JP2000023900A - Cleaning equipment for multi-core optical connectors - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an efficient cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector which can clean a wide end face of the multi-core optical connector and can surely remove matching grease applied to the end face. Make it an issue. SOLUTION: An unused portion is exposed by feeding out a tape-shaped cleaning cloth 2 wound on a reel,
In the cleaning device 1 of the multi-core optical connector 4 which presses the end face 4a of the multi-core optical connector 4 against the clean portion of the cleaning cloth 2 and cleans the end face 4a of the multi-core optical connector 4, the cleaning cloth 2 which receives the pressing force is used. The uneven surface 3 having a cycle length L1 shorter than the width W1 of the end surface 4a of the multi-core optical connector 4 and arranged on the back side of the clean portion.
a soft rubber-like pad 3 having a.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector for cleaning an end face of an optical connector used in fields such as optical communication and optical information processing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in optical information communication using optical fibers, opportunities for optical fiber connection work using optical connectors have been increasing. Various types of single-core, multi-core, etc. optical connectors have been devised and used in accordance with the intended use, the number of optical fibers of the optical connector, and the like.
However, regardless of the type of the optical connector, the end face of the optical connector and the exposed portion of the optical fiber are very sensitive to dirt such as minute dust, dust, oil and fat. Therefore, when connecting the optical connector, it is necessary to clean the end face of the optical connector.

In general, for cleaning optical connectors, a method has been used in which a long-fiber-type (lint-free) clean nonwoven fabric is moistened with an organic solvent such as alcohol or acetone to clean the end face of the optical connector. This method is very effective for removing dirt from the end face of the optical connector. However, the use of organic solvents requires ventilation during operation. In addition, in order to use a liquid container for storing an organic solvent, a horizontal surface such as a fixed desk is required. Therefore, cleaning using an organic solvent is mainly suitable for indoor work.

[0004] However, the range of use of the optical connector has been expanded, and the opportunities for connecting the optical connector not only indoors but also outdoors or on telephone poles have been increasing. For this reason, portable cleaning equipment that does not use an organic solvent and can be handled with one hand has been used. A portable cleaning device uses a porous cloth tape for cleaning the end face of the optical connector. Then, a soft rubber-like pad (silicone resin) that supports the cloth tape and has elasticity is arranged on the back surface side of the cloth tape in a portion where the end face is cleaned.

FIG. 6 shows a conventional optical connector cleaning tool 51. In the optical connector cleaning device 51, an unused porous cleaning cloth tape 52 is wound around a feed reel 54, and the cleaned cleaning cloth tape 52 is wound around a receiving reel 55. The configuration is such that the tape 52 appears in the cleaning section 51a. And in the cleaning part 51a,
A template 56 for guiding the optical connector in the cleaning direction on the upper surface of the cleaning cloth tape 52, and a soft rubber pad 5 on the lower surface.
3 are provided. The optical connector cleaning tool 51 sends out an unused cleaning cloth tape 52 from the feed reel 54. Then, as shown in FIG. 7A, the ferrule 57 of the single-core optical connector is moved while being pressed against the cleaning cloth tape 52 along the cleaning hole 56a of the template 56. At this time, as shown in FIG.
Is elastically deformed to form the concave portion 53a, so that the cleaning cloth tape 52 also includes the concave portion 52a that wraps the tip of the ferrule 57.
To form As a result, when the ferrule 57 is moved in one direction, the cleaning cloth tape 52 sucks dirt such as dust, dirt, and grease from the end face 57a of the ferrule 57 in a porous manner between the fibers in the cloth. As a result, the end face 5 of the ferrule 57
In 7a, cleaning equal to or higher than cleaning by a clean nonwoven fabric moistened with an organic solvent is efficiently performed.

[0006]

However, as shown in FIG. 8, when the multi-core optical connector 58 is cleaned by the optical connector cleaning tool 51, the end face edge 58c becomes an obstacle when the multi-core optical connector 58 is moved. . This is because the end face 58a of the multi-core optical connector 58 has a wider plane than the size of the cleaning portion of the optical connector cleaning tool 51. Therefore, a cap G1 is formed between the end face 58a and the cleaning cloth tape 52. As a result, the cleaning cloth tape 52 does not contact the optical fiber end face group 58b located at the center of the end face 58a of the multi-core optical connector 58, and the end face 58a of the multi-core optical connector 58 cannot be sufficiently cleaned.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, when the multi-core optical connector 58 is pressed vertically against the cleaning cloth tape 52, the soft rubber-like pad 53 forms a concave portion 53b, and the cleaning cloth tape 52 is also formed. The recess 52c is formed. This is because the area of the end face 58a of the multi-core optical connector 58 is large. Therefore, a cap G2 is formed between the end face 58a and the cleaning cloth tape 52. As a result, the cleaning cloth tape 52 does not contact the optical fiber end face group 58b, and the end face 58a of the multi-core optical connector 58 cannot be sufficiently cleaned.

