JP7017887B2 - Cleaning tool - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cleaning tool.

The connection between the optical connectors is realized by abutting the end faces of the optical fibers on the joint end face (ferrule end face) of each optical connector. If dirt adheres to the joint end face of the optical connector or the end face of the optical fiber, it causes damage to the optical connector and the optical fiber and an increase in transmission loss. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the joint end face of the optical connector prior to the butt connection.

As a tool for cleaning, for example, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, an insertion portion having a tool body and a head member for pressing a cleaning body against a joint end surface of an optical connector (corresponding to an extension portion described later). Cleaning tools with and are listed. According to this cleaning tool, by moving the tool body with respect to the insertion part while the cleaning body is pressed against the optical connector, the cleaning body is supplied and collected, and the head member is rotated to rotate the optical connector. The joint end face can be wiped off with a cleaning body. Further, in the cleaning tools described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the insertion portion extending from the tool body can be inserted into the optical adapter (or optical connector receptacle) to clean the ferrule end face in the optical adapter. By attaching an attachment equipped with a guide to the insertion portion, the ferrule end face on the optical plug side can also be cleaned.

Japanese Patent No. 4579330 Japanese Patent No. 4779049

In the cleaning tools described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the ferrule end face of both the inside of the optical adapter and the optical plug can be cleaned by attaching the attachment to the insertion portion. However, it was necessary to remove the attachment each time depending on whether the cleaning target was the ferrule end face in the optical adapter or the ferrule end face on the optical plug side. For this reason, there is a problem that the work efficiency of the entire cleaning work is lowered due to the labor required for the work of attaching and detaching the attachment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning tool for an optical connector that can easily clean both the inside of an optical adapter and the end face of a ferrule on the optical plug side.

Some embodiments of the present invention are cleaning tools comprising a tool body, a head that presses the cleaning body against a cleaning object on a pressing surface, and an extension portion extending from the tool body. The protruding portion includes a plug-side guide portion for inserting the head into the inside, and when cleaning the optical plug, the end surface of the plug-side guide portion projects toward the optical plug side from the end surface of the head, and the light The cleaning tool is characterized in that when the optical adapter to which the plug is connected is cleaned, the plug-side guide portion retracts and the end surface of the head is exposed to the optical adapter side.

Other features of the present invention will be clarified by the description of the description and drawings described later.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the ferrule end faces both inside the optical adapter and on the optical plug side can be easily cleaned.

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment in line AA of FIG. 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment when cleaning the optical plug 70 (before pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end surface 71A). 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment when cleaning the optical plug 70 (after pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A). 6A to 6C are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment at the time of cleaning the first optical receptacle 91 (before pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A). 7A to 7B are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment (after pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A) at the time of cleaning the first optical receptacle 91. 8A to 8C are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment at the time of cleaning the second optical receptacle 96 (before pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A). 9A to 9B are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment (after pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A) at the time of cleaning the second optical receptacle 96. 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment when cleaning the optical adapter 80 (before abutting the inner guide end surface 53 on the latch claw 83). 11A to 11B are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment when cleaning the optical adapter 80 (after the inner guide end surface 53 is abutted against the latch claw 83). FIG. 12A is a perspective view showing a state in which the end portion of the inner guide portion 50 of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment is inserted into the second optical receptacle 96. FIG. 12B is a perspective view showing a state in which the end portion of the inner guide portion 50 of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment is inserted into the optical adapter 80. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the extension portion 20 in the cleaning tool 10 of the second embodiment. 14A to 14C are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the second embodiment at the time of cleaning the second optical receptacle 96 (before pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A). 15A to 15B are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the second embodiment (after pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A) at the time of cleaning the second optical receptacle 96. 16A to 16C are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the second embodiment when cleaning the optical adapter 80 (before pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end surface 71A). 17A to 17B are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the second embodiment when cleaning the optical adapter 80 (after pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A).

At least the following matters will be clarified from the description of the specification and the drawings described later.

A cleaning tool having a tool body and a head that presses a cleaning body against a cleaning object on a pressing surface, and has an extension portion extending from the tool body. The extension portion inserts the head into the inside. When cleaning the optical plug, the end face of the plug side guide portion protrudes toward the optical plug side from the end surface of the head, and when cleaning the optical adapter to which the optical plug is connected. A cleaning tool characterized in that the plug-side guide portion is retracted and the end surface of the head is exposed to the optical adapter side becomes clear. With such a cleaning tool, both the inside of the optical adapter and the end face of the ferrule on the optical plug side can be easily cleaned.

It is desirable that the outer peripheral portion of the plug-side guide portion is provided so as to guide the head with respect to the ferrule end surface of the optical plug. As a result, the cleaning body can be accurately opposed to the end face of the ferrule.

It is desirable that the inside of the plug-side guide portion is provided so that the ferrule of the optical plug is inserted. As a result, the cleaning body can be accurately opposed to the end face of the ferrule.

When cleaning the optical plug, it is desirable to retract the plug-side guide portion by pressing the end surface of the plug-side guide portion on the optical plug side against the abutting surface inside the connector housing of the optical plug. .. As a result, the end face of the guide portion on the adapter side on the optical plug side can be pressed against the connector housing of the optical plug.

The extension portion can be moved in a predetermined direction with respect to the tool body, and the cleaning body is supplied to the pressing surface by the relative movement between the tool body and the extension portion, and the cleaning body is supplied to the pressing surface. It is desirable to further provide a feeding mechanism for collecting the cleaning body. As a result, the cleaning body can be supplied and collected with a simple operation.

The extending portion further includes an adapter-side guide portion for inserting the plug-side guide portion into the inside, and when cleaning the optical plug, the end surface of the adapter-side guide portion on the optical plug side is used as the optical plug. It is desirable to move the relative movement by pressing it against the connector housing. As a result, the cleaning body can be supplied and collected with a simple operation.

The extending portion further includes an adapter-side guide portion for inserting the plug-side guide portion into the inside, and when cleaning the optical adapter, the flat surface of the outer peripheral portion of the adapter-side guide portion is connected to the optical adapter. It is desirable that the head is provided so as to guide the head to the ferrule end face of the optical plug. As a result, the cleaning body can be accurately opposed to the end face of the ferrule.

When cleaning the optical adapter, it is desirable to move the relative movement by pressing the end surface of the adapter side guide portion on the optical adapter side against the sleeve holder end portion of the optical adapter. As a result, the cleaning body can be supplied and collected with a simple operation.

It is desirable that the extending portion further includes a plug-side spring that urges the plug-side guide portion to the optical plug side. This makes it possible to easily clean both the ferrule end faces inside the optical adapter and on the optical plug side.

=== First Embodiment ===
<Overall configuration of cleaning tool 10>
FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment in line AA of FIG.

In the following description, each direction is defined as shown in the figure. That is, the direction in which the extension portion 20 extends from the tool body 11 is defined as the "front-back direction", the side of the extension portion 20 as viewed from the tool body 11 is defined as "front", and the opposite side is defined as "rear". Further, of the directions perpendicular to the front-rear direction, the direction in which the two flat surfaces 52 formed on the inner guide portion 50 are arranged is defined as the "vertical direction" (see FIG. 2). The vertical direction is also the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the supply reel 13 or the rotation shaft of the take-up reel 14 in the tool body 11 (see FIG. 3). In addition, the direction perpendicular to the front-back direction and the up-down direction is defined as the "left-right direction".

The cleaning tool 10 is a tool for cleaning the ferrule end face (optical fiber end face) of the optical connector. In the following description, before explaining the configuration of the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, the cleaning operation (push operation and pull operation) when the optical connector is cleaned by using the cleaning tool 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning tool 10 has a tool main body 11 and an extension portion 20 that is relatively movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the tool main body 11. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning tool 10 includes a head portion 21 and a feed mechanism 12 for supplying and collecting the cleaning body 1. A pressing surface 22A (head surface) is provided at the front end of the head portion 21, and the cleaning body 1 is hung around the pressing surface 22A. The feed mechanism 12 supplies the unused cleaning body 1 to the pressing surface 22A by utilizing the relative movement between the tool body 11 and the extending portion 20 at the time of cleaning, and collects the used cleaning body 1. (See below).

When cleaning the optical connector using the cleaning tool 10, the operator holds the tool body 11 in his hand, inserts the tip of the extension portion 20 into the insertion port of the optical connector, and cleans the pressing surface 22A on the optical connector. The body 1 is pressed, and the tool body 11 is moved toward the front side in that state (push operation). After that, the operator pulls out the extension portion 20 from the optical connector (pull operation). In this way, the push operation and the pull operation are performed in the cleaning operation. In the push operation, the tool body 11 moves to the front side with respect to the extension portion 20, and when viewed from the tool body 11, the extension portion 20 moves to the rear side with respect to the tool body 11. In the pull operation, the tool body 11 moves to the rear side with respect to the extension portion 20, and when viewed from the tool body 11, the extension portion 20 moves to the front side with respect to the tool body 11.

As described above, the feeding mechanism 12 supplies and collects the cleaning body 1 by utilizing the relative movement of the tool body 11 and the extending portion 20 in the front-rear direction during cleaning. However, the feeding mechanism 12 may supply and collect the cleaning body 1 by another method. For example, a disk-shaped dial may be provided so that the operator can turn the dial to supply and collect the cleaning body 1. If the cleaning tool 10 is provided with such a feed mechanism 12, the tool body 11 and the extension portion 20 do not have to be moved relative to each other in the front-rear direction.

In the present embodiment, the cleaning body 1 is filamentous. However, the shape of the cleaning body 1 is not limited to the thread shape, and may be a wide band shape (tape shape). By using the band-shaped cleaning body 1, the end surface of the optical fiber on the end surface of the optical connector can be reliably cleaned. It is desirable that the cleaning body 1 is made of a non-woven fabric or a woven fabric made of fibers such as polyester and nylon. However, the material and form of the cleaning body 1 are not limited to this.

Next, the configuration of the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment will be described. As described above, the cleaning tool 10 has a tool body 11 and an extension portion 20 (see FIG. 1).

The tool body 11 is a portion gripped by an operator during cleaning. The tool body 11 includes a body housing 15 and a feed mechanism 12 (see FIG. 3).

