Fiber Optic Component Holders and Enclosures and Methods Including Same

Abstract

A method for securing a fiber optic component includes: providing a holding medium having a tack and mounted on a substrate; and placing the fiber optic component in intimate contact with the holding medium to thereby secure the fiber optic component to the substrate. The tack of the holding medium releasably bonds the fiber optic component to the holding medium and the holding medium retains its tack upon removal of the fiber optic component to permit re-placement of the fiber optic component or placement of a further fiber optic component on the holding medium to secure said fiber optic component or further fiber optic component to the substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fiber optic component holder for securing a fiber optic component, the fiber optic component holder comprising:
 a substrate to support the fiber optic component; and   a holding medium mounted on the substrate, the holding medium having a contacting surface, the contacting surface having a tack,   wherein the tack of the contacting surface releasably bonds the fiber optic component to the contacting surface, and wherein upon removal of the fiber optic component from the contacting surface, the contacting surface retains its tack and remains mounted on the substrate to permit re-placement of the same or a different fiber optic component on the contacting surface, wherein the tack of the contacting surface releasably bonds the re-placed same or different fiber optic component to the contacting surface.   
     
     
         2 . The fiber optic component holder of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic component comprises an optical fiber. 
     
     
         3 . The fiber optic component holder of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic component comprises a fiber optic splice sleeve, a fiber optic splitter, an optic wavelength filter or a mechanical splice connector. 
     
     
         4 . The fiber optic component of  claim 1 , wherein the contacting surface of the holding medium has a tack in the range of from about 8 to 25 grams. 
     
     
         5 . The fiber optic component of  claim 1 , wherein the holding medium has a thickness in the range of from about 0.1 to 0.4 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The fiber optic component of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a first substrate and a second substrate mounted to the first substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The fiber optic component of  claim 1 , wherein the second substrate is releasably mounted to the first substrate. 
     
     
         8 . An optical fiber splice tray device, the optical fiber splice tray device comprising:
 a tray having a mounting feature;   a substrate to support an optical fiber splice sleeve, the substrate mounted on the mounting feature; and   a holding medium mounted on the substrate, the holding medium having a contacting surface, the contacting surface having a tack,   wherein the tack of the contacting surface releasably bonds the optical fiber splice sleeve to the contacting surface, and wherein upon removal of the optical fiber splice sleeve from the contacting surface, the contacting surface retains its tack and remains mounted on the substrate to permit re-placement of the same or a different optical fiber splice sleeve, wherein the tack of the contacting surface releasably bonds the re-placed same or different splice sleeve to the contacting surface.   
     
     
         10 . The optical fiber splice tray device of  claim 8 , wherein the contacting surface of the holding medium has a tack in the range of from about 8 to 25 grams. 
     
     
         11 . The optical fiber splice tray device of  claim 8 , wherein the holding medium has a thickness in the range of from about 0.1 to 0.4 mm. 
     
     
         12 . The optical fiber splice tray device of  claim 8 , wherein the substrate comprises a first substrate and a second substrate mounted to the first substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The optical fiber splice tray device of  claim 12 , wherein the second substrate is releasably mounted to the first substrate. 
     
     
         14 . The optical fiber splice tray device of  claim 12 , wherein the first substrate is releasably mounted to the tray. 
     
     
         15 . The optical fiber splice tray device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate supports a plurality of optical fiber splice sleeves. 
     
     
         16 . The optical fiber splice tray device of  claim 15 , wherein at least twelve optical fiber splice sleeves. 
     
     
         17 . A method for splicing an optical fiber, the method comprising:
 providing a splice tray having mounted thereon a substrate, wherein the substrate includes a holding medium having a contacting surface that has a tack;   placing an optical fiber splice sleeve on the contacting surface, wherein the tack of the contacting surface releasably bonds the splice sleeve to the contacting surface;   inserting a first optical fiber into a first end of the optical fiber splice sleeve;   inserting a second optical fiber into a second end of the optical fiber splice sleeve; and   optically coupling the first and second optical fibers within the optical fiber splice sleeve.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising
 removing the optical fiber splice sleeve from the contacting surface; and   replacing the optical fiber splice sleeve on the contacting surface with the same or a different optical fiber splice sleeve, wherein the tack of the contacting surface releasably bonds the same or different splice sleeve to the contacting surface.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the contacting surface of the holding medium has a tack in the range of from about 8 to 25 grams. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the holding medium has a thickness in the range of from about 0.1 to 0.4 mm.