WO2018168172A1 - Cleaning tool for optical connector and cleaning method for optical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a cleaning tool for cleaning an end face of a ferrule of an optical connector. This cleaning tool is provided with: a nozzle (42) for spraying gas to an end face of a ferrule; a holding part (44) for holding the nozzle 42; and a discharge hole (46) for discharging the gas sprayed from the end face of the ferrule. The nozzle (42) is held by the holding part (44) such that the axis line thereof is within a range of 0±20° with respect to a normal line to the end face of the ferrule.

Description

Optical connector cleaning tool and optical connector cleaning method

The present invention relates to an optical connector cleaning tool and an optical connector cleaning method.
This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-052450 filed on Mar. 17, 2017, and incorporates all the description content described in the above Japanese application.

Patent Document 1 discloses an optical connector cleaning tool that can clean the joining end face of an MT ferrule with a cleaning tape. Patent document 2 discloses the optical connector cleaning tool provided with both the cleaning sheet part and the gas ejection part. In this cleaning tool, the cleaning sheet portion is installed in front of the optical connector plug insertion direction, and the gas ejection portion is arranged to face the diagonal direction so that gas can be ejected from the oblique direction of the inserted optical connector plug. ing. Patent Document 3 discloses a cleaning tool that cleans the ferrule end face of an optical connector using a cleaning member around which dust-free cleaning paper is wound.

JP 2004-326054 A Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-151599 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-227943

The cleaning tool for the optical connector according to the present disclosure relates to a cleaning tool for cleaning the ferrule end face of the optical connector. The cleaning tool includes a nozzle for injecting gas to the ferrule end surface, a holding unit for holding the nozzle, and a discharge hole for discharging the gas injected to the ferrule end surface. The nozzle is held by the holding portion so that its axis is within a range of 0 ± 20 ° with respect to the normal of the ferrule end face.

The optical connector cleaning method of the present disclosure relates to a cleaning method using the optical connector cleaning tool described above. This cleaning method includes a step of preparing the optical connector so that the ferrule end surface of the optical connector can be cleaned, a step of preparing the cleaning tool of the optical connector, and a nozzle outlet of the cleaning tool facing the ferrule end surface. In this manner, the cleaning tool is positioned with respect to the optical connector, and after the positioning step, a predetermined cleaning gas is introduced into the nozzle and ejected from the ejection port to clean the ferrule end face.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a connector connection structure in which a pair of MPO connectors are connected by an adapter. FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a semi-connected structure in which one MPO connector is removed from the connector connecting structure shown in FIG. 2B is a view of the semi-connected structure shown in FIG. 2A as viewed from the left side in the figure. FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing a state before the cleaning tool of the first embodiment is inserted into the semi-connected structure shown in FIG. 2A. FIG. 3B is a perspective view showing a state after the cleaning tool is inserted into the semi-connected structure. FIG. 4A is a plan view of the cleaning connection structure shown in FIG. 3B as viewed from above. FIG. 4B is a plan view showing a state where the adapter is omitted from the cleaning connection structure shown in FIG. 4A. 5A is a perspective view of the cleaning connecting structure shown in FIG. 3B as viewed from the left side in the figure. FIG. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an internal state when the cleaning connection structure shown in FIG. 3B is performed. FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the cleaning coupling structure shown in FIG. 3B as viewed from below. 6B is a longitudinal sectional view of the cleaning connection structure shown in FIG. 6A. FIG. 7A is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the cleaning tool of the second embodiment is inserted into an adapter having a semi-connected structure. FIG. 7B is a longitudinal sectional view of the cleaning coupling structure shown in FIG. 7A. FIG. 8A is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the cleaning tool of the third embodiment is inserted into an adapter having a semi-connected structure. FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning coupling structure shown in FIG. 8A. FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing a modification of the cleaning connection structure shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. FIG. 9B is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the modified example shown in FIG. 9A. FIG. 10A is a perspective view showing another modification of the cleaning coupling structure shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. FIG. 10B is a perspective view showing still another modified example of the cleaning coupling structure shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. FIG. 11A is a photograph showing a cleaning state of the ferrule end face of the optical connector by the cleaning tool according to the embodiment, and is a view showing an initial state before dust adheres. FIG. 11B is a photograph showing a cleaning state of the ferrule end face of the optical connector by the cleaning tool according to the example, and is a view showing a state where dust is attached. FIG. 11C is a photograph showing a cleaning state of the ferrule end face of the optical connector by the cleaning tool according to the example, and is a diagram showing a state after cleaning by the cleaning tool.

[Problems to be solved by the present disclosure]
The wiping type cleaning tool shown in Patent Document 1 and the like is used for cleaning a PC type (Physical Contact) optical connector that optically connects optical fibers held by an optical connector to each other. However, in such a cleaning tool, the cleaning tape needs to be reliably brought into contact with the area to be cleaned on the end face of the connector, so that the configuration of the cleaning tool becomes complicated. In recent years, a lens connector for optical connection or a non-contact type connector for realizing optical connection in a state where a gap is provided between optical fibers has been developed. In the non-contact type connector, dust or the like is not firmly adhered to the fiber end surface by physical contact as in the PC type, and a simple and efficient cleaning method is being demanded.