The main body housing 15 is an accommodating body that internally accommodates a cleaning body 1, a feeding mechanism 12 that supplies and collects the cleaning body 1, and the like. A spring receiving portion 16A is fixed to the main body housing 15. The spring receiving portion 16A is a portion that holds one end of the coil spring 18, which will be described later. The spring receiving portion 16A is provided on the inner wall surface on the rear side of the main body housing 15, and is in contact with one end (rear end portion) of the coil spring 18.

The feeding mechanism 12 is a mechanism for supplying and collecting the cleaning body 1. The feed mechanism 12 includes a supply reel 13, a take-up reel 14, a moving body 17, and a coil spring 18 (see FIG. 3).

The supply reel 13 is a reel that supplies an unused cleaning body 1. An unused cleaning body 1 is wound around the supply reel 13. The take-up reel 14 is a reel for taking up and collecting the used cleaning body 1. The moving body 17 is a member that moves relative to the main body housing 15 in the front-rear direction together with the extending portion 20. The moving body 17 rotatably supports the supply reel 13 and the take-up reel 14, respectively. Further, the moving body 17 rotatably supports the rotating cylinder portion 19A of the rotating body 19, which will be described later. Further, the moving body 17 is provided with a spring receiving portion 16B. The spring receiving portion 16B is a portion that holds one end of the coil spring 18. The spring receiving portion 16B is provided on the rear end surface of the moving body 17, and is in contact with one end (front end portion) of the coil spring 18.

The coil spring 18 is an elastic member for restoring the positional relationship between the tool body 11 and the extension portion 20. The coil spring 18 is arranged between the main body housing 15 and the moving body 17. Specifically, the front end portion of the coil spring 18 is held by the spring receiving portion 16B of the moving body 17, and the rear end portion of the coil spring 18 is held by the spring receiving portion 16A of the main body housing 15. When the extension portion 20 moves to the rear side with respect to the tool body 11 when cleaning the optical connector, the moving body 17 moves to the rear side with respect to the main body housing 15 inside the main body housing 15, thereby causing the coil spring 18 to move to the rear side. Is compressed and deformed. When the compression-deformed coil spring 18 is restored, the moving body 17 moves forward with respect to the main body housing 15 and returns to the original position inside the main body housing 15, whereby the extension portion 20 with respect to the tool main body 11 It will move to the front side and return to the original position.

In the feed mechanism 12 of the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, a rack and pinion mechanism (not shown) fixed to the main body housing 15 and a pinion (not shown) that transmits rotational motion to the take-up reel 14 are rack and pinion mechanisms. Consists of. As a result, the linear motion in the front-rear direction between the tool body 11 and the extension portion 20 at the time of cleaning is converted into a rotary motion. When the tool body 11 and the extension portion 20 move relatively in the front-rear direction during cleaning, the moving body 17 moves relatively in the front-rear direction with respect to the main body housing 15 inside the main body housing 15, and this relative movement causes the moving body 17 to move relatively in the front-rear direction. The pinion rotates. As a result, the take-up reel 14 rotates in the take-up direction to collect the cleaning body 1, and the unused cleaning body 1 corresponding to the collected amount of the take-up reel 14 is supplied from the supply reel 13. ..

Further, the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment further includes a rotating body 19 for rotating the head portion 21. Further, a pin-shaped insertion convex portion 19C provided on the inner wall surface of the main body housing 15 is fitted in the cam groove 19D of the rotating cylinder portion 19A of the rotating body 19, and the rotating mechanism (rotating body 19 is provided together with the cam groove. It constitutes a mechanism to rotate). As a result, the head portion 21 that presses the cleaning body 1 against the optical connector is rotated in the rotational direction about the front-rear direction by utilizing the relative movement of the tool body 11 and the extension portion 20 in the front-rear direction during cleaning. ing. However, the head portion 21 does not have to rotate.

The rotating body 19 is a member that swings and rotates (reciprocates) about an axis in the front-rear direction, and is a member that rotates the head portion 21. The rotating body 19 includes a rotating cylinder portion 19A and a head supporting portion 19B (see FIG. 3).

The rotary cylinder portion 19A is a cylindrical portion that swings and rotates (reciprocates) about the front-back direction. The rotary cylinder portion 19A has a spiral cam groove 19D formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and an insertion convex portion 19C provided on the inner wall surface of the main body housing 15 is fitted in the cam groove 19D. Further, the rotary cylinder portion 19A is rotatably supported by the moving body 17 of the tool main body 11, and moves relative to the main body housing 15 together with the moving body 17 (and the extending portion 20) in the front-rear direction. The rotary cylinder portion 19A is formed in a hollow shape, and an unused cleaning body 1 supplied from the supply reel 13 to the pressing surface 22A is inserted in the front-rear direction and collected from the pressing surface 22A to the take-up reel 14. The used cleaning body 1 to be used is inserted in the front-rear direction.

The head support portion 19B is a portion that supports the head portion 21. The head support portion 19B is provided at the front end portion of the rotating body 19, and is connected to the rotating cylinder portion 19A. The head support portion 19B supports the head portion 21 so that the head portion 21 can be retracted when the cleaning body 1 is pressed against the optical connector by the pressing surface 22A. Further, the head support portion 19B supports the head portion 21 while restricting (restricting) the relative movement in the rotation direction so as not to relatively move in the rotation direction between the head support portion 19B and the head portion 21. As a result, when the rotating body 19 rotates about the front-rear direction, the head portion 21 also rotates together with the rotating body 19. The head support portion 19B is also a portion that holds one end of the head spring 25, which will be described later. The front end of the head support portion 19B is in contact with the rear end of the head spring 25.

The extending portion 20 is a member to be inserted into the insertion port of the optical connector to be cleaned. The extending portion 20 is provided so as to extend to the front side from the tool main body 11. The extending portion 20 can move relatively in the front-rear direction with respect to the tool body 11. The extending portion 20 includes a head portion 21, a head spring 25, and a guide unit 30 (see FIG. 3).

The head portion 21 is a member that presses the cleaning body 1 against the optical connector to be cleaned. The head portion 21 is housed inside a plug-side guide portion 40, which will be described later. However, as the plug-side guide portion 40 retracts with respect to the head portion 21, the portion (head 22) located on the front side of the head portion 21 is inserted through the plug-side guide end surface 42 of the plug-side guide portion 40. It can be exposed to the outside of the plug-side guide portion 40 through the hole 42A (described later). The head portion 21 includes a head portion 22, a flange portion 23, and a base end portion 24 (see FIG. 3).

The head 22 is a portion where the cleaning body 1 is pressed against the cleaning target. The head 22 is a portion located on the front side of the head portion 21. The front end of the head 22 is provided with a pressing surface 22A (head surface) for pressing the cleaning body 1 against the object to be cleaned. The cleaning body 1 is hung around the pressing surface 22A. The cleaning body 1 hung around the pressing surface 22A is exposed to the outside of the head 22 so that the cleaning body 1 can be pressed against the optical connector. Since the head portion 21 is housed inside the plug side guide portion 40 and the pressing surface 22A is located behind the plug side guide end surface 42 of the plug side guide portion 40, the cleaning body 1 is also a plug side guide. It is located inside the portion 40 (described later). However, by retracting the plug-side guide portion 40 with respect to the head portion 21, the head 22 can be exposed to the outside of the plug-side guide portion 40 through the insertion hole 42A formed in the plug-side guide end surface 42. At this time, the cleaning body 1 is also exposed to the outside of the plug-side guide portion 40 (described later).

The flange portion 23 is a portion that holds one end of the head spring 25, which will be described later. The flange portion 23 is a portion on the rear side of the head 22 whose outer periphery protrudes from the head 22. The flange portion 23 is in contact with the front end portion of the head spring 25, and the head 22 (head portion 21) is pressed forward by the head spring 25 via the flange portion 23.

The base end portion 24 is a portion on the rear side of the flange portion 23. The base end portion 24 is supported by the head support portion 19B so as to be retractable while being restricted from rotational movement relative to the head support portion 19B. Further, the base end portion 24 is inserted through the head spring 25.

The head spring 25 is an elastic member for pressing the head portion 21 forward. The head spring 25 is arranged between the flange portion 23 of the head portion 21 and the head support portion 19B of the rotating body 19. Specifically, the front end portion of the head spring 25 is held by the flange portion 23 of the head portion 21, and the rear end portion of the head spring 25 is held by the head support portion 19B of the rotating body 19. When the head portion 21 moves to the rear side with respect to the plug side guide portion 40 during cleaning, the head spring 25 is compressed and deformed. As a result, the cleaning body 1 can be pressed against the optical connector with a predetermined pressing force on the pressing surface 22A of the head portion 21.

The guide unit 30 is a member that serves as a guide when the tip of the extension portion 20 is inserted into the insertion port of the optical connector to be cleaned. Further, the guide unit 30 is also a member (cover) for covering the head portion 21 and the rotating body 19 in the extending portion 20. The guide unit 30 is composed of a plurality of members. The detailed configuration of the guide unit 30 will be described later.

<Guide unit 30>
Next, a detailed configuration of the guide unit 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. In the following description, first, the optical connector to be cleaned of the cleaning tool 10 will be described, and then the detailed configuration of the guide unit 30 will be described.

As described above, the cleaning tool 10 is a tool for cleaning the ferrule end face (optical fiber end face) of the optical connector. In the present embodiment, the cleaning tool 10 can be used to clean an optical connector plug (hereinafter, simply referred to as “optical plug”) having a ferrule housed in the tip of the connector housing. Further, an optical connector receptacle (hereinafter, simply referred to as "optical receptacle") for inserting an optical plug from one side and making an optical connection with an internal optical connector (ferrule) can also be a cleaning target of the cleaning tool 10. .. In the following description, the optical receptacle includes an optical connector adapter (hereinafter, simply referred to as “optical adapter”) having a configuration in which an optical plug is inserted into a connector accommodating hole of a housing (adapter housing). However, the cleaning tool 10 can also be used for cleaning other optical connectors.

