Cleaning assistance attachment for optical connector cleaning tool

Abstract

The present invention comprises a tubular body (41) into which a cleaning section of an optical connector cleaning tool can be inserted. A fitting section (43) that fits with an object of cleaning is formed in one end section of the tubular body (41). A space (44) inside the tubular body (41) is wider than the width of the optical connector cleaning tool in the direction in which a plurality of ferrules are arranged side by side. A plurality of grooves (46) are formed in an inner wall of the tubular body (41). The grooves (46) are formed in such shapes that a protrusion of the cleaning part fits with a location corresponding to all of the ferrules (3).　It is thus possible to provide a cleaning assistance attachment for an optical connector cleaning tool that can be applied even when the gap between ferrules is narrow.

Description

Attachment for assisting cleaning of optical connector cleaning tools

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning auxiliary attachment for an optical connector cleaning tool used when cleaning an optical connector having a plurality of ferrules.

[0002] Conventionally, when cleaning the connection end face of an optical connector with an optical connector cleaning tool, a cleaning auxiliary attachment (hereinafter simply referred to as an attachment) such as that described in Patent Document 1 may be used. The attachment described in Patent Document 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a configuration in which the optical connector fits into one end and the optical connector cleaning tool fits into the other end. By fitting the optical connector and the optical connector cleaning tool into the attachment, respectively, the cleaning medium of the optical connector cleaning tool comes into contact with the connection end face of the optical connector inside the attachment.

[0003] Recently, optical connectors equipped with multiple ferrules, such as the External Laser Small Form-Factor Pluggable (ELSFP), have come into use. This type of optical connector is shown in FIG. 20. The optical connector 1 shown in FIG. 20 includes multiple ferrules 3 in a single housing 2. The housing 2 is supported on a substrate 4 and includes a rectangular cylindrical adapter 5. The adapter 5 is formed long to accommodate a long optical module (not shown) to be connected to the optical connector 1. Each ferrule 3 is provided with multiple optical fibers 6 arranged in a row. The multiple ferrules 3 are arranged in parallel in the same direction as the multiple optical fibers 6. No walls are provided between the ferrules 3 to separate them.

[0004] For this reason, the holes into which the optical modules fit cannot be directly used as guides to individually guide the optical connector cleaning tool to the ferrule end face 7 (the connection end face formed at the tip of the ferrule 3 and the surface to be cleaned) where the optical fiber 6 of the ferrule 3 is exposed. When cleaning this optical connector 1, one possible approach is to insert the attachment described in Patent Document 1 into the adapter 5 and then insert a guide (rod-shaped cleaning portion) extending from the main body of the optical connector cleaning tool into the guide hole of the attachment. If the adapter 5 is long, the attachment and the guide of the optical connector cleaning tool will also be long.

[0005] Patent No. 3880955

[0006] The attachment described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it cannot be applied to an optical connector 1 having multiple ferrules 3, as shown in FIG. 20 . The reason for this is as follows: The attachment described in Patent Document 1 must be formed with a guide hole into which a guide (rod-shaped cleaning portion) extending from the main body of the optical connector cleaning tool can be fitted. When using this attachment to clean multiple ferrules 3, multiple guide holes are provided in the attachment. Partition walls are required between adjacent guide holes to hold the guide of the optical connector cleaning tool. For this reason, the spacing between the guide holes must be larger than the horizontal width of the guide holes. If the attachment is formed to fit an optical connector 1 having multiple ferrules 3, the spacing between the guide holes will be smaller than the horizontal width of the guide holes, and the holes will be connected to each other, making it impossible to form a partition wall. For this reason, it is impossible to position the guide in the horizontal direction, and as described above, this attachment cannot be applied to an optical connector 1 having multiple ferrules 3.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an attachment for assisting cleaning of an optical connector cleaning tool that can be used even when the spacing between ferrules is narrow.

