Stripping apparatus and methods for tight-buffered optical fibers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9291773-B2
Application number	US-201314052982-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2013
Priority date	Oct 16, 2012
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for stripping tight-buffered optical fibers are disclosed. The methods include removing a portion of the buffer layer and thin-coating layer to expose the bare fiber at the optical fiber end, wherein the cuts to the optical fiber needed to strip the optical fiber are made simultaneously. In some methods, a portion of the cover is used to clean the bare fiber as the cover portion is removed. In other methods, the normal force that secures the cover is alleviated so that the cover portion can be removed without breaking the bare fiber. Different apparatus configured to effectuate the stripping methods are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of stripping a buffered fiber having an end, a central glass fiber, and a cover having a coating layer that surrounds the glass fiber and a buffer layer that surrounds the coating layer, comprising:
a) making a first cut at a first position of the buffered fiber and down through the cover to the glass fiber to define a removable cover section;
b) making a second cut at a second position of the buffered fiber between the first position and the fiber end, the second cut extending into the cover to about the coating layer; and
c) sliding the removable cover section from the glass fiber to define an exposed glass fiber section.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further including cutting the cover through the buffered fiber near the end to define a new end.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first cut is a circumferential cut.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second cut is an angled cut.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein steps a) through c) are performed simultaneously.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising cutting through the buffered fiber near the end to define a new end, wherein said cutting through the buffered fiber is performed simultaneously with steps a) through c) of claim 1 .

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second cut is a circumferential cut.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
prior to performing the first cut, performing the second cut to define a first movable cover sub-section between the second position and the end, and to define a fixed cover section; and
axially sliding the first movable cover sub-section away from the fixed cover section;
wherein the first cut is performed in the fixed cover section after the second cut to define a second movable cover sub-section between the second position and first position, and further wherein the first and second movable cover sub-sections define the removable cover section that is slid from the glass fiber.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein axially sliding the first movable cover sub-section away from the fixed cover section further comprises exposing a portion of the coating layer that defines a third movable cover sub-section between the first movable cover sub-section and the fixed cover section, and further wherein the first, second, and third movable cover sub-sections define the removable cover section.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the second cut also extends through the coating layer down to the glass fiber such that axially sliding the first movable cover sub-section away from the fixed cover section further comprises exposing a portion of the glass fiber between the first movable cover sub-section and the fixed cover section.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the cuts of the buffered optical fiber is performed by:
disposing the buffered optical fiber between first and second aligned semicircular cutting portions of first and second blade members having respective first and second front surfaces and first and second confronting edges, with the first and second semicircular cutting portions defining a circular opening having a central axis when the first and second blade members are closed; and
pushing the buffered optical fiber into a fiber support feature on the first blade member with an insertion member on the second blade member while closing the first and second blade members to cause the buffered optical fiber to be centered on the central axis when the first and second blade members are closed.

12. A method of stripping a buffered fiber having an end, a central glass fiber, and a cover having a coating layer that surrounds the glass fiber and a buffer layer that surrounds the coating layer, comprising:
a) cutting through the buffered fiber at position P1 near the end to define a new end;
b) circumferentially cutting the buffer layer and the coating layer down to the glass fiber at a point P3 a distance L20 away from position P1, thereby defining a removable cover section;
c) making an angled cut in the buffer layer down to about the coating layer at a position P2 between positions P1 and P3 at a distance d2 from position P3; and
d) removing the removable cover section by sliding the removable cover section off of the glass fiber to define an exposed glass fiber section having length L20 that is between 35 mm and 45 mm.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein acts a) through c) are performed simultaneously.

Assignees

• Corning Cable Sys Llc

Inventors

• Harrison Carl Randall
• Mcminn Gregory Earl
• Menke Brett Allen
• Vo Chanh Cuong

Classifications

• G02B6/245 Primary

  Removing protective coverings of light guides before coupling · CPC title

• Y10T83/02

  Other than completely through work thickness · CPC title