This invention relates to plastic coated optical fibers, and particularly to a method and apparatus for first softening and then stripping a preselected length of a plastic coating from the end of a fiber without damage of interior glass portions of the fiber.
Optical fibers are now extensively used in various telecommunication systems and many techniques have been developed for fiber splicing. In one technique, for example, the plastic coating of a fiber is first soaked in a chemical bath for softening the plastic coating for causing it to expand into tight fit within a surrounding tube which is then pulled, along with the plastic coating, off an end of the fiber. Problems exist, however, in obtaining a sharp break in the plastic coating and preventing damage of the underlying glass portions. These problems show up as poor quality fiber to fiber splices.
In my above-identified co-pending parent application, there is disclosed a fiber stripping apparatus for cracking and stripping an extremely thin, outer, color coding layer from a fiber. The apparatus uses a chuck assembly including convergible jaws for symmetrically grasping and slightly compressing the fiber outer layer. The present invention makes use of a convergible jaw mechanism somewhat similar to the jaw mechanism disclosed in my parent application, and the subject matter thereof is incorporated herein by reference.