Patent ID: 8678260

Claim:
A bladeless cleaver for cleaving an optical fiber, comprising: a body having an arcuate exterior surface; and a cleaver structure attached to the body and comprising an abrasive medium carrier and an abrasive medium attached to the abrasive medium carrier, wherein the abrasive medium does not include a sharp edge, wherein a space is provided between the arcuate exterior surface of the body and the cleaver structure and receives a portion of the optical fiber such that the portion of the optical fiber is positioned along a majority of the arcuate exterior surface of the body, and wherein the abrasive medium carrier is configured to move and reciprocate in a transverse direction substantially perpendicular to a lateral edge of the arcuate exterior surface of the body and thereby place the abrasive medium in contact with the portion of the optical fiber received in the space between the arcuate exterior surface and cleaver structure to create a flaw in the portion of the optical fiber.