[Effects of the present disclosure]
According to the optical connector cleaning tool and the cleaning method of the present disclosure, the optical connector can be efficiently cleaned by simpler means.

[Description of Embodiment of the Present Invention]
First, embodiments of the present invention will be listed and described. The cleaning tool which concerns on 1 aspect of this invention is a cleaning tool for cleaning the ferrule end surface of an optical connector, Comprising: The nozzle for injecting gas with respect to a ferrule end surface, The holding | maintenance part holding a nozzle, A ferrule A discharge hole for discharging the gas injected to the end face. The nozzle is held by the holding portion so that its axis is within a range of 0 ± 20 ° with respect to the normal of the ferrule end face.

In this cleaning tool, the nozzle is held by the holding unit so that the axis of the nozzle is within a range of 0 ± 20 ° with respect to the normal of the ferrule end surface, and the gas injected to the ferrule end surface is discharged. A discharge hole is provided separately. In this case, the cleaning gas is jetted from the front side of the ferrule end face, and the collision force of the jet gas can be directly applied to the dust or the like adhering to the ferrule end face. It can be removed from the end face. Moreover, since this cleaning tool is separately provided with a discharge hole for discharging the cleaning gas sprayed onto the ferrule end face, the removed dust or the like is once discharged to the outside so as not to adhere to the ferrule end face again. be able to. As described above, according to this cleaning tool, the optical connector can be efficiently cleaned by simpler means than a cleaning tool using a cleaning tape or the like.

In the above cleaning tool, the nozzle may be held by the holding portion so that the axis thereof is shifted from the center in the width direction of the cleaning tool toward the side portion. In this case, it becomes easy to realize that the discharge hole for discharging the cleaning gas to the outside has a predetermined cross-sectional area, and the cleaning of the optical connector is more reliably performed by reliably discharging the cleaning gas. be able to. In particular, when the optical connector is downsized, it may be difficult to realize a configuration in which the discharge hole has a cross-sectional area greater than or equal to a predetermined value. It becomes possible.

In the above cleaning tool, the nozzle may be configured such that the tip thereof is separated from the ferrule end face, and the separation distance may be 2 mm or more and 10 mm or less. In an optical connector (for example, an MPO connector) used for cleaning, a guide pin for positioning with another connector that is paired may protrude from a ferrule end face. According to the above configuration, the nozzle is a guide. It is possible to prevent contact with pins and causing interference. Further, since the separation distance of the nozzle from the ferrule end face is 10 mm or less, the cleaning gas ejected from the nozzle can be caused to collide with the ferrule end face before the collision force (cleaning ability) is weakened. Therefore, the cleaning of the ferrule end face can be realized more reliably.

The cleaning tool may further include at least one of a reference surface or a protrusion for defining a separation distance between the tip of the nozzle and the ferrule end surface. In this case, since the separation distance between the nozzle tip and the ferrule end surface can be kept within a predetermined design value during cleaning, the ferrule end surface is cleaned without depending on the skill of the worker who performs the cleaning operation. Can be realized more reliably.

In the above cleaning tool, the inner diameter of the nozzle may be equal to or less than the minor axis length of the ferrule end face. In this case, since the reduction in the flow velocity of the cleaning gas due to the nozzle having an excessively large inner diameter can be suppressed, the ferrule end face can be cleaned with the cleaning gas having a strong collision force. Moreover, since cleaning gas can be sprayed with respect to a required part, without exerting cleaning gas to area | regions other than a ferrule end surface, cleaning efficiency can be improved.

In the cleaning tool, the nozzle is fixed at a predetermined angle within a range of 0 ± 20 ° with respect to the normal of the ferrule end face, or the jet angle is normal to the ferrule end face. However, it may be held by the holding part so as to be variable within a range of 0 ± 20 °. When the nozzle is fixed, the arrangement of the tools can be simplified. On the other hand, when the nozzle is variable, the cleaning gas can be uniformly applied to the entire ferrule end face, and more uniform cleaning can be realized.

In the above cleaning tool, the discharge hole may extend at least partially along a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the nozzle. In this case, the cleaning gas ejected from the nozzle collides with the end face of the ferrule (cleans) and returns to the outside without changing the flow of the gas, so it is removed by the cleaning gas. Dust and the like can be more reliably discharged to the outside.

In the cleaning tool described above, the discharge hole may extend at least partially along a direction intersecting with the axial direction of the nozzle. In this case, for example, since the discharge hole can be provided on the side surface of the cleaning tool or the like, the opening area of the discharge hole can be formed wider even with a cleaning tool for a small connector.

In the cleaning tool described above, the optical connector may be configured to be connected to another optical connector via an adapter, and the cleaning tool matches in at least a part of the connector holding gap inside the adapter. It may have an outer shape. In this case, the adapter can ensure the positional relationship in the surface direction between the ferrule end face of the optical connector and the tip of the nozzle of the cleaning tool at a predetermined set position, so that the cleaning scheduled area of the ferrule end face can be more reliably cleaned. can do.

The cleaning tool may further include a compressed gas source for supplying a cleaning gas to the nozzle. In this case, since the cleaning tool can be easily carried, the optical connector can be easily cleaned, and the working efficiency can be improved.

The cleaning tool may further include a probe-type imaging device that can observe the state of the ferrule end face. In this case, it can be easily confirmed whether or not the cleaning of the ferrule end face with the cleaning tool has been performed reliably. The cleaning tool may further include a shutter member positioned on the ferrule end face side of the imaging device. In this case, it is possible to prevent dust or the like that has risen due to cleaning of the ferrule end face from adhering to the imaging member. it can. Examples of the imaging device used here include a probe-type fiber end face scope.

Moreover, the cleaning method which concerns on 1 aspect of this invention is a process of preparing the said optical connector so that the ferrule end surface of an optical connector can be cleaned, the process of preparing the cleaning tool provided with one of the said structures, The cleaning tool After the step of positioning the cleaning tool with respect to the optical connector so that the nozzle outlet of the nozzle faces the ferrule end face, and the step of positioning, a predetermined cleaning gas is introduced into the nozzle and the cleaning gas is ejected from the outlet. And a step of cleaning the ferrule end face. In this case, the optical connector can be efficiently cleaned with simpler means as described above.

In the above cleaning method, the amount of the cleaning gas ejected from the nozzle may be an amount converted to 0.3 L / second or more when the inner diameter of the nozzle is 1 mm. In this case, it is possible to more reliably remove dust and the like adhering to the ferrule end face.

[Details of the embodiment of the present invention]
A cleaning tool and a cleaning method using the cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to these exemplifications, but is defined by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements in the description of the drawings, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

First, the connection structure of the optical connector cleaned by the cleaning tool according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a connector connection structure in which a pair of MPO connectors are connected by an adapter. In FIG. 1, illustration of optical fibers collected by each connector is omitted. FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a semi-connected structure in which one MPO connector is removed from the connector connecting structure shown in FIG. 2B is a view of the semi-connected structure shown in FIG. 2A as viewed from the left side in the figure. In the following description, an example of a cleaning tool and a cleaning method will be described taking an MPO connector as an example, but the application of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be similarly applied to other optical connectors. is there.

The MPO connectors 10 and 20 are multi-fiber optical connectors for connecting a plurality of optical fibers (for example, 12, 24, or 48) in a lump. As for the MPO connectors 10 and 20, a type having a guide pin (MPO connector 10) and a type having a hole for inserting a guide pin (MPO connector 20) constitute one pair, and an adapter 30 for connection is used. Connected to each other. The MPO connectors 10 and 20 are configured to optically couple the optical fibers in such a manner that the end surfaces of the ferrules do not contact each other when connected by the adapter 30. However, they may be configured to contact each other and optically couple by a PC (Physical Contact) method. The connection interface of each MPO connector is set in accordance with, for example, IEC 61754-7.

Such a connector connection structure 1 can be used for an apparatus such as a data center, for example, and is configured such that one MPO connector 10 and the adapter 30 are incorporated into the apparatus main body and cannot be easily removed. it can. 2A and 2B show a state of the semi-connected structure 1a in which the other MPO connector 20 is removed from the connector connecting structure 1 for cleaning. In FIG. 2B, the illustration of the tip of the optical fiber exposed to the ferrule end face 12 is omitted. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, in the semi-connected structure 1 a for cleaning, the MPO connector 10 having a pair of guide pins 14 protruding from the ferrule end surface 12 is stored in the adapter 30. Moreover, in the semi-connection structure 1a, the ferrule end face 12 of the MPO connector 10 is disposed deep inside the adapter 30 because of the connection structure through the adapter 30, and the cleaning of the ferrule end face 12 remains as it is. In this state, it is difficult to perform. The MPO connector 20 to be removed from the connector connection structure 1 has no adapter 30 or the like and its ferrule end face is exposed to the outside, so that it can be easily cleaned with a cleaning sheet or cleaning air. is there.

[First Embodiment]
Next, a first embodiment of a cleaning tool for cleaning the ferrule end face 12 of the MPO connector 10 included in the semi-connected structure 1a having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 6B. 3A is a perspective view showing a state before the cleaning tool of the first embodiment is inserted into the semi-connected structure shown in FIG. 2A, and FIG. 3B is a diagram after the cleaning tool is inserted into the semi-connected structure. It is a perspective view which shows a state. 4A is a plan view of the cleaning connection structure shown in FIG. 3B as viewed from above, and FIG. 4B is a plan view in which the adapter is omitted from the cleaning connection structure shown in FIG. 4A. 5A is a perspective view of the cleaning connection structure shown in FIG. 3B as viewed from the left side, and FIG. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an internal state when the cleaning connection structure shown in FIG. 3B is performed. is there. 6A is a perspective view of the cleaning connection structure shown in FIG. 3B as viewed from the opposite angle (downward), and FIG. 6B is a longitudinal sectional view of the cleaning connection structure shown in FIG. 6A.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the cleaning tool 40 is inserted into the insertion side opening 32 for the other MPO connector 20 in the semi-connecting structure 1 a described above and cleaned with respect to the ferrule end surface 12 of the MPO connector 10. It is a tool which injects compressed air (cleaning gas) for cleaning. The cleaning tool 40 is a tool having a substantially rectangular appearance, and includes an air nozzle 42, a holding portion 44, and a discharge hole 46. In the cleaning tool 40, a holding portion 44 is provided on one side 40b side in the width direction of a synthetic resin tool body having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a discharge hole 46 is provided on the other side portion 40c side. Both are formed integrally. However, the holding part 44 and the discharge hole 46 may be provided separately. In the cleaning tool 40, the ferrule end face 12 may be cleaned by injecting uncompressed air.

4A and 4B, the air nozzle 42 is a cylindrical nozzle for injecting compressed air onto the ferrule end face 12, and is made of, for example, a synthetic resin. The inner diameter of the air nozzle 42 is preferably less than or equal to the short axis length (for example, 2.5 mm) of the ferrule end surface 12, and may be, for example, a diameter of 1 mm or more and 2 mm or less. The front end side of the air nozzle 42 is held by the holding portion 44 so that the front end 42 a does not protrude from the front end 40 a of the cleaning tool 40 and is positioned inside the front end 40 a. The air nozzle 42 is held by the holding portion 44 so as to be shifted from the center in the width direction of the cleaning tool 40 toward the one side portion 40b, and on the other side portion 40c side in the width direction of the cleaning tool 40, a ferrule end face is provided. A discharge hole 46 is provided for discharging the compressed air that has been jetted to 12. The discharge hole 46 is an opening having a substantially rectangular shape in cross section that penetrates from the front end 40 a to the rear end 40 d of the cleaning tool 40, and extends along a direction substantially square with the axial direction of the air nozzle 42.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the cleaning tool 40 has an outer frame portion 40 e (reference surface) at the tip 40 a that abuts against the insertion stop portion 34 of the MPO connector 20 provided inside the adapter 30. The insertion is completed as shown in FIG. The outer shape of the cleaning tool 40 is formed so as to be accommodated in the gap 36 for holding the MPO connector 20 inside the adapter 30, and the cleaning tool 40 faces the adapter 30 in the surface direction (vertical direction in FIG. 5B). And in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 5B). Since it is preferable that the cleaning tool 40 can be easily removed from the adapter 30 as soon as the MPO connector 10 is cleaned, the cleaning tool 40 does not have a fitting structure for fitting the MPO connector 20 to the adapter 30. However, it may have such a fitting structure.

As shown in FIGS. 4A to 6B, the cleaning tool 40 is positioned so that the tip 42a of the air nozzle 42 does not contact the ferrule end face 12 and the guide pin 14 when inserted into the adapter 30. The separation distance between the tip 42a of the air nozzle 42 and the ferrule end surface 12 may be, for example, 2 mm or more and 10 mm or less, or 2 mm or more and 5 mm or less. In the cleaning tool 40, for example, a space 40f may be provided on the tip 40a side, and a part of the guide pin 14 may be stored in the space 40f as illustrated in FIG. 4B. Accordingly, the ferrule end face is cleaned with the cleaning tool 40 having the same configuration regardless of whether it is an MPO connector with guide pins or an MPO connector without guide pins. Is possible.

In the cleaning tool 40, the air nozzle 42 is provided such that the axial direction thereof substantially coincides with the normal line of the ferrule end face 12. However, the air nozzle 42 is held by the holding portion 44 so that the axial direction is within a range of 0 ± 20 ° with respect to the normal of the ferrule end face 12 even if the axial direction of the air nozzle 42 does not substantially coincide with the normal. Then, the ferrule end face 12 can be efficiently cleaned.

Next, a cleaning method for cleaning the optical connector using the cleaning tool 40 will be described. In this optical connector cleaning method, first, a connector connection structure 1 desired to be cleaned as shown in FIG. 1 is specified. Then, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, one MPO connector 20 is removed. This completes the step of preparing the connector so that the ferrule end face 12 of the MPO connector 10 can be cleaned. About the MPO connector 20, a ferrule end surface can be cleaned using a cleaning tape or cleaning air.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 3A, a cleaning tool 40 including an air nozzle 42, a holding portion 44, and a discharge hole 46 is prepared. Then, the cleaning tool 40 is inserted into the insertion-side opening 32 of the adapter 30 so that the tip 42a that is the jet nozzle of the air nozzle 42 of the cleaning tool 40 faces the ferrule end surface 12. At this time, the outer frame portion 40e of the tip 40a of the cleaning tool 40 contacts the insertion stopper 34 in the adapter 30 (see FIG. 5B), the position in the insertion direction is fixed, and the MPO connector 10 of the cleaning tool 40 is fixed. The positioning step is completed (see FIGS. 4A and 4B).

