JP2002051972A - Bending operation device for endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bending operation device for an endoscope enabled to prevent a pair of bending operation knobs from incidental movement at operation, with excellent productivity. SOLUTION: The bending operation device for the endoscope comprises a bending part mounted at the top end of an insertion part; a pair of bending operation knobs which can be operated so as to rotate around a common operational center axis, having a friction member in between; bending operation wires stretched between bending operation knobs and bending parts respectively, making the bending part bend in forward and reverse direction by making one wire pull the bending part while the other draw out according to the forward and reversal rotation operation of respective bending operation knobs; and a wire tension adjusting means adjusting the tension of respective bending operation wires. By the wire tension adjusting means, the tension of respective bending operation wires are set so as to make one bending operation knob, engaged with another bending operation knob through the friction member, not incidentally rotate when another bending operation knob is operated to rotate.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a bending operation device for an endoscope.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a bending operation device for bending an insertion portion inserted into a body cavity or the like in an endoscope, a pair of bending operation knobs for performing bending operations in different directions are provided. There is a type provided adjacently. In such a bending operation device, for example, when the space between the respective bending operation knobs is closed in a watertight manner with a sealing material, when one of the bending operation knobs is rotated, the other rotating operation knob is rotated by the frictional force of the sealing material. There is a possibility that it will. In order to avoid this, it is conceivable to reduce the frictional force by forming a small seal material or applying a large amount of lubricating grease. However, when the seal material is formed small, damage must be considered, and when a large amount of lubricating oil is applied, leakage to the external appearance must be considered. This can be troublesome during the assembly process.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a bending operation device for an endoscope which is excellent in productivity and does not cause the pair of bending operation knobs to rotate when used.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To achieve the above object, a bending operation device according to the present invention includes a bending portion provided at the tip of an insertion portion inserted into an observation target; A pair of bending operation knobs having friction members between each other;
A pair of tension members is provided between each bending operation knob and the bending portion, and one of the bending operation knobs pulls the bending portion in accordance with the forward / reverse rotation operation of the bending operation knob, and the other is pulled out to move the bending portion in the normal / reverse direction. A bending operation wire to be bent; and wire tension adjusting means for adjusting the tension of each bending operation wire; and when one bending operation knob is turned by the wire tension adjusting means, the one bending operation knob is turned. The tension of each bending operation wire is set such that the other bending operation knob engaged with the bending operation knob via the friction member is not driven and rotated. According to this configuration, once the tension of the bending operation wire is set once during mass production, it is possible to prevent the pair of bending operation knobs from rotating together without forming a small seal material or applying a large amount of lubricating oil. Therefore, assembling of each endoscope operating device is facilitated, and productivity is improved.

Means for adjusting the tension of the bending operation wire is as follows:
The following configuration is preferable. That is, each bending operation wire can be divided into a first wire connected to the bending operation knob and a second wire connected to the bending portion, and the first and second wires are connected by the wire connection member. To Then, the tension of the bending operation wire is adjusted by changing the attachment position of the first wire or the second wire to the wire connecting member.

In the bending operation device of the present invention described above, the friction member is, for example, a sealing member that seals a gap between the pair of bending operation knobs in a watertight manner.

According to the present invention, there is also provided a bending portion provided at the tip of an insertion portion inserted into an observation target; a pair of bending portions rotatable about a common operation center axis and having friction members between each other. A pair of operating knobs; and a pair of bending knobs, each of which is stretched between the bending operation knob and the bending portion. In a bending operation device of an endoscope provided with a bending operation wire that bends in the forward and reverse directions, each bending operation wire can be divided at an intermediate position in the length direction. In response to the turning operation of the operation knob, the other bending operation knob engaged with the one bending operation knob via the friction member is driven to rotate, and in the connection state of each bending operation wire, each of the bending operations is performed. Turn one bending operation knob by the tension of the wire. Driven rotation of the other bending operation knob is characterized in that it is regulated when operating. According to this configuration, since the bending operation wires are merely connected and assembled, the pair of bending operation knobs are prevented from rotating together,
Assembling of each endoscope operating device is facilitated, and productivity is improved.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a bending operation device of a medical endoscope. First, the overall structure of the endoscope and the outline of the operation device will be described, and then the characteristic portions of the present invention will be described. The electronic endoscope 10 shown in FIG.
Grip operation unit 11 and insertion unit 1 connected to grip operation unit 11
The bending portion 12a has a predetermined length from the vicinity of the distal end of the insertion portion 12 and is bent in the vertical and horizontal directions according to the operation of the bending operation device 13 provided in the gripping operation portion 11.

