not inserted into the adapter)), the tip of the cleaning shaft 20 does not protrude from the guide nozzle 50 but is located inside the guide nozzle 50. When the cleaner 1 is used to clean the optical connector 100, the tip of the guide nozzle 50 is inserted into the adapter and comes into contact with the end face 151 of the sleeve 150 (see FIG. 5B ), causing the first cylindrical body 51 to retract relative to the second cylindrical body 52, and the tip of the cleaning shaft 20 to protrude from the guide nozzle 50.

[0079] The housing 60 accommodates a portion of the cleaning unit 10 and a first biasing member 70. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the housing 60 includes a housing main body 61 and an adjustment member 62. The housing main body 61 has two notches 612, 613, and an opening 611 is formed at its tip. The cleaning unit 10 is accommodated in the housing main body 61 so that the tip portion of the cleaning unit 10 protrudes from the housing main body 61 through the opening 611. The cleaning unit 10 is accommodated in the housing main body 61 so that the cleaning unit 10 is movable relative to the housing main body 61 along the Y-axis direction in the figures.

[0080] 15, the adjustment member 62 includes a cam pin 63 and a rack gear portion 64. As shown in FIG. 3, the adjustment member 62 covers the support body 40 so that the cleaning unit 10 is movable relative to the adjustment member 62 along the Y-axis direction in the drawing.

[0081] The cam pin 63 of this adjustment member 62 is inserted into the cam groove 251 of the shaft member 23. Therefore, when the cleaning unit 10 moves relative to the housing 60, the cleaning shaft 20 rotates about the rotation axis RA due to the rotation mechanism formed by the cam pin 63 and the cam groove 251.

[0082] Furthermore, the rack gear portion 64 of the adjustment member 62 is engaged with the pinion gear portion 363 of the first rotating body 36. Therefore, when the cleaning unit 10 moves relative to the housing 60, the first roller 33 is rotated by the first rotation drive mechanism 91 composed of the rack gear portion 64 and the pinion gear portion 363.

[0083] Specifically, when the housing 60 is pushed into the cleaning unit 10 and moves forward relative to it (in the +Y direction in the figure) (see FIG. 16(a)), the first rotation drive mechanism 91 converts the linear motion into rotational motion, and rotates the first roller 33 to which the first rotating body 36 is attached. As described above, the claw portion 411b of the support body 40 prohibits the first roller 33 from rotating in the other direction (leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7), so when the housing 60 moves backward relative to the cleaning unit 10 (in the −Y direction in the figure) (see FIG. 16(b)), the first rotating body 36 rotates freely with respect to the first roller 33, and the first roller 33 does not rotate.

[0084] Similarly, the rack gear portion 64 of the adjustment member 62 is also engaged with the pinion gear portion 383 of the second rotating body 38. Therefore, when the cleaning unit 10 moves relative to the housing 60, the second bobbin 37 is rotated by the second rotation drive mechanism 92 composed of the rack gear portion 64 and the pinion gear portion 383.

[0085] Specifically, when the housing 60 is pushed into the cleaning unit 10 and moves forward relative to it (in the +Y direction in the figure) (see FIG. 16(a)), the second rotation drive mechanism 92 converts the linear motion into rotational motion, and rotates the second bobbin 37 to which the second rotating body 38 is attached. As described above, the claw portion 411c of the support body 40 prohibits the second bobbin 37 from rotating in the other direction (leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7), so when the housing 60 moves backward relative to the cleaning unit 10 (in the −Y direction in the figure) (see FIG. 16(b)), the second rotating body 38 rotates freely with respect to the second bobbin 37, and the second bobbin 37 does not rotate.

[0086] The rack gear portion 64 corresponds to an example of the "first rack gear portion" and an example of the "second rack gear portion" in the aspects of the present invention. Furthermore, the pinion gear portion 363 of the first rotating body 36 corresponds to an example of the "first pinion gear portion" in the aspects of the present invention, and the pinion gear portion 383 of the second rotating body 38 corresponds to an example of the "second pinion gear portion" in the aspects of the present invention.

[0087] In this embodiment, the pinion gear portions 363, 383 of the first and second rotating bodies 36, 38 are engaged with the same rack gear portion 64, but this is not particularly limited. For example, the rack gear portion 64 may be divided into two, and the pinion gear portions 363, 383 of the first and second rotating bodies 36, 38 may be engaged with each rack gear portion 64 individually.