Subsequently, when the positioning of the cleaning tool 40 with respect to the MPO connector 10 is completed, compressed air is introduced from the compressed air source to the base end 42b opposite to the tip 42a of the air nozzle 42, and the jet nozzle on the tip 42a side is introduced. A process of jetting compressed air and cleaning the ferrule end face 12 of the MPO connector 10 with the compressed air is performed. The cleaning gas used here may be generated using a compressed gas source such as a compressor, but may be nitrogen filled in a cylinder, aerosol such as carbon dioxide, dimethyl ether, or alternative CFC. Good. Regarding the introduction flow rate of the compressed air, when the inner diameter of the air nozzle 42 is 1 mm, the flow rate of the ejected air may be 0.3 L / second or more. As described above, the amount of the cleaning gas ejected from the air nozzle 42 is an amount converted to 0.3 L / second or more when the inner diameter of the air nozzle 42 is set to 1 mm. It is possible to more reliably remove dust and the like adhering to the end surface 12 more preferably.

As described above, according to the cleaning tool 40, the air nozzle 42 is held by the holding portion 44 so that the axis of the air nozzle 42 is substantially coincident with the normal line of the ferrule end surface 12 or is within the range of 0 ± 20 °. The discharge hole 46 for discharging the gas injected to the ferrule end face 12 is provided. For this reason, since the cleaning gas is ejected from the front side of the ferrule end surface 12 and the collision force of the ejected gas can be directly applied to the dust or the like adhering to the ferrule end surface 12, the dust or the like can be more reliably removed. Ten ferrule end faces 12 can be removed. In addition, since the cleaning tool 40 is separately provided with a discharge hole 46 for discharging the gas injected to the ferrule end surface 12, the removed dust and the like are once discharged to the outside so as not to adhere to the ferrule end surface 12 again. can do. As described above, according to the cleaning tool 40, the ferrule end face 12 of the MPO connector 10 can be efficiently cleaned with simpler means.

In the cleaning tool 40, the air nozzle 42 is held by the holding portion 44 so that the axis thereof is shifted from the center in the width direction of the cleaning tool 40 toward the side portion 40b. For this reason, it becomes easy to implement | achieve the structure which the discharge hole 46 which discharges the gas for cleaning outside ensures a cross-sectional area more than predetermined, and can clean the MPO connector 10 more reliably. When various types of optical connectors such as the MPO connector 10 are downsized, it may be difficult to form a hole configuration in which the discharge hole 46 has a cross-sectional area necessary for proper discharge, but the air nozzle 42 is disposed off-center. Thus, such a configuration can be realized.

In the cleaning tool 40, the air nozzle 42 is configured such that the tip 42a is separated from the ferrule end face 12, and the separation distance can be 2 mm or more and 10 mm or less. Although the positioning guide pin 14 may protrude from the ferrule end face 12, according to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the air nozzle 42 from contacting the guide pin 14 and causing interference. By setting the separation distance of the air nozzle 42 from the ferrule end surface 12 to 10 mm or less, the cleaning gas ejected from the air nozzle 42 can be caused to collide with the ferrule end surface 12 before the collision force is weakened. Cleaning of the ferrule end face 12 can be more reliably realized.

The cleaning tool 40 further includes an outer frame portion 40e that is a reference surface for defining a separation distance between the tip 42a of the air nozzle 42 and the ferrule end surface 12. For this reason, since the separation distance between the tip 42a of the air nozzle 42 and the ferrule end surface 12 can be set to a predetermined design value, the ferrule end surface 12 can be cleaned without depending on the skill of the worker who performs the cleaning operation. It can be realized more reliably.

In the cleaning tool 40, the inner diameter of the air nozzle 42 can be made equal to or less than the minor axis length of the ferrule end face 12, for example, the inner diameter of the air nozzle 42 can be made 2.5 mm or less, and the inner diameter is made 1 mm or less. It can be. In this case, since the decrease in the flow velocity of the cleaning gas due to the inner diameter of the air nozzle 42 being too large can be suppressed, the ferrule end face 12 can be cleaned with the cleaning gas having a strong collision force. Moreover, the cleaning gas can be sprayed to a necessary portion without exerting the cleaning gas to the region other than the ferrule end face 12, and the cleaning efficiency can be improved.

In the cleaning tool 40, the air nozzle 42 is held by the holding unit 44 so that the ejection angle is fixed at a predetermined angle within the range of 0 ± 20 ° with respect to the normal line of the ferrule end surface 12. For this reason, the arrangement configuration of the cleaning tool 40 can be simplified.

In the cleaning tool 40, the discharge hole 46 extends along a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the air nozzle 42. For this reason, since the cleaning gas ejected from the air nozzle 42 collides with the ferrule end face 12 and bounces back and can be discharged to the outside without changing the flow of the gas, it is removed by the gas. Dust and the like can be more reliably discharged to the outside.

