JP2019138978A - Tool and method for cleaning optical connectors - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cleaning tool which allows for efficiently cleaning guide pin holes of an optical connector.SOLUTION: An optical connector cleaning tool provided herein has pins that can be inserted into guide pin holes of a ferrule of an optical connector to be cleaned, where the pins have grooves formed thereon.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connector cleaning tool and an optical connector cleaning method.

  If dust or the like adheres to the connection end face of the optical connector, it causes an increase in loss of the optical signal, and thus the connection end face of the optical connector needs to be cleaned. Patent Document 1 discloses a connector that can be brought into contact with an optical connector via an optical connector adapter with respect to an optical connector having a ferrule that can be pushed backward while being urged by a coil spring housed in the optical connector housing. An optical connector cleaning tool having a cleaning member attached to the part is described.

JP 2002-219421 A

  In some cases, the optical connector is provided with a guide pin in order to suppress a positional shift between the opposing connection end faces. For example, when a guide pin provided on a ferrule on one side (connection side) is inserted into a guide pin hole provided on a ferrule on the other side (connected side), the positional deviation when connecting the ferrule end faces Is suppressed, and the loss of the optical signal at the connection portion is easily reduced.

  According to the method of Patent Document 1, it is possible to clean the ferrule end face, but it is difficult to clean dust and the like attached to the inside of the guide pin hole (insertion hole). If dust or the like adhering to the guide pin hole is not cleaned, the smooth insertion of the guide pin is hindered, making it difficult to connect the optical connector, or the position of the ferrule end face being displaced, resulting in an increase in optical signal loss. There is a risk.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a cleaning tool capable of efficiently cleaning a guide pin hole provided in an optical connector. There is.

  A main invention for achieving the above object is an optical connector cleaning tool having a pin that can be inserted into a guide pin hole provided in a ferrule of an optical connector to be cleaned, and the pin is provided with a groove. It is the cleaning tool for optical connectors characterized by the above-mentioned.

  Other characteristics of the present invention will be made clear by the description and drawings described later.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the cleaning tool which can clean efficiently the guide pin hole provided in the optical connector can be provided.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view for explaining connection between the optical connector 10 and the optical connector 20. 1 is a perspective view of an optical connector 10. FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic side view of a pin 12 provided in the optical connector 10. FIG. 4A to 4C are schematic cross-sectional views for explaining the operation when the pin hole 22 of the optical connector 20 is cleaned using the pin 12 (optical connector 10). FIG. 10 is a schematic side view illustrating a modified example of a groove 121 provided in the pin 12. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view and a cross-sectional view for explaining a configuration of a cover 50. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a cleaning tool 60. FIG. 6 is an enlarged schematic side view showing a pin 62 provided on the cleaning tool 60. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a cleaning tool 70. FIG.

  At least the following matters will be apparent from the description and drawings described below.

An optical connector cleaning tool having a pin insertable into a guide pin hole provided in a ferrule of an optical connector to be cleaned, wherein the pin is provided with a groove. The cleaning tool becomes clear.
According to such an optical connector cleaning tool, foreign matter such as dust attached to the guide pin hole provided in the optical connector can be removed by the groove provided in the pin. Therefore, the guide pin hole can be efficiently cleaned.

  In this optical connector cleaning tool, it is preferable that the radially outer edge of the groove has an angular shape.

  According to such an optical connector cleaning tool, since the edge of the groove portion has a sharp corner, the foreign matter adhering to the inner wall of the guide pin hole is easily peeled off so as to be scraped off by the edge portion. It can be performed.

  In this optical connector cleaning tool, it is preferable that the pin is provided with a plurality of the groove portions arranged intermittently in the axial direction of the pin.

  According to such an optical connector cleaning tool, each of the plurality of groove portions scrapes off the foreign matter adhering to the inner wall of the pin hole, so that the foreign matter hardly remains on the inner wall of the pin hole.

  In this optical connector cleaning tool, it is preferable that the pin is provided with the spiral groove portion along the axial direction of the pin.

  According to such an optical connector cleaning tool, the foreign matter accumulated in the groove portion can move in the groove portion in the front-rear direction (the axial direction of the pin), so that the foreign matter can be more easily discharged.

