Apparatus for cleaning optical fiber connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9507146-B2
Application number	US-201514973170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2015
Priority date	Aug 13, 2014
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for cleaning an optical fiber connector, which includes a case, a tape collecting gear, a tape releasing gear, an operating portion, and a cleaning socket disposed on the case. The tape collecting gear and the tape releasing gear are rotatably accommodated in the case in sequence. The cleaning socket is located at a position between the tape collecting gear and the tape releasing gear. The operating portion includes a push rod, and an elastomer, a stop block, a sliding plate, and a toggling member that are installed in the case. In the case, one end of the sliding plate is connected to the push rod in the case and the other end shields the cleaning socket, the elastomer abuts between the stop block and the push rod.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a case;
a tape collecting gear;
a tape releasing gear, the tape collecting gear and the tape releasing gear being rotatably accommodated in the case in sequence;
a cleaning tape installed between the tape collecting gear and the tape releasing gear;
an operating portion installed in the case, the operating portion comprising:
a push rod extending into the case from the outside of the case;
an elastomer;
a stop block, the elastomer abutting between the stop block and the push rod;
a sliding plate; and
a toggling member disposed at one side of the sliding plate and disposed opposite to gear teeth of the tape collecting gear; and

a cleaning socket disposed on the case, the cleaning socket located at a position between the tape collecting gear and the tape releasing gear, and facing the cleaning tape between the tape collecting gear and the tape releasing gear, wherein one end of the sliding plate is connected to the push rod and the other end shields the cleaning socket, the cleaning tape and the cleaning socket being located at two opposite sides of the sliding plate;
wherein the sliding plate is configured to be pushed by the push rod to slide in the case and expose the cleaning socket, and after the cleaning socket is exposed, the sliding plate continues to be pushed to enable the toggling member to push against the gear teeth of the tape collecting gear, and the tape collecting gear drives the cleaning tape to move.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one end of the sliding plate, away from the push rod, is provided with a barrier chip and a notch, the barrier chip disposed adjacent to the notch, and wherein the sliding of the sliding plate enables the barrier chip to shield the cleaning socket or expose the cleaning socket using the notch.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the toggling member is provided with an extending sheet connected to the sliding plate and an abutting arm, the abutting arm bent from the extending sheet and extending in a manner that is parallel to the sliding plate, the abutting arm abutting against the gear teeth of the tape collecting gear.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the case comprises a bottom wall and a side wall disposed on the bottom wall, the stop block is disposed on the bottom wall, a gap is provided between the stop block and the side wall, a groove communicated with the gap is disposed on the stop block towards the bottom wall, and the sliding plate is installed in the gap and configured to drive the toggling member to pass through the groove.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the cleaning socket is disposed on the side wall, a stop frame opposite to the cleaning socket is disposed on the bottom wall, and the barrier chip is between the side wall and the stop frame and shields the cleaning socket.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the apparatus further comprises two steering pulleys, separately disposed on the bottom wall and located at two sides of the stop frame, wherein the cleaning tape is tightened by the two steering pulleys and passes between the stop frame and the barrier chip.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the push rod is configured to slide in a direction parallel to a sliding direction of the sliding plate to pass through the case and connect to an end, away from the barrier chip, of the sliding plate, and the elastomer abuts between the stop block and an end, connected to the sliding plate, of the push rod.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein a guide boss is disposed at a joint of the bottom wall and the side wall, and a side edge of the sliding plate abuts against the guide boss and is configured to slide along the guide boss.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein stop elastic pieces are separately disposed, with respect to the tape collecting gear and the tape releasing gear, on the bottom wall.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a cover, the cover being configured to seal the case.

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Bie Hui
• Guo Yali

Classifications

• B08B1/34

  rotating about an axis parallel to the surface · CPC title

• B08B1/143

  Wipes · CPC title

• B08B1/04

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G02B6/3866

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

• G02B27/0006 Primary

  with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation (G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B) · CPC title