Compact Folder Fiber Optic Connector Cleaner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fiber optic component cleaning devices are cumbersome, generate lint, and lack a compact design suitable for on-site use, with logistical issues in shipping and storage, and often require separate dry wipes and solvent sprays, which can lead to contamination and ineffective cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A compact fiber optic cleaning device with a folder design that includes a base, cover, and separator, using non-woven cleaner sheets that can be easily separated and affixed, allowing for dry, wet, or combination cleaning operations, minimizing lint generation and preventing contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a large container with multiple wipes is used for cleaning, then cleaning capacity and duration are improved, but portability and ease of carrying deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device is divided into separate functional components: a base sheet, a cover sheet, and multiple individual wipes nested between them. This segmentation allows the device to maintain a compact form factor while providing multiple cleaning surfaces, resolving the contradiction between portability and cleaning capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple wipes are nested within the folder structure between the base and cover sheets, similar to nested dolls. This nesting arrangement maximizes the number of cleaning wipes available in a compact space, improving cleaning duration without significantly increasing the overall device size or weight.
2Ease of manufacture
If paper products are used for cleaning, then they are readily available and inexpensive, but lint generation increases and wet cleaning effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning wipes are constructed from composite materials that combine the advantages of different substances. The base sheet provides structural support and resilience, while the cleaning wipes are made from lint-free materials that can effectively absorb cleaning solutions without shedding fibers, thus eliminating lint generation while maintaining availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameters of the cleaning surface from traditional paper to specialized lint-free wiping materials. This parameter change maintains the ease of manufacture and availability while eliminating the harmful lint generation effect, and also enables effective wet cleaning by using materials that maintain their structural integrity when wet.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate dry wipes and solvent sprays are used, then cleaning flexibility is improved, but device complexity and contamination risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the solvent application function and the wiping function into a single integrated device. The base sheet contains a reservoir or application area for cleaning solution, and the wipes are positioned to directly access this solution. This combining eliminates the need for separate spray bottles and wipes, reducing device complexity while maintaining cleaning flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning device is designed as a multi-functional unit that can perform both solvent application and wiping operations. The base sheet serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, contains the cleaning solution, and supports the wipes. This universality allows the device to maintain cleaning flexibility while reducing the number of separate components needed.
4Reliability
If a resilient cleaning surface is used, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but device size and storage difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The base sheet is constructed as a thin, flexible film that provides the necessary resilience for effective cleaning. This thin-film structure maintains the cleaning effectiveness of a resilient surface while minimizing the volume and weight of the device, making it easy to store and transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning surface is designed to be dynamic rather than rigid - the base sheet can flex and conform to the shape of the connector being cleaned. This dynamic property provides the resilience needed for effective cleaning while allowing the device to maintain a compact, flat form factor for easy storage when not in use.
Data Source
AI summary
A fiber optic component cleaning device includes a folder having a base, a cover and a separator. The cover and the separator are opposite one another relative to the base. The folder has a width. The base and cover have a fold therebetween such that the cover folds onto the base and the base and separator have a fold therebetween such that the separator folds onto the base. The base and cover have about an equal length and the separator has a length less than the length of the base and cover. A plurality of cleaner sheets are disposed in the folder. The cleaner sheets have a width that is about equal to or less than the width of the folder and have a length that is about equal to or less than the length of the base and cover. A top-most fresh cleaner sheet is separated from the plurality of cleaner sheets and is positioned on the separator sheet for cleaning the connector. When soiled, the soiled cleaner sheet is removed and discarded. A method for cleaning a fiber optic connector is also disclosed.