JP4637797B2 - Optical connector cleaning tool - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connector cleaning tool for wiping and cleaning a joining end surface of a ferrule by movement of a cleaning tape. For example, the present invention relates to an optical connector cleaning tool that wipes and cleans the joint end surface of the ferrule of an optical connector that accommodates and connects ferrules in an adapter by the movement of a cleaning tape.

As is well known, connection between optical connectors in a connector housing such as an adapter or a receptacle is realized by abutting and joining the end faces of the optical fibers facing the joining end faces of the optical connectors.
When the optical connector is inserted into the connector housing and butt-connected, dirt such as dust, dirt, or oil on the joint end surface of the optical connector may cause damage during installation or increase in transmission loss. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the joining end surface prior to the butt connection.

As a cleaning tool used for this kind of application, there is a tool provided with a mechanism for supplying the cleaning tape in a case having a protruding portion having an opening at the tip of which the cleaning tape is exposed.
In this cleaning tool, the protruding portion of the case is inserted into a space (connector receiving hole) in the optical connector adapter (optical adapter), whereby the cleaning tape is brought into contact with the joining end surface of the ferrule of the optical connector plug. The joining end face of the optical connector plug can be wiped and cleaned by the forward feed movement of the tape (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).
JP 2004-151401 A JP 2004-151402 A JP 2004-151403 A

However, the optical connector cleaning tool has a problem that it is difficult to apply to an optical connector adapter having a small connector housing hole.
Further, since it is necessary to produce a case having a protruding portion that can be inserted into the optical connector adapter, the manufacturing cost is often increased, and improvement has been demanded in terms of manufacturing cost.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector cleaning tool that can be reduced in size and can reduce manufacturing costs.

An optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 1 of the present invention is an optical connector cleaning tool for wiping and cleaning a joining end surface of a ferrule by movement of a cleaning tape, and a case having an opening and a head inserted through the opening. A head body having a projecting portion projecting from the case through the opening, and the projecting portion having a distal end surface facing the joining end surface, and the distal end surface of the head body And a base portion connected to the opposite side of the base portion, and a drop-off prevention portion for preventing the cleaning tape from falling off is formed on the base portion, and the cleaning tape is held by the head body by the drop-off prevention portion. It is characterized by that.
An optical connector cleaning tool according to a second aspect of the present invention is the optical connector cleaning tool according to the first aspect, wherein the drop-off prevention portion is a pair of side wall portions arranged at intervals in the thickness direction, and is provided in a space between the side wall portions. The cleaning tape is allowed to pass therethrough.
An optical connector cleaning tool according to a third aspect of the present invention is the optical connector cleaning tool according to the second aspect, wherein the pair of side wall portions are formed with tape drop-off preventing ribs located on the outer surface side of the cleaning tape from one side to the other side. It is characterized by that.
An optical connector cleaning tool according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the optical connector cleaning tool according to the third aspect, wherein a plurality of the tape dropout prevention ribs are formed, and at least one of them moves from the case toward the head body. It is an upstream tape drop prevention rib formed on the outer surface side of the tape, and at least one of the other tape drop prevention ribs is formed on the outer surface side of the cleaning tape that moves from the head body toward the case. It is a downstream tape drop-off prevention rib, wherein the upstream tape drop-off prevention rib and the downstream tape drop-off prevention rib are formed with their positions shifted in the protruding direction of the protruding portion.
An optical connector cleaning tool according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the optical connector cleaning tool according to the second aspect, wherein the protrusion is inserted into an adapter of an optical connector capable of connecting the ferrules, and the joint end surface of the ferrule can be wiped and cleaned. The side wall portion is formed with a positioning portion that is positioned in contact with the inner surface of the adapter.
An optical connector cleaning tool according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the optical connector cleaning tool according to the fifth aspect, wherein the positioning portion has a shape corresponding to the inner surface of the adapter.
An optical connector cleaning tool according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is an optical connector cleaning tool for wiping and cleaning a joint end surface of the ferrule of an optical connector for housing and connecting ferrules in an adapter by movement of a cleaning tape. A projecting portion that includes a case having an opening and a head member that is inserted into the opening, the head member projecting from the case through the opening, and the cleaning tape is wound around and can be inserted into the adapter. The projecting portion has a positioning portion that is positioned in contact with the inner surface of the adapter.
An optical connector cleaning tool according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the optical connector cleaning tool according to the seventh aspect, wherein the projecting portion is connected to a head body having a front end surface facing the joining end surface, and a side opposite to the front end surface of the head body. The base has a pair of side walls arranged at intervals in the thickness direction, the cleaning tape passes through the space between the side walls, and the positioning unit is It is formed in the said side wall part, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

