Patent ID: 8763246

Claim:
A method for mechanically connecting two optical fibers using an optical fiber connector that includes a mechanical splice designed to connect a first optical fiber having a coating diameter D, the two optical fibers including a second optical fiber having a coating diameter d smaller than the coating diameter D, the method comprising: inserting the second optical fiber into a tube thereby obtaining a tubed optical fiber, the tubed optical fiber being one of the two optical fibers; fixing the tubed optical fiber in a fiber holder; inserting the tubed optical fiber into the mechanical splice and positioning the tubed optical fiber into the fiber groove of the base of the mechanical splice such that distal ends of the two optical fibers including the tubed optical fiber are placed end to end within the mechanical splice; and fixing the tubed optical fiber in the mechanical splice in a state in which the distal ends of the two the optical fibers including the tubed optical fiber are positioned end to end and the two optical fibers are pressed with a pressing member of the mechanical splice against the base, with a clamp pressing the base and the pressing member together.