Stripping apparatus and methods for optical fibers

A stripping apparatus for tight-buffered fibers, comprising:

• a housing having an interior and at least one ramp disposed within the interior;
• and
• a blade assembly at least partially disposed within the housing interior, the blade assembly comprising:
• at least one blade shuttle section;
• at least one coating blade supported by the at least one blade shuttle section and configured to remove a fiber coating;
• at least one buffer blade supported by the at least one blade shuttle section and configured to remove a tight buffer of the fiber;
• and
• at least one cleave blade arranged to cleave the fiber;
• wherein:
• the at least once coating blade and the at least one buffer blade are movable relative to the at least one blade shuttle section;
• the blade assembly is translatable along a longitudinal axis of the housing;
• and
• the at least one coating blade and the at least one buffer blade are configured to contact the at least one ramp in the interior of the housing during translation of the blade assembly to move relative to the at least one blade shuttle section.

A method of preparing a fiber, comprising:

• providing a stripping apparatus having a housing, and a blade assembly with at least one coating blade and at least one cleave blade;
• inserting a fiber into the stripping apparatus;
• and
• translating the blade assembly relative to the housing along a longitudinal axis of the housing, wherein translating the blade assembly causes the at least one coating blade to strip a coating off the fiber and causes the at least one cleave blade to cleave the fiber;
• wherein translating the blade assembly causes a portion of the blade assembly to engage at least one ramp on the housing to effect movement of the at least one coating blade relative to the at least one ramp and toward the fiber.