[0008] In order to achieve this object, the cleaning auxiliary attachment for an optical connector cleaning tool according to the present invention comprises a cylindrical body into which a rod-shaped cleaning part of an optical connector cleaning tool can be inserted, the cleaning part being used to clean a surface to be cleaned where an optical fiber is exposed, with the tip of the rod-shaped cleaning part using a cleaning medium; one end of the cylindrical body is formed with a fitting part that fits into an object to be cleaned, the object having a plurality of ferrules formed at its tip; the object to be cleaned has outer walls located on both sides in the direction in which the plurality of ferrules are arranged and on at least one side in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction in which the plurality of ferrules are arranged and also perpendicular to the direction in which the surface to be cleaned is oriented; and the fitting part is The cleaning section has a shape that conforms to the outer wall so as to fit inside or outside the outer wall, and when fitted into the outer wall, the part that fits into the outer wall is shaped in such a way that movement toward the outer wall and movement toward the ferrule are restricted. The space inside the cylindrical body is wider than the width of the cleaning section in the direction in which the multiple ferrules are arranged. Multiple guide paths extending in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body are formed on the inner wall of the cylindrical body, and the guide paths are shaped to fit into guided parts consisting of either convex parts or concave parts formed on the cleaning section at positions corresponding to all of the ferrules.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an auxiliary cleaning attachment for an optical connector cleaning tool that can be used even when the spacing between ferrules is narrow.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning auxiliary attachment, an optical connector, an optical module, and an optical connector cleaning tool according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an optical connector and an optical module. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an optical connector cleaning tool. FIG. 3B is an enlarged perspective view of a tip of the optical connector cleaning tool. FIG. 4A is a plan view of an adapter attachment. FIG. 4B is a front view of an adapter attachment. FIG. 4C is a rear view of an adapter attachment. FIG. 4D is a perspective cross-sectional view of an adapter attachment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an optical module and an optical module attachment. FIG. 6 is a perspective cross-sectional view of an optical connector and an adapter attachment. FIG. 7 is a perspective cross-sectional view of an adapter attachment. FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of an adapter attachment. FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of an adapter attachment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an optical connector and a portion of an adapter attachment. FIG. 10 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a state in which an optical connector is being cleaned. FIG. 11A is a plan view of an optical module attachment. FIG. 11B is a front view of the optical module attachment. FIG. 11C is a rear view of the optical module attachment. FIG. 11D is a perspective cross-sectional view of the optical module attachment. FIG. 12A is a perspective view of an optical connector and an attachment. FIG. 12B is a perspective view of an optical connector, an attachment, and an optical connector cleaning tool. FIG. 12C is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a state in which one ferrule is being cleaned. FIG. 13A is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a state in which the optical connector cleaning tool has been moved after cleaning. FIG. 13B is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a state in which the optical connector cleaning tool has been moved laterally. FIG. 13C is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a state in which the other ferrule is being cleaned. FIG. 14A is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a modified example of an adapter attachment. FIG. 14B is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a modified example of an adapter attachment. FIG. 15A is a perspective view showing a modified example of an adapter attachment. Figures 15B, 16A, and 16B are perspective cross-sectional views showing modified examples of the adapter attachment.Fig. 17 is a perspective view of an optical connector, an adapter attachment, and an optical connector cleaning tool. Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing an adapter attachment having a protrusion in use. Fig. 19 is a perspective cross-sectional view of an adapter attachment. Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing a partially cutaway optical connector.

[0011] An embodiment of a cleaning auxiliary attachment for an optical connector cleaning tool according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13. In these figures, components identical or equivalent to those described with reference to FIG. 20 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted where appropriate. (General Description of the Attachment) The cleaning auxiliary attachment (hereinafter simply referred to as the attachment) 21 shown in FIG. 1 is used when cleaning an optical connector 1. As shown in FIG. 20, the optical connector 1 has two ferrules 3 arranged symmetrically with respect to the center of the insertion hole 5a of the adapter 5 in the left-right direction. The attachment 21 is inserted into the adapter 5 of the optical connector 1 during cleaning, and an optical module 22 is inserted when connecting another optical fiber cable. In this embodiment, the optical connector 1 and the optical module 22 are the "object to be cleaned" as defined in the present invention. The adapter 5 forms outer walls located on both sides of the direction in which the two ferrules 3 are aligned and on both sides of the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the two ferrules 3 are aligned and perpendicular to the direction in which the ferrule end faces 7 (the surfaces to be cleaned) are oriented.

[0012] (Explanation of Optical Module) As shown in FIG. 2 , the optical module 22 has a housing 23 that fits into the adapter 5 and two ferrules 24 provided inside the housing 23. The tip end (the end closest to the optical connector 1) of the housing 23 of the optical module 22 has an outer wall 23a that surrounds the ferrule 24 from three directions. More specifically, the outer wall 23a is located on both sides in the direction in which the two ferrules 24 are aligned and on one side in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the two ferrules 24 are aligned and perpendicular to the direction in which a ferrule end face 26 (described later) is oriented. This outer wall 23a forms the connecting portion of the optical module 22. When connecting the optical module 22 to the optical connector 1, this outer wall 23a is inserted into the adapter 5 and is inserted between the housing 2 of the optical connector 1 and the adapter 5. That is, the housing 2 of the optical connector 1 is inserted inside the outer wall 23a at the tip end of the optical module 22.

[0013] The ferrule 24 of the optical module 22 has a plurality of optical fibers 25 arranged in a row in the left-right direction in Fig. 2, similar to the ferrule 3 of the optical connector 1. These optical fibers 25 are exposed at a ferrule end face 26, which is a flat connection end face formed at the tip of the ferrule 24. The plurality of ferrules 24 of the optical module 22 are also arranged side by side in the direction in which the optical fibers 25 are arranged. When the optical module 22 is connected to the optical connector 1, the ferrule end face 26 of the optical module 22 is connected to and tightly adheres to the ferrule end face 7 of the optical connector 1. In the optical module 22, the ferrule end face 26 is the surface to be cleaned.