As described above, the cleaning tool 10 can target the ferrule end face of various types of optical connectors such as an optical plug and an optical receptacle. Here, if the type of the optical connector is different, the shape of the insertion port into which the tip of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 is inserted is also different. In the present embodiment, since the extension portion 20 is provided with the guide unit 30, the tip of the extension portion 20 is simply inserted into an insertion port having a different shape to clean the ferrule end faces of various types of optical connectors. The body 1 can be opposed to each other with high accuracy. At this time, the cleaning worker only needs to insert the tip of the extending portion 20 into the insertion port while the guide unit 30 is attached to the cleaning tool 10. As a result, the cleaning worker does not need to remove the attachment each time depending on whether the cleaning target is the ferrule end face on the optical plug side or the ferrule end face in the optical receptacle. In this way, the ferrule end faces of various types of optical connectors can be easily cleaned, and the deterioration of the work efficiency of the entire cleaning work can be suppressed.

The guide unit 30 has a plug-side guide portion 40, a plug-side spring 45, an inner guide portion 50, an outer guide portion 60, an outer spring 65, and an outer spring receiving portion 66 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). ).

The plug-side guide portion 40 is a member that guides the tip of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 by fitting into the inside (inner wall surface 72B) of the connector housing 72 of the optical plug 70 described later (see FIG. 4C). be. The plug-side guide portion 40 is a cylindrical member that covers the rotating body 19 and the head portion 21. Further, the plug-side guide portion 40 is formed to be hollow, and the rotating body 19 and the head portion 21 are inserted in the front-rear direction.

The plug-side guide portion 40 is provided with a spring receiving portion 41. The spring receiving portion 41 is a portion that holds one end of the plug-side spring 45, which will be described later. The spring receiving portion 41 is provided at the rear end portion of the plug side guide portion 40, and is in contact with one end (front end portion) of the plug side spring 45.

Further, the plug-side guide portion 40 is provided with a plug-side guide end surface 42. The plug-side guide end surface 42 is a portion that abuts a part of the optical connector to be cleaned (for example, the abutting surface 72C of the connector housing 72 of the optical plug 70 described later, see FIG. 5B). The plug-side guide end surface 42 is provided at the front end of the plug-side guide portion 40, and is a part of the optical connector to be cleaned (for example, the abutting surface 72C of the connector housing 72 of the optical plug 70 described later, FIG. By being pressed backward (see 5B), the plug-side guide portion 40 can be retracted with respect to the inner guide portion 50. Further, the plug-side guide portion 40 can be retracted with respect to the head portion 21. In the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, the plug-side guide end surface 42 is located in front of the pressing surface 22A of the head 22 of the head portion 21 inserted into the plug-side guide portion 40.

An insertion hole 42A is provided in the plug-side guide end surface 42. The insertion hole 42A is an opening having a size through which the head 22 of the head portion 21 can be inserted. Therefore, when the plug-side guide portion 40 retracts with respect to the head portion 21, the pressing surface 22A of the head portion 21 of the head portion 21 comes out to the front side of the plug-side guide end surface 42. In the following description, the fact that the pressing surface 22A of the head 22 protrudes in front of the plug-side guide end surface 42 may be referred to as "exposing to the front side" of the head 22 (head portion 21).

In the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, the insertion hole 42A is also an opening having a size through which the ferrule of the optical connector to be cleaned can be inserted. Further, the insertion hole 42A may be an opening having substantially the same size as the outer peripheral portion of the ferrule. As a result, the ferrule can be guided by inserting the ferrule into the inside of the plug-side guide portion 40 through the insertion hole 42A when cleaning the optical connector. Therefore, the cleaning body 1 can be accurately opposed to the ferrule end face. However, the insertion hole 42A may have any shape as long as the head 22 and the ferrule of the optical connector to be cleaned can be inserted.

The plug-side spring 45 is an elastic member that presses the plug-side guide portion 40 forward with respect to the inner guide portion 50 and the head portion 21 so as to be retractable. The plug-side spring 45 is also an elastic member for restoring the positional relationship between the plug-side guide portion 40 and the inner guide portion 50 and the head portion 21. The plug-side spring 45 is arranged between the plug-side guide portion 40 and the moving body 17. Specifically, the front end portion of the plug-side spring 45 is held by the spring receiving portion 41 of the plug-side guide portion 40, and the rear end portion of the plug-side spring 45 is held by the spring receiving portion 17A of the moving body 17. (See Fig. 3). When the plug-side guide portion 40 is pressed to the rear side when cleaning the optical connector, the plug-side guide portion 40 moves to the rear side with respect to the inner guide portion 50 and the head portion 21, thereby causing the plug-side spring 45 to move to the rear side. Compress and deform. When the compression-deformed plug-side spring 45 is restored, the plug-side guide portion 40 moves forward with respect to the inner guide portion 50 and the head portion 21 and returns to the original position.

The inner guide portion 50 is a member that guides the tip of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 by being fitted to the inside (inner wall surface 97A) of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96, which will be described later (see FIG. 9A). Is. Further, the inner guide portion 50 is a member that guides the tip of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 by fitting to the inside (inner wall surface 81B) of the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80 described later (see FIG. 10C). Is. The inner guide portion 50 is a cylindrical member that covers the plug-side guide portion 40. The inner guide portion 50 is formed to be hollow, and the plug-side guide portion 40 is inserted in the front-rear direction.

The inner guide portion 50 is provided with an engaging recess 54 (see FIG. 2). The engaging recess 54 is a portion for fixing the inner guide portion 50 to the moving body 17. The engaging recess 54 is a recess provided at the rear end of the inner guide portion 50, and the engaging convex portion (not shown) of the moving body 17 of the tool body 11 engages with the inner guide portion 54. The 50 is fixed to the moving body 17. Therefore, when the moving body 17 moves relative to the main body housing 15 in the front-rear direction, the inner guide portion 50 also moves relative to the main body housing 15 in the front-rear direction. Further, when viewed from the inner guide portion 50, when the inner guide portion 50 moves relative to the front-rear direction, the moving body 17 also moves relative to the main body housing 15 in the front-rear direction. That is, the inner guide portion 50 and the moving body 17 move integrally with the main body housing 15 in the front-rear direction.

Further, the inner guide portion 50 is provided with an inner guide end surface 53. The inner guide end surface 53 is a portion that abuts a part of the optical connector to be cleaned (for example, the contact portion 92C of the receptacle housing 92 of the first optical receptacle 91, which will be described later, see FIG. 7B). The inner guide end surface 53 is provided at the front end portion of the inner guide portion 50, and is a part of the optical connector to be cleaned (for example, the contact portion 92C of the receptacle housing 92 of the first optical receptacle 91 described later, FIG. By being pressed backward (see 7B), the inner guide portion 50 can be retracted with respect to the main body housing 15 together with the moving body 17. The inner guide end surface 53 is provided with an insertion hole 51. The insertion hole 51 is an opening having a size through which the plug-side guide portion 40 can be inserted.

The outer guide portion 60 is a member that guides the tip of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 by being fitted to the inside (inner wall surface 92A) of the receptacle housing 92 of the first optical receptacle 91, which will be described later (see FIG. 6B). Is. The outer guide portion 60 is a cylindrical member that covers the inner guide portion 50. The outer guide portion 60 is formed to be hollow, and the inner guide portion 50 is inserted in the front-rear direction.

The outer guide portion 60 is provided with an outer guide end surface 62. The outer guide end surface 62 is a portion that abuts a part of the optical connector to be cleaned (for example, the housing end surface 97C of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96 described later, see FIG. 8C). The outer guide end surface 62 is provided at the front end portion of the outer guide portion 60, and is a part of the optical connector to be cleaned (for example, the housing end surface 97C of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96 described later, FIG. 8C. By being pressed to the rear side (see), the outer guide portion 60 can be retracted with respect to the inner guide portion 50. The outer guide end surface 62 is provided with an insertion hole 61. The insertion hole 61 is an opening having a size through which the inner guide portion 50 can be inserted.

The outer spring 65 is an elastic member that presses the outer guide portion 60 forward with respect to the inner guide portion 50 so as to be retractable. The outer spring 65 is also an elastic member for restoring the positional relationship between the outer guide portion 60 and the inner guide portion 50. The outer spring 65 is arranged between the outer guide portion 60 and the outer spring receiving portion 66 described later. Specifically, the front end portion of the outer spring 65 is in contact with the rear end of the outer guide portion 60, and the rear end portion of the outer spring 65 is held by the outer spring receiving portion 66. When the outer guide portion 60 is pressed to the rear side during cleaning of the optical connector, the outer guide portion 60 moves to the rear side with respect to the inner guide portion 50, whereby the outer spring 65 is compressed and deformed. When the compression-deformed outer spring 65 is restored, the outer guide portion 60 moves forward with respect to the inner guide portion 50 and returns to the original position.

The outer spring receiving portion 66 is a portion that holds one end of the outer spring 65. The outer spring receiving portion 66 is fixed to the inner guide portion 50 and is in contact with one end (front end portion) of the outer spring 65. Since the outer spring receiving portion 66 is fixed to the inner guide portion 50, the outer spring receiving portion 66 and the inner guide portion 50 integrally move relative to the main body housing 15 together with the moving body 17 in the front-rear direction. become.

<Cleaning procedure for optical plug>
4A to 4C are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment when cleaning the optical plug 70 (before pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end surface 71A). 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment when cleaning the optical plug 70 (after pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A). In FIGS. 4A to 4C and 5A to 5C, the outer guide portion 60, the outer spring 65, and the outer spring receiving portion 66 are not shown.

FIG. 4A is a diagram showing the state of the cleaning tool 10 and the optical plug 70 before cleaning the optical plug 70 in the present embodiment. The cleaning worker cleans the head 22 of the cleaning tool 10 with the pressing surface 22A (plug-side guide end surface 42 of the plug-side guide portion 40) facing the ferrule end surface 71A of the ferrule 71 of the optical plug 70. The tool 10 is moved to the optical plug 70 side. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4B, the operator moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the optical plug 70 so as to insert the end portion of the ferrule 71 into the insertion hole 42A of the plug side guide end surface 42. As described above, the insertion hole 42A through which the head 22 can be inserted is also an opening having a size through which the ferrule 71 can be inserted. Further, the insertion hole 42A is also an opening having substantially the same size as the outer peripheral portion of the ferrule 71. In the present embodiment, the ferrule 71 may be guided to the insertion hole 42A by the operator inserting the ferrule 71 into the insertion hole 42A. As a result, the front end portion of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 is aligned in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction) with respect to the optical plug 70. Therefore, the operator can accurately face the cleaning body 1 with the ferrule end surface 71A.

