Patent ID: 6904226

Claim:
A method of preparing a coated optical fiber for coupling to a face of an optical device, comprising: (a) placing the coated fiber so that it extends through a stripping station, a cleaning station and a cleaving station, (b) bringing a stripper at the stripping station into engagement with the fiber, (c) effecting relative motion between the fiber and the stripping station, the cleaning station and the cleaving station lengthwise of the fiber, whereby the coating is stripped from a medial length segment of the fiber as maid medial length segment passes through the stripping station, (d) activating a cleaning device at the cleaning station and thereby cleaning fragments of coating material from said medial length segment of the fiber as said medial length segment passes through the cleaning station. (e) deactivating the cleaning device and discontinuing stripping, (f) positioning the fiber with said medial length segment of fiber at the cleaving station, and (g) cleaving the fiber within said medial length segment, thereby providing the fiber with a freshly cleaved end region.