Wiping system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10130976-B2
Application number	US-201815975274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2018
Priority date	Sep 16, 2015
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A wiping system comprises a support table, a conveying unit configured to convey a wiping belt onto the support table, a carrier holding device configured to hold a carrier on which a plurality of fiber optic ferrules are mounted, a carrier pressing device configured to press the carrier on the support table with a plurality of front end faces of the fiber optic ferrules in direct contact with the wiping belt, and a first base on which the support table is mounted. The carrier holding device and the carrier pressing device are slidably mounted on the first base. The carrier pressed on the support table is movable back and forth relative to the support table in a first horizontal direction while the front end faces of the fiber optic ferrules remain in direct contact with the wiping belt.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wiping system, comprising:
a support table;
a conveying unit configured to convey a wiping belt onto the support table;
a carrier holding device configured to hold a carrier on which a plurality of fiber optic ferrules are mounted;
a carrier pressing device configured to press the carrier on the support table with a plurality of front end faces of the fiber optic ferrules in direct contact with the wiping belt; and
a first base on which the support table is mounted, the carrier holding device and the carrier pressing device are slidably mounted on the first base and the carrier pressed on the support table is movable back and forth relative to the support table in a first horizontal direction while the front end faces of the fiber optic ferrules remain in direct contact with the wiping belt.

2. The wiping system of claim 1 , wherein the first base has a first rail extending in a first horizontal direction and a first sliding block connected with the first rail, the carrier holding device and the carrier pressing device are mounted on the first sliding block and slide along the first rail with the first sliding block.

3. The wiping system of claim 2 , wherein the conveying unit comprises:
a driven shaft on which an unused portion of the wiping belt is wound;
a driving shaft on which a used portion of the wiping belt is wound, the support table positioned between the driving shaft and the driven shaft;
a plurality of tightening rollers adapted to tighten the wiping belt between the driven shaft and the driving shaft; and
a driver adapted to drive the driving shaft to rotate, and when the driving shaft is rotated by the driver, the unused portion of the wiping belt is unspooled from the driven shaft, the wiping belt is conveyed onto the support table and into contact with the front end faces of the fiber optic ferrules, and the used portion of the wiping belt is wound on the driving shaft.

4. The wiping system of claim 3 , wherein the conveying unit comprises a damper connected to the driven shaft and adapted to exerted a damping moment to the driven shaft.

5. The wiping system of claim 4 , further comprising a second base, the driver is mounted on the first base and the driven shaft and the damper are slidably mounted on the second base.

6. The wiping system of claim 5 , wherein the second base has a second rail extending in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction and a second sliding block mated with the second rail, the driven shaft and the damper are mounted on the second sliding block and slide along the second rail together with the second sliding block.

7. The wiping system of claim 6 , further comprising a deviation correcting device configured to prevent the wiping belt from deviating from a predetermined position in the second horizontal direction.

8. The wiping system of claim 7 , wherein the deviation correcting device comprises:
a position sensor adapted to detect an actual position of the wiping belt in the second horizontal direction; and
a position adjusting mechanism configured to adjust the position of the driven shaft based on an error between the actual position and the predetermined position of the wiping belt until the error is equal to zero.

9. The wiping system of claim 8 , wherein the position adjusting mechanism is mounted on the second base and is connected to the second sliding block, the position adjusting mechanism driving the second sliding block to slide along the second rail.

10. The wiping system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of tightening rollers include a first tightening roller supported on the first base and a second tightening roller supported on the second base.

11. The wiping system of claim 10 , wherein the driving shaft includes an inner shaft connected to an output shaft of the driver and an outer tube sleeved on the inner shaft, the inner shaft and the outer tube are detachably locked together by a locking member.

12. The wiping system of claim 2 , further comprising a driving mechanism configured to drive the first sliding block to slide along the first rail.

13. The wiping system of claim 2 , wherein the carrier holding device comprises:
a carrier holder configured to hold the carrier thereon; and
a lift mechanism configured to move the carrier holder up and down in a vertical direction.

14. The wiping system of claim 13 , wherein the carrier pressing device comprises:
a pressing head adapted to be pressed on the carrier holder; and
a force exerting mechanism adapted to exert a predetermined pressing force on the pressing head.

15. The wiping system of claim 14 , wherein the carrier pressing device comprises a pressure sensor disposed between the pressing head and the force exerting mechanism and adapted to detect a pressing force exerted by the force exerting mechanism.

16. The wiping system of claim 15 , wherein a pressing plate is disposed on an end of the force exerting mechanism and the pressure sensor is disposed between the pressing plate and the pressing head, the pressing force exerted by the force exerting mechanism is transferred onto the pressing head through the pressing plate and the pressure sensor.

17. The wiping system of claim 16 , wherein the lift mechanism and the force exerting mechanism are mounted on the first sliding block.

18. The wiping system of claim 17 , further comprising a support frame mounted on the first sliding block, the force exerting mechanism connected to the support frame.

19. The wiping system of claim 2 , further comprising a cleaning liquid injection device configured to spray a cleaning liquid onto the wiping belt.

20. The wiping system of claim 19 , wherein the cleaning liquid injection device comprises:
a support bracket mounted on the first sliding block;
a cleaning liquid spray head mounted on the support bracket; and
a spray head driver adapted to drive the cleaning liquid spray head to spray the cleaning liquid on the wiping belt.

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Shanghai Co Ltd
• Te Connectivity Corp
• Innogetic Tech Co Ltd
• Tyco Electronics Shanghai Co Ltd

Inventors

• Xin Liming
• Hu lvhai
• Liu Yun
• Zhang Dandan
• Lu Roberto Francisco-Yi
• Zhou Lei
• Wong Kok Wai

Classifications

• B08B13/00

  Accessories or details of general applicability for machines or apparatus for cleaning · CPC title

• G02B6/3866 Primary

  Devices, tools or methods for cleaning connectors (cleaning in general B08B) · CPC title

• B08B2240/02

  Optical fibers or optical fiber connectors · CPC title

• B08B3/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays · CPC title

• G02B6/3885

  Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type (optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448) · CPC title