[0014] (Explanation of Optical Connector Cleaning Tool) To clean the ferrule end face 7 of the optical connector 1 and the ferrule end face 26 of the optical module 22, an optical connector cleaning tool 31 shown in FIG. 1 is used. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B , the optical connector cleaning tool 31 includes a slender, rod-shaped cleaning unit 33 with a cleaning medium 32 exposed at its tip, and a main body 34 connected to the base end of the cleaning unit 33. The cleaning unit 33 includes a rectangular guide 35 and a cleaning head 37 (see FIG. 3B ) that is supported at the tip of the guide 35 so as to be able to move freely in and out and is biased by a spring member 36 (see FIG. 10 ) in the direction of moving out of the guide 35. The cleaning unit 33 is configured to be movable parallel to the main body 34 in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning unit 33.

[0015] In this embodiment, the cleaning medium 32 is a thin strip. The cleaning medium 32 is folded back at the cleaning head 37 and extends through the cleaning unit 33 toward the main body 34. It is connected to a supply bobbin (not shown) and a take-up bobbin (not shown) housed within the main body 34. The take-up bobbin is interlocked with and driven by a medium feed mechanism (not shown). The medium feed mechanism is configured so that the take-up bobbin takes up a predetermined length of cleaning medium 32 as the main body 34 moves toward the tip of the cleaning unit 33 and then returns to its initial position, performing a single reciprocating motion. The cleaning medium 32 is pulled out from the supply bobbin by being wound onto the take-up bobbin and moves so as to fold back at the tip of the cleaning unit 33. When the cleaning medium 32 is in contact with the surface to be cleaned (the ferrule end faces 7 and 26), the main body 34 performs the reciprocating motion as described above, causing the cleaning medium 32 to move in a direction along the surface to be cleaned, thereby cleaning the surface to be cleaned.

[0016] The cleaning head 37 protruding from the tip of the guide 35 of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 must be positioned at a fixed distance from the ferrule end faces 7 and 26 to be cleaned. There are three main positioning methods. The first is a method of positioning by butting against the optical connector 1 (optical module 22). In this case, there is a possibility that the optical connector 1 or the optical module 22 does not have a flat surface suitable for positioning. The second is a method of using the end face of the insertion port of the adapter 5. In this case, the distance from the ferrule end faces 7 and 26 becomes long, which may reduce positioning accuracy. The third is a method of using an attachment with an butting surface provided within the attachment. The cleaning assistance attachment of the present invention employs this method.

[0017] (Detailed Description of Adapter Attachment) The cleaning assistance attachment according to the present invention is configured as shown in Figures 4A to 4D. Attachment 21 shown in Figures 4A to 4D is an adapter attachment for cleaning optical connectors 1, and is formed by a square cylindrical body 41 that fits inside the connection portion (adapter 5) of the optical connector 1.

[0018] When the object to be cleaned is an optical module 22, an optical module attachment 42 shown in Fig. 5 is used. The optical module attachment 42 will be described later. In the following description of the attachments 21 and 42, when indicating directions, the direction in which the multiple ferrules 3 and 24 of the optical connector 1 and the optical module 22 are arranged will be referred to as the left-right direction, and the direction in which the ferrule end faces 7 and 26 are oriented will be referred to as the forward direction.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 6 , the overall length of the adapter attachment 21 (cylindrical body 41) is the length by which the front end protrudes forward from the adapter 5 when the cylindrical body 41 is inserted into the adapter 5 and the rear end abuts against the housing 2 of the optical connector 1. In the cylindrical body 41 according to this embodiment, the outer surface of the rear end forms a fitting portion 43 that fits into the optical connector 1 as the object to be cleaned. This fitting portion 43 has a shape that follows the shape of the adapter 5 so as to fit inside the adapter 5, and is formed in a shape that, when fitted into the adapter 5, restricts movement of the portion that fits into the adapter 5 in a direction toward the adapter 5 and in a direction approaching the ferrule 3. As shown in Fig. 6 , when the rear end of the cylindrical body 41 abuts against the housing 2, the adapter attachment 21 is positioned relative to the optical connector 1 in the left-right, up-down, and front-back directions.

[0020] As shown in Figures 4B and 4C, the cylindrical body 41 constituting the adapter attachment 21 has a bottom wall 41a, a top wall 41b, a left side wall 41c, and a right side wall 41d. The space 44 inside the cylindrical body 41 is formed so that the cleaning part 33 of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 can be inserted therein. The vertical width of the space 44 inside the cylindrical body 41, i.e., the gap between the bottom wall 41a and the top wall 41b, is slightly wider than the vertical width of the cleaning part 33 of the optical connector cleaning tool 31, and is set to the minimum width that allows the cleaning part 33 to be inserted without loose movement. The horizontal width of the internal space 44 is also wider than the horizontal width of the cleaning part 33 so that the cleaning part 33 can move left and right.

[0021] The inner surfaces of the top wall 41b, left side wall 41c, and right side wall 41d of the cylindrical body 41 are each formed as a flat surface. As shown in FIG. 7, the bottom wall 41a of the cylindrical body 41 in this embodiment has a notch 45 and two grooves 46. In this embodiment, the notch 45 serves as the "common path" of the present invention and extends from the front end of the cylindrical body 41 (the edge opposite the end that mates with the optical connector 1) toward the rear end (toward the end that mates with the optical connector 1). The rear end of the notch 45 is positioned a predetermined distance forward of the rear end of the cylindrical body 41.