At the tip of the insertion portion 12, an observation window (object window) and an illumination window (not shown) are provided. An image sensor is provided inside the observation window, and an image obtained through the image sensor is sent to the image processing device via the connector 14 and can be displayed on a display or recorded on an image recording medium. . Light for illumination is sent from a light source device connected to the connector 14 to the illumination window at the distal end of the insertion section 12 through a light guide flexible tube. The grip operation unit 11 is provided with various remote operation buttons 17 used for image processing, image recording, lighting control, and the like. In addition, the grip operation unit 1
1 is provided with a forceps port 18 for inserting a treatment tool, and the treatment tool inserted from the forceps port 18 is inserted into the insertion portion 12.
Protruding from the tip of.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section near the bending operation device 13. The bending operation device 13 has a left / right bending operation knob 13LR for bending the bending portion 12a in the left / right direction, and a vertical bending operation knob 13UD for bending the bending portion 12a in the vertical direction. As will be described later, the left / right bending operation knob 13LR and the up / down bending operation knob 13UD are each composed of a plurality of members, and FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively show the left / right bending operation knob 13LR and the up / down bending operation knob 13UD.
UD is represented as one member. First, the bending mechanism for the left-right direction will be described.

A support base plate 11b is fixed in the housing 11a of the gripping operation section 11.
A rotation base shaft (operation center shaft) 20 is fixed above. The rotation base shaft 20 is provided with a through hole 11 formed in the housing 11a.
and protrudes upward through c. The through hole 11c is closed by a lid 11d disposed between a fixed base 50 and the housing 11a, which will be described later.

An operation shaft 21 constituting a left-right bending operation knob 13LR is rotatably supported outside the rotation base shaft 20. The operation shaft 21 is formed of a metal material,
It has a cylindrical part 21a concentric with the rotation base 20 and a disk part 21b located at the upper end of the cylindrical part 21a. The disk part 21b has: A plurality of circular holes 21c are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (see FIG. 5).

A knob external part 23 which is a resin molded product is fixed to the operation shaft 21. The knob external part 23 has four finger hooks 23a protruding in the outer radial direction at equal angular intervals, and the inside is formed hollow. A large-diameter opening 23b and a small-diameter opening 23
c is formed, and the small-diameter opening 23c is fitted in the disc-shaped portion 21b of the operating shaft 21. A plurality of protrusions 23d are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction in the vicinity of the small-diameter opening 23c in the knob appearance portion 23, and the knob appearance portion 23 is welded to the inside of the circular hole 21c so that the knob appearance portion 23 becomes an operating shaft. It is fixed to the body 21. The knob external part 23 and the operating shaft 21
Constitutes the left-right bending operation knob 13LR.

A pulley 24 is fixed to the lower end of the operating shaft 21. A pair of bending operation wires 25 and 26 are fixed to the pulley 24, and the bending operation wire 25 and the bending operation wire 2 are
One of the rollers 6 is wound around a pulley 24 and the other is unreeled from the pulley 24. The bending operation wire 25 and the bending operation wire 26 are respectively connected to the node rings constituting the bending portion 12a of the insertion portion 12, and the bending portion 12a is pulled by the bending operation wire 25 and the bending operation wire 26 and pulled out. Are bent in the left-right direction. In the present embodiment, the left and right bending operation knob 13 in the L direction in FIGS.
When the LR is turned, the bending portion 12a is bent leftward, and when the combined body is turned in the R direction, the bending portion 12a is bent rightward.

Next, a vertical bending mechanism will be described.
On the outside of the cylindrical portion 21a of the operation shaft 21, an operation shaft 31 constituting the up / down bending operation knob 13UD is rotatably supported. The operation shaft body 31 is formed of a metal material, and is rotatably fitted to the cylindrical portion 21a. The cylindrical portion 31a is concentric with the rotation base shaft 20, and a circle located at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 31a. It has a plate-like portion 31b. A plurality of circular holes 31c are formed in the disk-shaped part 31b at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

A knob external part 33, which is a resin molded product, is fixed to the operation shaft 31. The knob external part 33 has five finger hooks 33a protruding in the outer radial direction at equal angular intervals, and the inside is formed hollow. A large-diameter opening 33b and a small-diameter opening 33 are respectively formed on the opposed lower surface and upper surface of the knob appearance portion 33.
c is formed, and the small-diameter opening 33c is fitted in the disc-shaped portion 31b of the operation shaft body 31. A plurality of protrusions 33d are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction in the vicinity of the small-diameter opening 33c in the knob appearance portion 33, and by welding the protrusions 33d into the circular hole 31c, the knob appearance portion 33 becomes an operating shaft. It is fixed to the body 31. The knob external part 33 and the operating shaft 31
Constitutes the up / down bending operation knob 13UD.
In the knob external part 33, an annular inner frame 33e made of a metal material is fixed inside the large-diameter opening 33b. The annular inner frame 33e has a female screw formed on the inner peripheral surface.