Further, in the multi-core optical connector 58, a refractive index matching agent (hereinafter, referred to as matching grease) is usually applied to the end face 58a to reduce the end face reflection of the optical fiber. Since dust and the like adhere to the matching grease, the optical connector cleaning tool 51 must also wipe the matching grease. However, as shown in FIG. 9, when the cleaning cloth tape 52 is pressed against the multi-core optical connector 58, a raised portion 52b is formed in the cleaning direction. Therefore, the matching grease applied to the end face 58a gathers on the raised portion 52b, and the matching grease may be re-applied to the optical fiber end face group 58b during cleaning.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an efficient cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector which can clean a wide end face of the multi-core optical connector and can surely remove matching grease applied to the end face. is there.

[0010]

According to the present invention, there is provided a cleaning device for a multi-fiber optical connector according to the present invention, in which an unused portion is exposed by unwinding a tape-shaped cleaning cloth wound on a reel. In a cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector for pressing an end face of a core optical connector against a clean portion of the cleaning cloth and cleaning an end face of the multi-core optical connector, a back side of a cleaning portion of the cleaning cloth which receives the pressing force. And a soft rubber-like pad having a concave-convex surface having a periodic length shorter than the lateral width of the end face of the multi-core optical connector.

Further, in the cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector, the uneven surface of the soft rubber pad has a wavy pattern having a convex portion in a direction opposite to the cleaning direction of the multi-core optical connector in plan view. It is characterized by the following.

Further, in the cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector, a gap substantially equal to a depth width of an end face of the multi-core optical connector is provided on both sides of the convex portion of the wavy pattern of the uneven surface of the soft rubber pad. And a groove parallel to the cleaning direction is provided across the uneven surface.

The cleaning device for a multi-fiber optical connector according to the present invention has a periodic uneven shape such as a sinusoidal curve on the surface of the soft rubber pad on the cleaning cloth side. Then, when viewed in cross section, the periodic length of the periodically repeated irregularities is shorter than the width in the cleaning direction of the end face of the multi-core optical connector to be cleaned. At the time of cleaning the multi-fiber optical connector, the end face group of the optical fibers located at the center of the end face of the multi-fiber optical connector can be reliably cleaned with a cleaning cloth covering the projections of the uneven surface. Further, by forming a wavy pattern having a convex shape in a direction opposite to the cleaning direction on the uneven surface, the matching grease residue is pushed out from the central portion of the multi-core optical connector to both sides. Moreover, matching
By providing grooves on both sides of the convex portion of the wavy pattern on the uneven surface on which the grease residue is swept away, the matching grease residue can be reliably removed.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning unit of a cleaning device 1 for a multi-core optical connector, and FIG. The cleaning device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is different from the optical connector cleaning device 51 shown in FIG.
It is characterized by the following. Therefore, the cleaning section of the cleaning device 1 will be described in detail.

In the cleaning apparatus 1, an unused portion of a tape-shaped cleaning cloth 2 wound around a feed reel (not shown) is fed to a cleaning section. On the upper surface 2a side of the cleaning cloth 2, the multi-core optical connector 4 is cleaned. Then, the used cleaning cloth 2 is wound up on a receiving reel (not shown). At this time, the cleaning cloth 2 is pulled from both sides of the feed reel and the receiving reel,
It is in a state where it is stretched in the clean part. This is a structure in which a tension is applied to a feed reel and a receiving reel by a spring and pulled. The drive source for rotating each reel is not particularly limited, and may be a manual drive or a configuration using a motor or the like.

As the cleaning cloth 2, a commercially available polyester cloth of Miralation (manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) is used, but the material is not particularly limited as long as it is porous and woven with fine fibers. For example, polyester-based or nylon-based is used.