[0022] The two grooves 46 extend linearly from a starting end 46a, which opens toward the front of the cylindrical body 41 at the rear end of the notch 45 (the end of the notch 45), to a terminal end 46b, which is located a predetermined distance rearward (toward one end of the cylindrical body 41). In this embodiment, the two grooves 46 correspond to the "guiding path" as defined in the present invention. The opening shape of the starting end 46a of the groove 46 is shaped to fit a protrusion 47 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B ) provided on the cleaning part 33 of the optical connector cleaning tool 31. The protrusion 47 extends continuously from the base end to the tip end of the cleaning part 33 without interruption. The protrusion 47 is formed at the left-right center of the cleaning part 33 and the cleaning medium 32. In this embodiment, the protrusion 47 corresponds to the "guided part" as defined in the present invention.

[0023] Of the two grooves 46, the protrusion 47 fits into the left groove 46, so that the left side surface of the cleaning part 33 faces the left wall 41 c of the cylindrical body 41 across a gap that forms a predetermined clearance, as shown in Fig. 8A . Also, as shown in Fig. 8B , the protrusion 47 fits into the right groove 46, so that the right side surface of the cleaning part 33 faces the right wall 41 d of the cylindrical body 41 across a gap that forms a predetermined clearance. Therefore, when inserting the protrusion 47 into the groove 46, the cleaning part 33 is advanced using the left wall 41 c or the right wall 41 d as a guide, and alignment of the protrusion 47 with the starting end 46 a of the groove 46 can be easily performed, even though the starting end 46 a of the groove 46 is located inside the cylindrical body 41.

[0024] 9, the two grooves 46 are formed at positions extending forward from the left-right centers of the two ferrules 3 when the cylindrical body 41 is fitted into the adapter 5 and abutting against the housing 2. That is, the grooves 46 are formed at the same positions as the left-right centers of the two ferrules 3, and are shaped to fit with protrusions 47 (guided portions) formed on the cleaning unit 3 at positions corresponding to all of the ferrules 3.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 10 , when the cylindrical body 41 is fitted into the adapter 5 and abuts against the housing 2, the ends 46b of the two grooves 46 are positioned such that the protrusions 47 of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 abut against the cleaning medium 32, causing the cleaning medium 32 to contact the ferrule end face 7, which is the surface to be cleaned, of the ferrule 3. That is, the cylindrical body 41 is provided with a stopper 48 that abuts against the optical connector cleaning tool 1 to restrict movement of the cleaning medium 32 in the insertion direction when the cleaning part 33 is inserted into the internal space 44 and the cleaning medium 32 contacts the surface to be cleaned, which is the tip face of the ferrule 3. Note that the stopper 48 can be omitted if the cleaning part is pressed against the object to be cleaned during cleaning as an optical connector cleaning tool to restrict movement in the insertion direction. The two grooves 46 are formed at positions that coincide with the center of the ferrule 3 in the left-right direction, and therefore, when the protrusions 47 abut against the ends 46b of the grooves 46, the cleaning medium 32 and the ferrule end face 7 come into contact with their centers aligned in the left-right direction.

[0026] (Description of attachment for optical module) As shown in Figures 5 and 11A to 11D, the attachment for optical module 42 differs from the attachment for adapter 21 in the structure of the rear end that connects to the optical module 22, but is formed so that the other structures are identical.

[0027] The optical module attachment 42 according to this embodiment is formed by a cylindrical body 51 made of a rectangular tube. The cylindrical body 51 has a bottom wall 51a, an top wall 51b, a left side wall 51c, and a right side wall 51d. The rear end of the cylindrical body 51 is provided with a fitting portion 52 into which the optical module 22 (the object to be cleaned) fits. The fitting portion 52 is configured with a recess 53 into which the outer wall 23a of the optical module 22 is inserted and fitted. More specifically, the fitting portion 52 is shaped to conform to the outer wall 23a of the optical module 22 so as to fit onto the outside of the outer wall 23a. When fitted into the outer wall 23a, the fitting portion 52 is shaped so that movement of the portion fitting into the outer wall 23a toward the outer wall 23a and movement toward the ferrule 24 of the optical module 22 are restricted. The outer wall 23 a of the optical module 22 fits into the fitting portion 52 and abuts against the bottom of the fitting portion 52 , thereby positioning the optical module attachment 42 relative to the optical module 22 in the left-right, up-down and front-rear directions.

[0028] The configuration of other parts of the optical module attachment 42 is the same as that of the adapter attachment 21. For this reason, a notch 45 and two grooves 46 are formed in the bottom wall 51a of a cylindrical body 51 that constitutes the optical module attachment 42 according to this embodiment. In this case, too, a stopper 48 is realized by the end 46b of the groove 46. When the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is inserted into the cylindrical body 51 with the optical module 22 fitted to it, the protrusion 47 abuts against the end 46b of the groove 46 and movement is restricted by the stopper 48, causing the cleaning medium 32 to come into contact with the ferrule 24 of the optical module 22.

