Cleaning pads for fiber optic connectors

Abstract

A cleaning pad ( 102 ) for cleaning fiber optic connectors includes: a main body; and a plurality of cleaning locations ( 104 ) located along the main body, each of the cleaning locations ( 104 ) defining a space in which a fiber optic connector is to be cleaned.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cleaning pad for cleaning fiber optic connectors, the cleaning pad comprising:
 a main body; and   a plurality of cleaning locations located along the main body, each of the cleaning locations defining a space in which a fiber optic connector is to be cleaned.   
     
     
         2 . The cleaning pad of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning locations are located in a plurality of rows along the cleaning pad. 
     
     
         3 . The cleaning pad of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning locations are located in a single row along the cleaning pad. 
     
     
         4 . The cleaning pad of  claim 1 , wherein each of the cleaning locations includes first and second sloped sidewalls and a bottom wall. 
     
     
         5 . The cleaning pad of  claim 4 , wherein each of the cleaning locations extends along a length sized to indicate a proper cleaning length for the fiber optic connector. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaning pad of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic connector is positioned in a fixture holding a plurality of fiber optic connectors. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaning pad of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning pad is configured to receive a cleaning tissue positioned thereon. 
     
     
         8 . A method for cleaning a plurality of fiber optic connectors, the method comprising:
 providing a cleaning pad including a main body and a plurality of cleaning locations located along the main body;   positioning a cleaning tissue over the cleaning pad; and   placing a fiber of a fiber optic connector in one of the cleaning locations to contact the cleaning tissue to clean the fiber.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising moving the fiber along a length of the cleaning location to clean the fiber. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising moving a fixture holding the fiber optic connector along a length of the cleaning location to clean the fiber. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising indexing the cleaning tissue when an entirety of a row of the cleaning locations is used. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising replacing the cleaning tissue when all of the cleaning locations are used. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising indexing the cleaning tissue when an entirety of a row of the cleaning locations is used.