A pulley 34 is provided at the lower end of the operating shaft 31.
Has been fixed. A pair of operation wires 35 and 36 are fixed to the pulley 34, and the bending operation wire 35 and the bending operation wire 36 are
Is wound on a pulley 34 and the other is
It is paid out from 4. The bending operation wire 35 and the bending operation wire 36 are connected to the bending portion 12a of the insertion section 12, respectively.
6 by the pulling and extending operations with respect to each other,
a is curved in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, when the vertical bending operation knob 13UD is rotated in the U direction in FIGS. 7 and 8, the bending portion 12a is bent upward, and when the combined body is rotated in the D direction, the bending portion 12a is lowered. Curved.

The left and right bending operation knob 13LR and the vertical bending operation knob 13UD can regulate the turning operation of the knob external parts 23 and 33 by a lock mechanism, and the bending part 12a of the insertion part 12 can be brought into a desired bending state. Can be done. First, the lock mechanism of the left / right bending operation knob 13LR will be described.

At the upper end of the pivot base 20, a pivot base 20 is provided.
A lock shaft 41 provided with a cylindrical portion 41a and a disk-shaped portion 41b concentric with the lock shaft 41 is provided. The cylindrical portion 41a is a rotating base shaft 2.
The lock operation knob 42 is fixed on the disc-shaped portion 41b via a fixing nut 43. When the lock operation knob 42 is rotated from outside, the lock shaft 41 is locked. Are also rotated together. At the upper end of the rotation base shaft 20, a retaining member 44 for preventing the combined body of the lock shaft 41 and the lock operation knob 42 from falling off is attached. The retaining member 44 is fitted so as not to rotate with respect to the rotation base shaft 20, and is fixed by the fixing screw 20a.
It is fixed so that it does not fall in the 0 axis direction.

The combined body of the lock shaft 41 and the lock operation knob 42 is provided with a rotation restricting protrusion 41 protruding from the disc-shaped portion 41b.
The rotation of c is restricted by a lock position and an unlock position which engage with a pair of rotation restriction surfaces (not shown) provided on the retaining member 44 at different positions in the circumferential direction. At the lock position and the unlock position, the click spring 45 provided on the lock operation knob 42 fits into a click recess (not shown) formed on the retaining member 44.

A male screw 41d is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 41a.
Female screw 46a is screwed. As shown in FIG. 5, a part of the rotation base shaft 20 in the longitudinal direction is formed as a non-circular cross section 22.
The rotation of the movement lock member 46 with respect to the rotation base shaft 20 is restricted by the engagement of the rotation restricting body 47 that is coupled to the movement lock member 46 so as not to rotate relatively. Therefore, when the combined body of the lock operation knob 42 and the lock shaft body 41 is rotated, the movable lock member 46 does not rotate along the axis of the rotation base shaft 20 due to the screwing relationship between the male screw 41d and the female screw 46a. Moved up and down.

When the movable lock member 46 moves up and down by rotating the combined body of the lock operation knob 42 and the lock shaft body 41 to the above-described locked position and unlocked position, the frictional member fixed to the movable lock member 46 is moved. The mating portion 46b comes into contact with and separates from the frictional engagement portion 48a fixed to the fixed lock member 48. The friction engagement portions 46b and 48a are made of a material having a high friction coefficient.
For example, it is formed of cork or silicon rubber. The fixed lock member 48 is rotated together with the operation shaft 21 when the knob external portion 23 is rotated. Lock operation knob 42
When the combined body of the lock shaft member 41 and the lock shaft member 41 is rotated to the lock position, the movable lock member 46 moves upward, the frictional engagement portion 46b is pressed against the frictional engagement portion 48a, and the fixed lock member 48 Rotation is restricted. When the rotation of the fixed lock member 48 is restricted, the left-right bending operation knob 1
The rotation of the 3LR is restricted, and the pulley 24 is locked so as not to rotate. As a result, the bending operation of the bending portion 12a in the left-right direction is regulated, and the bending state is maintained. vice versa,
When the combined body of the lock operation knob 42 and the lock shaft 41 is rotated to the unlock position, the movable lock member 46 moves downward, the friction engagement portion 46b is separated from the friction engagement portion 48a, and the left and right bending operation knob is turned. 13LR can be turned. 7 and 8, the direction F indicates the direction of the rotation operation of the lock operation knob 42 to the unlock position.
When the lock operation knob 42 is rotated in the opposite direction, the lock position is reached.