[0029] (Explanation of Cleaning Operation) Next, the procedure for cleaning the ferrule end faces 7, 26 of the optical connector 1 and the optical module 22 using the above-described attachments 21, 42 will be described. The cleaning procedure is the same for cleaning the optical connector 1 and the optical module 22, so the cleaning procedure for cleaning the optical connector 1 will be described here with reference to Figures 12A to 12C and 13A to 13C. In Figure 12C and Figures 13A to 13C, the optical connector 1 and the attachment 21 are depicted as if they have been partially broken away to expose the optical connector cleaning tool 31.

[0030] First, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B , the adapter attachment 21 is inserted into the adapter 5 of the optical connector 1, and the rear end of the cylindrical body 41 is brought into contact with the housing 2. If the optical module 22 is to be cleaned, the housing 23 of the optical module 22 is inserted into and fitted into the fitting portion 52 of the optical module attachment 42. After the cylindrical body 41 is inserted into the adapter 5, as shown in FIGS. 12B and 12C , the cleaning portion 33 of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is inserted into the cylindrical body 41. This insertion operation is performed while aligning the cleaning portion 33 with one of the inner wall surfaces in the left-right direction of the hollow portion of the cylindrical body 41. For example, by aligning the cleaning portion 33 with the left wall 41c of the cylindrical body 41 and inserting it into the cylindrical body 41, the protrusion 47 of the cleaning portion 33 enters the left groove 46.

[0031] Then, with the protrusion 47 in the groove 46, the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is further advanced until the protrusion 47 abuts against the end 46b of the groove 46. With the protrusion 47 abutting the end 46b in this manner and the movement of the cleaning part 33 in the insertion direction being restricted by the stopper 48, the cleaning medium 32 comes into contact with the ferrule end face 7 of the left ferrule 3 in a positioned state. In this state, the main body 34 of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is advanced toward the optical connector 1 and then returned to its initial position, performing one reciprocating motion by the medium feed mechanism, causing the cleaning medium 32 to advance in a manner that is folded back by the cleaning head 37, and the ferrule end face 7 is cleaned.

[0032] After cleaning the left ferrule 3 in this manner, as shown in FIG. 13A, the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is pulled forward and held with the protrusion 47 protruding from the groove 46. At this time, the protrusion 47 is in the notch 45. Then, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 13B, the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is slid from left to right within the cylindrical body 41, aligning the cleaning part 33 along the right side wall 41d of the cylindrical body 41. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 13C, the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is advanced rearward. As the optical connector cleaning tool 31 advances rearward in this manner, the protrusion 47 enters the right-side groove 46. Then, the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is advanced until the protrusion 47 abuts the end 46b of the groove 46 (until movement is restricted by the stopper 48), and then the main body 34 is advanced further and then returned to its initial position, completing one reciprocating motion of the medium feed mechanism. By operating the main body 34 in this manner, the ferrule end face 7 of the right ferrule 3 is cleaned with the cleaning medium 32.

[0033] Therefore, by using the adapter attachment 21 (optical module attachment 42) according to this embodiment, it is possible to clean the ferrule end faces 7 of multiple ferrules 3 individually without removing the attachments 21, 42 from the optical connector 1 or the optical module 22, and without removing the optical connector cleaning tool 31 from the attachments 21, 42.

[0034] According to this embodiment, the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is moved left and right during the cleaning process with the protrusion 47 positioned inside the notch 45, making the cleaning work easier than when the notch 45 is not provided. If the notch 45 is not provided, the cleaning part 33, which is formed long so that it can be inserted into the long cylindrical body 41, must be pulled out of the cylindrical body 41, moved left and right, and then inserted into the cylindrical body 41. Therefore, compared to this case, by adopting this embodiment, the insertion and removal work of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is not necessary, and cleaning of multiple ferrules 3 can be made easier.

[0035] Therefore, according to this embodiment, when using an attachment to clean an optical connector or optical module having multiple ferrules, it is possible to provide an attachment to assist cleaning of an optical connector cleaning tool that can be used even when the ferrules are closely spaced. In particular, in this embodiment, grooves 46 with closed ends 46b are formed in attachments 21, 42 to provide stoppers 48, and optical connector cleaning tool 31 is positioned relative to ferrules 3, 24. This allows for design that is not influenced by the shapes of optical connector 1 or adapter 5, and has the advantage of reducing the risk of applying an overload to the object to be cleaned.

[0036] (Modified Attachment) The attachment can be configured as shown in Figures 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 16A, and 16B. While modified adapter attachments are shown here, optical module attachments can be configured in a similar manner. In Figures 14A to 16B, components that are the same or equivalent to those described in Figures 1 to 13 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions are omitted where appropriate. The adapter attachment 61 shown in Figures 14A and 14B does not have a notch 45 formed in the bottom wall 41a of the cylindrical body 41. Two grooves 46 extend continuously from a starting end 46a, which opens at the front end of the cylindrical body 41, to a terminal end 46b. When using the adapter attachment 61 configured as shown in Figures 14A and 14B, after cleaning one of the ferrules 3, the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is removed from the cylindrical body 41 and moved left and right. Then, the cleaning part 33 is inserted into the cylindrical body 41 so that the protrusion 47 enters the other groove 46. Even when the attachment 61 is formed as shown in Figures 14A and 14B, it is possible to clean multiple ferrules 3 without removing the attachment 61 from the adapter 5.