In the optical connector cleaning tool of the present invention, since the head member having the protruding portion is separate from the case, a common case is used in manufacturing a plurality of types of optical connector cleaning tools corresponding to the shape to be cleaned. It can be used and is advantageous in terms of manufacturing costs. For example, when manufacturing a plurality of types of optical connector cleaning tools corresponding to a plurality of types of adapters, only the head member may be manufactured according to the type of adapter.
In the optical connector cleaning tool of the present invention, since the cleaning tape is held on the head body by the drop-off preventing portion formed on the base, a structure for holding the cleaning tape on the head body becomes unnecessary, and the height dimension of the head body The projection can be reduced in size (thinner). In addition, since a structure for holding the cleaning tape on the head body is not required, the area of the tip surface can be sufficiently increased, and reliable cleaning is possible.
In the optical connector cleaning tool of the present invention, since the protrusion of the head member is inserted into the adapter, the structure of the portion to be inserted is simplified compared to the case in which a part of the case is inserted into the adapter. Can be. Therefore, it becomes possible to apply to the adapter of the optical connector which has a small connector accommodation hole.
Further, in the optical connector cleaning tool of the present invention, since the protruding portion has a positioning portion that contacts and positions the inner surface of the adapter, the protruding portion is not displaced in the adapter, and the joining end surface is reliably cleaned. It can be carried out.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a view for explaining a state in which a ferrule in an adapter of an optical connector is cleaned using an optical connector cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2 to 10 are optical connectors according to the embodiment. It is drawing explaining a cleaning tool. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an MT-type optical connector ferrule that is an example of an optical connector ferrule to which the optical connector cleaning tool of this embodiment can be applied. FIGS. 12 and 13 show the optical connector cleaning tool of this embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the MT type | mold adapter which is an example of the adapter which can apply.

As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the optical connector 70 to which the optical connector cleaning tool 1 of the present embodiment is applied accommodates and connects the ferrules 60, 60 in an adapter 71.
The ferrule 60 in the illustrated example is an MT-type optical connector ferrule defined in JIS C 5981 or the like, and as is well known, a plurality of optical fiber holes 63, 63,. Are arranged in a line.
The ferrule 60 is attached to the tip end portion of the optical fiber 61 for connection between the optical fibers 61. Specifically, the optical fiber 61 is an optical fiber ribbon, and the ferrule 60 is simplified by inserting a bare optical fiber obtained by removing the resin coating at the tip of the optical fiber 61 into the optical fiber hole 63 of the ferrule 60. It functions as an optical connector plug.
The optical fiber 61 is not particularly limited as long as the optical connector ferrule can be attached and connected. For example, a single-core or multi-core optical fiber, and this optical fiber is stored in a tube. An optical fiber cord or the like can be used.

A pair of guide pin holes 64, 64 are formed on both sides of the optical fiber holes 63, 63,. When connecting a pair of ferrules 60, 60, a guide pin 65 is fitted into the guide pin hole 64 of one ferrule 60 and protrudes from the joining end face 62, and is fitted into the guide pin hole 64 of the other ferrule 60. Then, the ferrules 60 and 60 are butt-connected.
As shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, when the tip of the guide pin 65 of one ferrule 60 is inserted into the guide pin hole 64 of the other ferrule 60, a known guide pin fitting type positioning mechanism functions, It is possible to optically connect the tip surfaces of the optical fibers 61 inserted into the optical fiber holes 63 of the ferrules 60 with high accuracy.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a boot 67 made of an elastic body such as rubber or elastomer is attached to the rear end side of the ferrule 60. The optical fiber 61 drawn out from the rear end of the ferrule 60 is inserted into the boot 67, so that sudden bending or the like in the vicinity of the rear end of the ferrule 60 is prevented. Further, at the rear end of the ferrule 60 housed in the adapter 71 (the left one of the ferrules 60 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13), a pin clamp 66 is provided to which the rear end portion 65a of the guide pin 65 is fixed. ing. By inserting the guide pin 65 fixed to the pink lamp 66 into the guide pin hole 64, the ferrule 60 and the pin clamp 66 are integrated.