The friction engagement portion 46b has an adjusting screw 49 at a lower portion, and the adjusting screw 49 is screwed into a screw hole 49a formed in the movable lock member 46. When the adjusting screw 49 is rotated, the frictional engagement portion 46b is moved up and down with respect to the movement lock member 46 in accordance with the screwing relationship with the screw hole 49a. When the vertical position of the friction engagement portion 46b changes with respect to the movable lock member 46, the lock operation knob 4
Frictional engagement portion 46b when the second member 2 is rotated to the lock position
And the frictional engagement force of the frictional engagement portion 48a changes, so that the lock strength with respect to the left / right bending operation knob 13LR can be adjusted.

Next, the lock mechanism of the vertical bending operation knob 13UD will be described. On the outer side of the operation shaft body 31,
A fixed pedestal 50 formed in a cylindrical shape concentric with 0 is provided. The fixed pedestal 50 has its lower end fixed to the supporting base plate 11b together with the rotating base 20. In the space between the fixed pedestal 50 and the rotating base 20, the operating shafts 21, 31, the pulley 24, 34 are supported. On the other hand, the fixed base 5
A lock shaft 51 is supported on the outer peripheral surface of the lock shaft 51. The lock shaft body 51 includes a cylindrical portion 51a and a disk-shaped portion 51b concentric with the rotation base shaft 20, and the cylindrical portion 51a is rotatable with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the fixed base 50, and is axially (up and down). Direction) so as not to move. A plurality of circular holes 51c are formed in the disk-shaped portion 51b at different positions in the circumferential direction, and the lock operation lever 52 is fixed by fitting and projecting the convex portions 52a into the circular holes 51c. That is, the lock operation lever 52 is supported so as to be rotatable about the fixed base 50 (the rotation base shaft 20) together with the lock shaft body 51. Unlike the hollow lock operation knob 42 described above, the lock operation lever 52 is formed in a lever shape that extends long in the radial direction with respect to the axis of the rotation base shaft 20 in order to facilitate the rotation operation. Have been.

The combination of the lock shaft 51 and the lock operation lever 52 is composed of the cylindrical portion 51 a of the lock shaft 51 and the fixed base 5.
The locking spring 55 is locked between the locked position and the unlocked position by a rotation restricting mechanism (not shown) provided between the lock position 0 and the click spring 55. At each rotation position, the click spring 55 acts as a stopper for generating a click feeling.

A male screw 51d is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 51a.
Female screw 56a is screwed. As shown in FIG. 6, the upper end of the fixed base 50 is formed as a non-circular cross-section 54, and a rotation restricting body 57 fixed to a movement lock member 56 is provided for the non-circular cross-section 54. By the fitting, the rotation of the movable lock member 56 with respect to the fixed base 50 and the rotation base shaft 20 is regulated. Therefore, when the combined body of the lock operation lever 52 and the lock shaft body 51 is rotated, the movable lock member 56 does not rotate along the axis of the rotation base shaft 20 due to the screwing relationship between the male screw 51d and the female screw 56a. Moved up and down. The rotation restricting body 57 may be fixed as a separate member from the movement lock member 56,
A portion corresponding to the rotation restricting body 57 may be formed integrally with the movable lock member 56.

When the movable lock member 56 is moved up and down by rotating the combined body of the lock operation lever 52 and the lock shaft body 51 between the above-described lock position and the unlock position, a part of the movable lock member 56 is formed. The frictional engagement portion 56b moves toward and away from the frictional engagement portion 58a fixed to the fixed lock member 58. The fixed lock member 58 is engaged with the inner frame 33e of the knob external part 33 so as to rotate integrally in the circumferential direction, and is rotated together when the knob external part 33 is rotated. When the combined body of the lock operation lever 52 and the lock shaft body 51 is rotated to the lock position, the movable lock member 56 moves downward, and the frictional engagement portion 56b is pressed against the frictional engagement portion 58a, and is fixed by the frictional force. The rotation of the lock member 58 is restricted. When the rotation of the fixed lock member 58 is restricted, the rotation of the up / down bending operation knob 13UD is restricted, and the pulley 34 is locked so as not to rotate. As a result, the bending operation of the bending portion 12a in the vertical direction is restricted, and the bending portion 12a is kept at a specific bending position. Conversely, when the combined body of the lock operation lever 52 and the lock shaft body 51 is rotated to the unlock position, the movable lock member 56 moves upward, the friction engagement portion 56b moves away from the friction engagement portion 58a, and The bending operation knob 13UD can be turned. In FIGS. 7 and 8, the direction F indicates the direction in which the lock operation lever 52 is turned to the unlock position, and when the lock operation lever 52 is turned in the direction opposite to the direction F, the lock position is reached. .

