WO2019040385A1

WO2019040385A1 - Cleaning tool for cleaning terminal ends of optical fiber connectors

Info

Publication number: WO2019040385A1
Application number: PCT/US2018/047127
Authority: WO
Inventors: Danil Milchtein Peltsverger; Malcolm H. Hodge; Wenzong Chen; Jeremy TAPIA; Thomas R. Marrapode
Original assignee: Molex, Llc
Priority date: 2017-08-22
Filing date: 2018-08-21
Publication date: 2019-02-28
Also published as: EP3672738A1; EP3672738A4

Abstract

A cleaning tool configured to clean terminal ends of optical fiber connectors includes a proximal body portion, a distal body portion, a flexible portion connecting the proximal and distal body portions and configured to allow the distance between the proximal and distal body portions to be varied, and a cleaning pad attached to the distal body portion.

Description

CLEANING TOOL FOR CLEANING TERMINAL ENDS OF OPTICAL FIBER

CONNECTORS RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to United States Provisional Application No. 62/548,587, filed August 22, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] This disclosure relates to the field of cleaning terminal ends of optical fibers and/or ferrules which have been installed in a connector, such as a plug or a receptacle. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART [0003] To clean optical figures and/or ferrules, existing cleaning tools use a micro-fiber cloth that attempts to wipe away contamination that includes the usage of alcohol. This can be ineffective and can actually generate defects during the wiping process. SUMMARY [0004] In a first aspect, a cleaning tool configured to clean terminal ends of optical fiber connectors includes a proximal body portion, a distal body portion, a flexible portion connecting the proximal and distal body portions and configured to allow the distance between the proximal and distal body portions to be varied, and a cleaning pad attached to the distal body portion. [0005] In a second aspect, a cleaning tool configured to clean terminal ends of optical fiber connectors includes a proximal body portion, a distal body portion, a flexible portion connecting the proximal and distal body portions, the flexible portion being integrally formed, and a cleaning pad attached to the distal body portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0006] The present application is illustrated by way of example and not limited in the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which: [0007] Fig. 1 illustrates an example electrical circuit structure in a semiconductor package. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] While the disclosure may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and herein will be described in detail, specific embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure, and is not intended to limit the disclosure to that as illustrated and described herein. Therefore, unless otherwise noted, features disclosed herein may be combined together to form additional combinations that were not otherwise shown for purposes of brevity. It will be further appreciated that in some embodiments, one or more elements illustrated by way of example in a drawing(s) may be eliminated and/or substituted with alternative elements within the scope of the disclosure. [0009] The present disclosure provides embodiments of a cleaning tool 20 for cleaning optical fibers and/or ferrules in a connector 22. The term“connector” as used herein refers to a device which may be engaged and disengaged repeatedly, often with a different plug or receptacle. Such connectors are known in the art. While directional terms such as“top” and “bottom” are used herein, this is only used for convenience in explanation and do not denote a required direction of orientation. [0010] The connector 22 may be a blind mating backplane connector for connecting a backplane 24 and a daughtercard 26 within a chassis. The connector 22 includes a backplane socket connector 28 mounted on the backplane 24 and a daughtercard plug connector 30 mounted on the daughtercard 26 which are configured to be plugged together. While the connector 22 is described herein with reference to a backplane socket connector 28 and a daughtercard plug connector 30, other types of connectors 28, 30 can also be used. In the illustrated example, because the backplane 24 and the daughtercard 26 are arranged at a right angle to each other, the connector 22 is a right-angle connector and the signal paths through the connector 22 accordingly change direction or bend 90 degrees. However, it will be understood that in other embodiments, the backplane 24 and the daughtercard 26 can be arranged at other angles to each other, or parallel to each other, and the signal paths can be arranged accordingly. [0011] The backplane socket connector 28 includes a housing 32 having a plurality of passageways in which ferrule holding clips 34 having optical fibers are seated within ferrules. Terminal ends of the optical fibers are terminated at a face of the respective ferrule 34 and housing 32. [0012] The daughtercard plug connector 30 includes a housing 36 having a plurality of passageways 38 which extend from a proximal end 36a of the housing 36 to a distal end 36b of the