Cleaning device for optical fiber components

Abstract

A cleaning device ( 10, 110, 210 ) may be a card-like member such as a flap ( 16, 116 ), integrally formed with a dispenser container ( 12 ), or a slotted member ( 36 ) mounted on a stand-alone cleaning device ( 110 ). A cleaning wipe fabric ( 22, 122 ) is suspended over a plurality of cleaning slots ( 26 a - 26 d, 126 a - 126 d ) and held under moderate tension so that the wipe fabric, when deflected by a fiber optic end or the like being cleaned, sags within the cleaning slot to better enclose and clean the tip of the fiber optic end. Used cleaning fabric ( 22, 122 ) can easily be removed and replaced as needed to avoid using the same area of fabric more than once.

1 . A cleaning device for optical fiber strands comprising:
 a support member having a fabric support surface which support surface is configured to support thereon a free length of a cleaning wipe fabric;   one or more cleaning slots formed in the fabric support surface of the support member, the one or more cleaning slots each having a slot depth and a floor surface;   a fabric-retaining structure operatively associated with the support member (1) to removably secure such fabric in a cleaning position in which at least a portion of such fabric is disposed on the fabric support surface and is suspended over the entirety of at least one of the cleaning slots to provide one or more cleaning slots covered by a suspended portion of the fabric, and (2) to release such fabric for fabric-advance travel relative to the support surface, whereby such travel serves to position a fresh suspended portion of such fabric over one or more fabric-covered slots.   
     
     
         2 . The cleaning device of  claim 1  wherein the slot depth of the one or more cleaning slots is sufficient to allow the suspended portion of such fabric to sag into its associated one or more slots when cleaning pressure is applied to the suspended portion of such fabric by wiping the tip of an optical fiber strand on such suspended portion of such fabric to clean the tip. 
     
     
         3 . The cleaning device of  claim 2  wherein the slot depth of the one or more cleaning slots is such as to allow the tip of the fiber optic strand to force the fabric covering the tip into minimal contact with the floor of the cleaning slot. 
     
     
         4 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 ,  claim 2  or  claim 3  wherein the support member is a card-like member. 
     
     
         5 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 ,  claim 2  or  claim 3  wherein a plurality of the cleaning slots are provided in the support member. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 ,  claim 2  or  claim 3  wherein the fabric-retaining structure comprises one or more retention members disposed on the support member and moveable between a securement position in which such fabric is retained in the cleaning position and a release position in which such fabric is released for fabric-advance travel. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 ,  claim 2  or  claim 3  wherein the fabric-retaining structure comprises one or more feed slots through which such fabric is fed, the feed slots being configured to exert a frictional drag on the fabric which drag is sufficient to secure such fabric in the cleaning position but insufficient to prevent fabric-advance travel. 
     
     
         8 . The cleaning device of  claim 7  wherein the support member is a card-like member. 
     
     
         9 . The cleaning device of  claim 7  wherein the fabric-retaining structure comprises at least one feed slot upstream of the one or more cleaning slots and at least one feed slot downstream of the one or more cleaning slots, as sensed in the direction of fabric-advance travel of such fabric along the support member. 
     
     
         10 . The cleaning device of  claim 9  comprising at least two feed slots disposed adjacent to each other along the fabric-advance travel path, with no cleaning slot interposed between them. 
     
     
         11 . The cleaning device of  claim 9  wherein fabric-advance travel of such fabric is along a travel path extending longitudinally along the support member, and the feed slots are disposed orthogonally to the travel path. 
     
     
         12 . The cleaning device of  claim 11  wherein the cleaning slots are disposed parallel to the travel path. 
     
     
         13 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 ,  claim 2  or  claim 3  wherein the support member comprises a card-like member and is mounted on a dispenser container containing the fabric. 
     
     
         14 . The cleaning device of  claim 13  wherein the card-like member comprises a flap of the dispenser container. 
     
     
         15 . The cleaning device of  claim 13  wherein the fabric has a tape-like configuration, the dispenser container comprises a dispenser box within which a roll of the fabric is contained, and the dispenser box has a slot formed therein through which the fabric exits the box for engagement with the card-like member. 
     
     
         16 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 ,  claim 2  or  claim 3  wherein the fabric has a modulus of stiffness such that the suspended portion of the fabric is stiff enough to bridge the cleaning slots and compliant enough to sag into the cleaning slot under pressure imposed on the suspended portion of the fabric by an optical fiber strand being cleaned on the suspended portion. 
     
