Cleaning tool for optical connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10802227-B2
Application number	US-201716464048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2017
Priority date	Feb 9, 2017
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

A cleaning tool for cleaning an optical connector includes: a head that presses a cleaning unit against the optical connector; a supply reel that supplies the cleaning unit to the head; and a take-up reel that collects the cleaning unit from the head. The supply reel and the take-up reel are disposed rotatably about a common rotation shaft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cleaning tool for cleaning an optical connector, the cleaning tool comprising:
a head that presses a cleaning unit against the optical connector;
a supply reel that supplies the cleaning unit to the head;
a take-up reel that collects the cleaning unit from the head;
a guiding section that keeps a position of the cleaning unit in a width direction of the guiding section on an upstream side of the head aligned with a position of the cleaning unit in the width direction of the guiding section on a downstream side of the head;
a first driven roller that transports the cleaning unit in a transport path from the supply reel to the guiding section; and
a second driven roller that transports the cleaning unit in a transport path from the guiding section to the take-up reel, wherein
the supply reel and the take-up reel are disposed rotatably about a first common rotation shaft,
the first driven roller and the second driven roller are disposed rotatably about a second common rotation shaft,
each of the first driven roller and the second driven roller comprises a shaft section and a pair of flange sections that protrude from the shaft section on both ends of the shaft section, and
an inner surface of each of the flange sections is a tapered surface having a diameter that gradually increases toward an outside of the tapered portion in a width direction.

2. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a conversion mechanism that converts a linear motion in a cleaning operation to a rotary motion; and
a clutch mechanism that rotates the take-up reel in a take-up direction by the rotary motion generated by conversion with the conversion mechanism by restricting a rotation direction of the take-up reel to one direction.

3. The cleaning tool according to claim 2 , wherein:
the conversion mechanism comprises:
a rack that makes the linear motion; and
a pinion that makes the rotary motion by the linear motion of the rack; and

the pinion is disposed rotatably about the first common rotation shaft shared by the supply reel and the take-up reel.

4. A cleaning tool for cleaning an optical connector, the cleaning tool comprising:
a head that presses a cleaning unit against the optical connector;
a supply reel that supplies the cleaning unit to the head;
a take-up reel that collects the cleaning unit from the head;
a conversion mechanism that converts a linear motion in a cleaning operation to a rotary motion; and
a clutch mechanism that rotates the take-up reel in a take-up direction by the rotary motion generated by conversion with the conversion mechanism by restricting a rotation direction of the take-up reel to one direction; wherein
the conversion mechanism comprises:
a rack that makes the linear motion; and
a pinion that makes the rotary motion by the linear motion of the rack;

the pinion is disposed rotatably about the first common rotation shaft shared by the supply reel and the take-up reel;
the supply reel and the take-up reel are disposed rotatably about a first common rotation shaft;
the cleaning tool comprises a plurality of the take-up reels;
a plurality of the pinions is provided for the rack; and
the take-up reels are provided for each of the plurality of pinions.

Assignees

• Fujikura Ltd

Inventors

• Nakane Junichi

Classifications

• B08B2240/02

  Optical fibers or optical fiber connectors · CPC title

• G02B6/3866 Primary

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

• B08B7/0028

  by adhesive surfaces · CPC title

• B08B1/04

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B08B1/001

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic