THE CLEANER FOR CONNECTOR FERRULE INSIDE OF

ADAPTOR

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a cleaner for a ferrule of an optical connector, and more particularly, to a cleaner for a ferrule of an optical connector that is a core component used for all optical communication parts which can move cleaning fiber by mean of rotation of a rotator coupled between a body and a front body of the cleaner so that the ferrule can be cleaned using only one hand. Background Art

[2] In a typical optical communication system, a plug-in type optical connector is inserted or pulled to connect and release optical fibers. That is, the optical connector to which a ferrule is attached is connected to one side of an adaptor and another optical connector is connected to the other side thereof to connect optical fibers to each other. In order to maintain a high speed optical signal transfer characteristic, an error in the arrangement of optical axes of ferrules contact each other must be removed. Furthermore, the surfaces of ferrules must contact each other in a clean state. Thus, by removing foreign materials such as dust, an effect of reducing loss and reflection of an optical signal is achieved.

[3] To this end, before the optical connector is connected to the adaptor, the surface of the ferrule needs to be always cleaned using cleaning paper or cleaning fiber for connection. However, it is practically difficult to clean an optical connector ferrule that is already connected to an adaptor inside an optical communication system by dis¬ assembling the optical connector from the adaptor and cleaning the same. Thus, a cotton stick has been used as a method for cleaning a ferrule located inside of a system. However, a cleaning effect is very low and moreover foreign materials adhering on the cotton stick may contaminate the ferrule.

[4] To solve the above problem the present inventor has filed Korean Patent Ap¬ plication No. 2003-0081028 entitled "Cleaner For Optical Connector Ferrule Located Inside Adaptor". The cleaner, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, has a shape of a pen having a cap 12 at both ends thereof and includes two first toothed wheels 2 and a PC type cleaning ferrule 4 and an APC type cleaning ferrule 5, each having a diameter slightly less than that of an optical connector ferrule and a dual groove structure so that cleaning fiber 1 can pass therethrough. For use, the cap 12 is open and the PC type cleaning ferrule 4 or APC type cleaning ferrule 5 is inserted in a ferrule sleeve inside the adaptor 16 so that the ferrule surface of a connector 17 that is inserted in the

adaptor 16 in a system is cleaned by the cleaning fiber 1.

[5] According to the conventional method, the cleaning fiber 1 is moved to provide an unused cleaning surface by rotating a second toothed wheel 9 using a finger when necessary, to clean the ferrule surface. However, the method has the following problems.

[6] Although the second toothed wheel 9 is rotated using a finger, since the cleaning fiber 1 is located above the second toothed wheel 9, the second toothed wheel 9 may not rotate properly because friction therebetween decreases. Also, even when the toothed wheel 9 rotates, nap may be generated on the cleaning fiber 1 and, in a serious case, the cleaning fiber 1 may be torn off. Thus, the remaining part of the cleaning fiber 1 cannot be used which increases the replacement cost. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[7] To solve the above and/or other problems, the present invention provides a cleaner for a ferrule of an optical connector which can easily clean the optical connector ferrule, can be conveniently carried in hands or by clipping the cleaner in the pocket, and can be easily replaced by moving the cleaning fiber for cleaning the ferrule by rotating a rotator using one hand only. Technical Solution

[8] According to an aspect of the present invention, a cleaner for a ferrule of an optical connector which cleans the inside of an adaptor using a cleaning fiber that is wound inside a cleaner housing comprises a spool having a top portion fixed to an uppermost end thereof and a spool rod having a cylindrical shape extending to the center portion of the top portion, a body having a cylindrical shape into which the spool is inserted, and in which a rotational shaft protruding to the opposite side is formed, a rotator having a cylindrical shape and inserted around the rotational shaft, in which a spool unit that rotates and winds the cleaning fiber is formed and a rotary protrusion portion is formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof, a front body inserted in the rotator and having a protrusion portion and a nozzle insertion hole formed therein, a nozzle inserted into the nozzle insertion hole, to which a tip where a fiber guide hole is formed is coupled, and a cap having a hook portion inserted around the protrusion portion of the front body. The spool is inserted into one side end of the body, the rotational shaft of the body is fixedly inserted into the center hole of the front body, and the ferrule of the optical connector is cleaned as the cleaning fiber wound around the spool is wound around the spool pipe through the spool unit by the rotation of the rotator.