housing 36. In an embodiment, the passageways 38 are formed as or generally formed as rectangular prims. In an embodiment, the passageways 38 are formed as or generally formed as cylinders. [0013] Daughtercard connector plugs 40, which are known in the art, can be mounted in the passageways 38 of the daughtercard plug connector 30 in a known manner, and can be removed from the passageways 38 of the daughtercard plug connector 30 in a known manner. [0014] When the backplane socket connector 28 and the daughtercard plug connector 30 are plugged together, the daughtercard connector plugs 40 mounted in the daughtercard plug connector 30 interface with the optical fibers in the clips 34 seated in the backplane socket connector 28. [0015] The cleaning tool 20 removably seats within a respective passageway 38 of the daughtercard connector housing 30 and is configured to engage with the terminal ends of the optical fibers in the clips 34 seated in the backplane pin header connector 32 to clean the terminal ends of the optical fibers and/or ferrules as described herein. [0016] The cleaning tool 20 includes a one-piece, integrally formed body 50 having a cleaning pad 52 attached thereto. The body 50 includes proximal and distal body portions 54, 56 which are separated from each other by a compressible and expandable flexible portion 58. The flexible portion 58 allows the distance between the proximal and distal body portions 54, 56 to be varied. In an embodiment, the body 50 is formed of plastic. In an embodiment, the body 50 is formed by molding. In an embodiment, the body 50 is formed of metal. The cleaning body 20 is sized to be able to fit within the passageway 38 of the daughtercard plug connector 30. [0017] The proximal body portion 54 has a proximal end 54a and a distal end 54b. The proximal body portion 54 has an outer profile which conforms or generally conforms to the shape of the passageway 38 in the daughtercard plug connector 30 such that the proximal body portion 54 can extend into and seat partially within the passageway 38 and be securely held therein. In an embodiment, the proximal body portion 54 is formed is formed as a rectangular prism having opposite side surfaces 60a, 60b, a top surface 60c, a bottom surface 60d, a proximal surface 60e, and a distal surface 60f, such that the side surfaces 60a, 60b have a maximum length which is greater than a maximum width of the top and bottom surfaces 60c, 60d. In an embodiment, the surfaces 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d, 60e, 60f are planar. In an embodiment, the surfaces 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d, 60e, 60f are planar, except that a recess 62 is provided in each side surface 60a, 60b to reduce the amount of material used to form the body 54. [0018] In an embodiment, a groove or grooves 64 are provided on the proximal body portion 54 proximate to the proximal end 54a to separate a section(s) of the proximal body portion 54 from the remainder of the proximal body portion 54 to form a finger grip 66 for a user. [0019] The distal body portion 56 has a proximal end 56a and a distal end 56b. The cleaning pad 52 is mounted to the proximal end 56a. In an embodiment, the proximal end 56a has a receptacle (not shown) formed therein into which the cleaning pad 52 is mounted. The distal body portion 56 has an outer profile which conforms or generally conforms to the shape of the passageway 38 in the daughtercard plug connector 30 such that the distal body portion 56 can pass at least partially through the passageway 38 and be securely held therein such that the distal end 56b is proximate to the end of the passageway 38 or extends outwardly from the end of the passageway 38. In an embodiment, the distal body portion 56 can pass completely through the passageway 38. In an embodiment, the distal body portion 56 is formed is formed as a rectangular prism having opposite side surfaces 68a, 68b, a top surface 68c, a bottom surface 68d, a proximal surface 68e, and a distal surface 68f, such that the side surfaces 68a, 68b have a maximum length which is greater than a maximum width of the top and bottom surfaces 68c, 68d. In an embodiment, the surfaces 68a, 68b, 68c, 68d, 68e, 68f are planar. In an embodiment, the surfaces 68a, 68b, 68c, 68d, 68e, 68f are planar, except that a recess 70 is provided in each side surface 68a, 68b to reduce the amount of material used to form the body 56. In an embodiment, the surfaces 68a, 68b, 68c, 68d, 68e, 68f are planar, except that a shoulder 72 is formed on each of the surfaces 68a, 68b, 68c, 68d to provide a stop to prevent the distal body portion 56 from further passing through the passageway 38 when the shoulder 72 engages with a conforming shoulder 73 in the passageway 38, see FIG. 10. [0020] The flexible portion 58 has a proximal end 58a and a distal end 58b. In an embodiment, the flexible portion 58 has a serpentine shape. The flexible portion 58 may take other shapes provided the flexible portion 58 is compressible and expandable. The flexible portion 58 has an outer profile which conforms or generally conforms to the shape of the passageway 38 in the daughtercard plug connector 30 such that the flexible portion 58 can seat within the passageway 