When the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the optical plug 70, as shown in FIG. 4C, the plug-side guide outer peripheral portion 43 of the plug-side guide portion 40 is placed on the inner wall surface 72B of the connector housing 72 of the optical plug 70. Fit. At this time, the plug-side guide outer peripheral portion 43 serves as a guide surface when the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A. As a result, the front end portion of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 is aligned in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction) with respect to the optical plug 70. Therefore, the operator can accurately face the cleaning body 1 with the ferrule end surface 71A. However, if it serves as a guide when the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A, the plug-side guide outer peripheral portion 43 of the plug-side guide portion 40 is attached to the inner wall surface 72B of the connector housing 72 of the optical plug 70. It does not have to be fitted.

Further, when the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the optical plug 70 side, as shown in FIG. 5A, the head 22 inserted into the inside of the plug side guide portion 40 from the insertion hole 42A abuts on the ferrule end surface 71A. .. As described above, the cleaning body 1 is hung around the pressing surface 22A of the head 22. Therefore, as a result, the cleaning body 1 is pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A. In the present embodiment, since the plug-side guide outer peripheral portion 43 of the plug-side guide portion 40 is guided by the inner wall surface 72B of the connector housing 72 of the optical plug 70, the cleaning body 1 can be accurately pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A. .. As described above, in the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, by having the head spring 25, the cleaning body 1 can be pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A with a predetermined pressing force on the pressing surface 22A of the head 22.

When the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the optical plug 70, the plug-side guide end surface 42 of the plug-side guide portion 40 abuts against the abutting surface 72C of the optical plug 70, as shown in FIG. 5B. When the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 to the optical plug 70 side, the plug side guide portion 40 (plug side guide end surface 42) receives a force rearward from the connector housing 72 (butting surface 72C), so that the plug side The plug-side spring 45 located at the rear of the guide portion 40 is compressed and deformed. As a result, the plug-side guide portion 40 can be further moved to the rear side with respect to the inner guide portion 50. Then, as shown in FIG. 5C, the inner guide end surface 53 of the inner guide portion 50 abuts on the end surface 72A of the connector housing 72 of the optical plug 70.

When the cleaning tool 10 is further moved to the optical plug 70 side from this state, the inner guide end surface 53 of the inner guide portion 50 is pressed rearward from the end surface 72A of the connector housing 72, so that the inner guide portion 50 is pressed. It retracts with respect to the main body housing 15 together with the moving body 17. As a result, the moving body 17 moves relative to the main body housing 15 in the front-rear direction inside the main body housing 15, and the cleaning body 1 is recovered by this relative movement, and an unused cleaning body corresponding to the recovered amount is collected. 1 will be supplied. That is, the cleaning body 1 can be supplied and recovered by an easy operation of pushing the extending portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 against the cleaning target (here, the ferrule end surface 71A of the optical plug 70). That is, the cleaning body 1 can be supplied and recovered by a simple operation of pushing the extending portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 into the cleaning target (here, the end surface 72A of the connector housing 72 of the optical plug 70).

<Cleaning procedure for the 1st optical receptacle>
6A to 6C are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment at the time of cleaning the first optical receptacle 91 (before pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A). 7A to 7B are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment (after pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A) at the time of cleaning the first optical receptacle 91.

FIG. 6A is a diagram showing the state of the cleaning tool 10 and the first optical receptacle 91 before cleaning the first optical receptacle 91 in the present embodiment. The cleaning worker makes the pressing surface 22A of the head 22 of the cleaning tool 10 (the plug-side guide end surface 42 of the plug-side guide portion 40) face the ferrule end surface 71A of the ferrule 71 of the first optical receptacle 91. , The cleaning tool 10 is moved to the first optical receptacle 91 side.

When the operator moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the first optical receptacle 91, as shown in FIG. 6B, the outer guide outer peripheral portion 63 of the outer guide portion 60 becomes the inner wall surface 92A of the receptacle housing 92 of the first optical receptacle 91. Fits into. At this time, the outer peripheral portion 63 of the outer guide serves as a guide surface when the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A. As a result, the front end portion of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 is aligned in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction) with respect to the first optical receptacle 91. Therefore, the operator can accurately face the cleaning body 1 with the ferrule end surface 71A. However, if it serves as a guide when the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A, the outer guide outer peripheral portion 63 of the outer guide portion 60 is attached to the inner wall surface 92A of the receptacle housing 92 of the first optical receptacle 91. It does not have to be fitted.

As shown in FIG. 6C, the operator moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the first optical receptacle 91 so that the plug-side guide end surface 42 abuts against the rear end surface of the ferrule accommodating portion 92B. In the present embodiment, since the outer guide outer peripheral portion 63 of the outer guide portion 60 is guided by the inner wall surface 92A of the receptacle housing 92 of the first optical receptacle 91, the plug-side guide end surface 42 of the plug-side guide portion 40 is accurately ferruled. It can be abutted against the housing portion 92B.

When the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 to the optical adapter 80 side with the plug side guide end surface 42 abutting against the rear end surface of the ferrule accommodating portion 92B (see FIG. 6C), the plug side guide of the plug side guide portion 40 When the end surface 42 is pressed rearward from the rear end surface of the ferrule accommodating portion 92B, the plug-side guide portion 40 retracts with respect to the head 22 and the inner guide portion 50. When the plug-side guide portion 40 retracts with respect to the head 22, the pressing surface 22A, which is the end surface of the head 22, is exposed to the front side of the plug-side guide end surface 42 (see FIG. 7A). As a result, the head 22 can be inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the ferrule accommodating portion 92B with the plug-side guide end surface 42 abutting against the rear end surface of the ferrule accommodating portion 92B. In the present embodiment, since the outer guide outer peripheral portion 63 of the outer guide portion 60 is guided by the inner wall surface 92A of the receptacle housing 92 of the first optical receptacle 91, the head 22 is accurately inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the ferrule accommodating portion 92B. Can be inserted.

Further, when the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the first optical receptacle 91, the head 22 is inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the ferrule accommodating portion 92B as shown in FIG. 7A. Further, the head 22 inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the ferrule accommodating portion 92B abuts on the ferrule end surface 71A. As described above, the cleaning body 1 is hung around the pressing surface 22A of the head 22. Therefore, as a result, the cleaning body 1 is pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A. In the present embodiment, since the outer guide outer peripheral portion 63 of the outer guide portion 60 is guided by the inner wall surface 92A of the receptacle housing 92 of the first optical receptacle 91, the cleaning body 1 can be accurately pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A. .. As described above, in the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, by having the head spring 25, the cleaning body 1 can be pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A with a predetermined pressing force on the pressing surface 22A of the head 22.

Further, when the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the first optical receptacle 91, the inner guide end surface 53 abuts on the contact portion 92C of the receptacle housing 92, as shown in FIG. 7B. When the cleaning tool 10 is further moved to the first optical receptacle 91 side from this state, the inner guide end surface 53 of the inner guide portion 50 is pressed rearward from the contact portion 92C, so that the inner guide portion 50 is pressed. It retracts with respect to the main body housing 15 together with the moving body 17. As a result, the moving body 17 moves relative to the main body housing 15 in the front-rear direction inside the main body housing 15, and the cleaning body 1 is recovered by this relative movement, and an unused cleaning body corresponding to the recovered amount is collected. 1 will be supplied. That is, the cleaning body 1 can be supplied and recovered by a simple operation of pushing the extending portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 into the cleaning target (here, the contact portion 92C of the first optical receptacle 91).

<Cleaning procedure for the second optical receptacle>
8A to 8C are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment at the time of cleaning the second optical receptacle 96 (before pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A). 9A to 9B are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment (after pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A) at the time of cleaning the second optical receptacle 96. The upper part of FIG. 9A shows a cross-sectional view in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 9A.

FIG. 8A is a diagram showing the state of the cleaning tool 10 and the second optical receptacle 96 before cleaning the second optical receptacle 96 in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the shape of the inner surface of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96 is different from that of the receptacle housing 92 of the first optical receptacle 91. Further, the diameter of the inner surface of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96 (see the X portion of FIG. 8A) is smaller than the diameter of the inner surface of the receptacle housing 92 of the first optical receptacle 91 (see the Y portion of FIG. 6A) (X). <Y).

The cleaning worker makes the pressing surface 22A of the head 22 of the cleaning tool 10 (the plug-side guide end surface 42 of the plug-side guide portion 40) face the ferrule end surface 71A of the ferrule 71 of the second optical receptacle 96. , The cleaning tool 10 is moved to the second optical receptacle 96 side. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8B, the operator moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the second optical receptacle 96 so that the plug-side guide end surface 42 abuts on the rear end surface of the ferrule accommodating portion 97B.

When the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the second optical receptacle 96 with the plug-side guide end surface 42 abutting against the rear end surface of the ferrule accommodating portion 97B (see FIG. 8B), as shown in FIG. 8C. The outer guide end surface 62 of the outer guide portion 60 abuts on the housing end surface 97C of the receptacle housing 97. As described above, the diameter of the inner surface of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96 (see the X portion of FIG. 8A) is from the diameter of the inner surface of the receptacle housing 92 of the first optical receptacle 91 (see the Y portion of FIG. 6A). It is getting smaller (X <Y). Therefore, the outer guide portion 60 does not fit into the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96, and the outer guide end surface 62 of the outer guide portion 60 comes into contact with the housing end surface 97C of the receptacle housing 97.

When the cleaning tool 10 is further moved to the second optical receptacle 96 side from the state where the outer guide end surface 62 of the outer guide portion 60 is in contact with the housing end surface 97C of the receptacle housing 97, the outer guide end surface 62 of the outer guide portion 60 becomes. By being pressed backward from the housing end surface 97C, the outer guide portion 60 retracts with respect to the inner guide portion 50. As a result, as will be described later, the inner guide outer peripheral portion 55 of the inner guide portion 50 exposed on the front side can be fitted to the inner wall surface 97A of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96.