[0037] 15A and 15B has two slits 63 formed in an upper wall 41b, which is the other wall opposite to the lower wall 41a in which the two grooves 46 are formed. These slits 63 extend from the front end of the upper wall 41b (the edge opposite the end that fits into the optical connector 1) toward the end (rear side) that fits into the optical connector 1. These slits 63 correspond to the "guide path on the other end side" as referred to in the present invention.

[0038] The two slits 63 are formed in a shape that allows another protrusion 64 (see FIG. 17 ) that is provided on the cleaning portion 33 of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 separately from the protrusion 47 described above to fit into the cleaning portion 33. In this embodiment, the other protrusion 64 corresponds to the "other guided portion" of the present invention. The two slits 63 are also formed in positions that allow the other protrusion 64 to fit into the cleaning portion 33 when the protrusion 47 on the tip side of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 abuts against the end 46 b of the groove 46 and the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is in the cleaning position. When the attachment 62 is provided with the notch 45 and the two grooves 46, the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is positioned by the short fitting portion between the protrusion 47 and the groove 46 at the tip of the optical connector cleaning tool 31. This optical connector cleaning tool 31 is formed to be long. Therefore, in this case, the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is likely to tilt left and right around the fitting portion between the protrusion 47 and the groove 46.

[0039] However, as shown in this embodiment, the other protrusion 64 of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 fits into the slit 63 formed at the front end of the attachment 62, thereby suppressing left-right swinging of the optical connector cleaning tool 31. Furthermore, because it can be confirmed based on the position of the other protrusion 64 relative to the slit 63 that the protrusion 47 at the tip of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 has entered the groove 46, it is also possible to visually confirm that the guide 35 of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 has been inserted straight and has hit the target.

[0040] 16A and 16B has a convex piece 66 at its rear end portion adjacent to the optical connector 1. The convex piece 66 is provided on the upper wall 41b of the cylindrical body 41 so as to protrude rearward. A protrusion 67 is formed at the tip of the convex piece 66, protruding from the upper wall 41b toward the lower wall 41a. As shown in FIG. 18 , this protrusion 67 is formed so as to contact the side portion of the ferrule 3 from above when the rear end of the cylindrical body 41 is in contact with the housing 2 of the optical connector 1. The position at which the protrusion 67 contacts the ferrule 3 is set based on the direction in which the cleaning medium 32 moves.

[0041] In this embodiment of the optical connector cleaning tool 31, cleaning media 32 move in one direction along the ferrule end face 7 (the surface to be cleaned) of the ferrule 3 to perform cleaning. The direction in which the cleaning media 32 moves along the ferrule end face 7 is from bottom to top, as shown by the arrow in Figure 18. When the cleaning media 32 moves in this manner while in contact with the ferrule end face 7 during cleaning, the ferrule 3 is pulled in the same direction as the cleaning media 32 due to frictional resistance. In other words, the ferrule 3 is pulled in the direction in which the ferrule end face 7 moves upward.

[0042] The holding portion of the ferrule 3, in other words, the portion where the ferrule 3 fits into the housing 2, has a so-called fit tolerance, and there is a minute gap between the ferrule 3 and the housing 2. If this gap is at its maximum within the allowable range of the fit tolerance, the ferrule 3 may tilt when pulled as described above. If cleaning is performed with the ferrule 3 tilted in this way, when the cleaning head 37 presses the cleaning medium 32 against the ferrule end face 7, the pressing force is not uniform, and it is easy for areas to remain unwiped.

[0043] The protruding piece 66 is located downstream in the direction in which the cleaning medium 32 moves during cleaning (upper side in FIG. 18 ). When this protruding piece 66 abuts against the ferrule 3, it can withstand the pulling force acting on the ferrule 3 due to friction with the cleaning medium 32. Therefore, according to this embodiment, tilting of the ferrule 3 during cleaning can be suppressed, and cleaning can be performed correctly so that no areas are left unwiped.

[0044] In the above-described embodiments, an example has been shown in which two grooves 46 are formed in the lower wall 41a of the cylindrical body 41. However, the groove 46 can also be formed in the upper wall 41b, or can be formed in both the lower wall 41a and the upper wall 41b. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, an example has been shown in which two ferrules 3 are provided at positions that are symmetrical in the left-right direction with respect to the center of the insertion hole 5a of the adapter 5. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. In other words, by forming the groove 46 at a position in the attachment that corresponds to the center of the ferrules 3 in the left-right direction, even if the ferrules 3 are provided at positions that are asymmetrical in the left-right direction with respect to the center of the insertion hole 5a of the adapter 5, the cleaning medium 32 can be guided to both ferrules 3, and both ferrules 3 can be properly cleaned.

