Ubiquitous optical cleaning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018156984-A1
Application number	US-201615370480-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 6, 2016
Priority date	Dec 6, 2016
Publication date	Jun 7, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device for cleaning an optical communication device includes a hollow outer stem, an inner stem core, a locking handle, a flexible base, at least one ring seal, and a flexible cover. The inner stem core, fits within a length of the hollow outer stem and is slidable along the length of the hollow outer stem. The locking handle is coupled to a top end of the inner stem core, and is movable between a released position and a locked position, where moving the locking handle to the locked position from the released position slides the inner stem core within the hollow outer stem. The flexible base is coupled to a bottom end of the hollow outer stem, and is transformable between a contracted position when the locking handle is in the released position and an expanded position when the locking handle is in the locked position. The at least one ring seal is coupled to the flexible base. The flexible cover is wrapped around the flexible base and the at least one ring seal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device for cleaning an optical communication device, comprising:
a hollow outer stem; an inner stem core, fitting within a length of the hollow outer stem and slidable along the length of the hollow outer stem; a locking handle coupled to a top end of the inner stem core, movable between a released position and a locked position, wherein moving the locking handle to the locked position from the released position slides the inner stem core within the hollow outer stem; a flexible base coupled to a bottom end of the hollow outer stem, transformable between a contracted position when the locking handle is in the released position and an expanded position when the locking handle is in the locked position; at least one ring seal coupled to the flexible base; and a flexible cover wrapped around the flexible base and the at least one ring seal.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ring seal pushes against an inner wall of the optical communication device when the flexible base is in the expanded position.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible base expands to a dimension of a floor surface of the optical communication device when the flexible base is transformed to the expanded position from the contracted position.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible base comprises a cylindrical upper portion and a cone lower portion, the cylindrical upper portion surrounding a portion of the hollow outer stem, the cone lower portion extending past the hollow outer stem.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the flexible base in the contracted position is smaller than a diameter of the flexible base in the expanded position.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one ring seal is angled in a direction towards the locking handle.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one ring seal is separated by a contaminant collection space.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible cover is comprised of an elastic material.

9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the locking handle comprises a screw mechanism that moves the locking handle between the released position and the locked position by rotating the locking handle relative to the hollow outer stem.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the locking handle comprises an internal thread and the hollow outer stem comprises an external thread to mate with the internal thread of the locking handle.

11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the locking handle comprises a notching mechanism that moves the locking handle from the released position towards the locked position by sliding the locking handle over the hollow outer stem towards the flexible base.

12 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a stem head coupled to the inner stem core within the flexible base, wherein the locking handle is further movable to an extended locking position, the stem head is extended beyond the flexible base to a second expanded position when the locking handle is moved from the locked position to the extended locking position, and the flexible cover is additionally wrapped around the stem head when the stem head is extended.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the stem head has a shape of a cavity of the optical communication device that leads to a ball lens.

14 . A method for cleaning an optical communication device, by a cleaning device, comprising:
inserting a flexible base of the cleaning device into a barrel of the optical communication device; moving a locking handle of the cleaning device from a released position to a locked position to transform the flexible base from a contracted position to an expanded position; pushing at least one ring seal, coupled to the flexible base of the cleaning device, against an inner wall of the optical communication device when the locking handle of the cleaning device moves from the released position to the locked position; rotating the cleaning device inside the barrel of the optical communication device; and removing the cleaning device from the barrel of the optical communication device.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising collecting contaminants from the optical communication device around the at least one ring seal, wherein removing the cleaning device removes the contaminants from the optical communication device.

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Achkir Brice

Classifications

• G02B6/3866 Primary

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

• B08B9/04

  using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes · CPC title

• B08B1/006

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B08B1/145

  Swabs · CPC title

• B08B11/00

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