38. The proximal end 58a of the flexible portion 58 extends from the distal surface 60f at the distal end 54b of the proximal body portion 54. The distal end 58b of the flexible portion 58 extends from the proximal surface 68e at the proximal end 56a of the distal body portion 56. In an embodiment, the proximal body portion 54, the flexible portion 58 and the distal body portion 56 are linearly aligned. [0021] In an embodiment, the cleaning pad 52 includes a pad 74 having an adhesive distal face and a releasable protective liner or film 76 covering the adhesive face . In an embodiment, the proximal end of the pad 74 seats against the distal surface 68f of the distal body portion 56. In an embodiment, the proximal end of the pad 74 is affixed to the distal surface 68f of the distal body portion 56, for example, by adhesive or by another suitable latch structure which prevents the pad 74 from detaching from the distal body portion 56. In an embodiment, the entire pad 74 is formed of adhesive to provide the adhesive face and a face for adhering to the distal surface 68f of the distal body portion 56. In an embodiment, the pad 74 is formed of two or more layers which are bonded together, with the distal surface being an adhesive layer for cleaning, and the proximal surface being an adhesive layer to adhere to the distal surface 68f of the distal body portion 56. In an embodiment, adhesive layer for cleaning and the adhesive layer to adhere to the distal surface 68f of the distal body portion 56 are formed of different types of adhesives. The pad 74 may completely cover the distal surface 68f of the distal body portion 56. In an embodiment, the pad 74 seats within the receptacle in the distal body portion 56 and extends outwardly from the distal surface 68f of the distal body portion 56. The pad 74 may have a shape which conforms to the shape of the receptacle, if provided. The pad 74 may be retained in the receptacle for example, by adhesive or by another suitable latch structure which prevents the pad 54 from detaching from the distal body portion 56. In some embodiments, the pad 52 can be removed from the distal body portion 56 and replaced with another pad so that the cleaning tool 20 can be reused. In an embodiment, the cleaning pad 52 is formed by dispensing an adhesive liquid material which is cured and bonds to the distal body portion 56, and provides a distal face for cleaning and a proximal face which affixes the cleaning pad 52 to the distal body portion 56. [0022] In use, the daughtercard connector plug 40 is removed from the passageway 38 of the daughtercard plug connector 30 and the cleaning tool 20 is inserted into the passageway 38 of the daughtercard plug connector 30. If desired, all of the daughtercard connector plugs 40 can be removed from the daughtercard plug connector 30 and replaced by cleaning tools 20. When the cleaning tool 20 is inserted into the passageway 38 of the daughtercard plug connector 30, the cleaning tool 20 is inserted such that the cleaning pad 52 first enters into the passageway 38 through the proximal end 36a, followed by the distal body portion 56, the flexible portion 58 and the proximal body portion 54. The user can hold the cleaning tool 20 by the finger grip 66 during this insertion into the passageway 38 and the finger grip 66 remains outwardly of the proximal end 36b of the passageway 38 when the cleaning tool 20 is fully inserted. When the cleaning tool 20 is fully inserted, the cleaning pad 52 extends at least partially outwardly from the distal end 36b of the passageway 38. In an embodiment, a second of the distal body portion 56 also extends outwardly from the distal end 36b of the passageway 38. Thereafter, the protective liner or film 76 is removed from the pad 74 to expose the adhesive face . The daughtercard plug connector 30 is mated with the backplane socket connector 28 such that the adhesive face of the pad 74 comes into direct contact with the terminal ends of the optical fibers and/or ferrules in the clips 34. In an embodiment, a pressing force is applied to the proximal body portion 54 which is translated to the flexible portion 58 and then to the proximal body portion 56 and its pad 74. This pressing contact cleans the terminal ends of the optical fibers and/or ferrules to pull debris from the surface of the terminal ends of the optical fibers and/or ferrules; the pressing contact does not move debris across the surface since there is no wiping action. Thereafter, the cleaning tool 20 is disengaged from the daughtercard plug connector 30 by pulling the cleaning tool 20 proximally outwardly from the daughtercard plug connector 30. The daughtercard connector plug 40 can then be inserted into the same passageway 38 of the daughtercard plug connector 30 in a known manner. [0023] In an embodiment as most clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a latch arm 80 extends upwardly from the top surface 60c of the proximal body portion 54. In an embodiment, the latch arm 60 is proximate to the distal end 54b, and extends proximally toward the proximal end 54a. The latch arm 80 has a flexible portion 82 terminating in a free end 84, and a projection or projections 86 extending outwardly therefrom. The