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) has a modulus of stiffness which is high enough to bridge a plurality of cleaning slots (26a-26d, 126a-126d) and hold the fabric out of contact with the slot floor surfaces (26a), and low enough to be deflected by a fiber optic end being cleaned to sag within the cleaning slot to better enclose and clean the tip of the fiber optic end. Used cleaning fabric (22, 122) can easily be advanced or removed as needed to avoid using the same area of fabric for cleaning more than once.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . 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.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  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). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  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. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  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. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  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). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  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. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  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. 
     
     
         8 . A cleaning device for optical fiber strands comprising:
 a support member having a fabric support surface having a slotted portion in which are formed one or more cleaning slots having respective slot depths and floor surfaces;   a free length of a cleaning wipe fabric disposed upon the fabric support surface and overlying the slotted portion to define a cleaning section of the fabric having one or more suspended portions of the fabric suspended over and bridging the one or more cleaning slots, the fabric having a modulus of stiffness which is high enough to bridge the cleaning slots and hold the free length of fabric out of contact with the floor surfaces of the cleaning slots at least prior to application of cleaning pressure as defined below, and low enough to sag into the cleaning slots under the application of such cleaning pressure;   the slot depth of the one or more cleaning slots is sufficient to allow the suspended portions of the fabric to sag into their associated one or more cleaning slots when cleaning pressure is applied to the suspended portions of the fabric by wiping tips of such optical fiber strands on the suspended portions to clean such tips;   a fabric-retaining structure operatively associated with the support member and disposed so as to expose one or more of the suspended portions of the fabric to access by such optical fiber strands, the fabric-retaining structure serving (1) to removably secure the fabric in the cleaning position whereby the tip of a fiber optic strand can be cleaned by wiping such tip over one or more of the suspended portions 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 section of the fabric overlying the slotted portion.