     
         17 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 ,  claim 2  or  claim 3  wherein the support member and the fabric-retaining structure are so configured that fabric-advance movement of such fabric comprises dragging such fabric in a travel path across the fabric support surface, and the cleaning device further comprises an electrically conductive material disposed on the fabric support member and in the travel path, whereby the electrically conductive material contacts the fabric to dissipate static electrical charges from the fabric. 
     
     
         18 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 ,  claim 2  or  claim 3  wherein the support member has a plurality of cleaning slots, each of which is distinctively marked. 
     
     
         19 . The cleaning device of  claim 18  wherein there is associated with each cleaning slot a distinctive code symbol selected from the class consisting of one or more of a distinctive color, a distinctive geometric shape, a number, and a letter of the alphabet. 
     
     
         20 . A cleaning device for optical fiber strands comprising:
 a support member having a fabric support surface which is configured to support thereon a free length of a cleaning fabric;   one or more cleaning slots formed in the fabric support surface of the support member, the one or more cleaning slots each having a slot depth and being parallel to each other;   a fabric-retaining structure which is operative (1) to removably secure such fabric in a cleaning position in which at least a portion of such fabric is disposed on the fabric support surface and is suspended over the entirety of at least one of the cleaning slots to provide one or more cleaning slots covered by a suspended portion of the fabric, and (2) to release such fabric for fabric-advance travel along a travel path over the support surface to position a fresh suspended portion of such fabric over the one or more cleaning slots, the fabric-retaining structure comprising one or more feed slots through which such fabric is fed, the one or more feed slots being configured to exert a frictional drag on the fabric which drag is sufficient to secure such fabric in the cleaning position but insufficient to prevent fabric-advance travel.   
     
     
         21 . The cleaning device of  claim 20  wherein the feed slots are disposed orthogonally to the travel path with at least one feed slot disposed upstream of the one or more cleaning slots and at least one feed slot disposed downstream of the one or more cleaning slots. 
     
     
         22 . The cleaning device of  claim 21  wherein the cleaning slots are disposed parallel to the travel path. 
     
     
         23 . The cleaning device of  claim 20 ,  claim 21  or  claim 22  wherein the support member is a card-like support member and further comprising a dispenser container in which is disposed a roll of cleaning wipe fabric, the support member being mounted on the dispenser container, and the dispenser container having a slot therein through which the fabric may be fed into engagement with the support member. 
     
     
         24 . The cleaning device of  claim 23  wherein the support member comprises a flap of the dispenser container. 
     
     
         25 . A method of cleaning optical fiber strands by use of a cleaning device, the method comprising:
 (a) placing a free length of a cleaning wipe fabric in a cleaning position in which the fabric entirely covers at least one cleaning slot formed in a fabric support surface of a support member of the cleaning device, the cleaning slot having a floor having a floor surface and the portion of the fabric suspended over the at least one cleaning slot comprising at least one suspended portion of the fabric;   (b) removably securing the fabric in the cleaning position;   (c) rubbing the tip of a fiber optic strand over the suspended portion of the fabric with sufficient force to force the suspended portion into the slot and develop an enduring sag in the suspended portion of the fabric to thereby contact the entire tip of the strand with the fabric; and   (d) releasing the free length of fabric for fabric-advance travel relative to the support surface; and   (e) advancing the fabric along the fabric support surface to position a fresh suspended portion of the fabric over the at least one cleaning slot.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the cleaning device has a plurality of the cleaning slots covered by respective suspended portions of the fabric, and step (c) is carried out on two or more of the suspended portions of the fabric prior to carrying out step (d). 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25  wherein step (b) is carried out by releasably fastening the free length of fabric to the support member, and step (d) is carried out by unfastening the free length of fabric. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the support member has at least one feed slot which is configured to exert a frictional drag on the fabric when the fabric is threaded through the at least one feed slot, step (b) is carried out by threading the fabric through the at least one feed slot, and step (d) is carried out by advancing the fabric with sufficient force to overcome the frictional drag. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the support member has an electrically conductive area upstream of the cleaning slot and including advancing the fabric over the electrically conductive area to dissipate any electrostatic charge in the fabric prior to carrying out step (c). 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25  wherein step (c) is carried out by rubbing the tip of the fiber optic strand with sufficient force that fabric covering the tip makes minimal contact with the floor of the slot. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the fabric has a modulus of stiffness such that the suspended portion of the fabric is stiff enough to bridge the cleaning slots and compliant enough to sag into the cleaning slot under pressure imposed on the suspended portion of the fabric by an optical fiber strand being cleaned on the suspended portion.