  The adapter 71 of the optical connector 70 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 shows an example of an adapter for an MT type optical connector ferrule (MT type adapter). The adapter 71 illustrated here includes a connector insertion opening 72 that is opened to insert one ferrule 60 (the right one of the ferrules 60 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13), and the other ferrule 60 (see FIGS. 12 and 13). 13 on the left side of the ferrule 60 shown in FIG. 13, a locking claw 74 that engages with the pin clamp 66 to lock the other ferrule 60 from the rear end side, bolts, and the like And a flange portion 75 provided with a mounting hole 76 for mounting the adapter 71 to a mounting plate or the like (not shown).

When one ferrule 60 is inserted into the connector insertion opening 72 of the adapter 71, the joining end faces 62 of both ferrules 60 and 60 are brought into contact with each other in the connector housing hole 73, and the optical fiber 61 can be optically connected. Further, when one ferrule 60 is pulled out in the opposite direction, the connection between both ferrules 60 and 60 can be released.
The adapter 71 referred to in the present invention is a generic name for relay devices that position and connect and fix the ferrules 60 on both sides. Therefore, the ferrules 60 on both sides connected to the adapter 71 are not limited to the same shape. Even if ferrules having different shapes can be connected, they are called adapters.

  The optical connector cleaning tool 1 of this embodiment is an optical connector cleaning tool that wipes and cleans the joining end surface 62 of the ferrule 60 housed in the adapter 71 of the optical connector 70 by the movement of the cleaning tape 2. As shown in FIG. 6, a case 10 having an opening 15, a head member 20 inserted through the opening 15, and a holder member 40 are provided.

As shown in FIG. 3, the case 10 has a split structure with a first case half 11 and a second case half 12. The case 10 is integrated, for example, by fitting (not shown) between fitting pins and pin holes that are appropriately formed on the peripheral portions of the case halves 11 and 12. The case halves 11 and 12 of the case 10 can be made of plastic such as polystyrene (PS) or polyoxymethylene (POM, polyacetal).
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the case 10 includes a main body 13 that houses the tape feeding mechanism 3 and a protruding cylindrical portion 14 that projects from the main body 13 in a tapered manner. The opening 15 is formed at the protruding tip of the protruding cylinder portion 14.

As shown in FIG. 4, as the tape feeding mechanism 3 that feeds and moves the cleaning tape 2, the supply reel 30 around which the cleaning tape 2 is wound and the used cleaning tape 2 are wound up inside the main body 13. The take-up reel 31 to be recovered, the supply reel support shaft 32 on which the supply reel 30 is rotatably mounted, the take-up reel support shaft 33 on which the take-up reel 31 is rotatably mounted, and the cleaning tape 2 being moved. An operation dial 34 is provided for operating the.
The supply reel 30, the take-up reel 31, and the operation dial 34 can be manufactured by molding from plastic such as polystyrene (PS) or polyoxymethylene (POM, polyacetal) with a mold.

  The cleaning tape 2 is not particularly limited, and any known appropriate cleaning cloth (nonwoven fabric or woven fabric) processed into a tape shape can be employed. For example, what consists of fibers, such as polyester and nylon, is illustrated.