[0045] In the above-described embodiments, examples have been shown in which the cleaning part 33 is positioned in the left-right direction to correspond to the ferrule 3 by two grooves 46 formed in the cylindrical body 41 and the protrusions 47 of the cleaning part 33 that fit into these grooves 46. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. That is, the protrusions 47 may be formed on the cylindrical body 41, and the grooves 62 may be formed on the cleaning part 33. Also, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 17, examples have been shown in which a slit 63 is formed on the cylindrical body 41 to suppress oscillation of the optical connector cleaning tool 31, and a protrusion 64 that fits into this slit 63 is provided on the cleaning part 33. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. That is, the protrusions 64 may be formed on the cylindrical body 41, and a recess into which the protrusions 64 fit may be formed on the cleaning part 33.

[0046] In the above-described embodiments, examples have been shown in which the stopper 48 is realized by the end 46b of the groove 46 formed in the cylindrical body 41, 51. However, the stopper 48 can be provided in other locations on the cylindrical body 41, 51 as long as it can restrict movement in the insertion direction by contacting the optical connector cleaning tool 31. For example, as shown in Fig. 3B, the stopper 48 can be provided at a position where it contacts the tip surface 71 of the guide 35, a position where it contacts a step portion 72 formed on the tip side of the guide 35, or a position where it contacts an end surface 73 of the main body 34 shown in Fig. 3A.

[0047] The attachment 21 shown in Fig. 4D and the attachment 42 shown in Fig. 11D have a notch 45 formed as a "common path." However, the common path can be formed by a wide groove 81 as shown in Fig. 19. This groove 81 is formed so that a thin wall 81a that closes the opening of the notch 45 forms the groove bottom. The upper surface of the wall 81a shown in Fig. 19 is formed so as to be located on the same plane as the groove bottoms of the two grooves 46.

[0048] (Additional Notes) The cleaning assist attachment for the optical connector cleaning tool according to the above-described embodiment has the following features: (Feature 1) The cleaning assist attachment for the optical connector cleaning tool according to the above-described embodiment comprises a cylindrical body 41, 51 into which the cleaning section 33 of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 can be inserted, the cleaning section 33 being used to clean the surface to be cleaned (ferrule end surface 7, 26) where the optical fiber 6, 25 is exposed, with a cleaning medium 32 at the tip of the rod-shaped cleaning section 33, and one end of the cylindrical body 41, 51 is formed with a fitting section 43, 52 that fits into an object to be cleaned (optical connector 1, optical module 22) having a plurality of ferrules 3, 24 formed at their tips, and the object to be cleaned has outer walls (attached to the cleaning attachment) located on both sides in the direction in which the plurality of ferrules 3, 24 are arranged and at least one side in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the plurality of ferrules 3, 24 are arranged and perpendicular to the direction in which the surface to be cleaned is oriented. The cylindrical bodies 41, 51 have an inner wall (adapter 5, outer wall 23a), the fitting portion has a shape that follows the outer wall so as to fit inside or outside the outer wall, and is formed in a shape that, when fitted into the outer wall, restricts movement of the portion that fits into the outer wall in a direction toward the outer wall and in a direction approaching the ferrules 3, 24, the internal space of the cylindrical bodies 41, 51 is formed wider than the width of the cleaning section 33 in the direction in which the multiple ferrules 3, 24 are arranged, and the inner wall of the cylindrical bodies 41, 51 has a plurality of guide paths (grooves 46) that extend in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical bodies 41, 51, and the guide paths are formed in a shape that allows guided portions (protrusions 47) consisting of either convex portions or concave portions formed on the cleaning section 33 to fit into the guided portions at positions corresponding to all of the ferrules 3, 24.

[0049] (Feature 2) In the cleaning auxiliary attachment 21 for the optical connector cleaning tool described in (Feature 1) above, the cylindrical bodies 41, 51 have a common path (notch 45, groove 81) extending from the edge opposite the end that engages with the object to be cleaned (optical connector 1, optical module 22) toward said end, and the starting ends 46a of the multiple guide paths are provided at the end of the notch 45.

[0050] (Feature 3) In the cleaning auxiliary attachment 21, 42 of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 described in (Feature 2) above, the cylindrical body 41, 51 is formed in a square cylindrical shape, the plurality of guide paths are formed in one wall (lower wall 41 a, 51 a) of the cylindrical body 41, 51, and on the other wall (upper wall 41 b, 51 b) of the cylindrical body 41, 51 opposite to the wall on which the plurality of guide paths are formed, A plurality of guide paths (slits 63) on the other end side are formed extending toward the end portion, and the guide paths on the other end side are formed in a shape that allows other guided portions (protrusions 64) consisting of either a convex portion or a concave portion formed separately from the guided portion in the cleaning portion 33 to fit into them, and are formed in a position that allows the other guided portions to fit into them when the optical connector cleaning tool 31 is positioned in a cleaning position where it cleans the cleaned surface of the ferrule with the cleaning medium 32.

[0051] (Feature 4) In the cleaning auxiliary attachments 21, 42 of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 described above (any one of Features 1 to 3), the optical connector cleaning tool 31 cleans by moving the cleaning medium 32 in one direction along the surface of the ferrule to be cleaned, and the cylindrical bodies 41, 51 have a convex piece 66 that contacts the side of the ferrule when the fitting portion is fitted into the object to be cleaned, and the convex piece 66 is located downstream of the direction in which the cleaning medium 32 moves during cleaning.