[9] A one-way stopper portion is formed on an outer circumferential surface protruding

from an upper end surface of the rotator, a hook piece inserted to be engaged with the stopper portion, and the stopper portion and the hook piece are formed to be inserted with each other so that the rotator rotates in one direction only.

[10] The spool unit comprises a spool pipe coupled to the inside of the rotator in a penetrated state and an insertion hole having a donut shape formed around an inner cir¬ cumferential surface of the rotator, the donut-shaped insertion hole in which an elastic spring, a donut-shaped engagement ring, and a guide pin protruding by being inserted in the left and right sides of one side end surface of the front body are accommodated, wherein the cleaning fiber released from the spool passes through the body, the rotator, the front body, and the tip of the nozzle, is alternately inserted in two fiber through holes formed in one end of the donut-shaped engagement ring to be wound around the spool pipe protruding from the rotator, and is sequentially wound around the spool pipe by the rotation of the rotator to clean the ferrule of the optical connector.

[11] The tip formed on the nozzle can be replaced by other tips having different diameters of the fiber guide hole according to a thickness of the cleaning fiber being used.

Advantageous Effects

[12] As described above, according to the present invention, the optical connector ferrule can be easily cleaned. Also, the cleaner for an optical connector ferrule can be con¬ veniently carried with hands or by clipping the same in the pocket. Furthermore, the cleaner fiber for cleaning the ferrule can be easily moved and replaced by simply rotating the rotator with one hand only. Brief Description of the Drawings

[13] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional cleaner;

[14] FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a state of using the conventional cleaner or a cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[15] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the constituent elements of the cleaner of the present invention;

[16] FIG. 4 is a front view of a spool according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[17] FIG. 5 is a front view of a body according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[18] FIG. 6 is a side view of a rotator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[19] FIG. 7 is a front view of a rotator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[20] FIG. 8 is a front sectional view of the rotator according to an embodiment of the

present invention;

[21] FIG. 9 is a front sectional view of a front body according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[22] FIG. 10 is a side view of the front body according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[23] FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a nozzle portion according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[24] FIG. 12 is a view illustrating a state of a tip being inserted in a nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[25] FIG. 13 is a view illustrating a cap according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[26] FIG. 14 is a front sectional view illustrating a state of a cleaning fiber being wound by the rotator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[27] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[28] The present invention has a purpose that is similar to that of the conventional invention in that the present invention is a cleaner for an optical connector ferrule to clean the inside of an adaptor through a cleaning fiber that can be wound inside a cleaning housing. However, the present invention shows considerable improvement and effect in the organic combination relation between the following structure and constituent elements thereof which will be described in detail with the drawings.

[29] As shown in FIGS. 3 through 14, a cleaner for an optical connector ferrule according to the present invention includes a top portion 11 fixed at the top portion of the cleaner, a spool 10 having a spool rod 12 having a cylindrical shape and extending to the center portion of the top portion 11, and a body 20, into which the spool 10 is inserted, having a rotational shaft 21 protruding toward the opposite side. A spool unit 80 is formed, which is inserted around the rotational shaft 21 and rotates to wind a cleaning fiber 1. A rotator 30 having a cylindrical shape is formed which has a rotary protrusion portion 31 formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof. A front body 40 is inserted around the rotator 30 and has a protrusion portion 41 and a nozzle insertion hole 42.

[30] A nozzle 50 to which a tip 52 is coupled is inserted into the nozzle insertion hole 42 and a fiber guide hole 51 is formed in the tip 52. A cap 60 has a hook portion 61 that is inserted around a protruding portion 41 of the front body 40, thus providing the cleaner according to the present invention.

[31] That is, the spool 10 is inserted at one end of the body 20 and the rotational shaft 21

of the body 20 is fixedly inserted into a center hole 45 of the front body 40. The clean fiber wound around the spool 10 is wound around a spool pipe 35 through the spool unit 80 by the rotation of the rotator 30 so that a ferrule of an optical connector is cleaned.

[32] A one-way stopper portion 36 is formed on an outer circumferential surface that protrudes from an upper end surface of the rotator 30. A hook piece 37 inserted to be engaged with the stopper portion 36 is formed. That is, the hook piece 37 of the stopper portion 36 is configured to be inserted so that the rotator 30 can be rotated in o ne direction only.

[33] The spool unit 80 has the following organic relationship between the constituent elements. An insertion hole 81 having a donut shape is formed in the rotator 30 which forms the spool pipe 35 coupled in a penetration state.

