of the head portion 301 to follow the joining end surface 321a of the ferrule 322 is secured by the elasticity of the spring portion 304 of the tape pressing head 303 which is incorporated in the insertion portion.
However, when an operator over-tilts the cleaning tool during a manual operation, there is considerable unevenness in the distribution of the pressing force with which the tape pressing surface 302 of the head portion 301 presses the cleaning tape 311 against the joining end surface 321a of the optical connector, and it has been found that the possibility of the tape pressing surface 302 of the head portion 301 lifting up slightly from the joining end surface 321a of the ferrule 322 is somewhat increased.
In the structure shown in FIG.38B through FIG. 38D, as a result of the cleaning tape 311 that is pressed against the joining end surface 321a being fed from the upstream side end portion 302a towards the downstream side end portion 302b in the tape feeding direction of the tape pressing surface 302, a displacement force acts in a direction so as to follow the cleaning tape 311 in the ferrule 322 of the optical connector 321. This displacement force has a tendency to act most strongly on that portion of the outer peripheral angle portion of the joining end surface 321a of the ferrule 322 that is closest to the upstream side end portion 302a in the tape feeding direction of the tape pressing surface 302. Because of this, when a state