projection(s) 86 may be spaced from the free end 84 such that a finger grip is provided by the free end 84. In an embodiment, the free end 84 is angled relative to the flexible portion 82 to allow a user to easily grasp the latch arm 80. The free end 84 may include a series of ridges (not shown) so that a user can more easily grip the free end 84. [0024] In use, the daughtercard connector plug 40 is removed from the passageway 38 of the daughtercard plug connector 30 and the cleaning tool 20 is inserted into the passageway 38 of the daughtercard plug connector 30. If desired, all of the daughtercard connector plugs 40 can be removed from the daughtercard plug connector 30 and replaced by cleaning tools 20. When the cleaning tool 20 is inserted into the passageway 38 of the daughtercard plug connector 30, the cleaning tool 20 is inserted such that the cleaning pad 52 first enters into the passageway 38, followed by the distal body portion 56, the flexible portion 58 and the proximal body portion 54. The user can hold the cleaning tool 20 by the finger grip 66 during this insertion into the passageway 38 and the finger grip 66 remains outwardly of the proximal end 36b of the passageway 38 when the cleaning tool 20 is fully inserted. When the flexible portion 82 of the latch arm 80 contacts the proximal end 54a of the housing 54, the flexible portion 82 flexes to move toward the top surface 60c to allow the proximal body portion 54 to enter within the passageway 38. Once the projection(s) 86 on the latch arm 80 align with a recess or opening (not shown) provided in the housing 36 of the daughtercard plug connector 30, the flexible portion 82 flexes to move away from the top surface 60c to seat the projection(s) 86 within the recess or opening. When the cleaning tool 20 is fully inserted, the cleaning pad 52 extends at least partially outwardly from the distal end 36b of the passageway 38. In an embodiment, a second of the distal body portion 56 also extends outwardly from the distal end 36b of the passageway 38. Thereafter, the protective liner or film 76 is removed from the pad 74 to expose the adhesive face . The daughtercard plug connector 30 is mated with the backplane socket connector 28 such that the adhesive face of the pad 74 comes into direct contact with the terminal ends of the optical fibers in the clips 34. The flexible portion 58 applies a pressing force to the distal body portion 56 and the pad 74 mounted thereon. This pressing contact cleans the terminal ends of the optical fibers and/or ferrules to pull debris from the surface of the terminal ends of the optical fibers and/or ferrules; the pressing contact does not move debris across the surface since there is no wiping action. In an example aspect, the pad 74 can clean substantially the entire mating area of the surface of the optical fibers and/or ferrules to remove debris which may prevent proper mating of the ferrule and fibers or block or occlude the optical signal in a fiber. The pad 74 also leaves no residues or debris or static charge on the ferrule. Thereafter, the cleaning tool 20 is disengaged from the daughtercard plug connector 30 by compressing the latch arm 80 such that the projection(s) 86 disengages from the housing 36, and then pulling the cleaning tool 20 proximally outwardly from the daughtercard plug connector 30. The daughtercard connector plug 40 can then be inserted into the same passageway 38 of the daughtercard plug connector 30 in a known manner. [0025] In an embodiment as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a latch arm 90 extends from the side surface 60a of the proximal body portion 54. In an embodiment, the latch arm 90 is proximate to the distal end 54b, and extends proximally toward the proximal end 54a. The latch arm 90 has a flexible portion 92 terminating in a free end which forms a finger grip 94, and a projection or projections 96 extending outwardly therefrom. The projection(s) 96 may be spaced from the finger grip 94 such that a finger grip is provided by the finger grip 94. In an embodiment, the finger grip 94 extends proximally from the proximal surface 60e. In an embodiment, the finger grip 94 include a series of ridges 98 so that a user can more easily grip the finger grip 94. In an embodiment, the flexible portion 92 seats within an aperture 100 formed within the side surface 60a such that the outer surface of the flexible portion 92 is flush with, or below, the side surface 60a and the projection(s) 96 extends outwardly from the side surface 60a. The projection(s) 96 may be spaced from finger grip 94 such that a finger grip is provided by the distal end of the flexible portion 92. The finger grip 94 may include a series of ridges 98 so that a user can more easily grip the finger grip 94. [0026] In use, the daughtercard connector plug 40 is removed from the passageway 58 of the daughtercard plug connector 30 and the cleaning tool 20 is inserted into the passageway 58 of the daughtercard plug connector 30. If desired, all of the daughtercard connector plugs 40 can be removed from the daughtercard plug connector 30 and replaced by cleaning tools 20. When the cleaning tool 20 is inserted into the passageway 58 of the daughtercard plug connector 30, the cleaning