Further, when the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 to the second optical receptacle 96 side in a state where the plug side guide end surface 42 abuts against the rear end surface of the ferrule accommodating portion 97B (see FIG. 8B), the plug side guide portion 40 The plug-side guide end surface 42 is pressed rearward from the rear end surface of the ferrule accommodating portion 97B, so that the plug-side guide portion 40 retracts with respect to the head 22 and the inner guide portion 50. When the plug-side guide portion 40 retracts with respect to the head 22, the pressing surface 22A, which is the end surface of the head 22, is exposed to the front side of the plug-side guide end surface 42. As a result, the head 22 can be inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end 82 with the plug-side guide end surface 42 abutting against the rear end surface of the ferrule accommodating portion 97B. In the present embodiment, since the inner guide outer peripheral portion 55 of the inner guide portion 50 is guided by the inner wall surface 97C of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96, the head 22 is accurately inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the ferrule accommodating portion 97B. Can be inserted.

When the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the second optical receptacle 96, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 9A, the inner guide outer peripheral portion 55 of the inner guide portion 50 becomes the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96. It fits on the inner wall surface 97A. At this time, the inner guide outer peripheral portion 55 serves as a guide surface when the head 22 is inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the ferrule accommodating portion 97B. As a result, the front end portion of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 is aligned in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction) with respect to the second optical receptacle 96. Therefore, the operator can accurately face the cleaning body 1 with the ferrule end surface 71A. However, if it serves as a guide when the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A, the end portion of the inner guide portion 50 fits into the inner wall surface 97A of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96. It does not have to be.

Further, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 9A, the head 22 is inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the ferrule accommodating portion 97B. Then, the head 22 inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the ferrule accommodating portion 97B abuts on the ferrule end surface 71A. As described above, the cleaning body 1 is hung around the pressing surface 22A of the head 22. Therefore, as a result, the cleaning body 1 is pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A. In the present embodiment, since the inner guide outer peripheral portion 55 of the inner guide portion 50 is guided by the inner wall surface 97A of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96, the cleaning body 1 can be accurately pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A. .. As described above, in the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, by having the head spring 25, the cleaning body 1 can be pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A with a predetermined pressing force on the pressing surface 22A of the head 22.

In the guide unit 30 of the present embodiment, the outer spring 65 presses the outer guide portion 60 forward. Therefore, when the second optical receptacle 96 is not cleaned, the outer guide portion 60 moves to the front side with respect to the inner guide portion 50, and the above-mentioned first optical receptacle 91 can be cleaned again. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove a separate attachment or the like each time depending on whether the cleaning target is the ferrule end face 71A in the first optical receptacle 91 or the ferrule end face 71A in the second optical receptacle 96. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the work efficiency of the entire cleaning work from being reduced due to the time and effort required to attach and detach the attachment, and to easily clean the ferrule end face of different types of optical adapters (optical connector receptacles). can.

Further, for example, when a plurality of guides are formed for one insertion portion (for example, the inner guide portion 50) so as to match the shape of the connector accommodating holes in a plurality of types of optical receptacles, the guides do not contribute to the guides. Due to the gap, the accuracy of facing the cleaning body 1 to the ferrule end surface 71A may decrease. Further, when the connector is inserted into an optical receptacle having a large diameter of the connector accommodating hole (for example, the first optical receptacle with respect to the second optical receptacle of the present embodiment), the gap becomes large and the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A. The decrease in accuracy was a particular problem. However, in the present embodiment, when cleaning the first optical receptacle, the outer peripheral portion 63 of the outer guide serves as a guide surface, and when cleaning the second optical receptacle, the outer peripheral portion 55 of the inner guide serves as a guide surface. It is possible to suppress a decrease in the accuracy of facing the 1's.

When the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the second optical receptacle 96, the contact portion 64 of the outer guide portion 60 comes into contact with the front end portion of the outer spring receiving portion 66, as shown in FIG. 9B. As described above, since the outer spring receiving portion 66 is fixed to the inner guide portion 50, the time point shown in FIG. 9B is the limit position where the outer guide portion 60 retracts with respect to the inner guide portion 50, and is further outside. The guide portion 60 cannot be retracted with respect to the inner guide portion 50. Then, the outer guide end surface 62 of the outer guide portion 60 is pressed rearward from the housing end surface 97C of the receptacle housing 97, so that the inner guide portion 50 is housed together with the moving body 17 via the outer spring receiving portion 66. Retreat against 15. As a result, the moving body 17 moves relative to the main body housing 15 in the front-rear direction inside the main body housing 15, and the cleaning body 1 is recovered by this relative movement, and an unused cleaning body corresponding to the recovered amount is collected. 1 will be supplied. That is, the cleaning body 1 can be supplied and recovered by a simple operation of pushing the extending portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 into the cleaning target (here, the ferrule end surface 71A of the second optical receptacle 96). At the time shown in FIG. 9B, the inner guide end surface 53 of the inner guide portion 50 does not abut against the inner wall surface 97A inside the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96. Therefore, in the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, the inner guide end surface 53 of the inner guide portion 50 is pressed from the back of the inner wall surface 97A to the rear side, so that the inner guide portion 50 is pressed against the main body housing 15. There is no retreat.

<Cleaning procedure for optical adapter>
10A to 10C are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment when cleaning the optical adapter 80 (before abutting the inner guide end surface 53 on the latch claw 83). 11A to 11B are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment when cleaning the optical adapter 80 (after the inner guide end surface 53 is abutted against the latch claw 83). Also in FIGS. 10A to 10C and FIGS. 11A to 11B, the outer guide portion 60, the outer spring 65, and the outer spring receiving portion 66 are not shown. Further, in FIGS. 11A to 11B, a cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction is shown at the upper part of the figure, and a cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction is shown at the lower part of the figure.

FIG. 10A is a diagram showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 and the optical adapter 80 before cleaning the optical adapter 80 in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, in the optical adapter 80, the optical plug 70 is inserted into the adapter housing 81, so that the ferrule 71 is inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end 82. The cleaning worker cleans the head 22 of the cleaning tool 10 with the pressing surface 22A (plug-side guide end surface 42 of the plug-side guide portion 40) facing the ferrule end surface 71A of the ferrule 71 of the optical adapter 80. The tool 10 is moved to the optical adapter 80 side. At this time, as shown in FIG. 10B, the operator moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the optical plug 70 so that the plug side guide end surface 42 abuts on the rear end surface of the sleeve holder end portion 82.

When the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the optical adapter 80 with the plug-side guide end surface 42 abutting against the rear end surface of the sleeve holder end portion 82, the plug-side guide end surface 42 of the plug-side guide portion 40 becomes available. By being pressed rearward from the rear end surface of the sleeve holder end 82, the plug-side guide portion 40 retracts with respect to the head 22 and the inner guide portion 50. When the plug-side guide portion 40 retracts with respect to the head 22, the pressing surface 22A, which is the end surface of the head 22, is exposed to the front side of the plug-side guide end surface 42. As a result, the head 22 can be inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end 82 with the plug-side guide end surface 42 abutting against the rear end surface of the sleeve holder end 82.

In the guide unit 30 of the present embodiment, the plug-side spring 45 presses the plug-side guide portion 40 forward. Therefore, when the optical adapter 80 is not cleaned, the plug-side guide portion 40 moves to the front side with respect to the head 22 and the inner guide portion 50, and the above-mentioned optical plug 70 can be cleaned again. Therefore, it is not necessary to attach and remove a separate attachment or the like each time depending on whether the cleaning target is the ferrule end surface 71A in the optical adapter 80 or the ferrule end surface 71A on the optical plug 70 side. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the work efficiency of the entire cleaning work due to the time and effort required for attaching and detaching the attachment, and it is possible to easily clean both the ferrule end face inside the optical adapter and on the optical plug side. ..

As shown in FIG. 10C, the end portion of the inner guide portion 50 is fitted to the inner wall surface 81B of the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80 by the pair of upper and lower flat surfaces 52 of the inner guide portion 50. At this time, the flat surface 52 serves as a guide surface when the head 22 is inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end 82. Further, the flat surface 52 is also a guide surface when the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A. As a result, the front end portion of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 is aligned in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction) with respect to the optical adapter 80. As a result, the cleaning body 1 can be accurately opposed to the ferrule end surface 71A. However, if it serves as a guide when the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A, the end portion of the inner guide portion 50 does not fit into the inner wall surface 81B of the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80. May be good.

Further, when the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the optical adapter 80, the head 22 is inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end 82 as shown in FIG. 10A. In the present embodiment, since the flat surface 52 of the inner guide portion 50 is guided by the inner wall surface 81B of the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80, the head 22 is accurately inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end portion 82. Can be done. Further, the inner guide end surface 53 abuts on the rear end surface of the latch claw 83. When the cleaning tool 10 is further moved to the optical adapter 80 side from this state, the inner guide end surface 53 of the inner guide portion 50 is pressed backward from the latch claw 83, so that the inner guide portion 50 becomes a moving body 17. At the same time, it retracts with respect to the main body housing 15. As a result, the moving body 17 moves relative to the main body housing 15 in the front-rear direction inside the main body housing 15, and the cleaning body 1 is recovered by this relative movement, and an unused cleaning body corresponding to the recovered amount is collected. 1 will be supplied. That is, the cleaning body 1 can be supplied and recovered by a simple operation of pushing the extending portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 against the cleaning target (here, the ferrule end surface 71A of the optical adapter 80).

Further, when the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the optical adapter 80, the head 22 inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end 82 abuts on the ferrule end surface 71A, as shown in FIG. 10B. As described above, the cleaning body 1 is hung around the pressing surface 22A of the head 22. Therefore, as a result, the cleaning body 1 is pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A. In the present embodiment, since the flat surface 52 of the inner guide portion 50 is guided by the inner wall surface 81B of the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80, the cleaning body 1 can be accurately pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A. As described above, in the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, by having the head spring 25, the cleaning body 1 can be pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A with a predetermined pressing force on the pressing surface 22A of the head 22.