On the lower surface 2b side of the cleaning cloth 2, a support member (not shown) for supporting the pad 3 is provided. Pad 3
When cleaning the end face 4a of the multi-core optical connector 4 with the cleaning cloth 2,
The cleaning cloth 2 and the multi-core optical connector 4 are elastically supported from the lower surface 2b side.

The pad 3 is made of a soft rubber having a high elasticity. The pad 3 is not particularly limited as long as it is made of a material having excellent weather resistance and an organic solvent resistance to acetone, alcohol, and the like. For example, synthetic rubber or the like may be used, but silicone rubber has particularly excellent properties in weather resistance and organic solvent resistance.

The pad 3 has an uneven surface 3a on the surface on the cleaning cloth 2 side. The concave-convex surface 3a has a shape in which a concave-convex shape such as a sinusoidal curve is repeated at regular intervals in a sectional view in parallel with the cleaning direction (see FIG. 2). The period length L1 of the uneven surface 3a is shorter than the width W1 of the end surface 4a of the multi-fiber optical connector 4. In addition, the cycle length L1 is the length of the unevenness for one cycle when the uneven surface 3a is viewed in cross section. On the other hand, the width W1 is the length of a side parallel to the cleaning direction when cleaning the multi-core optical connector 4 on the end face 4a of the multi-core optical connector 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, when cleaning the multi-core optical connector 4 with the cleaning device 1, the end face 4 a of the multi-core optical connector 4 is pressed against the cleaning cloth 2. Then, the multi-core optical connector 4 is moved in the cleaning direction. The end face 4a of the multi-core optical connector 4 is formed by a template (not shown) having a rectangular hole.
May be moved along. During cleaning, the cleaning cloth 2 is supported by the pad 3 from the lower surface 2b side. At that time, cleaning cloth 2
Is deformed along the uneven surface 3a of the pad 3. Then, the cleaning cloth 2 covering the convex portion 3b of the pad 3 comes into contact with the end face 4a without fail. Therefore, the optical fiber end face group 4b at the center of the end face 4a is surely cleaned. At this time, dirt such as dust, dirt, and grease on the end face 4a of the multi-fiber optical connector 4 is absorbed by the porous material between the fibers of the cleaning cloth 2.

In the cleaning device 1 described above, the pad 3 has an uneven surface 3
By forming a, the end face 4a of the multi-core optical connector 4 can be surely cleaned. Further, the cleaning operation is simple, and the cleaning can be efficiently performed in a short time.

Hereinafter, a second embodiment of a cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 3 shows a pad 1 of a cleaning device 11 for a multi-core optical connector.
3 is a perspective view and a cross-sectional view taken along line AA. FIG.
It is a B sectional view. The cleaning device 11 is a device in which the shape of the uneven surface 3a of the pad 3 is further different from the cleaning device 1 of the first embodiment. Therefore, cleaning equipment 1
The shape of one pad 13 will be described in detail.

The multi-fiber optical connector 4 is usually coated with a matching grease on the end face 4a in order to reduce the end face reflection of the optical fiber. However, if the amount of application is large, not all matching grease can be sucked between the fibers of the cleaning cloth 2. Therefore, the matching grease residue 5 that has not been absorbed remains between the cleaning cloth 2 and the multi-core optical connector 4 (see FIG. 2). In this case, even if the pad 3 has the uneven surface 3a, the matching grease cannot be completely removed. Conversely, the matching grease residue 5 may be stretched along the cleaning direction and re-applied to the end face 4a of the multi-core optical connector 4. Therefore, in the cleaning device 11, the pad 13
The concave and convex surface 13a has a further characteristic so that matching grease can be removed.

The pad 13 is made of the same material as the pad 3 of the first embodiment. The pad 13 has a concave-convex surface 13a that repeats irregularities at a constant period similarly to the pad 3. Further, the uneven surface 13a has a curved curve 13d having a curved curve convex portion 13e in a direction opposite to the cleaning direction in a plan view (see FIG. 4). The curved curve 13d is formed in one cycle of unevenness having a convex portion 13b and a concave portion 13c, and forms a wavy pattern including a large number of curved curves 13d on the uneven surface 13a.