tool 20 is inserted such that the cleaning pad 52 first enters into the passageway 58, followed by the distal body portion 56, the flexible portion 58 and the proximal body portion 54. The user can hold the cleaning tool 20 by the finger grip 94 during this insertion into the passageway 38 and the finger grip 94 remains outwardly of the proximal end 36b of the passageway 38 when the cleaning tool 20 is fully inserted. When the projection(s) 96 of the latch arm 90 contacts the proximal end 54a of the housing 54, the flexible portion 92 flexes to move inwardly into the aperture 100 to allow the proximal body portion 54 to enter within the passageway 58. Once the projection(s) 96 on the latch arm 90 align with a recess or opening (not shown) provided in the housing 36 of the daughtercard plug connector 30, the flexible portion 92 flexes to move outwardly to seat the projection(s) 96 within the recess or opening. When the cleaning tool 20 is fully inserted, the cleaning pad 52 extends at least partially outwardly from the distal end 36b of the passageway 38. In an embodiment, a second of the distal body portion 56 also extends outwardly from the distal end 36b of the passageway 38. Thereafter, the protective liner or film 76 is removed from the pad 74 to expose the adhesive face . The daughtercard plug connector 30 is mated with the backplane socket connector 28 such that the adhesive face of the pad 74 comes into direct contact with the terminal ends of the optical fibers and/or ferrules in the clips 34. The flexible portion 58 applies a pressing force to the distal body portion 56 and the pad 74 mounted thereon. This pressing contact cleans the terminal ends of the optical fibers and/or ferrules to pull debris from the surface of the terminal ends of the optical fibers and/or ferrules; the pressing contact does not move debris across the surface since there is no wiping action. In an example aspect, the pad 74 can clean substantially the entire mating area of the surface of the optical fibers and/or ferrules to remove debris which may prevent proper mating of the ferrule and fibers or block or occlude the optical signal in a fiber. The pad 74 also leaves no residues or debris or static charge on the ferrule. Thereafter, the cleaning tool 20 is disengaged from the daughtercard plug connector 30 by compressing the latch arm 90 such that the projection(s) 96 disengages from the housing 36, and then pulling the cleaning tool 20 proximally outwardly from the daughtercard plug connector 30. The daughtercard connector plug 40 can then be inserted into the same passageway 58 of the daughtercard plug connector 30 in a known manner. [0027] The flexible portion 58 applies the proper mating force to the backplane socket connector 28. [0028] While the optical fibers are described as being mounted in clips 34, the optical fibers can be mounted in the connector 28 by other known means. [0029] The projections 86, 96 may have beveled surfaces thereon which promote entry of the projections 86, 96 into the passageway 38 of the housing 36 of the daughtercard plug connector 30. [0030] In an embodiment, the housing 36 of the daughtercard plug connector 30 includes an aperture 102, see FIG. 5 for example, associated with each passageway 38. The aperture 102 is provided proximate to the where the flexible latch arm 80, 90 is positioned when the cleaning tool 20 is mounted in the daughtercard plug connector 30. To disengage the latch arm 80, 90, a tool (not shown) is inserted into the aperture 102 to engage the latch arm 80, 90 to cause the latch arm 80, 90 to flex and disengage the projection(s) 86, 96 from the housing 36. [0031] While the recess or opening is described as being in the housing 36 of the daughtercard plug connector 30, and the projection(s) 86, 96 is described as being on the cleaning tool 20, the projection(s) 86, 96 can be on the housing 36 of the daughtercard plug connector 30 and the recess or opening formed on the flexible portion 82, 92 of the cleaning tool 20. [0032] The housing 32 of the backplane socket connector 28 and the housing 36 of the daughtercard plug connector 30 can have alignment features for ensuring a proper connection of the backplane socket connector 28 and the daughtercard plug connector 30 during mating. An example of such a feature is shown in FIG.8 which provides a rail 104 extending outwardly from the housing 32 of the backplane socket connector 28 which mates with a recess 106 in arms 108 extending from the housing 36 of the daughtercard plug connector 30. [0033] A dust cover 110 can be provided to cover the cleaning tool 20. The dust cover 110 can have a locking feature 112 which mates with the latching arm 80, 90 to releasably secure the dust cover 110 to the cleaning tool 20. [0034] While particular embodiments are illustrated in and described with respect to the drawings, it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the scope of the disclosure and the appended claims is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated in and discussed with respect to the drawings and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure and appended drawings. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosure and the appended claims.