  In this optical connector cleaning tool, it is desirable that there is a predetermined gap between the tip of the pin in the axial direction of the pin and the groove provided on the foremost side in the axial direction.

  According to such a cleaning tool for optical connectors, since the groove portion is not formed in a portion having a predetermined length (interval) from the tip of the pin, the pin can be smoothly inserted into the pin hole. Moreover, it is difficult for the groove portion to come into contact with a portion other than the inner wall of the pin hole, and the pin hole and the ferrule end face can be prevented from being damaged by the groove portion.

  In this optical connector cleaning tool, there is a predetermined interval between the rear end of the pin in the axial direction of the pin and the groove provided on the rearmost side in the axial direction. desirable.

  According to such a cleaning tool for an optical connector, a sufficient space is provided between the position of the rear end (ferrule end face) of the pin and the groove, so that the foreign matter detached from the groove is less likely to adhere to the ferrule end face. .

  In this optical connector cleaning tool, it is desirable that the length of the pin is longer than 3.3 mm.

  According to such a cleaning tool for optical connectors, it becomes easy to perform an operation of inserting pins into the pin holes of the optical connector to be cleaned. Further, cleaning can be performed without inserting the entire pin (full length) into the pin hole.

  In this optical connector cleaning tool, it is desirable that the radius of curvature of the tip of the pin is smaller than 0.15 mm.

  According to such an optical connector cleaning tool, since the tip of the pin is sharp, the operation of inserting into the pin hole can be performed more easily.

  Such an optical connector cleaning tool, wherein the optical connector cleaning tool is an optical connector connected to the optical connector to be cleaned, and the groove portion is the ferrule of the optical connector to be cleaned. It is desirable that the guide pin is provided in the guide pin hole provided in the guide pin hole.

  According to such an optical connector cleaning tool, since the guide pins (pins) of the optical connector can be used as a cleaning tool, the pin hole can be cleaned simply by attaching to and detaching from the optical connector to be cleaned. Can do. Therefore, the pin hole can be cleaned more efficiently.

  This optical connector cleaning tool is capable of attaching a cover that covers the end face of the ferrule, and is the distance between the groove provided on the rearmost side in the axial direction of the guide pin and the end face of the ferrule. Is preferably larger than the thickness of the cover.

  According to such a cleaning tool for optical connectors, by performing a cleaning operation in a state where the end face of the ferrule is covered, it is possible to suppress foreign matter from adhering to the end face of the ferrule, and to perform the cleaning operation more safely. Can do.

  In this optical connector cleaning tool, it is desirable to have a pair of the guide pins on the left and right.

  According to such an optical connector cleaning tool, the pair of guide pin holes provided in the optical connector to be cleaned can be cleaned at once by the pair of guide pins. Therefore, the pin hole can be cleaned more easily and efficiently.

  Further, the optical connector cleaning tool is inserted into the opening on one side of the adapter in the front-rear direction of the adapter and the optical connector cleaning tool having a pin provided with a groove is provided on the other side of the adapter in the front-rear direction The pin of the optical connector cleaning tool is directed from the other side in the front-rear direction to the one side in a guide pin hole provided in the ferrule of the optical connector to be cleaned. And the optical connector cleaning tool is pulled out of the guide pin hole by removing the optical connector cleaning tool from the opening on the other side of the adapter. It becomes.

  According to such an optical connector cleaning method, when connecting the optical connector to be cleaned and the optical connector cleaning tool, the pins can be accurately inserted into the pin holes. Moreover, it is suppressed that the ferrule end surface of the optical connector to be cleaned is damaged by the pins. Thereby, cleaning can be performed safely and efficiently.

=== First Embodiment ===
In the first embodiment, the optical connector 10 will be described as an optical connector cleaning tool for cleaning the optical connector 20 to be cleaned. FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining the connection between the optical connector 10 and the optical connector 20. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the optical connector 10.

  In the following description, each direction is defined as shown in FIGS. That is, the direction in which the optical connector 10 and the optical connector 20 are connected to each other so as to be connected (detached) is referred to as the “front-rear direction”. Further, a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and along the long side direction of the rectangular end faces of the optical connectors 10 and 20 is referred to as a “left-right direction”. A direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is referred to as “vertical direction”.