When the multi-core optical connector 4 is cleaned by the cleaning device 11, the multi-core optical connector 4 is
Scan from the e side. At this time, the matching grease residue not absorbed by the cleaning cloth (not shown) is flushed from the center of the uneven surface 13a to both sides along the curved curve 13d (see FIG. 4). As a result, the multi-core optical connector 4
When the end surface 4a of the second member passes through several convex portions 13b and concave portions 13c, the amount of the matching grease residue gradually decreases, and is almost completely removed at the end of the concave and convex surface 13a.

The above-mentioned cleaning tool 11 can remove the matching grease residue efficiently by forming a wavy pattern on the uneven surface 13a of the pad 13 in addition to the uneven shape. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the matching grease residue from being reapplied to the end face 4a of the multi-core optical connector 4.

Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 5 is a plan view and a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of the multi-fiber optical connector when it is cleaned by the cleaning tool 21. The cleaning device 21
A pad 13 is provided for the cleaning tool 11 of the second embodiment.
A groove is provided for surely removing the matching grease residue. Therefore, the configuration of the pad 23 of the cleaning tool 21 will be described in detail.

The pad 23 of the cleaning tool 21 has an uneven surface 23a having a wavy pattern composed of a curved curve 23d having a concave and convex shape repeated at a constant period and a curved curve convex portion 23e, similarly to the pad 13 of the second embodiment. To form
In order to effectively use the width of the cleaning cloth (not shown) on the uneven surface 23a, a wavy pattern that can be cleaned twice on the same surface is formed. For this purpose, a wavy pattern having two curved curve projections 23e, 23e in a one-period uneven shape is formed. As a result, the first clean portion 2
3f and a second cleaning unit 23g.

On the uneven surface 23a of the pad 23, a separating groove 26 is formed in parallel with the cleaning direction. The separating groove 26 is formed on both sides of the curved curve 23d with the curved curve convex portion 23e interposed therebetween. Since the concave and convex surface 23a has two curved curve convex portions 23e and 23e in a one-period concave and convex shape, the separating groove 26 is constituted by three grooves 26a, 26b and 26c.
The separation groove 26 is formed at a constant depth across the uneven surface 23a in plan view. The separation groove interval S1, which is the interval between the groove 26a and the groove 26b, and the interval between the groove 26b and the groove 26c, is set to be substantially equal to the depth width W2 of the end face 4a of the multi-core optical connector 4.
The width that is substantially equal to the depth width W2 is a width that can ensure the maximum area of the end face 4a to be cleaned and can surely drop the matching grease residue into the separation groove 26. In the present embodiment, the separation groove interval S1 is slightly shorter than the depth width W2. The depth width W2 is a length of a side perpendicular to the cleaning direction when cleaning the multi-core optical connector 4 on the end face 4a of the multi-core optical connector 4.

When the multi-fiber optical connector 4 is cleaned by the cleaning device 21, the first cleaning is performed by the first cleaning unit 23f and the second cleaning is performed.
The second cleaning is performed by the cleaning unit 23g. In the first clean,
The matching grease residue is flushed to both sides of the curved curve 23d, and is reliably captured in the separation groove 26. Therefore, the matching grease residue can be almost completely removed by the first cleaning, and the second cleaning unit 23g is completely cleaned with respect to the second cleaning. And
In the second cleaning, the end face 4a of the multi-core optical connector 4 is completely cleaned.

The above-mentioned cleaning tool 21 reliably flushes the matching grease residue, and further reliably removes the matching grease residue from the portion of the uneven surface 23a to be cleaned by the separating groove 26. Also, 1
Since it is configured to be able to clean twice on one side,
The grease residue can be removed and the end face 4a of the multi-core optical connector 4 can be reliably cleaned.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be implemented in various forms. For example, in the cleaning device according to the third embodiment, a wavy pattern that can be cleaned twice on the same surface is formed, but a wavy pattern that can be cleaned once and three times on the same surface is formed depending on the width of the cleaning cloth. May be.

[0033]

Embodiment 1 Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 will be described. A cleaning device A is manufactured with the configuration of the cleaning device 1 according to the first embodiment. The cleaning cloth has a width of 17 mm and uses a porous fine fiber cloth (Miraclation (manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.)).
The pad has a width of 25 mm, a total length of 50 mm, and a thickness of 3 m
m and formed of soft silicone rubber. Further, on the pad, sinusoidal irregularities having a depth of 1 mm and a period length of 0.8 mm are periodically formed on the contact surface with the cleaning cloth.