[0052] (Feature 5) In the cleaning auxiliary attachments 21, 42 of the optical connector cleaning tool 31 described above in (Feature 1), the cylindrical bodies 41, 51 are provided with stoppers 48 that abut against the optical connector cleaning tool 31 and restrict movement of the cleaning part 33 in the insertion direction when the cleaning part 33 is inserted into the internal space 44 and the cleaning medium 32 is in contact with the surface to be cleaned (ferrule end faces 7, 26), which is the tip surface of the ferrule 3, 24.

[0053] (Feature 6) In the cleaning auxiliary attachments 21 and 42 of the optical connector cleaning tool described in (Feature 1) above, the stopper 48 is formed by the terminal end 46b of the guide path (groove 46).

[0054] 1...optical connector (object to be cleaned), 3, 24...ferrule, 6, 25...optical fiber, 7, 26...ferrule end face (surface to be cleaned), 21, 42, 61, 62, 65...cleaning auxiliary attachment, 21, 22...optical module (object to be cleaned), 31...optical connector cleaning tool, 32...cleaning medium, 33...cleaning part, 41, 51...cylindrical body, 41a, 51a...lower wall, 41b...upper wall, 43...fitting part, 44...space, 45...notch (common path), 46...groove (guidance path), 46a...starting end, 46b...terminating end, 47...protrusion (guided part), 48...stopper, 63...slit (guidance path on the other end side), 64...other protrusion (other guided part), 66...convex piece, 81...groove (common path).

Claims

1. The cleaning part for a cleaning tool for an optical connector that cleans a surface to be cleaned where an optical fiber is exposed with a cleaning medium at the tip of a rod-shaped cleaning part is composed of a cylindrical body into which the cleaning part can be inserted. A fitting part is formed at one end of the cylindrical body to fit into a cleaning object having a plurality of ferrules with the surface to be cleaned formed at the tips. The cleaning object has outer walls located on at least one side of both sides in the direction in which the plurality of ferrules are arranged and in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the plurality of ferrules are arranged and also orthogonal to the direction in which the surface to be cleaned is directed. The fitting part has a shape that follows the outer wall so as to fit inside or outside the outer wall. In a state of being fitted to the outer wall, the part fitted to the outer wall is formed in a shape that restricts movement in the direction toward the outer wall and movement in the direction approaching the ferrules. The space inside the cylindrical body is formed wider than the width of the cleaning part in the direction in which the plurality of ferrules are arranged. A plurality of guide paths extending in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body are formed on the inner wall of the cylindrical body. The guide paths are formed in a shape in which a guided part, which consists of either a convex part or a concave part formed in the cleaning part, fits at positions corresponding to all the ferrules. A cleaning auxiliary attachment for a cleaning tool for an optical connector, characterized in that.

2. In the cleaning auxiliary attachment for a cleaning tool for an optical connector according to claim 1, the cylindrical body has a common passage extending from an edge on the side opposite to the end that fits into the cleaning object toward the end. The starting ends of the plurality of guide paths are provided at the end of the common passage. A cleaning auxiliary attachment for a cleaning tool for an optical connector, characterized in that.

3. In the cleaning auxiliary attachment for the optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 2, the cylindrical body is formed in a square tube shape, the plurality of guide paths are formed on one wall of the cylindrical body, and on the other wall of the cylindrical body facing the wall on which the plurality of guide paths are formed, a plurality of other end-side guide paths extending from the edge on the opposite side of the end fitting into the object to be cleaned of the cylindrical body toward the end are formed. The other end-side guide paths are formed in a shape in which the other guided part, which is either a convex part or a concave part formed separately from the guided part in the cleaning part, fits, and are formed at positions where the other guided part fits in a state where the optical connector cleaning tool is positioned at a cleaning position where the cleaning medium cleans the surface to be cleaned of the ferrule. A cleaning auxiliary attachment for an optical connector cleaning tool, characterized by the above.

4. In the cleaning auxiliary attachment for the optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the optical connector cleaning tool moves and cleans in one direction along the surface to be cleaned of the ferrule by the cleaning medium. The cylindrical body has a convex piece that contacts the side part of the ferrule in a state where the fitting part is fitted to the object to be cleaned, and the convex piece is located on the downstream side in the direction in which the cleaning medium moves during cleaning. A cleaning auxiliary attachment for an optical connector cleaning tool, characterized by the above.

5. In the cleaning auxiliary attachment for the optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 1, when the cleaning part is inserted into the internal space and the cleaning medium contacts the surface to be cleaned, which is the tip surface of the ferrule, the cylindrical body is provided with a stopper that abuts against the optical connector cleaning tool to restrict the movement of the cleaning part in the insertion direction. A cleaning auxiliary attachment for an optical connector cleaning tool, characterized by the above.

6. In the cleaning auxiliary attachment for the optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 5, the stopper is formed by the end of the guide path. A cleaning auxiliary attachment for an optical connector cleaning tool, characterized by the above.

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