In the cleaning tool 40, the MPO connector 10 is configured to be connected to another MPO connector 20 via the adapter 30, and the cleaning tool 40 is disposed in at least a part of the holding gap 36 inside the adapter 30. It has a matching outer shape. For this reason, the adapter 30 can ensure the positional relationship between the ferrule end surface 12 of the MPO connector 10 and the tip 42a of the air nozzle 42 of the cleaning tool 40 at a predetermined set position. It can be cleaned more reliably.

The cleaning tool 40 may further include a compressed gas source for supplying a cleaning gas to the air nozzle 42. In this case, since the cleaning tool 40 can be carried, it becomes easier to clean the MPO connector 10 and the work efficiency can be improved.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the cleaning tool will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B. FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing a state where the cleaning tool of the second embodiment is inserted into an adapter having a semi-connected structure, and FIG. 7B is a longitudinal sectional view of the cleaning connecting structure shown in FIG. 7A. In the MPO connector 10a of the semi-connected structure 1b in which the cleaning tool according to the second embodiment is used, the ferrule end surface 12a has a predetermined angle (for example, 8 ° or the angle with respect to a surface perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical fiber). 16 °) inclined. In the MPO connector 10a, the reflected return light of the light emitted from the optical fiber can be reduced because the ferrule end face 12a is inclined.

The cleaning tool 50 used for cleaning the MPO connector 10a includes an air nozzle 52, a holding portion 54, and a discharge hole 56, as in the first embodiment. The basic structure of the air nozzle 52 is the same as that of the air nozzle 42 of the first embodiment, but the air nozzle 52 is also inclined in accordance with the inclination of the ferrule end face 12a described above. That is, in the cleaning tool 50, the air nozzle 52 is also inclined so that the base end side (the right end in the drawing) is lowered so that the normal line of the inclined ferrule end surface 12a and the axis thereof are substantially coincident with each other. In the example shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the air nozzle 52 is provided so as to have an inclination substantially coincident with the normal line of the ferrule end surface 12a, but, as in the first embodiment, The holding part 54 should just hold | maintain so that the axial line direction of the air nozzle 52 may be in the range of 0 +/- 20 degree with respect to the normal line of the ferrule end surface 12a. Even in the cleaning tool 50, the inclined air nozzle 52 is configured such that the tip thereof does not contact the guide pin 14 of the MPO connector 10a. Moreover, the holding | maintenance part 54 and the discharge hole 56 have the structure substantially the same as the holding | maintenance part 44 and the discharge hole 46 of the cleaning tool 40 of 1st Embodiment.

As described above, in the cleaning tool 50 according to the second embodiment, the ferrule end face 12a of the MPO connector 10a can be efficiently cleaned by simpler means as in the first embodiment. In the cleaning tool 50, since the air nozzle 52 is also tilted and held by the holding portion 54 in accordance with the tilt of the ferrule end surface 12a, the ferrule end surface 12a of the MPO connector 10a having a function of reducing the return light is cleaned. You can also.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the cleaning tool will be described with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B. FIG. 8A is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the cleaning tool of the third embodiment is inserted into an adapter having a semi-connected structure, and FIG. 8B is a transverse sectional view thereof. The cleaning tool 60 according to the third embodiment is configured such that the air nozzle 62 is rotated about a rotation shaft 62a so that a tip having a jet port can swing within a predetermined angle range. And different. Hereinafter, the cleaning tool 60 will be described focusing on the differences.

The cleaning tool 60 used for cleaning the MPO connector 10 includes an air nozzle 62, a holding portion 64, and a discharge hole 66, as in the first embodiment. The basic configuration of the air nozzle 62 is the same as that of the air nozzle 42 of the first embodiment, but the air nozzle 62 is configured to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 62a. The air nozzle 62 is configured such that its ejection angle is variable within a range of 0 ± 20 ° with respect to the normal line of the ferrule end face 12. The air nozzle 62 is held in a rotatable state by a holding portion 64 (shaft hole) in which the rotation shaft 62a is accommodated. The discharge hole 66 is configured from a region where the air nozzle 62 is not disposed in the internal space of the tool main body of the cleaning tool 60, and is formed to extend along a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the air nozzle 62. ing. In the cleaning tool 60, the rotating air nozzle 62 is disposed so that the tip thereof does not contact the guide pin 14 of the MPO connector 10 at any rotation angle.

Here, with reference to FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B, FIG. 10A, and FIG. 10B, the modified example of the cleaning tool which concerns on 3rd Embodiment is demonstrated. 9A is a perspective view showing a modified example of the cleaning connection structure shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, and FIG. 9B is a perspective view showing the internal structure thereof. 10A is a perspective view showing another modification of the connection structure shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, and FIG. 10B is a perspective view showing still another modification of the connection structure shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. .

