CONNECTOR FOR CONNECTING TWO BARE OPTICAL FIBERS

Optical fiber connecting devices and methods of connecting first and second optical fibers are described. The exemplary devices have a housing composed of an upper and lower housing portions, a mechanical element disposed in a cavity of the lower housing portion, the mechanical element configured to axially align and connect the bare glass portions of the first and second optical fibers; and an actuation mechanism to open and close the splice element a plurality of times, and allows the first and second optical fibers to be positioned, secured and actuated in the mechanical element at the same or different times.