  The supply reel support shaft 32 and the take-up reel support shaft 33 can be formed integrally with one case half 11, for example. Then, by inserting the tips of the support shafts 32 and 33 into fitting holes (not shown) provided in the other case half body 12, the supply reel 30 and The take-up reel 31 can be held without dropping.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a partition wall portion 14 a that also serves as a reinforcing rib is provided inside the protruding cylinder portion 14. According to the partition wall portion 14 a, the path 14 b of the upstream portion 2 b (hereinafter also referred to as “upstream portion”) of the cleaning tape 2 that should be cleaned from the supply reel 30 toward the head member 20, and the head member 20. Since the path 14c of the downstream portion 2c of the cleaning tape 2 that is contaminated by wiping and cleaning toward the take-up reel 31 (hereinafter also referred to as "downstream portion") is partitioned, transfer of dirt on the cleaning tape 2 The effect which suppresses is acquired.

  Inside the case 10, pin-shaped tape guides 35 and 36 for projecting the cleaning tape 2 to change the feeding direction are formed to project. One tape guide 35 is provided at a position where the cleaning tape 2 supplied from the supply reel 30 passes through the path 14b on the upstream portion 2b side in the protruding cylinder portion 14, and the other tape guide 35 is provided on the take-up reel. The cleaning tape 2 wound up by 31 is provided in the position which passes along the path | route 14c by the side of the downstream part 2c in the protrusion cylinder part 14. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, a part of the operation dial 34 is exposed to the outside of the case 10 from a window 11 a provided in a cutout shape in the first case half 11. The operation dial 34 is integrally connected to the take-up reel 31 and is supported by the take-up reel support shaft 33. When the operation dial 34 is operated with fingers or the like and rotated in a predetermined direction, the take-up reel 31 rotates together to wind up the cleaning tape 2 and the unused cleaning tape 2 is fed out from the supply reel 30. And moved.
Since part of the operation dial 34 is exposed from the window 11a opened on the side surface of the case 10, even when the optical connector cleaning tool 1 is held with one hand, the finger of the hand on the side holding the optical connector cleaning tool 1 is used. The operation dial 34 can be easily operated. Furthermore, by forming the rotation direction indication mark 12a indicating the rotation direction of the operation dial 34 on the side surface of the case 10, the operator can easily understand the rotation direction of the operation dial 34.

  The connection between the operation dial 34 and the take-up reel 31 can be exemplified by, for example, a method in which a pin (not shown) protrudes from the operation dial 34 and a fitting hole for fitting the pin is provided in the take-up reel 31.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 6, and 7, a holder member 40 is provided at the tip of the protruding cylindrical portion 14 of the case 10.
The holder member 40 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a rectangular cross section, and is formed so as to surround the distal end portion of the protruding cylindrical portion 14.
Engagement convex portions 42 a projecting in the distal direction are formed on the distal end surfaces of the side walls 42, 42 of the holder member 40. The engaging convex portion 42 a can be formed so as to be able to fit into an engaging concave portion (not shown) formed in the adapter 71.
The head member 20 is inserted into the opening 41 on the distal end side of the holder member 40.
The holder member 40 can be easily manufactured by molding plastic such as polyoxymethylene (POM, polyacetal), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), for example.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the head member 20 viewed from one surface side, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the head member 20 viewed from the other surface side. 10A to 10E are a front view, a top view, a side view, a bottom view, and a rear view of the head member 20, respectively. In the following description, the left side and the right side in FIG. 10C may be referred to as the front end direction and the rear end direction, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the head member 20 presses the cleaning tape 2 against the joining end surface 62 of the ferrule 60. The head member 20 protrudes from the case 10 through the opening 15, and the protrusion 21. And a support portion 22 connected to the main body.
The protruding portion 21 includes a head body 23 having a distal end surface 23a facing the joining end surface 62, and a base portion 24 connected to the opposite side of the distal end surface 23a of the head body 23 (the right side in FIG. 10C). The cleaning tape 2 is wound around.