As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the cleaning tool 60a includes a camera 68 that is a probe-type imaging device that can observe the state of the ferrule end face in addition to the air nozzle 62, the holding portion 64, and the discharge hole 66. I have. The probe-type camera 68 is connected to a display (not shown) and arranged in parallel with the air nozzle 62 in an arrangement configuration that does not interfere with the operation of the air nozzle 62. With the probe-type camera 68, it is possible to observe a state in which the ferrule end face 12 of the MPO connector 10 is cleaned with the cleaning air ejected from the air nozzle 62. Since the camera 68 requires a predetermined focal length, the camera 68 is arranged so that its tip is located behind the tip of the air nozzle 62. As the camera 68, for example, a probe-type fiber end face scope can be used.

As the cleaning tool with the camera 68, as shown in FIG. 10A, a cleaning tool 60b in which a shutter member 69 is further provided in the configuration of the cleaning tool 60a may be employed. In the cleaning tool 60b, the slidable shutter member 69 can prevent dust or the like that has risen due to the ejection of the cleaning gas from adhering to the lens surface or the like of the camera 68. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10B, a cleaning tool 60c further provided with a side discharge hole 67 may be employed as a cleaning tool with a camera 68. Although it is conceivable that the cross-sectional area of the discharge hole for discharging the cleaning gas after being used for cleaning is reduced due to the installation of the camera 68, it is thus along the direction intersecting the axial direction of the air nozzle 62. That is, by further providing the side discharge hole 67 extending toward the side, the gas after cleaning can be discharged more reliably. The side discharge hole 67 can be formed on the ferrule side from the front end of the camera 68, thereby more reliably discharging the cleaned gas and preventing dust from being attached to the surface of the camera 68. be able to.

As described above, with the cleaning tools 60, 60a to 60c according to the third embodiment, the ferrule end face 12 of the MPO connector 10 can be efficiently cleaned with simpler means as in the first embodiment. Further, the air nozzle 62 is held by the holding portion 64 so that the ejection angle thereof is variable within a range of 0 ± 20 ° with respect to the normal line of the ferrule end face 12. As described above, since the air nozzle 62 is held in a variable state, the cleaning gas can be uniformly applied to the entire ferrule end face 12, and more uniform cleaning can be realized.

The cleaning tools 60a to 60c are further provided with a probe-type camera 68 that can observe the state of the ferrule end face 12. For this reason, it can be easily confirmed whether or not the ferrule end face 12 has been reliably cleaned by the cleaning tools 60a to 60c. The cleaning tools 60 b and 60 c further include a shutter member 69 located on the ferrule end face 12 side of the camera 68. For this reason, according to the cleaning tools 60b and 60c, it is possible to prevent dust and the like that has risen up due to cleaning of the ferrule end face 12 from adhering to the camera 68.

The cleaning tool 60 c includes a side discharge hole 67 in addition to the discharge hole 66, and the side discharge hole 67 extends along a direction orthogonal (crossing) to the axial direction of the air nozzle 62. With such a configuration, for example, the side discharge hole 67 can be provided on the side surface of the cleaning tool 60c and the like, so that even a cleaning tool for a small connector can form a wider opening area of the discharge hole. It becomes possible.

As mentioned above, although the cleaning tool and cleaning method of the optical connector which concern on this embodiment have been demonstrated, the cleaning tool and cleaning method of the optical connector which concern on this invention are not limited to said embodiment, Various deformation | transformation is carried out. Can be applied. In describing the cleaning tool and the like, the embodiment in which the non-contact type connector is put in the housing of the MPO connector has been described as an example. For example, the lens connection type non-contact type connector or the PC type MPO connector is used. The present invention may be applied.

In the said embodiment (3rd Embodiment), although the camera for observing the condition of the ferrule end surface of the cleaning object was shown in the cleaning tool of the structure which rotates an air nozzle, the air nozzle was fixed to the holding | maintenance part. Such a camera, a shutter member, and the like may be provided in the cleaning tool (the first embodiment and the second embodiment) configured as described above. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the outer frame part 40e of the cleaning tool 40 front-end | tip was used as a reference plane for positioning at the time of inserting a cleaning tool in the adapter 30, protrusion is not provided in the front-end | tip area | region but the side part of the cleaning tool. It is good also as composition which demarcates the separation distance between the tip of an air nozzle and a ferrule end surface so that positioning with an adapter can be performed, or making the tip of a cleaning tool contact the housing part of the other party connector directly In this case, a separation distance between the tip of the air nozzle and the ferrule end face may be defined.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. In this embodiment, a cleaning tool having a configuration in which a probe type camera (see the probe type camera 68 shown in FIGS. 9A to 10B) is inserted into the configuration shown in FIGS. 3A to 6B (a fixed type in which the nozzle does not swing) is used. It was confirmed whether or not the ferrule end face 12 of the MPO connector 10 having the semi-connected structure 1a can be reliably cleaned.

