Rotatable Fitting Portion for Dual Ferrule Optical Connector Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical connector cleaning tools struggle to effectively clean the connection end faces of compact dual core optical connectors with two ferrules in a single housing, due to difficulty in aligning the cleaning mechanism with the narrow interval between the ferrules and maintaining contact with both ferrules.
Innovation Solution
An optical connector cleaning tool with a fitting portion that can be fitted in a hole defined by a connection component in two postures, 180° rotated from each other, allowing the cleaning medium to contact one ferrule in one posture and the other ferrule in the second posture, ensuring reliable cleaning of both ferrules despite a narrow interval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single core optical connector cleaning tool is used to clean compact dual core optical connectors, then the cleaning tool structure remains simple, but it cannot effectively clean both ferrules due to the narrow interval between them
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning tool employs a rotatable fitting portion that can switch between first and second postures (180° rotation). This dynamic repositioning allows the cleaning medium to contact different ferrules sequentially, enabling effective cleaning of both ferrules in compact dual core connectors without requiring a complex dual-mechanism structure.
2Productivity
If two cleaning mechanisms are integrated into one gripping portion for dual core connectors, then both ferrules can be cleaned simultaneously, but the device size and internal mechanism complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of integrating two separate cleaning mechanisms, the invention uses a single cleaning mechanism with a rotatable fitting portion. The fitting portion can rotate between first and second postures, allowing the same cleaning medium to contact different ferrules. This dynamic approach achieves dual ferrule cleaning without increasing device complexity or internal mechanism size.
Solution Approach 2:
The single cleaning mechanism serves multiple functions by being repositioned through rotation. The same cleaning thread and projecting portion can clean either the first ferrule or the second ferrule depending on the posture of the fitting portion, eliminating the need for separate dedicated mechanisms for each ferrule.
3Manufacturing precision
If the cleaning medium is positioned to contact one ferrule, then alignment is simplified, but the other ferrule cannot be cleaned with the same position
Solution Approach 1:
The fitting portion is designed to be rotatable between first and second postures. In the first posture, the cleaning medium aligns with and contacts the first ferrule with high precision. After cleaning, the fitting portion rotates 180° to the second posture, where the cleaning medium then aligns with and contacts the second ferrule. This dynamic repositioning maintains high alignment precision for each ferrule while achieving comprehensive cleaning coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical connector cleaning tool includes a fitting portion (44) fitted in the first or second hole (36, 37) of a connection component (32) into which a compact dual core optical connector is fitted on one end side and a cleaning medium (45) projecting from the fitting portion (44). The fitting portion (44) is formed to have a shape by which the fitting portion (44) is fitted in the first or second hole (36, 37) in each of the first and second postures as postures shifted through 180° with respect to as the center the middle (P2) of a virtual straight line connecting the centers of the two ferrules when viewed from an axial direction of the compact dual core optical connector. The fitting portion (44) contacts one ferrule in a state in which the fitting portion (44) is set in the first posture. The fitting portion (44) contacts the other ferrule in a state in which the fitting portion (44) is set in the second posture. There can be provided an optical connector cleaning tool by which the connection end faces of the compact dual core optical connector having two ferrules in one housing can be cleaned.