The head body 23 is formed in a block shape (that is, a thick plate shape) having a flat front end surface 23a, and guide pin insertion portions 23b into which guide pins 65 protruding from the joining end surface 62 can be inserted are formed on both sides. Yes. The guide pin insertion portion 23b is formed in a groove shape having a semicircular cross section on the side surface of the head body 23, and interference between the head body 23 and the guide pin 65 can be avoided by the guide pin insertion portion 23b.
The head body 23 is coupled to the distal end side of the base portion 24 via a tilting spring 27 connected to a recess 23d formed in the rear surface 23c.
The tilting spring 27 is formed in a substantially wave shape in the illustrated example, and supports the head body 23 so as to be tiltable in the vertical direction.

The base portion 24 connects the pair of side wall portions 28 and 28 (drop-off preventing portion) arranged at intervals in the width direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 10C) (thickness direction). It has the connection part 29 and the 1st and 2nd tape drop-off prevention ribs 51 and 52.
The side wall portion 28 has a substantially rectangular plate-like positioning portion 53 and a substantially rectangular plate-like extending portion 54 extending from the tip end in the tip direction.
The connecting portion 29 is formed at the distal end portion of the extending portion 54, and the tilting spring 27 is connected to the front surface thereof.

As shown in FIG. 1, the positioning portion 53 can be configured to contact the inner surface of the adapter 71 and position the protruding portion 21 when inserted into the adapter 71.
In the illustrated example, the positioning portion 53 has a shape corresponding to the inner surface of the adapter 71.
Specifically, the positioning portion 53 has a height substantially equal to the height dimension of the connector receiving hole 73 of the adapter 71, and comes into contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the connector receiving hole 73 when inserted into the connector receiving hole 73. There is no rattling in the vertical direction. Further, the dimension in the width direction of the positioning portion 53 (the distance between the outer surface of one positioning portion 53 and the outer surface of the other positioning portion 53) is made substantially equal to the width of the connector receiving hole 73 and is inserted into the connector receiving hole 73. When this occurs, the inner surface of the connector receiving hole 73 is brought into contact with the inner surface of the connector receiving hole 73 so that the rattling in the width direction does not occur.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the first and second tape drop-off prevention ribs 51 and 52 prevent the cleaning tape 2 from dropping from the head member 20, and the one side wall portion 28 and the other are separated from each other. It is formed over the side wall part 28 of.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the first tape drop-off prevention rib 51 (upstream tape drop-off prevention rib) is for preventing the upstream portion 2 b of the cleaning tape 2 from dropping out. Is formed. The first tape dropout prevention rib 51 is located on the outer surface side (the lower surface side in FIG. 7) of the upstream portion 2 b of the cleaning tape 2, and prevents the upstream portion 2 b from coming off the head member 20. .

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the second tape drop prevention rib 52 (downstream tape drop prevention rib) is formed on the upper portion of the positioning portion 53. The second tape dropout prevention rib 52 is located on the outer surface side (upper surface side in FIG. 7) of the downstream portion 2 c of the cleaning tape 2, and prevents the downstream portion 2 c from coming off the head member 20.
The upper part and the lower part refer to the upper part and the lower part in FIG.
The base 24 is a frame having side wall portions 28, 28 and tape drop-off preventing ribs 51, 52 formed at the upper and lower portions thereof, and the cleaning tape 2 passes through the space S inside thereof. . By disposing the cleaning tape 2 in the space S between the side wall portions 28, 28, the cleaning tape 2 is prevented from falling off the protruding portion 21, and is thereby held by the head body 23.

The first tape drop-off prevention rib 51 is located on the front end side with respect to the second tape drop-off prevention rib 52. That is, the tape drop-off prevention ribs 51 and 52 are formed so as to be displaced in the protruding direction of the protruding portion 21. Note that the relative positions of the tape dropout prevention ribs 51 and 52 in the protruding direction are not limited to this, and the second tape dropout prevention rib 52 may be located on the tip side.
Since the tape drop-off prevention ribs 51 and 52 are formed with their positions shifted in the protruding direction of the protruding portion 21, a sufficient space S for the cleaning tape 2 to pass through can be secured. Therefore, the structure of the projecting portion 21 can be simplified, the size can be reduced (thinned), and the projection 21 can be applied to an optical connector adapter having a small connector housing hole.
In addition, since the head member 20 is made of resin, the tape dropout prevention ribs 51 and 52 need to have a certain thickness in order to obtain sufficient strength. Since the position is shifted, the space S of the side wall portion 28 is ensured widely, and interference between the upstream portion 2b and the downstream portion 2c hardly occurs.
Further, since the tape drop-off prevention ribs 51 and 52 are formed so as to be displaced in the protruding direction of the protruding portion 21, the first tape drop-off prevention rib 51 on the front end side can be disposed near the head body 23. It is possible to prevent the cleaning tape 2 from falling off the head body 23.

