Patent ID: 8988670
Filing Date: 2015-03-24
Classification: B08B,G01M,G02B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for simultaneously inspecting and cleaning a fiber connector, comprising: a housing having a base plate and a front panel, the front panel having a lower portion connected to the base plate; a microscope system embedded inside the housing, wherein the microscope system has an objective, an optical axis, and a camera, wherein a front window of the objective is exposed through an opening in the front panel; and a connector holder disposed at a certain distance in front of the front panel, defining an open access space between the connector holder and the front panel, the connector holder having a connector receptacle embedded therein for receiving and holding a connector ferrule of a fiber connector so that a ferrule endface of the connector ferrule and fiber endfaces in the ferrule endface are exposed in a rear window of the connector receptacle, facing the front panel, wherein the connector receptacle is substantially aligned with the optical axis of the microscope system so that the ferrule endface and the fiber endfaces of the fiber connector may be viewed and inspected through the microscope system and cleaned via the open access space; at least one air nozzle attached to the front panel of the housing at an off-center location; and a cleaning air tube extending from the at least one air nozzle, for connecting to an external clean and dry compressed air supply to supply cleaning air to the at least one air nozzle, wherein the at least one air nozzle is disposed to allow the cleaning air therefrom to spray sideways onto the ferrule endface of the fiber connector received in the connector holder and then bounce off the ferrule endface sideways out of the open access space between the connector holder and the front panel of the housing.