Patent classifications
G02B6/3866
Cleaning nozzle and nozzle assembly and cleaning methods for optical fiber connectors
A cleaning nozzle includes an outer housing having a central axis and an inner surface that defines an outer housing interior. An inner housing resides within the outer housing interior along the central axis and has an inner surface that defines an inner flow channel. The inner flow channel supports flow of the cleaning fluid and has a converging taper and a flow disrupter element. The nozzle assembly may include an adapter that receives a front end of the nozzle and that also holds a ferrule that supports an optical fiber having an end face. The nozzle assembly allows the nozzle to direct a jet stream of cleaning fluid to the ferrule end face and the fiber end face. The flow disrupter causes the jet stream to have a time-varying direction that enhances the cleaning of the ferrule end face and the optical fiber end face.
Optical connector cleaning tool and optical connector cleaning method
Disclosed is an optical connector cleaning tool including: a tool body; and an extended part that extends from the tool body and that has a head for pressing a cleaning element against an optical connector, the extended part being provided so as to be movable with respect to the tool body. The optical connector is cleaned with the cleaning element by moving the tool body toward the extended part in a state where the cleaning element is pressed against the optical connector with the head. The tool body includes: a take-up reel that, in accordance with the movement of the tool body with respect to the extended part, takes up the cleaning element which has been sent out from the head; and a take-up amount adjustment mechanism that makes constant the take-up amount of the take-up reel per single cleaning operation.
Cleaning stick guide
A cleaning stick guide for an optical housing having ferrules therein. The cleaning stick guide includes a guide housing having a proximal end and a distal end. The guide housing includes an insert portion sized and shaped to be inserted into the optical housing. The insert portion defines the distal end of the guide housing. The guide housing includes guide passageways. Each guide passageway extends from the proximal end to the distal end. Each guide passageway is arranged in the guide housing to align with one of the ferrules in the optical housing when the guide housing is inserted into the optical housing. Each guide passageway is sized and shaped to receive a cleaning stick and to guide the cleaning stick to said one ferrule for cleaning the ferrule.
Portable, self-contained fiber optic cleaning tool
A fiber optic component cleaning device includes a body, a feed spool mounted for rotation in the body, a take-up spool mounted for one-way rotation in the body and a central support assembly. A plunger is mounted for movement in the central support assembly and a drive is operably connected to the take-up spool and to the plunger. A cleaning material is wound onto and fed from the feed spool and to the take-up spool. A reservoir assembly is mountable to the body to apply a cleaning solution to the cleaning material.
OPTICAL CONNECTOR CLEANING TOOL
Provided is an optical connector cleaning tool that is unlikely to cause a static charge and can accurately remove dust located on an end surface of an optical connector. Disclosed is an optical connector cleaning tool including: a main body housing a supply holder configured to hold a cleaner that has a contaminant-retainable layer and can be supplied so as to clean an end surface of an optical connector; a cleaning head configured to position the cleaner having been supplied from the main body and be held at a certain holding position with respect to the main body; a controller that can be engaged with the optical connector and can be displaced from a first position to a second position, which is different from the first position, with respect to the cleaning head while kept engaged with the optical connector; and a supply mechanism configured to transmit, to the cleaner, movement of displacing the controller from the first position to the second position to displace and then supply the cleaner to the cleaning head, in which when the controller is positioned at the first position, the cleaning head is apart from the end surface of the optical connector, while the controller is displaced from the first position to the second position, the supply mechanism causes the cleaner to be displaced, and when the controller is positioned at the second position, the cleaning head comes into contact with the end surface of the optical connector.
Optical receptacle, ferrule, and plug ferrule
According to an aspect of the invention, an optical receptacle, comprising: a fiber stub including a ferrule containing an optical fiber conducting light; a holder holding the fiber stub; and a sleeve, one end of the sleeve being capable of holding a tip of the fiber stub, one other end of the sleeve being capable of holding a plug ferrule inserted into the optical receptacle, the ferrule including a foreign matter movement suppressor in an end surface of the ferrule, the end surface being polished into a convex spherical configuration on a side to be connected to the plug ferrule, the foreign matter movement suppressor suppressing movement of foreign matter moving, due to inserting and removing the plug ferrule, from an outer circumferential portion of the ferrule toward a central portion of the end surface. It is possible to prevent the loss occurring due to the foreign matter at the outer circumferential portion of the fiber stub moving to the central portion of the end surface of the ferrule when repeatedly inserting and removing the plug ferrule into and from the optical receptacle; and it is possible to reduce the Wiggle loss by maintaining the length where the sleeve holds the fiber stub.
Cleaning Device for Optical Fibers
A means of integrating the materials and automating the actions required for the cleaning of optical fiber, where the present invention can hold cleaning material, dispense cleaning agent, and clean multiple fibers, while routing conduits and cleaning pads protect the optical fiber from mechanical stress.
OPTICAL FIBER ALIGNMENT DEVICE AND METHOD
A fiber optic alignment device includes a first and a second alignment block and a first and a second gel block. A fiber passage extends from a first end to a second end of the fiber optic alignment device. The fiber passage is adapted to receive a first optical fiber through the first end and a second optical fiber through the second end. An intermediate portion of the fiber passage is positioned between the first and the second ends. The intermediate portion is adapted to align the first and the second optical fibers between the first and the second alignment blocks. A first portion of the fiber passage is positioned between the first end and the intermediate portion of the fiber passage. The first portion extends between the first alignment block and the first gel block. A second portion of the fiber passage is positioned between the second end and the intermediate portion of the fiber passage. The second portion extends between the second alignment block and the second gel block. End portions of the first and the second optical fibers may be cleaned when slid between the alignment blocks and the gel blocks. The fiber passage may include an undulating portion.
MONITORING SOLVENT IN A FIBER CLEANING DEVICE
A device for cleaning an end face of an optical fiber may apply a vacuum to a solvent tank, where the device includes a vacuum generator to apply the vacuum and the solvent tank. The device may receive, from a solvent reservoir and in response to applying the vacuum, solvent with the solvent tank. Additionally, or alternatively, a device for cleaning an end face of an optical fiber may apply a pressure to a solvent reservoir, where the device includes a pressure port to apply the pressure and a solvent tank. The device may receive, from the solvent reservoir and in response to applying the pressure, solvent with the solvent tank.
MONITORING AIR PRESSURE AND FLOW IN A FIBER CLEANING DEVICE
A device for cleaning an end face of an optical fiber may receive a first pressure signal from a first pressure sensor, wherein the device includes a pneumatic circuit, wherein the pneumatic circuit includes: one or more circuit components, the first pressure sensor, and a second pressure sensor. The device may receive a second pressure signal from the second pressure sensor. The device may determine, based on the first pressure signal and the second pressure signal, whether a pressure difference across a circuit component, of the one or more circuit components, satisfies a threshold. The device may perform, based on the pressure difference across the circuit component not satisfying the threshold, one or more actions.