The fixed lock member 58 is fitted to the inner frame 33e of the knob external part 33 so as to be vertically movable. A female screw is formed in the inner frame 33e, and a lock adjustment nut 60 having a male screw to be screwed with the female screw is provided.
Support the fixed lock member 58 from below. The lock nut 60 is controlled while the rotation of the vertical bending operation knob 13UD is restricted.
Is rotated, the vertical position of the lock adjustment nut 60 with respect to the inner frame 33e is adjusted, and the vertical position of the fixed lock member 58 with respect to the movable lock member 56 can be adjusted accordingly. When the vertical position of the fixed lock member 58 changes, the frictional force between the frictional engagement portion 56b and the frictional engagement portion 58a when the lock operation lever 52 is rotated to the lock position changes. Can be adjusted.

The bending operation device 13 includes a bending operation device 13.
In order to keep the space between the components and the inside of the gripping operation section 11 watertight and to prevent foreign matter such as dust from entering,
Sealing materials S1 to S5 formed of a ring or the like are provided. Of these, the sealing material S5 (friction member) is
It is sandwiched between the right and left bending operation knob 13LR and the vertical bending operation knob 13UD adjacent to each other in the 0 axis direction, and transmits the turning operation force of one knob to the other by frictional force. Therefore, the left-right bending operation knob 13LR and the up-down bending operation knob 1
In a free state in which the 3UD is not locked by the above-described lock mechanism and the bending operation wires 25, 26, 35, and 36 are not stretched, one of the 3UDs is generated by a frictional force acting between the 3UD and the sealing material S5. When rotated, the other is also driven and rotated. On the other hand, in the use state in which the bending operation wires 25, 26, 35, and 36 are stretched, such co-rotation does not occur. Hereinafter, a characteristic portion of the present invention for preventing the pair of bending operation knobs from rotating together will be described.

In the bending mechanism for the left-right direction, each of the bending operation wires 25 and 26 has one end fixed to the pulley 24 and the other end extended into the gripping operation section 11 (first wire). ) 25a, 26a, and a bending portion wire (second wire) 25b, one end of which is fixed to the node ring of the bending portion 12a, and the other end of which extends into the gripping operation portion 11.
6b. The pulley wire 25a and the bending portion wire 25b are connected by a wire connecting member 70, and the pulley wire 26a and the bending portion wire 26b
Are connected by a wire connecting member 71.

Similarly, in the bending mechanism for the vertical direction, one end of each of the bending operation wires 35 and 36 is connected to the pulley 3.
4, pulley wires (first wires) 35a, 36a having the other end extending into the gripping operation section 11, and one end connected to the node ring of the bending section 12a and the other end being the gripping operation section. 11 (the second wire) 3
5b and 36b. Pulley wire 3
5a, 36a and the bending portion wires 35b, 36b are connected by wire connecting members 72, 73, respectively.

FIG. 9 shows a free state in which the bending operation wires are not connected by a wire connecting member. In the state shown in the figure, the left / right bending operation knob 13LR and the up / down bending operation knob 13UD rotate with each other due to the frictional force of the sealing material S5. For example, when the vertical bending operation knob 13UD is rotated in the U direction in the figure, the pulley wire 35a is paid out from the pulley 34, and the opposite pulley wire 36a is pulled by the pulley 34 and wound up. At this time, the right and left bending operation knob 13LR is also rotated in the same direction by the frictional force, and the pulley wire 25a is paid out from the pulley 24, and the opposite pulley wire 26
"a" is pulled by the pulley 24 and wound up, and the state shown in FIG. 9 is obtained. The same is true when the left and right bending operation knob 13LR is rotated in the L direction in the same figure instead of the vertical bending operation knob 13UD, and the vertical bending operation knob 13UD rotates together with the pulley wires 25a, 26a, 35a and 36a. Is in the state shown in FIG.

