Patent ID: 7003208

Claim:
An optical fiber connecting tool for an optical connector which houses a ferule, a first optical fiber mounted in the ferule and extending from a back end of the ferule, and a second optical fiber abutted and connected to the first optical fiber, the optical connector comprising a clamping portion, provided at a back portion of the ferule opposite to a distal end surface for abutment connection and having half split elements, for maintaining connection between the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber by clamping the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber in a space between the half split elements using elastic force of a spring, the optical fiber connecting tool comprising: an insertion member for maintaining a state in which the second optical fiber is insertable into and removable from the space between the half split elements by being wedged into the space from outside of the clamping portion so as to expand the space between the half split elements; an insertion member operating portion, having a ring shape, for extracting the insertion member disposed between the half split elements of the clamping portion from the clamping portion; and a stopper wall, included in a periphery of the insertion member operating portion, to which the optical connector is abutted when the insertion member is extracted from the clamping portion of the optical connector, wherein the insertion member projects to an outer surface side of the stopper wall from a movable end portion, which is an end portion of the insertion member operating portion located opposite to the stopper wall of the insertion member operating portion, through an insertion member window formed in the stopper wall, and when lateral opposing forces are applied to portions of the insertion member operating portion located between the stopper wall and the movable end portion, the insertion member operating portion deforms such that a distance between the stopper wall and the movable end portion increases so that the insertion member is moved such that an amount of projection of the insertion member from the stopper wall decreases or projection of the insertion member from the stopper wall is eliminated.