In order to verify the cleaning effect of the cleaning device A on the multi-core optical connector, comparative evaluation was performed with other cleaning methods. The cleaning methods to be compared are non-cleaning, cleaning using a cleaning non-woven fabric moistened with an organic solvent, and cleaning using a cleaning device including a flat pad as shown in FIG.

<Evaluation Method> Eight-core single mode fiber (hereinafter referred to as SMF: outer diameter 125 μm, core diameter 9.
8 μm MT connector plug (hereinafter referred to as S
Described as MF8MT: made of molded resin, connection surface 6.5 mm width,
2.5 mm height; total length of connector is 12 mm, and eight-core multimode fiber (hereinafter referred to as MMF: outer diameter 125)
8-fiber MT connector plug (hereinafter, referred to as MMF8MT: fixing resin, connection surface 6.5 mm width, 2.5 mm height; total length of connector 12 m)
m). The connection loss evaluation procedure is as follows (1)
To (4). (1) Standard value measurement SMF8MT vs. MMF8MT Insert guide pins and apply matching grease (2) Separate SMF8MT and MMF8MT (3) Clean contact surfaces of SMF8MT and MMF8MT with each cleaning method, insert guide pins, and insert matching pins
Grease application (4) SMF8MT and MMF8MT are connected and connection loss measurement The above (1) to (4) are repeated 20 times.

<Connection Loss Measurement Method> The connection loss was 1.3.
μm and 1.5 μm LED light is introduced from the SMF and passed through the connection between the SMF8MT and the MMF8MT,
The light emitted from F is measured with an optical power meter. In addition,
The cleaning effect is evaluated based on the variation of the connection loss value at each time.

Table 1 shows a comparative evaluation by each cleaning method.
The connection loss error was calculated for each of the 20 repetitions.
This is the maximum value of connection loss variation at each port. The required time is the time required for cleaning.

[Table 1]

As can be seen from Table 1, connection reproducibility as high as that obtained by cleaning using the cleaning device A cannot be obtained as much as cleaning using a cleaning nonwoven fabric moistened with an organic solvent. However, the connection reproducibility is improved as compared with the conventional cleaning using a cleaning device including a flat pad. Therefore, it can be seen that the cleaning effect is improved by forming the uneven shape. Also, in terms of cleaning time,
It can be cleaned in a short time as compared with cleaning using a cleaning nonwoven fabric moistened with an organic solvent.

The second embodiment will be described below. Second
A cleaning device B is manufactured with the configuration of the cleaning device 11 of the embodiment. The cleaning cloth is the same as the cleaning cloth of the cleaning device A of the first embodiment. The pad forms a wavy pattern with a curved curve having a radius of 3 mm on the uneven surface of the pad of the cleaning device A. In addition,
At the time of cleaning, scanning of the multi-core optical connector is performed from the convex side of the curved curve.

In order to verify the cleaning effect of the cleaning device B on the multi-core optical connector, a comparative evaluation was performed with other cleaning methods.
The cleaning methods to be compared are cleaning with a cleaning nonwoven fabric moistened with an organic solvent, cleaning with a cleaning tool composed of flat pads as shown in FIG. 6, and cleaning with the cleaning tool A of Example 1. <Evaluation method> and <Connection loss measuring method> are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Table 2 shows comparative evaluations by each cleaning method.
The connection loss error was calculated for each of the 20 repetitions.
This is the maximum value of connection loss variation at each port. The required time is the time required for cleaning.

[Table 2]

As can be seen from Table 2, the cleaning by the cleaning device B improves the connection reproducibility as compared with the cleaning by the cleaning device A. Here, it is understood that the matching grease residue can be removed by forming a wavy pattern having a curved curve. In addition, in terms of the cleaning time, the cleaning can be performed in a shorter time as compared with the cleaning using the cleaning nonwoven fabric moistened with an organic solvent.

The third embodiment will be described below. Third
The cleaning device C is manufactured with the configuration of the cleaning device 21 of the embodiment. The cleaning cloth is the same as the cleaning cloth of the cleaning device A of the first embodiment. As for the pad, a separating groove is formed on the uneven surface of the pad of the cleaning tool B of Example 2 in parallel with the cleaning direction. In addition,
Scanning of the multi-core optical connector during cleaning is performed from the convex side of the curved curve.