When the bending operation knob 13UD is turned in the D direction or the left and right bending operation knob 13LR is turned in the R direction in a free state where the bending operation wire is not stretched, one of the bending operation knobs is also used. The other bending operation knob is rotated in accordance with the rotation of. In this case, the pulley wires 25a and 35a of the four pulley wires
Is pulled by the pulley and pulley wires 26a and 36a
Is fed out of the pulley.

FIG. 8 shows a state in which the bending operation wires are connected by a wire connecting member. First, the bending mechanism for the left and right direction will be described. Wire pullers 25a and 25d, which constitute the bending operation wire 25, are provided with wire stoppers 25c and 25d at ends of the bending wire 25b, respectively. The wire stoppers 25c and 25d are provided in the stopper receiving recesses 7 in the wire connecting member 70 formed in a hollow box shape.
0a are fitted from opposite directions. Then, when the pulley wire 25a is connected via the wire connecting member 70, the pulley wire 25a is pulled in the direction (the direction of the bending portion 12a) drawn out from the pulley 24, and the bending portion wire 25a is pulled.
b is pulled in the direction pulled by the pulley 24, and the bending operation wire 25 is stretched. Similarly, the pulley wire 26a and the bending wire 2 constituting the bending operation wire 26
6b have wire stoppers 26c and 26d, respectively.
The wire stoppers 26c and 26d are fitted into stopper receiving recesses 71a in the wire connecting member 71 formed in a hollow box shape from opposite directions.
Then, when connected via the wire connecting member 71,
The pulley wire 26a is pulled in a direction in which the pulley 24 is drawn out (the direction of the bending portion 12a), and the bending portion wire 26b is pulled in a direction in which the pulley 24 is pulled.
The bending operation wire 26 is stretched.

Like the bending mechanism for the left and right directions, in the bending mechanism for the vertical direction, wire stoppers 35c and 35d are provided at the ends of the pulley wire 35a and the bending wire 35b constituting the bending operation wire 35, respectively. The wire stoppers 35c and 35d are fitted into the stopper receiving recesses 72a in the wire connecting member 72 formed in a hollow box shape from opposite directions. And, when connected via the wire connecting member 72, the pulley wire 35a
In the direction of being pulled out from the pulley 34 (the curved portion 12a
A tension is applied to the bending portion wire 35b, and the bending portion wire 35b is pulled in a direction pulled by the pulley 34 (the pulley 34 direction), and the bending operation wire 35 is stretched. The pulley wire 36a and the bending portion wire 36b constituting the bending operation wire 36 have wire stoppers 36 at their ends.
c, 36d are provided, and the wire stoppers 36c, 36c are provided.
"d" is fitted into the stopper receiving concave portion 73a in the wire connecting member 73 formed in a hollow box shape from opposite directions. When the pulley 34a is connected via the wire connecting member 73, tension is applied to the pulley wire 36a in the direction of being pulled out from the pulley 34 (the direction of the bending portion 12a), and the pulley 34 pulls the bending portion wire 36b. Direction, and the bending operation wire 36 is stretched.

Although FIGS. 8 and 9 show four bending operation wires arranged in a plane, in actuality, as shown in FIG.
5, the bending operation wire 36 is positioned on the bending operation wire 26, and the four bending operation wires have a structure of being stacked in two stages.

The tension of each bending operation wire acts as a turning resistance on a bending operation knob connected via a pulley. For example, the pulling force of the pulley wire 25a of the bending operation wire 25 by the pulley wire 25a becomes a turning resistance when the left and right bending operation knob 13LR is turned in the R direction, and the pulley wire 26a of the bending operation wire 26 pulls the pulley 24. The force becomes a turning resistance when turning the left / right bending operation knob 13LR in the L direction.
Vertical bending operation knob 13UD and bending operation wires 35, 36
Similarly, the tension in the bending operation wires 35 and 36 becomes resistance when the vertical bending operation knob 13UD is rotated in the D direction and the U direction, respectively. In the bending operation device of the present embodiment, the length of each bending operation wire is set so that the tension of each bending operation wire in the wire connection state is greater than the frictional force of the sealing material S5. The left and right bending operation knob 13LR and the vertical bending operation knob 13UD are prevented from rotating together with each other due to the frictional force of the sealing material S5.