[0088] 3, the first biasing member 70 is inserted into the protrusion 48 of the support body 40 and is interposed between the wall on the rear end side (the -Y direction side in the figure) of the support body 40 and the wall 65 on the rear end side of the adjustment member 62. This first biasing member 70 biases the cleaning unit 10 toward the tip end (the +Y direction in the figure). Specific examples of the first biasing member 70 include an elastic body such as a spring or rubber, and a specific example of a spring is a coil spring.

[0089] The adjustment member 62 and the first biasing member 70 are housed in the housing main body 61 together with the cleaning unit 10. The adjustment member 62 is fixed to the housing main body 61 by the engagement piece 66 of the adjustment member 62 engaging with the notch 612 of the housing main body 61.

[0090] The cleaning unit 10 can be advanced relative to the housing body 61 by advancing the adjustment member 62 relative to the housing body 61 and engaging the engagement piece 66 with another notch 613. In other words, the amount of protrusion of the cleaning unit 10 from the housing body 61 can be adjusted by engaging the engagement piece 66 with either the notch 612 or 613. The adjustment of the amount of protrusion of the cleaning unit 10 is performed before the optical connector 100 is cleaned, and the adjustment member 62 is not moved relative to the housing body 61 during the optical connector 100 cleaning operation.

[0091] The internal operation of the cleaner 1 when cleaning the connection end face 111 of the optical connector 100 using the cleaner 1 described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b).

[0092] 16(a) and 16(b) are diagrams showing the internal operation of the optical connector cleaning tool 1 in this embodiment, with Fig. 16(a) showing a state in which the housing 60 is pushed into the cleaning unit 10, and Fig. 16(b) showing a state in which the housing 60 is released from the cleaning unit 10. Note that Figs. 16(a) and 16(b) do not show the cleaning element 5 sent out from the first bobbin 31 to the cleaning shaft 20.

[0093] First, the operator inserts the tip of the guide nozzle 50 of the cleaner 1 into the opening of the adapter. This causes the tip of the guide nozzle 50 to abut against the end face 151 of the sleeve 150. Then, when the operator pushes the cleaner 1 toward the adapter, the third biasing member 53 contracts, the first cylindrical body 51 retracts relative to the second cylindrical body 52, and the cleaning head 21 of the cleaning shaft 20 protrudes from the tip of the guide nozzle 50. Then, this cleaning head 21 enters the sleeve 150 (see FIG. 5( b)), and the cleaning head 21 brings the cleaning element 5 into contact with the connection end face 111 of the optical connector 100.

[0094] 16A, when the operator pushes the housing 60 against the guide nozzle 50 toward the +Y direction in the figure, the cleaning unit 10 moves relatively backward (in the −Y direction in the figure) relative to the housing 60, contracting the first biasing member 70 and the second biasing member 22. This contraction of the second biasing member 22 causes the cleaning head 21 to press the cleaning body 5 against the connection end face 111 of the ferrule 110 with an appropriate pressing force.

[0095] The relative linear motion of the cleaning unit 10 with respect to the housing 60 is converted into rotational motion of the first rotating body 36 by the rack gear portion 64 and the pinion gear portion 363. Then, the gear portions 361, 335 of the first rotating body 36 and the first roller 33 engage with each other, and the rotation of the first rotating body 36 is transmitted to the first roller 33. Then, as the first roller 33 rotates, the second roller 34 in contact with the first roller 33 also rotates, so that the cleaning body 5 is pulled out from the first bobbin 31 by the first and second rollers 33, 34 and supplied to the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning shaft 20. As a result, the cleaning body 5 slides while being pressed against the connection end face 111 of the optical connector 100, wiping off foreign matter adhering to the connection end face 111.

[0096] By such operation of the first rotation drive mechanism 91 and the roller unit 32, a fixed amount of cleaning body 5 can be supplied from the first bobbin 31 to the pressing surface 211 for each pushing operation. This fixed amount of cleaning body 5 can be set based on the amount of rotation of the first roller 33 accompanying the relative movement of the cleaning unit 10 with respect to the housing 60, the radius of the body 331 of the first roller 33, etc.

[0097] Furthermore, the relative linear motion of the cleaning unit 10 with respect to the housing 60 is converted into rotational motion of the second rotating body 38 by the rack gear portion 64 and the pinion gear portion 383. Then, the gear portions 381, 375 of the second rotating body 38 and the second bobbin 37 engage with each other, and the rotation of the second rotating body 38 is transmitted to the second bobbin 37. As a result, the second bobbin 37 is driven to rotate, and the cleaning body 5, which has been drawn from the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning shaft 20 into the first and second rollers 33, 34, is wound onto the second bobbin 37 and collected onto the second bobbin 37.

