Cleaning tool and method for manufacturing cleaning tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12153263-B2
Application number	US-202017440092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2020
Priority date	May 10, 2019
Publication date	Nov 26, 2024
Grant date	Nov 26, 2024

Abstract

A cleaning tool includes a head, a take-up reel, a driven roller, and a passthrough component. The head presses a cleaning element, having a tape shape, onto an optical connector. The take-up reel reels the cleaning element retrieved from the head. The driven roller guides the cleaning element on a convey path from the head to the take-up reel. The pass-through component includes a slit through which the cleaning element is extended, and the pass-through component is located between the driven rollers and the take-up reel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cleaning tool comprising:
a head that presses a cleaning element, having a tape shape, onto an optical connector;
a take-up reel that reels the cleaning element retrieved from the head;
one or more driven rollers that guide the cleaning element on a convey path from the head to the take-up reel;
a pass-through component with a slit through which the cleaning element is extended, the pass-through component being disposed between the one or more driven rollers and the take-up reel; and
a supply reel that supplies the cleaning element to the head, wherein
the one or more driven rollers include a supply-side driven roller and a retrieve-side driven roller that are rotatably disposed on a common rotation shaft,
the supply-side driven roller guides the cleaning element on a supply-side convey path from the supply reel to the head,
the retrieve-side driven roller guides the cleaning element on a retrieve-side convey path from the head to the take-up reel,
one of the supply-side driven roller and the retrieve-side driven roller comprises a first cylindrical part that contacts a tape surface of the cleaning element and a flange part protruding from the first cylindrical part, and the other of the supply-side driven roller and the retrieve-side driven roller comprises a second cylindrical part that contacts the tape surface of the cleaning element, and
a recessed part is formed in a side surface of the flange part of the one driven roller, and an end part of the second cylindrical part of the another driven roller is inserted into the recessed part.

2. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of the driven rollers guide the cleaning element on the convey path, and
the pass-through component is located between the take-up reel and the driven roller disposed closest to the take-up reel on the convey path.

3. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein a width of the slit is equal to or greater than a thickness of the cleaning element to be inserted through the slit and is less than twice the thickness of the cleaning element to be inserted through the slit.

4. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein
the pass-through component comprises a first pin and a second pin, and
the slit is between the first pin and the second pin.

5. The cleaning tool according to claim 4 , wherein,
the cleaning element is conveyed while being in contact with the first pin during a first reeling period that includes a point in time when reeling of the cleaning element starts, and
the cleaning element is conveyed while being in contact with the second pin during a second reeling period that starts from a predetermined point in time and ends at a point in time when reeling of an entire length of the cleaning element finishes.

6. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more driven rollers each comprise:
a cylindrical part that contacts a tape surface of the cleaning element, and
a flange part protruding from the cylindrical part.

7. A method for manufacturing a cleaning tool for cleaning an optical connector,
the cleaning tool comprising:
a head that presses a cleaning element having a tape shape onto the optical connector,
a take-up reel that reels the cleaning element retrieved from the head,
one or more driven rollers that guide the cleaning element on a convey path from the head to the take-up reel, and
a pass-through component with a slit through which the cleaning element is extended, the pass-through component being disposed between the one or more driven rollers and the take-up reel, and

a supply reel that supplies the cleaning element to the head,
the method comprising:
rotatably disposing the one or more driven rollers on a rotation shaft of the cleaning tool;
rotatably disposing a supply-side driven roller and a retrieve-side driven roller of the one or more driven rollers on a common rotation shaft;
inserting the cleaning element through the pass-through component;
guiding, with the supply-side driven roller, the cleaning element on a supply-side convey path from the supply reel to the head; and
guiding, with the retrieve-side driven roller, the cleaning element on a retrieve-side convey path from the head to the take-up reel, wherein
one of the supply-side driven roller and the retrieve-side driven roller comprises a first cylindrical part that contacts a tape surface of the cleaning element and a flange part protruding from the first cylindrical part, and the other of the supply-side driven roller and the retrieve-side driven roller comprises a second cylindrical part that contacts the tape surface of the cleaning element, and
a recessed part is formed in a side surface of the flange part of the one driven roller, and an end part of the second cylindrical part of the another driven roller is inserted into the recessed part.

Assignees

• Fujikura Ltd

Inventors

• Nakane Junichi

Classifications

• B08B1/34

  rotating about an axis parallel to the surface · CPC title

• G02B6/3866 Primary

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

• B08B1/30 Primary

  by movement of cleaning members over a surface · CPC title

• B08B1/143

  Wipes · CPC title

• G02B6/43

  Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections · CPC title