[34] In addition, an elastic spring 82, a donut-shaped engagement ring 83, and a guide pin 84 protruding by being inserted at the left and right sides of one side section of the front body 40 are accommodated in the donut-shaped insertion hole 81. Thus, the cleaning fiber 1 is wound around the spool pipe 35 by the organic operation of these elements.

[35] That is, the cleaning fiber 1 released from the spool 10 passes the body 20, the rotator 30, the front body 40, and the tip 52 of the nozzle 50 and is alternately inserted in two fiber through holes 87 formed at one end of the donut-shaped engagement ring 83. Since the cleaning fiber 1 is wound around the spool pipe 35 of the rotator 30 that is protruding, the cleaning fiber 1 is sequentially wound around the spool pipe 35 by the rotation of the rotator 30 so that the ferrule of the optical connector is cleaned.

[36] Meanwhile, since a variety of tips in which the diameter of the fiber guide hole 51 is different according to the thickness of the cleaning fiber 1 can be used as the tip 52 of the nozzle 50, a variety of the optical connector ferrules can be cleaned.

[37] The operation of the cleaner for an optical connector ferrule according to the present invention is described below in detail.

[38] As shown in FIG. 14, in the cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention the cleaning fiber 1 that is 2-5 m length is sequentially wound around the spool 10 formed at the upper end of the cleaner. The cleaning fiber 1, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 14, passes through a through hole penetrating the body 20 and formed in the rotational shaft 21 to the rotator 30. The cleaning fiber 1 passing through the rotator 30 passes through the elastic spring 82 and the inner circumferential hole of the donut- shaped engagement ring 83 to enter the front body 40. The cleaning fiber 1 passes through one of the two fiber guide holes 51 formed in the tip 52 of the nozzle 50 and inserts into the other fiber guide hole 51.

[39] In the meantime, the cleaning fiber 1 passes the center portion of the nozzle 50 and

the front body 40 and enters the fiber through holes 87 formed at one side end of the engagement ring 83 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 14, thus firmly coupled to the end portion of the spool pipe 35 formed at the end portion of the rotator 30.

[40] However, the above-description is to describe the arrangement of the cleaning fiber

1 shown in FIG. 3. When the constituent elements are all coupled, the cleaning fiber 1 passes through the rotational shaft 21 of the body 20 and penetrates the front body 40. That is, in the cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, the end portion of the rotational shaft 21 of the body 20 is inserted into the front body 40 and coupled thereto. The spring 82 and the donut-shaped engagement ring 83 are se¬ quentially inserted into the donut-shaped insertion hole 81 that is a space portion at the outer circumferential surface of the spool pipe 35 of the rotator 30 shown in FIG. 8. Thus, when a user rotates the rotator 30, the rotator 30 rotated in one direction by the stopper portion 36 rotates only in a direction in which the cleaning fiber 1 wound around the spool 10 is wound around the spool pipe 35.

[41] The above operation is made possible by the spool unit 80 according to the present embodiment which is a virtual coupling relation that is difficult to follow from the drawings. In the operation, the rotation of the rotator 30 pulls the cleaning fiber 1 through the fiber through holes 87 of the engagement ring 83 so that the cleaning fiber 1 is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the spool 35 integrally formed inside. Since the cleaning fiber 1 that is wound up passes through the guide pin 84 and provides a force to the engagement ring 83 in a direction to always push the front body 40 with an elastic force of the spring 82, the cleaning finer 1 is sequentially wound around from the end portion of the spool pipe 35 so as to be slightly inserted into the inner insertion hole 81 of the rotator 30 and wound therearound.

[42] Thus, the user cleans the optical connector ferrule using the cleaning fiber 1 wound around the fiber guide hole 51 formed at the tip 52 of the nozzle 50. Thereafter, by rotating the rotator 30 when necessary, the user can continue the cleaning using a new part of the cleaning fiber 1. Since the user can rotate the rotator 30 with one hand only during working, productivity in cleaning is improved. Industrial Applicability

[43] As described above, according to the present invention, the optical connector ferrule can be easily cleaned. Also, the cleaner for an optical connector ferrule can be con¬ veniently carried with hands or by clipping the same in the pocket. Furthermore, the cleaner fiber for cleaning the ferrule can be easily moved and replaced by simply rotating the rotator with one hand only.