Fiber optic connector with fiber end protection

1. A fiber optic connector comprising:

a connector body disposed about an optical fiber having an end face;

a shutter mounted at a front end of the connector body, the shutter being moveable relative to the connector body between an open position and a closed position, the shutter covering the end face of the optical fiber when disposed in the closed position; and

a cleaning material disposed at an inner side of the shutter, the cleaning material including a gel, the cleaning material being configured to contact the end face of the optical fiber when the shutter is disposed in the closed position;

wherein the optical fiber includes a ferrule-less end portion having a distal-most end at which the end face is located; and

wherein the connector body defines a buckling region, and wherein the ferrule-less end portion bends within the buckling region when the shutter is in the closed position.

2. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 wherein the ferrule-less end portion of the optical fiber is formed by a bare-glass portion of the optical fiber.

3. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 further comprising a latch for positively latching the shutter in the closed position.

4. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the gel is mixed with nanoparticles, nanobeads, nanotubes, or quantum dots of a modifying material.

5. The fiber optic connector of claim 4 , wherein the modifying material includes fumed silica.

6. The fiber optic connector of claim 4 , wherein the modifying material includes carbon.

7. The fiber optic connector of claim 4 , wherein the modifying material includes a metal.

8. The fiber optic connector of claim 7 , wherein the modifying material includes gold.

9. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning material is configured to inhibit contamination of the end face of the optical fiber.

10. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning material is configured to clean the end face of the optical fiber.

11. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning material is configured to inhibit damage to the end face of the optical fiber.

12. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning material inhibits infrared light emitted from the end face of the optical fiber from shining through the shutter.

13. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning material includes a membrane of electrospun fibers.

14. The fiber optic connector of claim 13 , wherein the gel includes a thixotropic gel; and wherein the electrospun fibers form a scaffold over the thixotropic gel.

15. A method of maintaining cleanliness of an optical fiber end face prior to connection of the optical fiber, the method comprising:

cleaning an end face of an optical fiber coupled to an optical fiber connector;

moving a shutter of the optical fiber connector to a closed position so that a portion of the shutter extends across the end face of the optical fiber and a gel cleaning material comprising a membrane of electrospun fibers disposed on an inner surface of the shutter contacts the end face; and

maintaining contact between the cleaning material and the end face of the optical fiber by maintaining the shutter in the closed position.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising cleaning the end face of the optical fiber when the end face of the optical fiber contacts the gel cleaning material.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising inhibiting light emitted from the end face of the optical fiber from shining outwardly from the optical fiber connector when the shutter is moved to the closed position.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising

moving the shutter to an open position to expose the end face of the optical fiber; and

aligning the end face of the optical fiber with an end face of another optical fiber to make a connection between the optical fibers.

19. A fiber optic connector comprising:

a connector body disposed about an optical fiber having an end face;

a shutter mounted at a front end of the connector body, the shutter being moveable relative to the connector body between an open position and a closed position, the shutter covering the end face of the optical fiber when disposed in the closed position; and

a cleaning material disposed at an inner side of the shutter, the cleaning material including a gel, the cleaning material being configured to contact the end face of the optical fiber when the shutter is disposed in the closed position;

wherein the gel is mixed with nanoparticles, nanobeads, nanotubes, or quantum dots of a modifying material.

20. The fiber optic connector of claim 19 , wherein the modifying material includes fumed silica.

21. The fiber optic connector of claim 19 , wherein the modifying material includes carbon.

22. The fiber optic connector of claim 19 , wherein the modifying material includes a metal.

23. The fiber optic connector of claim 19 , wherein the modifying material includes gold.

24. A fiber optic connector comprising:

a connector body disposed about an optical fiber having an end face;

a shutter mounted at a front end of the connector body, the shutter being moveable relative to the connector body between an open position and a closed position, the shutter covering the end face of the optical fiber when disposed in the closed position; and

a cleaning material disposed at an inner side of the shutter, the cleaning material including a gel, the cleaning material being configured to contact the end face of the optical fiber when the shutter is disposed in the closed position; and

wherein the cleaning material includes a membrane of electrospun fibers.

25. The fiber optic connector of claim 24 , wherein the gel includes a thixotropic gel; and wherein the electrospun fibers form a scaffold over the thixotropic gel.