  The optical connector 10 and the optical connector 20 are both connection parts that are provided at the end of the optical fiber 100 having a plurality of optical fiber cores and optically connect the optical fibers 100 to each other. For example, the optical connectors 10 and 20 are optical connectors configured by incorporating an MT optical connector (for example, an MPO optical connector defined by JISC 5982, etc., MPO: Multifiber Push On). The optical connector 10 and the optical connector 20 have basically the same configuration except for the pins 12 described later. Therefore, the optical connector 10 will be basically described below, and the description of the optical connector 20 will be omitted.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the optical connector 10 and the optical connector 20 can be connected in the front-rear direction using an adapter 30. The adapter 30 is a cylindrical member having an opening 31 and an opening 32 in the front-rear direction. When the optical connectors 10 and 20 are connected, first, the optical connector 20 is inserted and fixed in the opening 32 on one side in the front-rear direction (front side in FIG. 1). Subsequently, the optical connector 10 is inserted into the opening 31 on the other side in the front-rear direction (the rear side in FIG. 1), and is connected to the optical connector 20 inside the adapter 30. Thereby, the optical connector 10 and the optical connector 20 are connected in a state of being opposed to each other in the front-rear direction, and at this time, it is possible to make it difficult for the positional deviation between both in the vertical direction and the left-right direction to occur. That is, the positional relationship between the front end of the optical fiber 100 provided in the optical connector 10 (ferrule end face 11f described later) and the rear end of the optical fiber 100 provided in the optical connector 20 (ferrule end face 21f) is appropriately set. It becomes easy to fix, and the connection loss (loss of an optical signal) at the time of connecting the optical fibers 100 and 100 can be reduced. Further, by using the adapter 30, the user can easily and safely connect the optical connector 10 and the optical connector 20. However, the optical connector 10 and the optical connector 20 can be connected without using the adapter 30.

  Then, the structure of the optical connector 10 (optical connector 20) is demonstrated concretely. The optical connector 10 includes a ferrule 11, a pin 12, an internal housing 13, and an external housing 14.

  The ferrule 11 is a member that holds the end of the optical fiber 100. The ferrule 11 is, for example, an MT type optical connector (an optical connector defined by JIS C 5981. MT: Mechanically Transferable). The front end of the ferrule 11 in the front-rear direction is a ferrule end surface 11 f that is a connection end surface when the optical connector 10 is connected to the optical connector 20. On the ferrule end face 11f, the cores of the plurality of optical fiber core wires provided in the optical fiber 100 are exposed and abut with the ferrule end face of the connected connector (in this embodiment, the ferrule end face 21f of the optical connector 20). The optical signals can be transmitted through the respective optical fiber cores.

  The pin 12 is a substantially cylindrical guide pin that guides the ferrule end surface 21f so that the position of the ferrule end surface 11f does not shift when the optical connector 10 is connected to the optical connector 20. The optical connector 10 is provided with a pair of pins 12, 12 projecting forward in the front-rear direction from the ferrule end face 11 f in the left-right direction. On the other hand, the ferrule 21 of the optical connector 20 is provided with a pair of pin holes 22 (guide pin holes) for inserting the pins 12 at positions corresponding to the pins 12. When the optical connectors 10 and 20 are connected, the pair of pins 12 are inserted into the pin holes 22 so that the ferrule end faces 11f and 21f can be accurately butted and connected. The detailed structure of the pin 12 will be described later.

  The inner housing 13 is a cylindrical member extending in the front-rear direction, and accommodates the ferrule 11 therein. The internal housing 13 of this embodiment is provided with a floating mechanism (not shown). The ferrule 11 is urged forward and backward in the front and rear direction by the floating mechanism, and the ferrule 11 is moved forward and backward in the internal housing 13. Supports in a retractable state.

  The outer housing 14 is a cylindrical member extending in the front-rear direction, and accommodates the inner housing 13 therein. The inner housing 13 and the outer housing 14 are fixed by locking a locking portion provided in the inner housing 13 to a locked portion (both not shown) provided in the outer housing 14.

<Details of pin 12>
FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the pins 12 provided in the optical connector 10 in an enlarged manner. As described above, the pin 12 has a function as a guide pin when the optical connector 10 and the optical connector 20 are connected, and is basically IEC61754-7: 2008, Fiber optic connector interfaces-Part7 (JIS). C5964-7)). That is, the pin 12 is formed so that the outer diameter D12 = 0.497 to 0.699 mm and the length L12 from the ferrule end face 11f to the tip 12t of the pin 12 = 1.6 to 3.3 mm. The shape of the tip 12t is a substantially hemispherical shape, and the average curvature is 0.15 mm or more.

  On the other hand, the pin 12 of this embodiment has a function of cleaning the pin hole 22 in addition to a function as a guide pin when the optical connector is connected. That is, the optical connector 10 of this embodiment is also a cleaning tool for cleaning the pin holes 22 of the optical connector 20 to be cleaned. Specifically, the pin 12 has a plurality of grooves 121 arranged intermittently in the axial direction (corresponding to the front-rear direction) in order to clean the pin hole 22. In FIG. 3, four groove portions 121 </ b> A, 121 </ b> B, 121 </ b> C, 121 </ b> D are provided from the front side to the rear side in the front-rear direction of the pin 12. In addition, the quantity of the groove part 121 provided in the pin 12 can be changed suitably, and only one groove part 121 may be provided with respect to the pin 12, and five or more groove parts may be provided.

  The groove portion 121 has a predetermined width in the axial direction (front-rear direction) of the pin 12 and a shape that is cut out at a predetermined depth in the radial direction of the pin 12. That is, the outer diameter D121 of the groove 121 is smaller than the outer diameter D12 of the pin 12 (D121 <D12). In addition, in FIG. 3, although each groove part 121 (121A-121D) has the same shape, it does not necessarily need to be the same shape. For example, the width in the front-rear direction and the depth in the radial direction may be different for each of the grooves 121A to 121D.

  Also, as shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 3, it is desirable that the edge 121e on the radially outer side (the upper end side in the enlarged view) of the groove 121 has an angular shape. In other words, the edge of the boundary portion between the side surface 121ss of the groove 121 and the outer peripheral surface 12os of the pin 12 has a sharp corner, and a new surface by chamfering or the like between the side surface 121ss and the outer peripheral surface 12os. It is desirable that is not formed. Since the edge 121e is angular, foreign matters such as dust can be easily removed efficiently when the pin hole 22 is cleaned (see FIG. 4 described later). Note that the angle of the edge 121e (the smaller one of the angles formed by the side surface 121ss and the outer peripheral surface 12os of the pin 12) is desirably 90 degrees or less.

  There is a predetermined interval W12t between the groove portion 121A provided on the most front side in the front-rear direction among the plurality of groove portions 121A to 121D and the tip 12t of the pin 12. In other words, in the pin 12, the groove 121 (121A) is provided at a position away from the tip 12t of the pin 12 by a predetermined distance W12t. Similarly, there is a predetermined interval W12b between the groove 121D provided on the rearmost side in the front-rear direction among the plurality of grooves 121A to 121D and the ferrule end surface 11f. In other words, in the pin 12, the groove 121 (121D) is provided at a position away from the rear end of the pin 12 (position of the ferrule end surface 11f) by a predetermined distance W12b.

<About cleaning operation>
4A to 4C are schematic cross-sectional views for explaining the operation when the pin hole 22 of the optical connector 20 is cleaned using the pin 12 (optical connector 10). FIG. 4A shows a state before the pin hole 22 of the optical connector 20 is cleaned. FIG. 4B shows a state when the pin 12 (cleaning tool) is inserted into the pin hole 22. FIG. 4C shows a state when the pin 12 (cleaning tool) is pulled out from the pin hole 22.

  4A, foreign matter F such as dust adheres to the inner wall of the pin hole 22 of the optical connector 20 before cleaning. When the pin 12 of the optical connector 10 is inserted into the pin hole 22 so as to slide from the rear side in the front-rear direction to the front side, the foreign matter F attached to the inner wall of the pin hole 22 as shown in FIG. Then, it moves into the groove 121 so as to be scraped off by the edge 121e of the groove 121, and is accumulated. Since the pin 12 of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of groove portions 121 (121A to 121D) that are intermittently arranged in the axial direction, the foreign matter F is scraped off by the respective groove portions 121, so that the foreign matter F becomes a pin hole. 22 hardly remains on the inner wall. As described above, in this embodiment, since the edge 121e is a sharp corner, the foreign matter F can be easily peeled off from the inner wall of the pin hole 22, and cleaning can be performed efficiently.

  Further, since the space W12t is provided between the frontmost groove portion 121A in the front-rear direction and the tip 12t of the pin 12, when the pin 12 is inserted into the pin hole 22, the pin hole 22 of the optical connector 20 Scratching or damaging the ferrule end face 21f is suppressed. If the distance between the tip 12t of the pin 12 and the groove 121A is very short, in the operation of inserting the pin 12 into the pin hole 22, the edge 121e of the groove 121A is easily caught by the entrance portion of the pin hole 22, and the pin hole There is a possibility that the vicinity of the entrance end of 22 may be shaved. That is, the groove 121 may come into contact with a portion other than the inner wall of the pin hole 22 and damage the pin hole 22 or the ferrule end surface 21f. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the groove part 121 is not provided in the length 12t to W12t of the pin 12 and the pin 12 is cylindrical, the cylindrical part serves as a guide. The pin 12 can be smoothly inserted into the pin hole 22. The foreign matter F is removed by the groove 121 after the insertion operation is stabilized. Therefore, it is difficult for the groove portion 121 to come into contact with a portion other than the inner wall of the pin hole 22, and the pin hole 22 and the ferrule end surface 21f can be suppressed from being damaged.

  After the pin 12 is completely inserted into the pin hole 22, when the pin 12 is slid back and forth in the front-rear direction and pulled out from the pin hole 22, the foreign matter F accumulated in the groove 121 as shown in FIG. 4C. Is discharged to the outside of the pin hole 22 together with the pin 12. In the present embodiment, since the upper edge 121 e of the groove 121 is formed to be square, the foreign matter F accumulated in the groove 121 is easily held inside the groove 121 in the operation of pulling out the pin 12 from the pin hole 22. . In other words, in the pulling-out operation of the pin 12, the foreign matter F is unlikely to be detached outside the groove portion 121, and the foreign matter F is prevented from adhering to the inner wall of the pin hole 22 again.

  After pulling out the pin 12 from the pin hole 22, the foreign matter F accumulated in the groove 121 is removed using a brush or the like. 4A to 4C are repeated a plurality of times. Thereby, the foreign substance F is removed from the pin hole 22, and the optical connector 20 is cleaned.

  The space W12b is provided between the rearmost groove 121D in the front-rear direction and the ferrule end surface 11f of the optical connector 10, so that the foreign matter F accumulated in the groove 121D adheres to the ferrule end surface 11f. Can be suppressed. If the distance between the ferrule end surface 11f and the groove portion 121D is very close, when the foreign material F is detached from the groove portion 121D when the pin 12 is pulled out from the pin hole 22, the foreign material F may directly adhere to the ferrule end surface 11f. is there. In this case, transmission loss of the optical signal is increased when the optical connectors 10 and 20 are connected. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since a sufficient interval W12b is provided between the ferrule end surface 11f and the groove portion 121D, the foreign matter F is separated from the groove portion 121. It can suppress adhering to 11f.

  In this embodiment, since the guide pin (pin 12) of the optical connector 10 can be used as a cleaning tool, the pin hole 22 can be cleaned only by attaching and detaching the optical connector 10 and the optical connector 20. At that time, the pair of pin holes 22, 22 provided in the optical connector 20 can be cleaned at once by the pair of pins 12, 12 of the optical connector 10. Therefore, the user can clean the pin hole 22 easily and efficiently without using a special cleaning tool or the like.

  Moreover, when connecting the optical connector 10 and the optical connector 20, it becomes possible to connect both more easily by using the adapter 30 as demonstrated in FIG. Therefore, the pin 12 can be accurately inserted into the pin hole 22 by using the adapter 30 also when cleaning the optical connector 20 (pin hole 22). Moreover, it is suppressed that the ferrule end surface 21f of the optical connector 20 is damaged by the pins 12. In particular, when the pin hole 22 is cleaned, it is necessary to repeat the insertion and removal of the pin 12 a plurality of times. Therefore, the cleaning operation can be performed more safely and efficiently by using the adapter 30.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic side view illustrating a modified example of the groove 121 provided in the pin 12. In the modification of FIG. 5, the groove 121 is formed in a spiral shape along the axial direction of the pin 12 (the front-rear direction in FIG. 5). The configuration of the pin 12 in this modification is substantially the same as that of the groove 121 described with reference to FIG. 3 except for the shape of the groove 121 (spiral). That is, the outer diameter D12 of the pin 12 is 0.697 to 0.699 mm, and the length L12 is 1.6 to 3.3 mm. Further, among the spiral groove 121, there is a predetermined interval W12t between the frontmost end in the front-rear direction and the tip 12t of the pin 12, and among the spiral groove 121, the rearmost in the front-rear direction There is a predetermined interval W12b between the end of the ferrule and the end face 11f of the ferrule.

  By forming the groove 121 of the pin 12 in a spiral shape as shown in FIG. 5, the foreign matter F accumulated in the groove 121 can move in the groove 121 in the front-rear direction, so that the foreign matter F can be more easily discharged. it can.

  Moreover, you may use the cover for protecting the ferrule end surface 11f of the optical connector 10 at the time of cleaning operation | movement. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view and a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of the cover 50. The cover 50 is a member that covers the ferrule end surface 11 f by being disposed so as to cover the ferrule 11 from the front side in the front-rear direction of the optical connector 10. The width W50 in the front-rear direction of the cover 50 is shorter than W12b, and the groove portion 121 of the pin 12 is exposed to the outside of the cover 50 when the cover 50 is covered on the ferrule end surface 11f as shown in FIG. Therefore, the pin 12 can be inserted into the pin hole 22 in the state shown in FIG. At this time, since the ferrule end surface 11f is covered with the cover 50, the removed foreign matter F is suppressed from adhering to the ferrule end surface 11f, and the cleaning operation can be performed more safely. Note that the cover 50 is removed from the optical connector 10 when the optical connector 10 and the optical connector 20 are connected to transmit and receive optical signals.

=== Second Embodiment ====
In the second embodiment, a stick-type cleaning tool 60 for cleaning the pin hole 22 of the optical connector 20 will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the cleaning tool 60. FIG. 8 is an enlarged schematic side view of the pin 62 provided on the cleaning tool 60.

  The cleaning tool 60 is a stick-shaped cleaning tool that has a hand-held portion 61 and a pin 62 and is long in the front-rear direction. The hand-held portion 61 is a rod-like member that holds the pin 62, and is a part that is operated by a user holding it with a hand during cleaning. In FIG. 7, the hand-held portion 61 is cylindrical, but the shape can be changed freely. The pin 62 is a columnar shaft member extending in the front-rear direction, and corresponds to the pin 12 of the first embodiment. That is, the pin 62 is basically formed based on the provisions of IEC61754-7: 2008, Fiber optic connector interfaces-Part7 (corresponding to JIS C5964-7). Therefore, the outer diameter D62 of the pin 62 is equivalent to the outer diameter D12 of the pin 12, and the length L62 of the pin 62 is equivalent to the length L12 of the pin 12.

  The pin 62 has a plurality of groove portions 621 arranged intermittently in the axial direction (corresponding to the front-rear direction). The configuration of the groove portion 621 can be substantially the same as that of the groove portion 121 of the first embodiment. In FIG. 8, four groove portions 621 of 621 </ b> A to 621 </ b> D <b> 62 are provided along the axial direction of the pin 12. And the outer diameter D621 of each groove part 621 is. It is smaller than the outer diameter D62 of the pin 62 (D621 <D62). However, the shape and quantity of the groove 621 are not limited to this.

  In addition, a predetermined interval W62t exists between the groove 621A provided on the most front side in the front-rear direction among the plurality of grooves 621 and the tip 62t of the pin 62. Similarly, there is a predetermined interval W62b between the groove 621D provided on the rearmost side in the front-rear direction among the plurality of grooves 621 and the front end 61f of the hand-held portion 61.

  When the pin hole 22 of the optical connector 20 is cleaned using the cleaning tool 60, the pin 62 is reciprocated in the front-rear direction while being inserted into the pin hole 22 in substantially the same manner as the operation described in FIG. In this way, by inserting and removing the pin 62 with respect to the pin hole 22, the foreign matter F adhering to the inner wall of the pin hole 22 can be efficiently removed.

  In addition, since the cleaning tool 60 itself is not limited by a standard such as JIS C5964-7, the length and shape of the pin 62 can be freely changed. For example, the length L62 of the pin 62 may be increased in consideration of operability when the user holds and operates the hand. Specifically, although the length L12 of the pin 12 of the first embodiment is defined as 1.6 mm to 3.3 mm, the length L62 of the pin 62 may be longer than 3.3 mm. When cleaning is performed using the cleaning tool 60, the adapter 30 cannot be used, and the insertion position is difficult to stabilize compared to the first embodiment. Therefore, by making L62 longer than 3.3 mm, the operation of inserting the pin 62 into the pin hole 22 of the optical connector 20 is facilitated. Further, by lengthening L62, cleaning can be performed without inserting the entire pin 62 (full length) into the pin hole 22.

  At this time, in order to prevent the groove portion 621 from coming into contact with and damaging the portion other than the pin hole 22 due to camera shake during the insertion operation, a long distance W62t between the groove portion 621A and the tip 62t of the pin 62 is provided. It is desirable to keep it. Further, in order to suppress the contact between the ferrule end surface 21f of the optical connector 20 and the hand-held portion 61, the interval W62b between the groove portion 621D and the front end 61f (the rear end of the pin 62) of the hand-held portion 61 is also increased. It is desirable to have it.

  Further, the tip shape of the pin 62 may be changed. According to JIS C5964-7 (IEC61754-7), the tip shape of the guide pin needs to be hemispherical and have a radius of curvature of 0.15 mm or more. On the other hand, with the pin 62, the radius of curvature at the tip (tip 62t) may be made smaller than 0.15 mm so that the tip is sharply sharpened. Since the tip of the pin 62 is sharp, the operation of inserting into the pin hole 22 can be made easier.

=== Third Embodiment ====
In the third embodiment, a cleaning tool 70 having substantially the same shape as the optical connector 10 will be described. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the cleaning tool 70. A cleaning tool 70 shown in FIG. 9 includes a pin holding portion 71, a pin 72, an internal housing 73, and an external housing 74. Among these, the pin 72, the inner housing 73, and the outer housing 74 can use the same components as the pin 12, the inner housing 13, and the outer housing 14 of the first embodiment, respectively. On the other hand, the pin holding portion 71 is a member different from the ferrule 11 of the optical connector 10. That is, the cleaning tool 70 has the same configuration as the optical connector 10 except for the pin holding portion 71.

  The pin holding portion 71 of the cleaning tool 70 is a member that has the same outer dimensions as the ferrule 11 and holds the pair of pins 12 while being supported by the inner housing 13. On the other hand, the optical fiber 100 is not provided in the pin holding portion 71. Therefore, the cleaning tool 70 can be connected to the optical connector 20 similarly to the optical connector 10, but does not have a function of performing optical communication.

  When the pin hole 22 of the optical connector 20 is cleaned using the cleaning tool 70, it can be performed by the same method as described in FIG. That is, the operation of inserting / removing the pin 72 of the cleaning tool 70 into / from the pin hole 22 of the optical connector 20 is performed, and the foreign matter F adhering to the inner wall of the pin hole 22 is removed by the groove portion 721 provided in the pin 72.

  Since the cleaning tool 70 has the same configuration as that of the optical connector 10, it can be attached to and detached from the optical connector 20 and can perform a cleaning operation easily and safely. In addition, since the cleaning tool is not restricted by the standards such as JIS C5964-7, the length L72 of the pin 72 and the tip shape of the pin 72 can be freely deformed. For example, as described in the second embodiment, the length of L72 may be longer than L12, or the tip 72 may be sharpened by reducing the radius of curvature of the tip of the pin 72.

  Further, unlike the ferrule end surface 11f, the front end surface 71f of the pin holding portion 71 is not exposed at the tip of the optical fiber 100. Therefore, even if a foreign substance F adheres to the front end surface 71f, a problem does not easily occur, and it is easier. A cleaning operation can be performed. And when connecting with the optical connector 20, since the adapter 30 demonstrated in FIG. 1 can be utilized, attachment / detachment operation | movement can be performed more simply.