  The support portion 22 includes a connecting portion 56 connected to the inner surface of the positioning portion 53, a compression spring 57 connected to the rear end side of the connecting portion 56, and a support plate connected to the rear end side of the compression spring 57. 59.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the compression spring 57 urges the cleaning tape 2 toward the joining end surface 62, and in the illustrated example, a pair of wave springs are arranged symmetrically in the width direction of the protruding portion 21. It is a thing. The compression spring 57 functions as a connecting portion that connects the base portion 24 and the locking portion 59 in an extendable manner.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10 (e), the locking portion 59 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape, and is formed with insertion holes 59a and 59a through which the upstream portion 2b and the downstream portion 2c of the cleaning tape 2 are inserted. ing.
The locking portion 59 is disposed substantially perpendicular to the protruding direction, and is attached to a mounting recess 14 d formed on the inner surface of the protruding cylindrical portion 14 of the case 10.

  The head member 20 can be easily manufactured by molding a plastic such as polyoxymethylene (POM, polyacetal), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), for example.

As an example of how to use the optical connector cleaning tool 1 of this embodiment, an example of a procedure for cleaning the joining end surface 62 of the ferrule 60 housed in the adapter 71 of the optical connector 70 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the protruding portion 21 of the optical connector cleaning tool 1 is inserted into the connector accommodation hole 73 of the adapter 71, and at least a part of the positioning portion 53 of the side wall portion 28 is positioned in the connector accommodation hole 73.
As described above, since the positioning portion 53 of the side wall portion 28 has a shape corresponding to the connector receiving hole 73, the positioning portion 53 is positioned in contact with the upper and lower surfaces and the inner side surface of the connector receiving hole 73.
The front end surface 23 a of the head body 23 faces the joining end surface 62 of the ferrule 60, and a portion of the cleaning tape 2 located on the front end surface 23 a (hereinafter referred to as a contact portion 2 a) abuts on the joining end surface 62.

When the operation dial 34 is rotated by a predetermined amount, the cleaning tape 2 moves in conjunction with the rotation of the take-up reel 31.
As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning tape 2 passes through the space S between the side wall portions 28 and 28, reaches the front end surface 23 a of the head body 23, and is wound around the take-up reel 31 through the space S again.
Specifically, the upstream portion 2b of the cleaning tape 2 exits from the opening 15 of the protruding cylindrical portion 14 of the case 10, moves in the space S toward the tip of the protruding portion 21, and prevents the first tape from falling off. It passes through the inner surface side (upper surface side) of the rib 51 and reaches the front end surface 23 a from the lower surface of the head body 23. The cleaning tape 2 passes through the tip surface 23a, passes through the upper surface of the head body 23, moves toward the case 10 in the space S, and passes through the inner surface side (lower surface side) of the second tape dropout prevention rib 52. It enters into the protruding cylinder portion 14 and is taken up by the take-up reel 31.
At this time, since the cleaning tape 2 passes through the space S between the side wall portions 28, 28, the cleaning tape 2 does not fall off the head member 20 and does not come off the head body 23. As described above, the cleaning tape 2 is held on the head body 23 by the side wall portions 28 and 28.

In this process, the joining end face 62 of the ferrule 60 is wiped and cleaned by the cleaning tape 2. That is, dirt such as dust, dust and oil adhering to the joining end face 62 is wiped off by the cleaning tape 2 and the joining end face 62 is cleaned.
Since the dirt that has been wiped off adheres to the cleaning tape 2 and moves in the direction of being taken up by the take-up reel 31, the dirt on the surface of the cleaning tape (downstream part) 2c after use does not return to the joining end face 62. .
After cleaning, the optical connector cleaning tool 1 can be easily pulled out by pulling it in the direction opposite to the direction of insertion (withdrawal direction).