Claims

We claim: 1. A cleaning tool configured to clean terminal ends of optical fiber connectors comprising:

a proximal body portion;

a distal body portion;

a flexible portion connecting the proximal and distal body portions and configured to allow the distance between the proximal and distal body portions to be varied;

a cleaning pad attached to the distal body portion.

2. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the cleaning pad comprises a pad having an adhesive face, the adhesive face being covered by a releasable protective liner.

3. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 2, wherein the pad is attached to the distal body portion by adhesive.

4. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the cleaning pad is formed of adhesive.

5. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the cleaning pad is formed of a plurality of layers, the layers being comprised of at least two adhesive layers on opposite sides of the cleaning pad.

6. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the proximal and distal body portions and the flexible portion are integrally formed of plastic.

7. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the proximal and distal body portions and the flexible portion are integrally formed of metal.

8. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the proximal and distal body portions and the flexible portion are formed of plastic.

9. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the proximal and distal body portions and the flexible portion are formed of metal.

10. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the flexible portion has a serpentine shape.

11. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 1, further comprising a flexible latch arm extending from the proximal body portion.

12. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the latch arm has a protrusion thereon.

13. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 1, further comprising a removable dust cap attached to the body.

14. A cleaning tool configured to clean terminal ends of optical fiber connectors comprising:

a proximal body portion;

a distal body portion;

a flexible portion connecting the proximal and distal body portions, the flexible portion being integrally formed; and

a cleaning pad attached to the distal body portion.

15. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 14, wherein the cleaning pad comprises a pad having an adhesive face, the adhesive face being covered by a releasable protective liner.

16. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 15, wherein the pad is attached to the distal body portion by adhesive.

17. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 14, wherein the cleaning pad is formed of adhesive.

18. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 14, wherein the flexible portion comprises a malleable material configured to contract when compressed.

19. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 14, further comprising a flexible latch arm extending from the proximal body portion.

20. The cleaning tool as defined in claim 14, wherein the latch arm has a protrusion thereon.