In order to verify the cleaning effect of the cleaning device C on the multi-core optical connector, comparative evaluation was performed with other cleaning methods.
The cleaning methods to be compared are cleaning using a cleaning nonwoven fabric moistened with an organic solvent, cleaning using the cleaning tool A in Example 1, and cleaning using the cleaning tool B in Example 2. <Evaluation method> and <Connection loss measuring method> are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Table 3 shows comparative evaluations by each cleaning method.
The connection loss error was calculated for each of the 20 repetitions.
This is the maximum value of connection loss variation at each port. The required time is the time required for cleaning.

[Table 3]

As can be seen from Table 3, the cleaning by the cleaning device C further improves the connection reproducibility from the cleaning by the cleaning device B, and the same connection reproducibility as the cleaning by the cleaning nonwoven fabric moistened with an organic solvent is obtained. In addition, in terms of the cleaning time, the cleaning can be performed in a shorter time as compared with the cleaning using the cleaning nonwoven fabric moistened with an organic solvent. Therefore, it can be seen that the end face of the multi-fiber optical connector can be cleaned very efficiently by forming the corrugated pattern having the concave and convex shape, the curved curve, and the separating groove on the pad.

[0047]

As described above, the cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector according to the present invention can reliably clean the end face of the multi-core optical connector by forming the irregularities which are repeated on the pad at regular intervals. it can. Further, by forming the wavy pattern and the separating groove in the pad, the matching grease can be completely removed. Therefore, the multi-fiber optical connector cleaning device of the present invention is a highly efficient cleaning device that can achieve high connection reproducibility comparable to a cleaning nonwoven fabric moistened with an organic solvent and can be cleaned in a short working time. . Further, the cleaning device of the multi-core optical connector of the present invention,
Since no organic solvent is used, the working place is not limited.
Moreover, the multi-core optical connector can be cleaned with a simple operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning unit of a cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the multi-fiber optical connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention when it is cleaned by a cleaning device.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a pad of a cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention. (A) It is a perspective view of a pad. (B) It is the sectional view on the AA line of a figure.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a multi-fiber optical connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention when it is cleaned by a cleaning device. (A) It is a top view at the time of cleaning. (B) It is a BB sectional drawing of the pad of (a) figure.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a multi-core optical connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention when it is cleaned by a cleaning device. (A) It is a top view at the time of cleaning. (B) It is CC sectional view taken on the line of (a).

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional optical connector cleaning device.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view at the time of cleaning with the optical connector cleaning device of FIG. 6; (A) It is a perspective view at the time of cleaning with an optical connector cleaning tool. (B) It is an expanded sectional view at the time of cleaning with an optical connector cleaning instrument.

8 is a cross-sectional view of the optical connector cleaning device of FIG. 6 when the multi-core optical connector is cleaned.

9 is a cross-sectional view of the optical connector cleaning device of FIG. 6 when the multi-core optical connector is cleaned.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 11, 21 ... cleaning equipment 2 ... cleaning cloth 3, 13, 23 ... pad 4 ... multi-core optical connector 5 ... matching grease residue 26 ... separation groove W1 ..Width of end face of multi-core optical connector W2: Depth width of end face of multi-core optical connector L1: Periodic length of uneven surface of pad S1: Separation groove interval

Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Osamu Nagai Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation 3-9-1-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (72) Inventor Shinichi Iwano 3-192-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Telephone Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 2H036 AA02 GA19

Claims (3)

[Claims] An unused portion is exposed by feeding out a tape-shaped cleaning cloth wound on a reel, and an end face of the multi-core optical connector is pressed against the cleaning portion of the cleaning cloth.
In the cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector for cleaning an end face of the multi-core optical connector, the cleaning device is disposed on a back side of a cleaning portion of the cleaning cloth which receives the pressing force, and has a cycle shorter than a width of an end surface of the multi-core optical connector. A cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector, comprising a soft rubber-like pad having a long uneven surface. 2. The uneven surface of the soft rubber-like pad has a wave-like pattern having a convex portion in a direction opposite to a cleaning direction of the multi-core optical connector in plan view.
2. A cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector according to item 1. 3. A groove parallel to the cleaning direction at intervals substantially equal to the depth of the end face of the multi-fiber optical connector, on both sides of the convex part of the wavy pattern on the uneven surface of the soft rubber-like pad. 3. The cleaning device for a multi-core optical connector according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning device is provided across the uneven surface.