As described above, FIG. 8 shows a state in which the up / down bending operation knob 13UD is rotated in the U direction in a state where the bending operation wires are connected, and the bending operation wire 35 is drawn out from the pulley 34 and bent. The bending operation wire 36 advances toward the portion 12a, and is pulled in a direction in which the bending operation wire 36 is wound around the pulley 34. Therefore, the bending portion 12a is bent upward. At this time, a force for rotating the left / right bending operation knob 13LR in the L direction in the drawing also acts on the left / right bending operation knob 13LR due to the frictional force of the sealing material S5, but the bending operation wires 25 and 26 are simultaneously applied to the left / right bending operation knob 13LR. (The pulling force of the pulley wires 25a and 26a on the pulley 24), that is, the force regulating the rotation of the left / right bending operation knob 13LR. Here, the length of each of the bending operation wires 25 and 26 is set so that the tension thereof is greater than the frictional force of the sealing material S5.

In the state shown in FIG. 8, the up / down bending operation knob 13UD
Left and right bending operation knob 13L according to the turning operation in the U direction
The force that tries to rotate R in the L direction (the frictional force of the sealing material S5) is a force that pulls the bending operation wire 26 toward the pulley 24, and here the left and right bending operation knob 13L
To actually rotate R in the L direction, pulley wire 2
It is necessary to apply a force higher than the tensile force according to 6a. However, since the frictional force of the sealing material S5 for rotating the left and right bending operation knob 13LR in the L direction is smaller than the pulling force of the pulley wire 26a, the left and right bending operation knob 1
The 3LR does not rotate but slides with the sealing material S5.

Although not shown, the vertical bending operation knob 13UD
Is turned in the direction D, and the pulley wire 25a of the bending operation wire 25 is
Since the tensile force exerted on the LR is larger than the frictional force of the sealing material S5, the left / right bending operation knob 13LR does not rotate with the up / down bending operation knob 13UD.

The same applies to the up / down bending operation knob 13UD. The bending operation wires 35 and 36 are arranged so that the pulling force exerted on the pulley 34 by the pulley wires 35a and 36a is larger than the frictional force of the sealing material S5. Length is set. Therefore, the left and right bending operation knob 13LR
Is rotated in the L direction or the R direction, the tension of the bending operation wires 35 and 36 becomes a resistance, and the up and down bending operation knob 13UD is held without being driven and rotated by the frictional force of the sealing material S5. .

In the bending operation device described above, the tension of each bending operation wire, that is, the magnitude of the turning resistance to the bending operation knob is set as follows. 10 and 1
1, the bending operation wire 25 will be described as an example.

In the initial state, the wire stopper 25d provided at the end of the bending portion wire 25b is
Are movably fitted along. The wire stopper 25d has a through hole 25e in the radial direction.

By changing the fixed position of the wire stopper 25d on the bending portion wire 25b, the maximum length of the bending operation wire 25 changes. And the tension of the bending operation wire 25 changes according to the length. Therefore, the wire stopper 25d is positioned and fixed at a position where the tension of the bending operation wire 25 exceeds the frictional force of the sealing material S5. For example, if the bending operation wire 25 is too long, the wire stopper 2 for the bending portion wire 25b is used.
The fixing position of 5d is shifted to the bending portion 12a side. Then, the substantial length of the bending portion wire 25b is reduced, and as a result, the pulley wire 25a is connected to the bending portion 12 at the time of wire connection.
It is strongly pulled to the a side, and the turning resistance to the left and right bending operation knob 13LR increases. When the position at which the desired tension is obtained is determined, the wire stopper 25d is fixed to the bending portion wire 25b by pouring solder into the through hole 25e, and the wire stopper 25d is fitted into the stopper receiving recess 70a. At this time, the curved wire 2 protruding from the wire stopper 25d
The surplus part x (FIG. 10) of 5b is cut off.

Although the bending operation wire 25 has been described as a representative here, the other three bending operation wires 26, 35, and 3
In the same manner as described above, the tension of the bending operation knob 6 can be set so that the bending operation knob does not rotate with the frictional force of the sealing material S5. That is, the sealing material S5
After determining the fixing positions of the wire stoppers 26d, 35d, and 36d with respect to the bending portion wires 26b, 35b, and 36b so as to obtain a predetermined wire length in consideration of the frictional force of the through holes 26e, 35e, and 36e. Pour the solder. Then, if there is a surplus portion of the wire, the wire is cut off and the wire stoppers 26d, 35d, and 36d may be fitted into the stopper receiving recesses 71a, 72a, and 73a, respectively.

In the above description, the tension (length) of the bending operation wire is adjusted by changing the attachment position of the bending portion wire with respect to the wire connecting member.
Similar tension (length) adjustment may be performed on the pulley wire side.

