the cleaning tape against the joining end surface of the optical connector, and achieve an overall evenness thereof.
It should be noted that, as in Patent document 5, in an optical connector cleaning tool in which the head portion is tiltably supported by an elastically deformable spring portion, the structure is generally one in which the head portion is supported by the spring portion when the orientation of the tape pressing surface that presses the cleaning tape towards the joining end surface of the optical connector is perpendicular to the direction in which the tape is pressed against the joining end surface of the optical connector, or more specifically, is perpendicular to a center axis of a connector hole of the connector positioning housing into which the head portionas if it were rotating around a central portion between the end portion on the spring apex portion side of the head plate 125 and the end portion on the spring rear side. The orientation of the head plate 125 thus progresses from a state of being perpendicular relative to the optical axis of the optical fiber 140a that is incorporated in the ferrule 141 to a state of tilting to match the joining end surface 141a of the ferrule 141.
The spring rear side portion of the head plate 125 moves towards the front in the pressing direction while tilting in conjunction with the change in the orientation of the head plate 125.
In FIG. 37C, the change (i.e., the tilting), which is caused by the pressing of the