Patent ID: 7641062

Claim:
A wire gripper comprising: (i) an inner sleeve, comprising: two wire-insertion bores adapted to have wires inserted therein, respectively; a pair of large-diameter ball-set bores provided across from each other, each large-diameter bore being open to both of said wire-insertion bores and to an outer surface of said inner sleeve; and a pair of small-diameter ball-set bores provided across from each other, each small-diameter bore being open to one of said wire-insertion bores and to the outer surface of said inner sleeve, the two small-diameter bores being opened to different wire-insertion bores; wherein the outer surface of said inner sleeve is tapered at a portion of said inner sleeve where said ball-set bores are formed; (ii) four balls received in said ball-set bores and protruding partially into said wire-insertion bores so as to grip said wires, wherein said four balls comprise two large-diameter balls provided across from each other in the large-diameter ball-set bores, respectively, and two small-diameter balls provided across from each other in the small-diameter ball-set bores, respectively, and wherein a first one of said wires is pressed by both of the large-diameter balls and a first one of the small-diameter balls to grip the wire, and a second one of said wires is pressed by both of the large-diameter balls and a second one of the small-diameter balls to grip the wire; (iii) an outer sleeve having a tapered inner surface which contacts said tapered outer surface of said inner sleeve so as to press said balls inward; and (iv) a spring for biasing said inner sleeve relative to said outer sleeve in a direction along which the tapered outer surface is tapered down.