In the bending operation device of the present embodiment configured as described above, when the bending operation wires are connected to each other, the tension of the bending operation wires causes the left and right bending operation knobs 13LR and 13UD to operate. When one of them is rotated, the other is prevented from rotating due to the frictional force of the sealing material S5. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the curving operation knob from rotating together without forming the sealing material S5 small or applying a large amount of lubricating oil, and it is not necessary to assemble the endoscope operation device, thereby improving productivity. I do. In addition, regarding the bending operation wire, once an appropriate length capable of preventing the rotation of the bending operation knob can be determined once in advance, thereafter, it is mechanically produced so as to have the determined length. Since it is only necessary to connect the endoscope operating devices, it does not increase the labor in assembling the individual endoscope operating devices.

The present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. For example, in the embodiment, when adjusting the length of the bending operation wire, the wire stopper is fixed to the wire (curved portion wire) by soldering, but the wire stopper may be fixed by a different method such as bonding. .

In the illustrated embodiment, the bending operation knob having the lock mechanism has been described. However, the present invention is also suitable for a bending operation knob having no locking mechanism.

The specific structures of the bending operation knob and the endoscope other than the characteristic portions of the present invention may be different from those of the embodiment.

[0051]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a bending operation device for an endoscope which does not require much trouble in individual production and can prevent the pair of bending operation knobs from rotating together when used. Obtainable.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an entire structure of an endoscope having an operation device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a bending operation knob of the endoscope in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the left-right bending operation knob of FIG. 2 as one member.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the up / down bending operation knob of FIG. 2 as one member.

FIG. 5 is a view taken along the line VV in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of a bending operation knob of the endoscope of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a vicinity of a connection portion of the bending operation wire, showing a state where one bending operation knob is rotated in a state where the bending operation wire is connected to give a tension.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the vicinity of a connection portion of the bending operation wire, showing a state where one bending operation knob is rotated without connecting the bending operation wire.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a connection portion of a bending operation wire.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the vicinity of a connection portion of a bending operation wire.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Electronic endoscope 11 Grasping operation part 12 Insertion part 12a Bending part 13 Bending operation device 13LR Left-right bending operation knob 13UD Up-down bending operation knob 20 Rotation base axis (operation center axis) 24 34 Pulley 25 26 35 36 36 Bending operation wire 25a 26a 35a 36a Pulley wire (first wire) 25b 26b 35b 36b Bending wire (second wire)
25c 26c 35c 36c Wire stopper 25d 26d 35d 36d Wire stopper 25e 26e 27e 28e Through-hole 70 71 72 73 Wire connecting member 70a 71a 72a 73a Stopper receiving recess S1-S5 Seal material (friction member)

Claims (4)

[Claims] A bending portion provided at a distal end of an insertion portion inserted into an observation target; a pair of bending operation knobs rotatable about a common operation center axis and having friction members between each other;
A pair of tension members is provided between each bending operation knob and the bending portion, and one of the bending operation knobs pulls the bending portion in accordance with the forward / reverse rotation operation of the bending operation knob, and the other is extended to move the bending portion in the normal / reverse direction. And a wire tension adjusting means for adjusting the tension of each bending operation wire. When the one bending operation knob is rotated by the wire tension adjusting means, the one bending operation knob is turned on. A bending operation device for an endoscope, wherein tension of each bending operation wire is set such that the other bending operation knob engaged via a friction member is not rotated by rotation. 2. The bending operation device according to claim 1, wherein
Each bending operation wire is connected to a first bending operation knob.
A wire connecting member that can be divided into a first wire and a second wire that is connected to the bending portion, and that connects the first and second wires. A bending operation device for an endoscope in which the tension of a bending operation wire is adjusted by changing a mounting position with respect to a member. 3. The bending operation device for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the friction member is a sealing member that seals a gap between the pair of bending operation knobs in a watertight manner. A bending portion provided at the tip of an insertion portion inserted into the observation target; a pair of bending operation knobs rotatable about a common operation center axis and having friction members between each other;
And a pair of tensioning knobs are respectively provided between the bending operation knobs and the bending portions. One of the bending operation knobs pulls the bending portion in accordance with the forward / reverse rotation operation of the bending operation knob, and the other is extended to reverse the bending portion. A bending operation wire for bending an endoscope, wherein each bending operation wire can be divided at an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction, and one bending operation knob is in a divided state of each bending operation wire. In response to the turning operation, the other bending operation knob engaged with the one bending operation knob via the friction member is driven to rotate, and in a connected state of the bending operation wires, A bending operation device for an endoscope, wherein, when one of the bending operation knobs is rotated by the tension, the driven rotation of the other bending operation knob is regulated.