# US 2021/0341684 A1 · Optical connector cleaning tool and optical connector cleaning method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2021/0341684 A1
- Document ID: US20210341684A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/282,981
- Filed: 2019-09-25
- Published: 2021-11-04
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-09
- Assignees: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
- Applicants: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
- Inventors: Chisato FUKAI; Masaaki TAKAYA; Yoshiteru ABE; Ryo KOYAMA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210341684A1

## CPC

- G02B 6/3866: {Devices, tools or methods for cleaning connectors (cleaning in general B08B)}
- B08B 1/143: {Wipes}
- G02B 6/3898: {Tools, e.g. handheld; Tuning wrenches; Jigs used with connectors, e.g. for extracting, removing or inserting in a panel, for engaging or coupling connectors, for assembling or disassembling components within the connector, for applying clips to hold two connectors together or for crimping (tools for cleaning, G02B6/3866; tools in general B25B)}
- B08B 2240/02: Optical fibers or optical fiber connectors
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL

## Abstract

An object is to provide an optical connector cleaning tool capable of cleaning both an end face and a side face of a ferrule of an optical connector plug simultaneously and simply and a method of cleaning an optical connector in such a manner. An optical connector cleaning tool according to the present invention includes superimposing a plurality of cleaning sheets on each other, the cleaning sheets each including a plurality of cleaning strings arranged so as to be parallel to each other in a sheet shape, such that orientations of the cleaning strings included in the respective cleaning sheets differ from each other, pressing an end face of a ferrule of an optical connector plug against the cleaning sheets to clean the end face of the ferrule, and subsequently, sticking the ferrule through the cleaning sheets to clean a side face of the ferrule.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optical connector cleaning tool comprising:
a cleaning sheet including a plurality of cleaning strings arranged in a row to rub dirt off an end face of a ferrule and a side face of the ferrule; and
a fixing tool to hold a plurality of the cleaning sheets that are superimposed on each other such that orientations of the cleaning strings included in the respective cleaning sheets differ from each other.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 1,
wherein the cleaning sheets each include a frame having a polygonal shape to arrange the plurality of the cleaning strings in a row and in a sheet shape,
wherein the fixing tool has cuts that are each configured to fit onto a corner of the frame of each of the cleaning sheets, a number of the cuts amounting to a multiple of a number of the corners of the frame, and
wherein the plurality of the cleaning sheets are superimposed on each other such that the cuts fitting onto the corners of the respective frames differ in position to cause orientations of the cleaning strings included in the respective cleaning sheets to differ from each other.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 2,
wherein the fixing tool has a ring structure to hold the cleaning sheets superimposed on each other inside a ring, and
wherein the ring structure has a closed state in which the cleaning sheets are held and a release state in which the cleaning sheets are allowed to be removed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The optical connector cleaning tool according to claim 3, wherein the frame of each of the cleaning sheets is released in an interlocked manner when the ring structure gets into the release state.

### Claim 5

A method of cleaning an optical connector, the method comprising:
superimposing a plurality of cleaning sheets on each other in layers, the cleaning sheets each including a plurality of cleaning strings arranged in a row, such that orientations of the cleaning strings included in the respective cleaning sheets differ from each other;
pressing an end face of a ferrule of an optical connector plug against the cleaning strings of the cleaning sheets superimposed on each other in layers to clean the end face of the ferrule; and
sticking the ferrule of the optical connector plug through the cleaning sheets superimposed on each other in layers to clean a side face of the ferrule.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of cleaning an optical connector according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of the cleaning strings are arranged in a row by a frame having a polygonal shape to form each of the cleaning sheets, and
wherein with a fixing tool having cuts that are each configured to fit onto a corner of the frame of each of the cleaning sheets, a number of the cuts amounting to a multiple of a number of the corners of the frame, the plurality of the cleaning sheets are superimposed on each other such that the cuts fitting onto the corners of the respective frames differ in position to cause orientations of the cleaning strings included in the respective cleaning sheets to differ from each other.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of cleaning an optical connector according to claim 6, the method further comprising:
releasing the fixing tool after cleaning the side face of the ferrule to let the frame of each of the cleaning sheets be released together with the release of the fixing tool; and
removing the fixing tool and the cleaning sheets from the ferrule of the optical connector plug stuck through the cleaning sheets.