Portable, self-contained fiber optic cleaning tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776231-B2
Application number	US-201514977034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2015
Priority date	Jan 9, 2015
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A fiber optic component cleaning device includes a body, a feed spool mounted for rotation in the body, a take-up spool mounted for one-way rotation in the body and a central support assembly. A plunger is mounted for movement in the central support assembly and a drive is operably connected to the take-up spool and to the plunger. A cleaning material is wound onto and fed from the feed spool and to the take-up spool. A reservoir assembly is mountable to the body to apply a cleaning solution to the cleaning material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber optic component cleaning device comprising:
a body;
a feed spool mounted for rotation in the body;
a take-up spool mounted for one-way rotation in the body;
a central support assembly;
a plunger, the plunger mounted for movement in the central support assembly;
a drive operably connected to the take-up spool and to the plunger;
a cleaning material wound onto the feed and take-up spools, the cleaning material being fed from the feed spool to the take-up spool; and
a reservoir assembly mountable to the body, wherein the central support assembly is positioned, in part, in the reservoir assembly, and wherein an end of the plunger is extendable from an end of the reservoir assembly, the reservoir assembly mountable to the body for reciprocation relative to the body and to the central support assembly.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the plunger is mounted for reciprocating movement in the central support assembly.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein movement of the plunger in a first direction rotates the take up spool and movement of the plunger in a second, opposite direction does not rotate the take-up spool.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the plunger is mounted for reciprocating movement, and wherein reciprocating movement of the plunger in the first direction rotates the take-up spool to take up the cleaning material on the take-up spool and wherein reciprocating movement of the plunger in the second, opposite position feeds cleaning material from the feed spool.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the central support assembly has a track formed therein and wherein the tape traverses from the feed spool through the central support assembly track, over an end of the plunger, through the central support assembly track and to the take-up spool.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the drive includes a drive plate operably connected to the take-up spool, the drive plate having a gear thereon, the plunger having a linear gear operably mounted thereto, the linear gear and drive plate gear meshed with one another to rotate the take-up spool in one direction with movement of the plunger.

7. The device of claim 1 including a biasing element to bias the plunger to an extended position.

8. The device of claim 6 including a one-way drive ratcheting system having one or more teeth on one of the take-up spool and the drive plate cooperating with one or more pawls on the other of the take-up spool and the drive plate, wherein rotation of the drive plate in one direction engages the one or more teeth with the one or more pawls to rotate the take-up spool and wherein rotation of the drive plate in an opposite direction does not engage the one or more teeth with the one or more pawls.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the one or more teeth are located on the take-up spool and the one or more pawls are located on the drive plate.

10. The device of claim 1 including an anti-unspooling system including one or more fingers on one of the take-up spool and the body and one or more detents on the other of the take-up spool and the body, wherein the one or more fingers cooperate with the one or more detents to prevent unspooling of the cleaning material from the take-up spool.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the one or more fingers are located on the take up spool and the one or more detents are located on the body.

12. The device of claim 1 including a valve assembly positioned at an end of the reservoir assembly, and wherein the end of the plunger passes through the valve assembly when the plunger is extended from the end of the reservoir assembly.

13. The device of claim 12 including two valve assemblies and wherein the end of the plunger passes through the two valve assemblies when the plunger is extended from the end of the reservoir assembly.

14. The device of claim 1 including a wicking assembly mounted at about an end of the reservoir assembly.

15. The device of claim 1 including a biasing element operably connected to the reservoir assembly to bias the reservoir assembly to an extended position relative to the body.

16. The device of claim 1 including an annulus region in the reservoir, and wherein a cleaning solution is present in the annulus region.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein the cleaning material is a tape.

18. The device of claim 14 wherein the wicking assembly is positioned so that the tape contacts the wicking assembly as the tape is conveyed beyond a tip of the cleaning finger, toward the take-up spool, the wicking assembly transferring a solution onto the cleaning material, the solution wicking into the cleaning material at a location at about the tip of the cleaning finger.

19. The device of claim 1 including a tape retainer, the tape retainer mounted to the plunger and including slots for receiving the tape.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Martini Eric
• Blair Paul
• Kroll Russell
• Bailey Ben
• Wilkey Robert
• Britton Adam

Classifications

• B21B45/02 Primary

  for lubricating, cooling, or cleaning {(in particular in combination with forging or pressing devices B21B15/005, control of flatness or profile using lubricating or cooling B21B37/44)} · CPC title

• G02B6/3866 Primary

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