First, a cleaning tool 40 having an air nozzle 42 having an outer diameter of 2 mm and an inner diameter of 1 mm was prepared. Further, as the camera 68 of the cleaning tool 40, a probe-type fiber end face scope (trade name: DI-1000, manufactured by Lighttel) was prepared and incorporated. And the cleaning tool 40 was inserted in the adapter 30 of the semi-connection structure 1a, and the cleaning tool 40 was installed in the predetermined | prescribed cleanable position. In addition, a compressed air source that is a jet gas was connected to the base end 42 b of the air nozzle 42 of the cleaning tool 40. As the MPO connector 10 to be cleaned, an MPO connector which is a 24-core multi-fiber optical fiber connector was used. As shown in FIG. 11B, the ferrule end face 12 of the MPO connector 10 was not attached with dust in the initial state as shown in FIG. 11A. Were prepared by artificially adhering dust D. As shown in FIG. 11A, approximately half of the optical fiber F is arranged on the ferrule end face 12 so that 12 optical fibers F per row are exposed in two rows (24 in total).

When the preparation of the cleaning tool 40 is completed, the cleaning gas is introduced into the air nozzle 42 so that the cleaning gas (compressed air) from the compression source has a flow rate of 0.3 L / second or more, and the ferrule end face 12 is cleaned. Went. During the cleaning, the tip 42a of the air nozzle 42 and the ferrule end surface 12 are arranged so as to be separated from each other so that the separation distance is 2 mm or more.

When cleaning was performed using such a cleaning tool 40 and the cleaning result was confirmed by the camera 28, most of the dust D on the ferrule end face 12 was removed as shown in FIG. 11C. When the distance between the tip of the air nozzle 42 and the ferrule end face 12 exceeds 10 mm, the dust removal performance is slightly reduced, but this is not a problem. Moreover, since the MPO connector could be cleaned simply by inserting the cleaning tool 40 into the adapter 30 and introducing compressed air, cleaning could be performed efficiently.

From the above, it was confirmed that the cleaning tool according to the present invention can efficiently clean the optical connector by simpler means.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Connector connection structure, 1a, 1b ... Semi-connection structure, 10, 20 ... MPO connector, 12, 12a ... Ferrule end surface, 14 ... Guide pin, 30 ... Adapter, 32 ... Insertion side opening, 34 ... Insertion stop part, 36 Air gap for holding, 40, 50, 60, 60a to 60c ... Cleaning tool, 40a ... Tip, 40b, 40c ... Side, 40d ... Rear end, 40e ... Outer frame, 42, 52, 62 ... Air nozzle, 42a ... distal end, 42b ... proximal end, 44, 54, 64 ... holding portion, 46, 56, 66 ... discharge hole, 68 ... camera, 69 ... shutter member.

Claims (14)

A cleaning tool for cleaning the ferrule end face of the optical connector,
A nozzle for injecting gas to the ferrule end face;
A holding part for holding the nozzle;
A discharge hole for discharging the gas injected to the ferrule end face,
The optical connector cleaning tool, wherein the nozzle is held by the holding portion so that an axis thereof is within a range of 0 ± 20 ° with respect to a normal line of the ferrule end face. The nozzle is held by the holding portion so that its axis is shifted from the center in the width direction of the cleaning tool to the side portion.
The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 1. The nozzle is configured such that the tip thereof is separated from the ferrule end face, and the separation distance is 2 mm or more and 10 mm or less.
The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2. It further comprises at least one of a reference surface or a projection for defining a separation distance between the nozzle tip and the ferrule end surface.
The optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The inner diameter of the nozzle is equal to or less than the minor axis length of the ferrule end face;
The optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The nozzle is fixed at a predetermined angle within a range of 0 ± 20 ° with respect to the normal line of the ferrule end face, or the jet angle is relative to the normal line of the ferrule end face. It is held by the holding part so as to be variable within a range of 0 ± 20 °.
The optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The discharge hole extends at least partially along a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the nozzle,
The optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The discharge hole extends at least partially along a direction intersecting the axial direction of the nozzle.
The optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The optical connector has a configuration connected to another optical connector through an adapter,
The cleaning tool has an outer shape that coincides with at least a part of the gap for holding the connector inside the adapter.
The optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 8. A compressed gas source for supplying a cleaning gas to the nozzle;
The optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 9. A probe-type imaging device capable of observing the state of the ferrule end face;
The optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 10. A shutter member positioned on the ferrule end face side of the imaging device;
The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 11. Preparing the optical connector so that the ferrule end face of the optical connector can be cleaned;
Preparing the optical connector cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
Positioning the cleaning tool with respect to the optical connector such that the nozzle outlet of the cleaning tool faces the ferrule end surface;
After the positioning step, a step of introducing a predetermined cleaning gas into the nozzle and ejecting it from the ejection port, and cleaning the ferrule end surface;
A method for cleaning an optical connector. The ejection amount of the cleaning gas from the nozzle is an amount converted to 0.3 L / second or more when the inner diameter of the nozzle is 1 mm.
The method for cleaning an optical connector according to claim 13.

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