<Flat surface 52 of the inner guide portion 50>
FIG. 12A is a perspective view showing a state in which the end portion of the inner guide portion 50 of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment is inserted into the second optical receptacle 96. FIG. 12B is a perspective view showing a state in which the end portion of the inner guide portion 50 of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment is inserted into the optical adapter 80. In addition, in FIGS. 12A to 12B, in order to simplify the explanation, the illustration of the configuration other than the inner guide portion 50 of the cleaning tool 10 is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 12A, the inner guide outer peripheral portion 55 of the inner guide portion 50 is fitted to the inner wall surface 97A of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96. At this time, the inner guide outer peripheral portion 55 serves as a guide surface when the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A. Further, as shown in FIG. 12B, the end portion of the inner guide portion 50 is fitted to the inner wall surface 81B of the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80 by the pair of upper and lower flat surfaces 52 of the inner guide portion 50. At this time, the flat surface 52 serves as a guide surface when the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A.

In the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, a pair of flat surfaces 52 are formed in the vertical direction at the front end portion of the inner guide portion 50. The flat surface 52 is formed on a part of the upper and lower sides of the inner guide outer peripheral portion 55 of the inner guide portion 50. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 12A to 12B, the inner guide outer peripheral portion 55 and the flat surface can be obtained by simply inserting the end portion of the inner guide portion 50 of the cleaning tool 10 into the cleaning target (second optical receptacle 96 or optical adapter 80). Both of 52 and 52 serve as a guide surface when the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A. This makes it possible to easily clean the ferrule end faces of various types of optical connectors.

=== Second embodiment ===
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the extension portion 20 in the cleaning tool 10 of the second embodiment. Similar to the first embodiment described above, also in the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, the extension portion 20 includes a head portion 21, a head spring 25, and a guide unit 30. Further, as in the first embodiment described above, in the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, the guide unit 30 includes the plug side guide portion 40, the plug side spring 45, the inner guide portion 50, and the outer guide portion 60. And an outer spring 65 and an outer spring receiving portion 66.

In the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, the shape of the extension portion 20 may be different. In the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, the inner guide portion 50 is provided with a flange portion 56 (see FIG. 13). The flange portion 56 is a portion that guides the tip of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 by being fitted to the inside (inner wall surface 97A) of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96, which will be described later (see FIG. 15A). be. Further, the flange portion 56 is a portion that abuts on the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80, which will be described later, and is pressed from the adapter housing 81 (see FIG. 17B) to cause relative movement between the tool body 11 and the extension portion 20. But it is also. The flange portion 56 is a cylindrical portion that protrudes from the other portions of the inner guide portion 50. The inner circumference of the outer guide portion 60 on the front side from the flange portion 56 is sized so that the collar portion 56 can be inserted. As a result, the inner guide portion 50 can be moved forward with respect to the outer guide portion 60. On the other hand, the inner circumference of the outer guide portion 60 behind the flange portion 56 is smaller than the outer circumference of the flange portion 56. Therefore, the rear end surface of the flange portion 56 (the rear end surface facing the flange end surface 56A described later) comes into contact with the inner wall of the outer guide portion 60, so that the inner guide portion 50 is rearward with respect to the outer guide portion 60. The omission is suppressed.

The flange portion 56 has a flange portion end surface 56A and a collar portion outer peripheral surface 56B. The flange end surface 56A is a portion that abuts on the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80, which will be described later, and is pressed from the adapter housing 81 (see FIG. 17B) to allow the tool body 11 and the extension portion 20 to move relative to each other. be. The flange portion outer peripheral surface 56B is fitted to the inside (inner wall surface 97A) of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96, which will be described later (see FIG. 15A), to guide the tip of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10. It is a part.

Further, in the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, the inner guide portion 50 is provided with an intermediate cylinder portion 57. The intermediate cylinder portion 57 is a portion that guides the tip of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 by fitting into the inside (inner wall surface 81B) of the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80 described later (see FIG. 16C). .. The intermediate tubular portion 57 is a cylindrical portion provided between the flange portion 56 and the tip tubular portion 58, which will be described later.

An intermediate end surface 57A and an intermediate tapered surface 57B are provided between the intermediate cylinder portion 57 and the tip cylinder portion 58. The intermediate end surface 57A and the intermediate tapered surface 57B abut on the latch claw 83 of the optical adapter 80, which will be described later, and are pressed from the latch claw 83 (see FIG. 17B) so that the tool body 11 and the extension portion 20 are relative to each other. It is a part to move. However, the intermediate tapered surface 57B may not be provided.

Further, in the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, the inner guide portion 50 is provided with a tip cylinder portion 58. The tip tube portion 58 abuts on a part of the optical connector (for example, the connector housing 72 of the optical plug 70) and is pressed from the part of the optical connector so that the tool body 11 and the extension portion 20 are relative to each other. It is also a member that moves. The front end surface of the tip cylinder portion 58 is an inner guide end surface 53. Further, the tip inner peripheral surface 58A of the tip cylinder portion 58 is provided so that the sleeve holder end portion 82 of the optical adapter 80 can be fitted. Further, the tip inner peripheral surface 58A of the tip cylinder portion 58 is provided so that the ferrule accommodating portion 92B (or ferrule accommodating portion 97B) of the first optical receptacle 91 (or the second optical receptacle 96) can be fitted. As a result, the tip inner peripheral surface 58A of the tip cylinder portion 58 can guide the tip of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10.

<Cleaning procedure for the second optical receptacle>
14A to 14C are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the second embodiment at the time of cleaning the second optical receptacle 96 (before pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A). 15A to 15B are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the second embodiment (after pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A) at the time of cleaning the second optical receptacle 96. The upper part of FIG. 15A shows a cross-sectional view in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 15A.

FIG. 14A is a diagram showing the state of the cleaning tool 10 and the second optical receptacle 96 before cleaning the second optical receptacle 96 in the present embodiment. The second optical receptacle 96 of the present embodiment may be the same as the second receptacle of the first embodiment described above. That is, the shape of the inner surface of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96 of the present embodiment is different from that of the receptacle housing 92 of the first optical receptacle 91 of the first embodiment described above. Further, the diameter of the inner surface of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96 (see the X portion of FIG. 14A) is smaller than the diameter of the inner surface of the receptacle housing 92 of the first optical receptacle 91 (see the Y portion of FIG. 6A) (X). <Y).

The cleaning worker makes the pressing surface 22A of the head 22 of the cleaning tool 10 (the plug-side guide end surface 42 of the plug-side guide portion 40) face the ferrule end surface 71A of the ferrule 71 of the second optical receptacle 96. , The cleaning tool 10 is moved to the second optical receptacle 96 side. At this time, as shown in FIG. 14B, the operator moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the second optical receptacle 96 so that the plug-side guide end surface 42 abuts on the rear end surface of the ferrule accommodating portion 97B.

When the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the second optical receptacle 96 with the plug-side guide end surface 42 abutting against the rear end surface of the ferrule accommodating portion 97B (see FIG. 14B), as shown in FIG. 14C. The outer guide end surface 62 of the outer guide portion 60 abuts on the housing end surface 97C of the receptacle housing 97. As described above, the diameter of the inner surface of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96 (see the X portion of FIG. 14A) is from the diameter of the inner surface of the receptacle housing 92 of the first optical receptacle 91 (see the Y portion of FIG. 6A). It is getting smaller (X <Y). Therefore, the outer guide portion 60 does not fit into the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96, and the outer guide end surface 62 of the outer guide portion 60 comes into contact with the housing end surface 97C of the receptacle housing 97.

When the cleaning tool 10 is further moved to the second optical receptacle 96 side from the state where the outer guide end surface 62 of the outer guide portion 60 is in contact with the housing end surface 97C of the receptacle housing 97, the outer guide end surface 62 of the outer guide portion 60 becomes. By being pressed backward from the housing end surface 97C, the outer guide portion 60 retracts with respect to the inner guide portion 50. As a result, as will be described later, the flange portion outer peripheral surface 56B (flange portion 56) of the inner guide portion 50 exposed on the front side can be fitted to the inner wall surface 97A of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96.

Further, when the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 to the second optical receptacle 96 side in a state where the plug side guide end surface 42 abuts against the rear end surface of the ferrule accommodating portion 97B (see FIG. 14B), the plug side guide portion 40 The plug-side guide end surface 42 is pressed rearward from the rear end surface of the ferrule accommodating portion 97B, so that the plug-side guide portion 40 retracts with respect to the head 22 and the inner guide portion 50. When the plug-side guide portion 40 retracts with respect to the head 22, the pressing surface 22A, which is the end surface of the head 22, is exposed to the front side of the plug-side guide end surface 42 (see FIG. 15A). As a result, the head 22 can be inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end 82 with the plug-side guide end surface 42 abutting against the rear end surface of the ferrule accommodating portion 97B (see FIG. 15A). In the present embodiment, the flange portion outer peripheral surface 56B of the inner guide portion 50 is guided by the inner wall surface 97A of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96, so that the head 22 is accurately inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the ferrule accommodating portion 97B. Can be inserted.

When the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 to the second optical receptacle 96 side, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 15A, the flange portion outer peripheral surface 56B (flange portion 56) of the inner guide portion 50 becomes the second optical receptacle 96. Fits to the inner wall surface 97A of the receptacle housing 97. At this time, the flange portion outer peripheral surface 56B serves as a guide surface when the head 22 is inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the ferrule accommodating portion 97B. As a result, the front end portion of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 is aligned in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction) with respect to the second optical receptacle 96. Therefore, the operator can accurately face the cleaning body 1 with the ferrule end surface 71A. However, if it serves as a guide when the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A, the flange portion 56 of the inner guide portion 50 fits into the inner wall surface 97A of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96. You don't have to.

Further, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 9A, the head 22 is inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the ferrule accommodating portion 97B. Then, the head 22 inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the ferrule accommodating portion 97B abuts on the ferrule end surface 71A. As described above, the cleaning body 1 is hung around the pressing surface 22A of the head 22. Therefore, as a result, the cleaning body 1 is pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A. In the present embodiment, since the flange portion outer peripheral surface 56B (flange portion 56) of the inner guide portion 50 is guided by the inner wall surface 97A of the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96, the cleaning body 1 is accurately mounted on the ferrule end surface 71A. You can push it. As described above, in the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, by having the head spring 25, the cleaning body 1 can be pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A with a predetermined pressing force on the pressing surface 22A of the head 22.