In the optical connector cleaning tool 1, the head member 20 having the protruding portion 21 inserted into the adapter 71 is separate from the case 10.
For this reason, when manufacturing a plurality of types of optical connector cleaning tools corresponding to a plurality of types of adapters, only the head member needs to be manufactured according to the type of adapter. Therefore, a common case can be used, which is advantageous in terms of manufacturing cost.
In the optical connector cleaning tool 1, the cleaning tape 2 is held on the head body 23 by the side wall portion 28 formed on the base portion 24, so that a structure for holding the cleaning tape 2 on the head body 23 becomes unnecessary. The height dimension can be reduced, and the protrusion 21 can be reduced in size (thinned). Further, since the structure for holding the cleaning tape 2 on the head body 23 is not necessary, the area of the front end surface 23a can be sufficiently increased, and reliable cleaning is possible.
Moreover, in the optical connector cleaning tool 1, since the protrusion part 21 of the head member 20 is inserted in the adapter 71, compared with what inserts a part of case into the adapter, The structure can be simplified. Therefore, it can be applied to an adapter of an optical connector having a small connector housing hole.
Further, in the optical connector cleaning tool 1, since the protruding portion 21 has the positioning portion 53 that contacts and positions the inner surface of the adapter 71, the protruding portion 21 is not displaced in the adapter 71, and the joining end surface 62 is cleaned. Can be performed reliably.
Furthermore, since the cleaning tape 2 passes through the space S of the side walls 28 and 28, the structure of the protrusion 21 is simplified, and it is applied to an adapter for an optical connector having a small connector housing hole. Is possible.

Although the present invention has been described based on the preferred embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the tape feeding mechanism that feeds and moves the cleaning tape is not limited to one that is manually driven, and may be one that is driven by power such as a motor or a spring. Further, manual and power driving may be used together, or the power source may be switched as necessary.
In the present embodiment, the case where the optical connector cleaning tool of the present invention is applied to the MT type optical connector ferrule and the MT type adapter is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the MPO defined in JIS C 5982 and the like. It can also be applied to optical connector plugs and MPO adapters.
The optical connector cleaning tool of the present invention can also be applied to cleaning of SC type optical connectors (such as those defined in JIS C 5973) or FC type optical connectors (such as those defined in JIS C 5970). In this case, it is preferable that the protruding portion of the head member is configured to be inserted into a positioning sleeve for positioning the optical connector ferrule.
Moreover, although the case where the joining end surface 62 of the ferrule 60 in the adapter 71 was cleaned was shown in the above-mentioned example, the optical connector cleaning tool of the present invention may also clean the joining end surface of the ferrule not housed in the adapter. it can. In this case, the optical connector cleaning tool is preferably positioned with respect to the ferrule by some positioning means (for example, a positioning sleeve into which the ferrule can be inserted).

The number of tape drop-off prevention ribs is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1, and may be 1 or 3 or more. When there are a plurality of tape dropout prevention ribs, at least one of them is an upstream tape dropout prevention rib, and at least one of the other tape dropout prevention ribs is a downstream tape dropout prevention rib. Is possible.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, two tape drop prevention ribs are formed. However, the second tape drop prevention rib 52 may not be formed, and only the first tape drop prevention rib 51 may be formed. . In this case, the upstream portion 2 b of the cleaning tape 2 exits from the opening 15 of the case 10, moves in the space S toward the tip of the protruding portion 21, and the inner surface side of the first tape dropout prevention rib 51. It passes through the upper surface side, passes through the front end surface 23 a of the head body 23, moves toward the case 10 in the space S, and is taken up by the take-up reel 31.

  The present invention can be used to clean the joining end face of the ferrule in the adapter.

