Cleaning tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11579376-B2
Application number	US-201816634936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2018
Priority date	Sep 7, 2017
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

A cleaning tool includes a tool body and an extension part that extends from the tool body and that includes: a head that presses a cleaning element onto a cleaning target on a pressing surface; an inner guide part through which the head is inserted; and an outer guide part through which the inner guide part is inserted. When cleaning a first optical connector, an outer peripheral portion of the outer guide part guides the head with respect to a ferrule endface of the first optical connector. When cleaning a second optical connector that includes a housing having a different shape from a shape of a housing of the first optical connector, the outer guide part retracts and the inner guide part is exposed toward the second optical connector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cleaning tool that is configured to clean a ferrule endface of an optical connector, the cleaning tool comprising:
a tool body; and
an extension part that extends from the tool body and that comprises:
a head that presses a cleaning element onto the ferrule endface of the optical connector;
an inner guide part through which the head is inserted; and
an outer guide part through which the inner guide part is inserted, wherein

in a case where an inner side of a housing of the optical connector is larger than or equal to a size of the outer guide part, an outer peripheral portion of the outer guide part fits inside the housing of the optical connector and the outer peripheral portion of the outer guide part aligns the head with the ferrule endface of the optical connector, and
in a case where the inner side of the housing of the optical connector is smaller than the size of the outer guide part, an endface of the outer guide part abuts an end surface of the housing of the optical connector, the inner guide part moves to a front side with respect to the outer guide part, and the head contacts the ferrule endface of the optical connector.

2. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical connector is an optical receptacle.

3. The cleaning tool according to claim 2 , wherein the outer peripheral portion of the inner guide part comprises a flat surface.

4. The cleaning tool according to claim 3 , wherein in a case where the inner side of the housing of the optical connector is larger than or equal to the size of the outer guide part, the relative movement is caused by pressing an end surface of the inner guide part toward the optical connector and onto the housing of the optical connector.

5. The cleaning tool according to claim 3 , wherein
the extension part comprises a plug-side guide part in which the head is inserted, and
in a case where the inner side of the housing of the optical connector is smaller than the size of the outer guide part, the relative movement is caused by pressing an end surface of the plug-side guide part toward the optical connector and onto the housing of the optical connector.

6. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , 2 , or 3 , wherein
the extension part moves in a predetermined direction with respect to the tool body, and
the cleaning tool further comprises a feeding mechanism that utilizes relative movement between the tool body and the extension part to supply the cleaning element to the head and to collect the cleaning element on the head.

7. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein
the extension part comprises a plug-side guide part in which the head is inserted, and
when cleaning an optical plug, an end surface of the plug-side guide part projects further toward the optical plug than an end surface of the head, and
when cleaning an optical adapter to which the optical plug is connected, the plug-side guide part retracts and the end surface of the head is exposed toward the optical adapter.

8. The cleaning tool according to claim 7 , wherein an outer peripheral portion of the plug-side guide part guides the head with respect to a ferrule endface of the optical plug.

9. The cleaning tool according to claim 7 or 8 , wherein a ferrule of the optical plug is inserted into the plug-side guide part.

10. The cleaning tool according to claim 7 or 8 , wherein when cleaning the optical plug, the plug-side guide part is retracted by pressing the end surface of the plug-side guide part toward the optical plug and onto an abutment surface inside the connector housing of the optical plug.

11. The cleaning tool according to claim 7 or 8 , wherein
the extension part moves in a predetermined direction with respect to the tool body, and
the cleaning tool further comprises a feeding mechanism that utilizes relative movement between the tool body and the extension part to supply the cleaning element to the pressing surface and to collect the cleaning element on the pressing surface.

12. The cleaning tool according to claim 11 , wherein
the extension part further comprises an adapter-side guide part through which the plug-side guide part is inserted, and
when cleaning the optical plug, the relative movement is caused by pressing an end surface of the adapter-side guide part toward the optical plug and onto the connector housing of the optical plug.

13. The cleaning tool according to claim 7 , wherein
the extension part further comprises an adapter-side guide part through which the plug-side guide part is inserted, and
when cleaning the optical adapter, a flat surface of an outer peripheral portion of the adapter-side guide part guides the head with respect to the ferrule endface of the optical plug connected to the optical adapter.

14. The cleaning tool according to claim 13 , wherein when cleaning the optical adapter, the relative movement is caused by pressing an end surface of the adapter-side guide part toward the optical adapter onto a sleeve holder end portion of the optical adapter.

15. The cleaning tool according to claim 7 or 8 , wherein the extension part further includes a plug-side spring that urges the plug-side guide part toward the optical plug.

Assignees

• Fujikura Ltd

Inventors

• Nakane Junichi

Classifications

• B08B9/00

  Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto · CPC title

• G02B6/3825

  with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs · CPC title

• G02B6/3866 Primary

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