In the guide unit 30 of the present embodiment, the outer spring 65 presses the outer guide portion 60 forward. Therefore, when the second optical receptacle 96 is not cleaned, the outer guide portion 60 moves to the front side with respect to the inner guide portion 50, and the above-mentioned first optical receptacle 91 can be cleaned again. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove a separate attachment or the like each time depending on whether the cleaning target is the ferrule end face 71A in the first optical receptacle 91 or the ferrule end face 71A in the second optical receptacle 96. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the work efficiency of the entire cleaning work from being reduced due to the time and effort required to attach and detach the attachment, and to easily clean the ferrule end face of different types of optical adapters (optical connector receptacles). can.

Further, for example, when a plurality of guides are formed for one insertion portion (for example, the inner guide portion 50) so as to match the shape of the connector accommodating holes in a plurality of types of optical receptacles, the guides do not contribute to the guides. Due to the gap, the accuracy of facing the cleaning body 1 to the ferrule end surface 71A may decrease. Further, when the connector is inserted into an optical receptacle having a large diameter of the connector accommodating hole (for example, the first optical receptacle with respect to the second optical receptacle of the present embodiment), the gap becomes large and the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A. The decrease in accuracy was a particular problem. However, in the present embodiment, when cleaning the first optical receptacle, the outer peripheral surface 63 of the outer guide serves as a guide surface, and when cleaning the second optical receptacle, the outer peripheral surface 56B of the flange serves as a guide surface, so that the ferrule end surface 71A is cleaned. It is possible to suppress a decrease in the accuracy of facing the 1's.

When the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 to the second optical receptacle 96 side, as shown in FIG. 15B, the plug-side guide end surface 42 of the plug-side guide portion 40 is rearward from the ferrule accommodating portion 97B of the second optical receptacle 96. By being pressed to the side, the plug side guide portion 40 moves to the rear side with respect to the inner guide portion 50. Then, the spring receiving portion 41 of the plug side guide portion 40 comes into contact with the spring receiving portion 17A of the moving body 17 (for the spring receiving portion 41 of the plug side guide portion 40 and the spring receiving portion 17A of the moving body 17, FIG. 13 reference). As described above, since the inner guide portion 50 is fixed to the moving body 17, the time when the spring receiving portion 41 of the plug side guide portion 40 comes into contact with the spring receiving portion 17A of the moving body 17 is the time when the plug side guide portion is contacted. The 40 reaches the limit position where it retracts with respect to the inner guide portion 50, and the plug-side guide portion 40 cannot retract further with respect to the inner guide portion 50. Then, the plug-side guide end surface 42 of the plug-side guide portion 40 is pressed rearward from the ferrule accommodating portion 97B of the second optical receptacle 96, so that the plug-side guide portion 40 is moved to the main body housing 15 together with the moving body 17. On the other hand, it retreats. As a result, the moving body 17 moves relative to the main body housing 15 in the front-rear direction inside the main body housing 15, and the cleaning body 1 is recovered by this relative movement, and an unused cleaning body corresponding to the recovered amount is collected. 1 will be supplied. That is, the cleaning body 1 can be supplied and recovered by a simple operation of pushing the extending portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 into the cleaning target (here, the ferrule end surface 71A of the second optical receptacle 96).

At the time shown in FIG. 15B, the inner guide end surface 53 of the inner guide portion 50 does not abut against the inner wall surface 97A inside the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96. However, in the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, the inner guide end surface 53 of the inner guide portion 50 abuts against the inner wall surface 97A inside the receptacle housing 97 of the second optical receptacle 96 and presses the inner wall surface 97A from the back to the rear side. By doing so, the inner guide portion 50 may be retracted with respect to the main body housing 15. That is, the inner guide end surface 53 of the inner guide portion 50 is pressed from the back of the inner wall surface 97A to the rear side, so that the moving body 17 is relative to the main body housing 15 in the front-rear direction inside the main body housing 15. The cleaning body 1 may be moved and the cleaning body 1 may be recovered by this relative movement, and an unused cleaning body 1 corresponding to the recovered amount may be supplied.

<Cleaning procedure for optical adapter>
16A to 16C are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the second embodiment when cleaning the optical adapter 80 (before pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end surface 71A). 17A to 17B are cross-sectional views showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 of the second embodiment when cleaning the optical adapter 80 (after pressing the cleaning body 1 against the ferrule end face 71A). In addition, in FIGS. 17A to 17B, the cross-sectional view cut by the plane perpendicular to the left-right direction is shown in the upper part of the figure, and the cross-sectional view cut by the plane perpendicular to the vertical direction is shown in the lower part of the figure.

FIG. 16A is a diagram showing a state of the cleaning tool 10 and the optical adapter 80 before cleaning the optical adapter 80 in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, in the optical adapter 80, the optical plug 70 is inserted into the adapter housing 81, so that the ferrule 71 is inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end 82. The cleaning worker cleans the head 22 of the cleaning tool 10 with the pressing surface 22A (plug-side guide end surface 42 of the plug-side guide portion 40) facing the ferrule end surface 71A of the ferrule 71 of the optical adapter 80. The tool 10 is moved to the optical adapter 80 side. At this time, as shown in FIG. 16B, the operator moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the optical plug 70 so that the plug side guide end surface 42 abuts on the rear end surface of the sleeve holder end portion 82.

When the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the optical adapter 80 with the plug-side guide end surface 42 abutting against the rear end surface of the sleeve holder end portion 82, the plug-side guide end surface 42 of the plug-side guide portion 40 becomes available. By being pressed rearward from the rear end surface of the sleeve holder end 82, the plug-side guide portion 40 retracts with respect to the head 22 and the inner guide portion 50. When the plug-side guide portion 40 retracts with respect to the head 22, the pressing surface 22A, which is the end surface of the head 22, is exposed to the front side of the plug-side guide end surface 42. As a result, the head 22 can be inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end 82 with the plug-side guide end surface 42 abutting against the rear end surface of the sleeve holder end 82.

In the guide unit 30 of the present embodiment, the plug-side spring 45 presses the plug-side guide portion 40 forward. Therefore, when the optical adapter 80 is not cleaned, the plug-side guide portion 40 moves to the front side with respect to the head 22 and the inner guide portion 50, and the above-mentioned optical plug 70 can be cleaned again. Therefore, it is not necessary to attach and remove a separate attachment or the like each time depending on whether the cleaning target is the ferrule end surface 71A in the optical adapter 80 or the ferrule end surface 71A on the optical plug 70 side. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the work efficiency of the entire cleaning work due to the time and effort required for attaching and detaching the attachment, and it is possible to easily clean both the ferrule end face inside the optical adapter and on the optical plug side. ..

As shown in FIG. 16C, the inner guide portion 50 is fitted to the inner wall surface 81B of the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80 by the intermediate cylinder portion 57 of the inner guide portion 50. At this time, the intermediate cylinder portion 57 serves as a guide surface when the head 22 is inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end portion 82. Further, the intermediate cylinder portion 57 is also a guide surface when the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A. As a result, the front end portion of the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 is aligned in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction) with respect to the optical adapter 80. As a result, the cleaning body 1 can be accurately opposed to the ferrule end surface 71A. However, if it serves as a guide when the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A, the end portion of the inner guide portion 50 does not fit into the inner wall surface 81B of the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80. May be good.

In the first embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. 10C, the flat surface 52 is headed by fitting the pair of upper and lower flat surfaces 52 of the inner guide portion 50 to the inner wall surface 81B of the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80. It serves as a guide surface when the 22 is inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end 82. Further, the flat surface 52 is also a guide surface when the cleaning body 1 faces the ferrule end surface 71A. Therefore, the extension portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 is inserted into the optical adapter 80 so that the vertical direction (the direction in which the pair of flat surfaces 52 are provided) is aligned with the vertical direction of the inner wall surface 81B of the adapter housing 81. There is a need. However, in the present embodiment (second embodiment), the inner guide portion 50 is fitted to the inner wall surface 81B of the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80 by the intermediate cylinder portion 57 provided on the entire circumference of the inner guide portion 50. do. Therefore, the operator can insert the extension portion 20 into the optical adapter 80 without being aware of the vertical direction of the cleaning tool 10.

Further, when the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the optical adapter 80, the head 22 is inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end 82 as shown in FIG. 17A. In the present embodiment, since the intermediate cylinder portion 57 of the inner guide portion 50 is guided by the inner wall surface 81B of the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80, the head 22 is accurately inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end portion 82. be able to. Then, the head 22 inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end 82 abuts on the ferrule end surface 71A. As described above, the cleaning body 1 is hung around the pressing surface 22A of the head 22. Therefore, as a result, the cleaning body 1 is pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A. In the present embodiment, since the intermediate cylinder portion 57 of the inner guide portion 50 is guided by the inner wall surface 81B of the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80, the cleaning body 1 can be accurately pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A. As described above, in the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, by having the head spring 25, the cleaning body 1 can be pressed against the ferrule end surface 71A with a predetermined pressing force on the pressing surface 22A of the head 22.

Further, when the operator further moves the cleaning tool 10 toward the optical adapter 80, the intermediate end surface 57A of the inner guide portion 50 comes into contact with the rear end surface of the latch claw 83, as shown in FIG. 17B. When the cleaning tool 10 is further moved to the optical adapter 80 side from this state, the intermediate end surface 57A of the inner guide portion 50 is pressed backward from the latch claw 83, so that the inner guide portion 50 is moved together with the moving body 17. Retreat with respect to the main body housing 15. As a result, the moving body 17 moves relative to the main body housing 15 in the front-rear direction inside the main body housing 15, and the cleaning body 1 is recovered by this relative movement, and an unused cleaning body corresponding to the recovered amount is collected. 1 will be supplied. That is, the cleaning body 1 can be supplied and recovered by a simple operation of pushing the extending portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 against the cleaning target (here, the ferrule end surface 71A of the optical adapter 80).

At the time shown in FIG. 17B, the inner guide end surface 53 of the inner guide portion 50 does not abut against the inner wall surface inside the adapter housing 81 of the optical adapter 80. However, in the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, the inner guide end surface 53 abuts on the inner wall surface of the adapter housing 81 and is pressed from the back of the inner wall surface 97A to the rear side, so that the inner guide portion 50 is attached to the main body housing 15. On the other hand, you may retreat. As a result, the moving body 17 moves relative to the main body housing 15 in the front-rear direction inside the main body housing 15, and the cleaning body 1 is recovered by this relative movement, and an unused cleaning body corresponding to the recovered amount is collected. 1 will be supplied. That is, the cleaning body 1 can be supplied and recovered by a simple operation of pushing the extending portion 20 of the cleaning tool 10 against the cleaning target (here, the ferrule end surface 71A of the optical adapter 80).