[0098] At this time, as described above, when a tension greater than a predetermined value is applied to the second bobbin 37 via the cleaning body 5, the first rotation limiting mechanism 93 (the gear portion 375 of the second bobbin 37 and the gear portion 381 of the second rotating body 38) causes the second rotating body 38 to rotate freely relative to the second bobbin 37. Therefore, even if the radius of the cleaning body 5 wound around the second bobbin 37 increases as the number of cleaning operations increases, a situation in which an amount of the cleaning body 5 greater than the fixed amount pulled out by the first and second rollers 33, 34 is pulled out from the first bobbin 31 by the rotation of the second bobbin 37 is suppressed.

[0099] Furthermore, when the cleaning unit 10 moves relatively backward (in the -Y direction in the figure) with respect to the housing 60, the cam pin 63 slides relatively within the cam groove 251, causing the cleaning shaft 20 to rotate about the rotation axis RA. Therefore, even if the width of the thread-like or string-like cleaning element 5 is narrower than the connection end surface 111 to be cleaned, it is possible to wipe away dirt from the entire area of ​​the connection end surface 111. Although not particularly limited, the rotation angle of the cleaning shaft 20 is preferably 180 degrees or greater.

[0100] Next, when the operator releases the pushing of the housing 60 against the guide nozzle 50, as shown in FIG. 16B , the elastic force of the first biasing member 70 causes the cleaning unit 10 to move forward (in the +Y direction in the figure) relative to the housing 60. At this time, as described above, the claw portion 411 b of the support body 40 prohibits the first roller 33 from rotating in the other direction (leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7 ). Therefore, the first rotating body 36 rotates freely relative to the first roller 33, and the first roller 33 does not rotate. Similarly, as described above, the claw portion 411 c of the support body 40 prohibits the second bobbin 37 from rotating in the other direction (leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 7 ). Therefore, the second rotating body 38 rotates freely relative to the second bobbin 37, and the second bobbin 37 does not rotate.

[0101] When cleaning is completed, the worker removes the cleaner 1 from the optical connector 100 by pulling out the tip portion of the guide nozzle 50 of the cleaner 1 from the optical connector 100 .

[0102] As described above, in this embodiment, the first and second rollers 33, 34 clamp the cleaning body 5 between the pressing surface 211 of the cleaning shaft 20 and the second bobbin 37, the first rotation drive mechanism 91 rotationally drives the first roller 33 in accordance with the relative movement of the cleaning shaft 20 with respect to the housing 60, thereby causing the first and second rollers 33, 34 to pull out the cleaning body 5 from the first bobbin 31, and the second rotation drive mechanism 92 rotationally drives the second bobbin 37 in accordance with the above-mentioned relative movement, thereby recovering the cleaning body 5 pulled into the first and second rollers 33, 34 into the second bobbin 37.

[0103] That is, in this embodiment, the first and second rollers 33, 34 and the first rotation drive mechanism 91 can pull out a certain amount of cleaning body 5 from the first bobbin 31, thereby increasing the number of times the optical connector 100 can be cleaned by the optical connector cleaning tool 1. Moreover, in this embodiment, the first and second rollers 33, 34 sandwich the cleaning body 5 to prevent the cleaning body 5 from slipping, so it is possible to prevent more than a certain amount of cleaning body 5 from being pulled out from the first bobbin 31 due to rotation of the second bobbin 37.

[0104] 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.

[0105] For example, in the above-described embodiment, when the cleaning unit 10 moves relatively backward (in the -Y direction in the figure) with respect to the housing 60 (see FIG. 16(a)), the first bobbin 31 is rotated by the first rotation drive mechanism 91, and the first roller 33 is also rotated by the second rotation drive mechanism 92, but the relationship between the direction of relative movement of the cleaning unit 10 with respect to the housing 60 and the operation of the first and second rotation drive mechanisms 91, 92 is not particularly limited to this.

[0106] For example, when the cleaning unit 10 moves relatively backward (in the -Y direction in the figure) with respect to the housing 60, the first roller 33 is rotated by the first rotation drive mechanism 91, whereas when the cleaning unit 10 moves relatively forward (in the +Y direction in the figure) with respect to the housing 60, the second bobbin 37 may also be rotated by the second rotation drive mechanism 92. In this case, for example, the rack gear portion 64 of the adjustment member 62 is divided into two, and the two rack gear portions 64 are arranged facing opposite to each other.

[0107] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...optical connector cleaning tool 5...cleaning body 10...cleaning unit 20...cleaning shaft 31...first bobbin 32...roller unit 33...first roller 331a...outer peripheral surface 334...recess 335...gear portion 336b...inclined surface 34...second roller 341...outer peripheral surface 35...support member 36...first rotating body 361...gear portion 362b...inclined surface 363...pinion gear portion 37...second bobbin 375...gear portion 376a...steep slope 38...second rotating body 381...gear portion 382a...steep slope 383...pinion gear portion 40...support body 411a to 411c...claw portion 50...guide nozzle 60...housing 61...housing main body 62...adjusting member 64...rack gear portion REFERENCE SIGNS 70: First biasing member 91: First rotation drive mechanism 92: Second rotation drive mechanism 93: First rotation limiting mechanism 94: Second rotation limiting mechanism 100: Optical connector 110: Ferrule 111: Connection end face

Claims

1. An optical connector cleaning tool for cleaning a connection end face of an optical connector, comprising: a cleaning shaft having a pressing surface for pressing a cleaning body against the connection end face, the cleaning body being wrapped around the pressing surface; a housing for holding the cleaning shaft so as to be movable relatively along the axial direction of the cleaning shaft; a first bobbin contained in the housing for supplying the cleaning body to the pressing surface; a second bobbin contained in the housing for recovering the cleaning body that has passed over the pressing surface; first and second rollers contained in the housing for sandwiching the cleaning body between the pressing surface and the second bobbin; a first rotation drive mechanism for rotating the first roller in accordance with the relative movement of the cleaning shaft with respect to the housing, thereby drawing out the cleaning body from the first bobbin by the first and second rollers; and a second rotation drive mechanism for rotating the second bobbin in accordance with the relative movement of the cleaning shaft with respect to the housing, thereby recovering the cleaning body drawn between the first and second rollers into the second bobbin.

2. An optical connector cleaning tool as described in claim 1, comprising a first rotation limiting mechanism that limits the rotation of the second bobbin when a tension greater than a predetermined value is applied to the second bobbin via the cleaning body.

3. An optical connector cleaning tool as described in claim 1 or 2, comprising a first rotating body attached to the first roller, and the first rotation drive mechanism comprising: a first pinion gear portion provided on the first rotating body; and a first rack gear that is movable relative to the first rotating body in response to relative movement of the cleaning shaft with respect to the housing and engages with the first pinion gear portion.

4. An optical connector cleaning tool as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a second rotating body attached to the second bobbin, and the second rotation drive mechanism comprising: a second pinion gear portion provided on the second rotating body; and a second rack gear that is movable relative to the second rotating body in response to relative movement of the cleaning shaft with respect to the housing and engages with the second pinion gear portion.

5. An optical connector cleaning tool as described in claim 2, wherein the optical connector cleaning tool comprises a second rotating body attached to the second bobbin, and the first rotation limiting mechanism comprises: a first engagement portion having a first inclined surface and provided on the second rotating body; and a second engagement portion having a second inclined surface corresponding to the first inclined surface and provided on the second bobbin, and when a tension greater than the predetermined value is applied to the second bobbin via the cleaning body, the engagement between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion is released, causing the rotating body to rotate freely relative to the second bobbin.

6. An optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: a first rotating body attached to the first roller; a support body rotatably supporting the first roller and the first rotating body; and a second rotation limiting mechanism prohibiting rotation of the first roller in a first direction, the second rotation limiting mechanism comprising: a third engagement portion having a third inclined surface and provided on the first rotating body; a fourth engagement portion having a fourth inclined surface corresponding to the third inclined surface and provided on the first roller; a fifth engagement portion provided on the first roller; and a sixth engagement portion provided on the support body, wherein when the first rotating body rotates in the first direction, the third engagement portion and the fourth engagement portion do not engage with each other, causing the first rotating body to rotate freely relative to the first roller, and the fifth engagement portion and the sixth engagement portion engage with each other, prohibiting rotation of the first roller in the first direction.

7. An optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a biasing mechanism for biasing the second roller towards the first roller.

8. An optical connector cleaning tool as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first roller has a first contact surface that contacts the cleaning body, the second roller has a second contact surface that contacts the cleaning body, and at least one of the first and second contact surfaces is made of an elastic material.

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