  Further, since optical communication is not performed when the cleaning tool 70 and the optical connector 20 are connected, it is not necessary to contact the front end surface 71f of the cleaning tool 70 and the ferrule end surface 21f of the optical connector 20. Therefore, it is desirable that the position of the front end face 71f in the front-rear direction (the axial direction of the pin 72) is arranged on the rear side compared to the position of the ferrule end face 11f of the first embodiment. For example, when the position of the front end surface 71f is adjusted so that the ferrule end surface 21f and the front end surface 71f do not contact even if the pin 72 is inserted to the farthest side (front side in the front-rear direction) of the pin hole 22 of the optical connector 20. good. Accordingly, the contact between the ferrule end face 21f and the front end face 71f during the cleaning operation is suppressed, and the ferrule end face 21f is less likely to become dirty.

=== Others ===
The above-described embodiments are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

10 Optical connector (cleaning tool),
11 Ferrule, 11f Ferrule end face,
12 pin (guide pin), 12t tip,
121 groove part, 121A-121D groove part, 121e edge,
13 inner housing, 14 outer housing,
20 optical connector,
21 ferrule, 21f ferrule end face,
22 pin hole (guide pin hole),
30 adapter, 31 opening, 32 opening,
50 cover,
60 cleaning tools,
61 Hand-held part, 62 pin, 62t tip, 621 groove part, 621A-621D groove part,
70 Cleaning tool,
71 pin holding part, 71f front end face,
72 pins (guide pins), 721 grooves,
73 inner housing, 74 outer housing,
100 optical fiber

Claims (12)

An optical connector cleaning tool having pins that can be inserted into guide pin holes provided on a ferrule of an optical connector to be cleaned,
A cleaning tool for an optical connector, wherein the pin is provided with a groove. The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 1,
An optical connector cleaning tool, wherein a radially outer edge of the groove has an angular shape. The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2,
The optical connector cleaning tool, wherein the pin is provided with a plurality of the groove portions arranged intermittently in the axial direction of the pin. The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2,
The optical connector cleaning tool, wherein the pin is provided with the spiral groove portion along the axial direction of the pin. It is a cleaning tool for optical connectors given in any 1 paragraph of Claims 1-4,
A cleaning tool for an optical connector, characterized in that there is a predetermined interval between the tip of the pin in the axial direction of the pin and the groove provided on the foremost side in the axial direction. It is a cleaning tool for optical connectors given in any 1 paragraph of Claims 1-5,
A cleaning tool for an optical connector, characterized in that there is a predetermined interval between a rear end of the pin in the axial direction of the pin and the groove provided on the rearmost side in the axial direction. It is a cleaning tool for optical connectors given in any 1 paragraph of Claims 1-6,
A cleaning tool for optical connectors, wherein the length of the pin is longer than 3.3 mm. It is a cleaning tool for optical connectors given in any 1 paragraph of Claims 1-7,
A cleaning tool for optical connectors, wherein a radius of curvature of a tip portion of the pin is smaller than 0.15 mm. It is a cleaning tool for optical connectors given in any 1 paragraph of Claims 1-6,
The optical connector cleaning tool is an optical connector connected to the optical connector to be cleaned,
The optical connector cleaning tool, wherein the groove is provided in a guide pin inserted into the guide pin hole provided in the ferrule of the optical connector to be cleaned. The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 9,
A cover covering the end face of the ferrule can be attached,
The optical connector cleaning tool, wherein a distance between the groove provided on the rearmost side in the axial direction of the guide pin and the end face of the ferrule is larger than a thickness of the cover. The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 9 or 10,
A cleaning tool for optical connectors, comprising a pair of guide pins on the left and right. Inserting the optical connector to be cleaned into the opening on one side of the adapter in the front-rear direction;
Inserting an optical connector cleaning tool having a pin provided with a groove into the opening on the other side of the adapter in the front-rear direction;
Inserting the pin of the optical connector cleaning tool from the other side in the front-rear direction toward the one side into a guide pin hole provided in a ferrule of the optical connector to be cleaned;
Pulling out the pin from the guide pin hole by detaching the optical connector cleaning tool from the opening on the other side of the adapter;
An optical connector cleaning method.

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