<Other cleaning targets>
In the cleaning tool 10 of the present embodiment, as described above, the cleaning procedure for the second optical receptacle 96 and the optical adapter 80 has been described. Other cleaning targets, for example, the cleaning procedure of the optical plug 70 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) and the cleaning procedure of the first optical receptacle 91 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) may be the same as those of the first embodiment. ..

=== Summary ===
The cleaning tool 10 of the above embodiment has a tool body 11 and an extension portion 20 provided with a head 22, and the extension portion 20 includes a plug-side guide portion 40 through which the head 22 is inserted. .. Then, in the present embodiment, when the optical plug 70 is cleaned, as shown in FIG. 4A, the plug-side guide end surface 42 of the plug-side guide portion 40 projects toward the optical plug 70 side from the pressing surface 22A of the head 22. There is. When cleaning the optical adapter 80 to which the optical plug 70 is connected, as shown in FIG. 11A (or FIG. 17A), the plug side guide portion 40 retracts and the pressing surface 22A of the head 22 is exposed to the optical adapter 80 side. .. Thereby, in the above embodiment, both the inside of the optical adapter 80 and the ferrule end surface 71A on the optical plug 70 side can be easily cleaned.

Further, in the cleaning tool 10 of the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4C, the plug-side guide outer peripheral portion 43 of the plug-side guide portion 40 is provided so as to guide the head 22 with respect to the ferrule end surface 71A of the optical plug 70. Has been done. Thereby, in the above embodiment, the cleaning body 1 can be accurately opposed to the ferrule end surface 71A.

Further, in the cleaning tool 10 of the above embodiment, the inside of the plug side guide portion 40 is provided so that the ferrule 71 of the optical plug 70 is inserted. Thereby, in the above embodiment, the cleaning body 1 can be accurately opposed to the ferrule end surface 71A.

Further, in the cleaning tool 10 of the above embodiment, when cleaning the optical plug 70, as shown in FIG. 5B, the plug-side guide end surface 42 on the optical plug 70 side of the plug-side guide portion 40 is used with the connector housing 72 of the optical plug 70. By pressing against the abutting surface 72C of the plug side guide portion 40, the plug side guide portion 40 is retracted. Thereby, in the above embodiment, the end surface of the inner guide portion 50 on the optical plug 70 side can be pressed against the connector housing 72 of the optical plug 70.

Further, in the cleaning tool 10 of the above embodiment, the extension portion 20 can be moved in a predetermined direction (front-back direction) with respect to the tool body 11, and the head is moved by the relative movement between the tool body 11 and the extension portion 20. A feeding mechanism 12 for supplying the cleaning body 1 to the pressing surface 22A of the 22 and collecting the cleaning body 1 on the pressing surface 22A is further provided. As a result, in the above embodiment, the cleaning body 1 can be supplied and collected with a simple operation.

Further, in the cleaning tool 10 of the above embodiment, the extension portion 20 further includes an inner guide portion 50 (corresponding to an adapter side guide portion) for inserting the plug side guide portion 40 into the inside, and when cleaning the optical plug 70, the extension portion 20 is further provided. As shown in FIG. 5C, the inner guide end surface 53 on the optical plug 70 side of the inner guide portion 50 is pressed against the end surface 72A of the connector housing 72 of the optical plug 70 so that the tool body 11 and the extension portion 20 are relative to each other. Make it move. As a result, in the above embodiment, the cleaning body can be supplied and collected with a simple operation.

Further, in the cleaning tool 10 of the above embodiment, the extension portion 20 further includes an inner guide portion 50 (corresponding to an adapter side guide portion) for inserting the plug side guide portion 40 into the inside, and when cleaning the optical adapter 80, the extension portion 20 is further provided. As shown in FIGS. 10C and 12B, the flat surface 52 of the inner guide outer peripheral portion 55 of the inner guide portion 50 guides the head 22 with respect to the ferrule end surface 71 of the optical plug 70 connected to the optical adapter 80. It is provided. Thereby, in the above embodiment, the cleaning body 1 can be accurately opposed to the ferrule end surface 71A.

Further, in the cleaning tool 10 of the above embodiment, when cleaning the optical adapter 80, as shown in FIG. 11A, the inner guide end surface 53 on the optical adapter 80 side of the inner guide portion 50 (corresponding to the adapter side guide portion) is illuminated. By pressing against the sleeve holder end 82 of the adapter 80, the tool body 11 and the extension 20 are moved relative to each other. As a result, in the above embodiment, the cleaning body can be supplied and collected with a simple operation.

Further, in the cleaning tool 10 of the above embodiment, the extending portion 20 further includes a plug-side spring 45 that urges the plug-side guide portion 40 to the optical plug 70 side. Thereby, in the above embodiment, both the inside of the optical adapter 80 and the ferrule end surface 71A on the optical plug 70 side can be easily cleaned.

=== Other embodiments ===
In the above-described embodiment, the cleaning tool 10 has an outer guide portion 60, an outer spring 65, and an outer spring receiving portion 66, but these may not be provided. In this case, the first optical receptacle 91 is not a cleaning target, but even with the cleaning tool 10 having such a configuration, the plug-side guide portion 40 retracts and the pressing surface 22A of the head 22 is exposed to the front side. If the head 22 is inserted into the ferrule insertion hole inside the sleeve holder end 82 of the optical adapter 80, cleaning of both the inside of the optical adapter 80 and the optical plug 70 becomes easy.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the ferrule 71 of the optical plug 70 is a cylindrical ferrule as a cleaning target, but it may be a square ferrule. For example, the ferrule 71 of the optical plug 70 may be a so-called MT ferrule (F12 type multi-core optical fiber connector defined in JIS C 5981). Further, the ferrule 71 of the optical plug 70 may hold a single-core optical fiber or may hold a multi-core optical fiber.

The above-described embodiment is for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and is not for limiting the interpretation of the present invention. It goes without saying that the present invention can be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention includes an equivalent thereof.

1 Cleaning body, 10 Cleaning tools, 11 Tool body, 12 Feed mechanism,
13 supply reel, 14 take-up reel, 15 main body housing,
16A / 16B spring receiving part, 17 moving body, 17A spring receiving part,
18 coil springs, 19 rotating bodies,
19A rotary cylinder, 19B head support,
19C insertion protrusion, 19D cam groove,
20 extension part, 21 head part, 22 head, 22A pressing surface,
23 Flange part, 24 base end part, 25 head spring,
30 guide unit, 40 plug side guide part, 41 spring receiving part,
42 plug side guide end face, 42A insertion hole, 43 plug side guide outer circumference,
45 Plug side spring, 50 Inner guide part (adapter side guide part),
51 insertion hole, 52 flat surface, 53 inner guide end surface,
54 Engagement recess, 55 Inner guide outer circumference,
56 collar, 56A collar end face, 56B collar outer peripheral surface,
57 intermediate cylinder, 57A intermediate end surface, 57B intermediate tapered surface,
58 tip cylinder, 58A tip inner peripheral surface,
60 outer guide part, 61 insertion hole, 62 outer guide end face,
63 Outer guide perimeter, 64 Abutment, 65 Outer spring,
66 outer spring receiver, 70 optical plug, 71 ferrule,
71A ferrule end face, 72 connector housing,
72A end face, 72B inner wall surface, 72C abutment surface, 80 optical adapter,
81 adapter housing, 81B inner wall surface,
82 sleeve holder end, 83 latch claw,
90 Optical Receptacle, 91 First Optical Receptacle,
92 receptacle housing, 92A inner wall,
92B ferrule housing, 92C abutment,
96 Second Optical Receptacle, 97 Receptacle Housing,
97A inner wall surface, 97B ferrule housing, 97C housing end face

Claims (9)

With the tool body
A cleaning tool having a head that presses a cleaning body against a cleaning object on a pressing surface, and having an extending portion extending from the tool body.
The extending portion includes a plug-side guide portion for inserting the head into the inside.
When cleaning the optical plug
The end surface of the plug-side guide portion protrudes toward the optical plug side from the end surface of the head.
When cleaning the optical adapter to which the optical plug is connected
A cleaning tool characterized in that the plug-side guide portion is retracted and the end face of the head is exposed to the optical adapter side. The cleaning tool according to claim 1.
A cleaning tool characterized in that the outer peripheral portion of the plug-side guide portion is provided so as to guide the head with respect to the ferrule end surface of the optical plug. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2.
A cleaning tool characterized in that the inside of the plug-side guide portion is provided so that the ferrule of the optical plug is inserted. The cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
When cleaning the optical plug,
A cleaning tool characterized in that the plug-side guide portion is retracted by pressing the end surface of the plug-side guide portion on the optical plug side against the abutting surface inside the connector housing of the optical plug. The cleaning tool according to claim 4 .
The extending portion can be moved in a predetermined direction with respect to the tool body, and the extending portion can be moved in a predetermined direction.
A cleaning tool characterized in that the cleaning body is supplied to the pressing surface by relative movement between the tool body and the extending portion, and a feeding mechanism for collecting the cleaning body on the pressing surface is further provided. The cleaning tool according to claim 5.
The extending portion further includes an adapter-side guide portion for inserting the plug-side guide portion into the inside.
When cleaning the optical plug,
A cleaning tool characterized in that the end surface of the adapter-side guide portion on the optical plug side is pressed against the connector housing of the optical plug to cause the relative movement. The cleaning tool according to claim 1.
The extending portion further includes an adapter-side guide portion for inserting the plug-side guide portion into the inside.
When cleaning the optical adapter
A cleaning tool characterized in that a flat surface of an outer peripheral portion of the adapter-side guide portion is provided so as to guide the head with respect to a ferrule end surface of the optical plug connected to the optical adapter. The cleaning tool according to claim 7.
When cleaning the optical adapter
A cleaning tool characterized in that the relative movement is performed by pressing the end surface of the adapter side guide portion on the optical adapter side against the sleeve holder end portion of the optical adapter. The cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
The extending portion is a cleaning tool further provided with a plug-side spring that urges the plug-side guide portion to the optical plug side.

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