It is a principal part expanded sectional view explaining a mode that the ferrule in the adapter of an optical connector is cleaned using the optical connector cleaning tool which concerns on this invention. It is a front view which shows the optical connector cleaning tool shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows the optical connector cleaning tool shown in FIG. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the inside of the optical connector cleaning tool shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the optical connector cleaning tool shown in FIG. It is a principal part expansion perspective view which shows the optical connector cleaning tool shown in FIG. It is a principal part expanded sectional view which shows the optical connector cleaning tool shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the head member of the optical connector cleaning tool shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the head member of the optical connector cleaning tool shown in FIG. It is (a) front view, (b) top view, (c) side view, (d) bottom view, (e) rear view showing the head member of the optical connector cleaning tool shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows an example of MT type optical connector ferrule. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of MT type | mold adapter. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of MT type | mold adapter.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Optical connector cleaning tool, 2 ... Cleaning tape, 10 ... Case, 15 ... Opening part, 20 ... Head member, 21 ... Projection part, 23 ... Head body, 23a ... Tip surface, 24 ... Base part, 28 ... Side wall part ( Dropout prevention part), 51 ... first tape dropout prevention rib (upstream tape dropout prevention rib), 52 ... second tape dropout prevention rib (downstream tape dropout prevention rib), 53 ... positioning part, 60 ... ferrule, 62 ... Joining end face, 70 ... Optical connector, 71 ... Adapter, S ... Space between the side walls.

Claims (8)

An optical connector cleaning tool for wiping and cleaning the joining end face (62) of the ferrule (60) by the movement of the cleaning tape (2),
A case (10) having an opening (15), and a head member (20) inserted through the opening,
The head member has a protrusion (21) protruding from the case through the opening;
The protrusion includes a head body (23) having a front end surface (23a) facing the joining end surface, and a base (24) connected to the opposite side of the front end surface of the head body,
An optical connector cleaning tool characterized in that a drop-off prevention part (28) for preventing the cleaning tape from falling off is formed at the base, and the cleaning tape is held by the head body by the drop-off prevention part. (1).   The drop-off prevention part is a pair of side wall parts arranged at an interval in the thickness direction, and the cleaning tape passes through a space (S) between the side wall parts. The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 1.   The optical connector cleaning according to claim 2, wherein a tape drop-off prevention rib (51, 52) positioned on an outer surface side of the cleaning tape is formed on the pair of side wall portions from one side to the other side. tool. A plurality of the first tape drop prevention ribs are formed, and at least one of them is an upstream tape drop prevention rib (51) formed on the outer surface side of the cleaning tape that moves from the case toward the head body. ,
At least one of the other tape dropout prevention ribs (52) is a downstream tape dropout prevention rib (52) formed on the outer surface side of the cleaning tape moving from the head body toward the case,
4. The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 3, wherein the upstream tape drop-off prevention rib and the downstream tape drop-off prevention rib are formed so as to be shifted in a protruding direction of the protruding portion. The protrusion is inserted into the adapter (71) of the optical connector (70) that can connect the ferrules, and the joint end surface of the ferrule can be wiped and cleaned.
The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 2, wherein a positioning portion (53) that is positioned in contact with the inner surface of the adapter is formed on the side wall portion.   The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 5, wherein the positioning portion has a shape corresponding to an inner surface of the adapter. It is an optical connector cleaning tool for wiping and cleaning the ferrule joining end surface (62) of the optical connector (70) which accommodates and connects the ferrules (60) in the adapter (71) by the movement of the cleaning tape (2). And
A case (10) having an opening (15), and a head member (20) inserted through the opening,
The head member protrudes from the case through the opening, and has a protrusion (21) that is wound around the cleaning tape and can be inserted into the adapter.
The optical connector cleaning tool (1), wherein the protrusion has a positioning part (53) positioned in contact with the inner surface of the adapter. The protrusion includes a head body (23) having a front end surface (23a) facing the joining end surface, and a base (24) connected to the opposite side of the front end surface of the head body,
The base portion includes a pair of side wall portions (28) arranged at intervals in the thickness direction, and the cleaning tape passes through the space (S) between the side wall portions,
The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 7, wherein the positioning portion is formed on the side wall portion.

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