JP2002065576A - Endoscope operating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope operating device having a curve operating knob manufactured at a low cost and provided with excellent maintainability such as cleaning. SOLUTION: This endoscope is provided with an insertion part having a curved part at the tip part and inserted in an observation object, and a curve operating knob rotationally operable around an operating center axis to operate the curved part curvedly by the rotational operation. The curve operating knob is formed as a hollow resin molded member having a pair of end face walls with holes spaced in the operating center axis direction, and an outer peripheral wall for connecting a pair of end face walls in the operating center axis direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an endoscope operating device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an endoscope in which the distal end of an insertion portion inserted into a body cavity or the like can be operated to bend, a bending operation knob may be used to operate the bending portion. The conventional bending operation knob is, for example, assembled in a hollow state having a pair of end walls opposed to each other in the operation center axis direction and an outer peripheral wall connecting the end walls in an assembled state. Before, it is divided vertically in the middle of this outer peripheral wall.
The structure was divided into two outer parts, so to speak. In the conventional configuration in which the bending operation knob is composed of a plurality of outer skin parts as described above, it takes time to create each outer skin part separately, or it takes time to attach the outer skin parts in consideration of waterproofness, so that cost is high. Had become. In addition, since the bonded portion (divided line) of each of the outer skin parts is located on the outer peripheral wall of the bending operation knob, there is a problem that it takes time to clean the bonded portion after using the endoscope.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope operating device having a hollow curved operation knob which can be manufactured at low cost and is excellent in maintenance such as cleaning.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An endoscope operating device according to the present invention has an insertion portion having a curved portion at a distal end portion, which is inserted into an observation object, and is rotatable about an operation center axis. In an endoscope provided with a bending operation knob for bending a bending portion, the bending operation knob is connected to a pair of perforated end face walls separated in the operation center axis direction and the pair of end face walls in the operation center axis direction. It is characterized in that it is formed as a hollow resin molded member having an outer peripheral wall. According to this configuration, since the bending operation knob is configured as one outer skin part, it can be manufactured at low cost. Further, since the dividing line of the outer skin part is not located on the outer peripheral wall of the bending operation knob, a relatively smooth outer surface shape can be obtained, so that cleaning is easy.

The bending operation knob is formed by, for example, injection molding, and it is desirable that one of a pair of end face walls has an opening portion through which a molding die can be inserted and removed.

The outer peripheral wall of the bending operation knob can be formed to have a plurality of hollow finger hooks protruding in a radial direction perpendicular to the operation center axis. In this case, the forming die for forming the bending operation knob is the first die for forming the outer surface of the bending operation knob.
And a second mold located in the hollow portion of the bending operation knob to form the inner surfaces of the plurality of finger hooks, and a second mold located in the hollow portion to the finger hook formation position. It has a third mold to hold, and when removing the mold, pull out the third mold in the direction of the opening of the bending operation knob, then move the second mold to a position where it can pass through the opening, and then open It is preferable to pull out in the part direction.

Further, it is possible to provide a lock mechanism which can be detachably attached to the bending operation knob through the opening portion, and which can be operated from the outside so as to restrict or free the rotation operation of the bending operation knob in the mounted state. In this case, it is preferable to provide an annular seal member that closes the gap between the opening and the lock mechanism in a watertight manner.

[0008] In the endoscope operation device described above, the bending operation knob is further formed separately from the bending operation knob, which has a cylindrical portion rotatably fitted on the operation center axis and a plate-shaped portion substantially orthogonal to the operation center axis. It is preferable that the rotating support member includes a rotating support member, and the plate-like portion of the rotating support member is fixed to one inner surface of the pair of end surfaces of the bending operation knob. In this case, a plurality of protrusions are formed on the inner surface side of the end surface wall of the bending operation knob, and a plurality of holes corresponding to the plurality of protrusions are formed on the plate-like portion of the rotation support member. By inserting and projecting the protrusions into the plurality of holes and welding them, the end wall of the bending operation knob and the plate-shaped portion of the rotation support member can be fixed to each other. The rotation support member can be formed of, for example, a metal material.

[0009] The endoscope operating device of the present invention also has a bending portion at a distal end portion and has an insertion portion inserted into an observation object, and bends the bending portion by a rotation operation about an operation center axis. In an endoscope provided with a bending operation mechanism, the bending operation mechanism is a hollow endoscope having a pair of perforated end face walls separated in an operation center axis direction and an outer peripheral wall connecting the pair of end face walls in the operation center axis direction. A bending operation knob formed as a resin molded member; a plate-shaped portion fixed to one of inner surfaces of a pair of end surfaces of the bending operation knob; and a cylindrical portion rotatably fitted to the operation center axis. A rotation supporting member having the same.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a medical endoscope operating device. 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.

An endoscope 10 shown in FIG. 1 has an operation section 11 and an insertion section 12, and the distal end of the insertion section 12 is moved up and down and left and right in accordance with the operation of a bending operation device 13 provided on the operation section 11. The bending portion 12a is bent in the direction.

An observation window (object window) and an illumination window (not shown) are provided at the tip of the curved portion 12a. An image obtained through the observation window can be observed from an eyepiece 15 provided near the operation unit 11. Light for illumination is sent from the light source device 17 connected to the connector 14 to the illumination window at the distal end of the curved portion 12a via a flexible light guide tube. A forceps port 18 for inserting a treatment tool is provided between the operation unit 11 and the insertion unit 12, and the treatment tool inserted from the forceps port 18 protrudes from the distal end of the bending portion 12a.

FIG. 2 shows a section near the bending operation device 13. The bending operation device 13 includes a left-right bending mechanism 13LR for bending the bending portion 12a in the left-right direction, and the bending portion 1
Vertical bending mechanism 13U for bending vertical direction 2a
D. FIGS. 3 and 4 each show, as one member, a member integrally rotated in the left and right bending mechanism 13LR and the up and down bending mechanism 13UD in order to make the operation of each part easy to understand. In FIG. 3, only the part that is integrally turned in the left and right bending mechanism 13LR is hatched, and in FIG. 4, only the part that is turned integrally in the vertical bending mechanism 13UD is hatched. I have. First, the bending mechanism for the left-right direction will be described.

A board 11b is fixed in the housing 11a of the operation section 11, and a pivot shaft 20 is fixed on the board 11b. The rotation base shaft 20 includes the housing 1
It protrudes upward through a through hole 11c formed in 1a. 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.

A left and right bending mechanism 1 is provided outside the rotation base shaft 20.
An operation shaft 21 constituting the 3LR is rotatably supported. The operation shaft body 21 is formed of a metal material, and is fitted into the rotation base shaft 20 and is a cylindrical portion 21 concentric with the rotation base shaft 20.
a and the disc-shaped portion 2 located at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 21a
1b, a plurality of circular holes 21c are formed in the disk-shaped portion 21b at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (see FIG. 5). Also,
A flange 21d protrudes upward from the outer edge of the disc-shaped portion 21b, and a male screw 21e is formed on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the flange 21d.

A bending operation knob 23, which is a plastic molded product, is fixed to the operation shaft 21. Bending operation knob 2
Reference numeral 3 indicates that four finger hooks 23a protrude in the outer diameter direction at equal angular intervals, and the inside is hollow. Bending operation knob 2
3 has a large-diameter opening 23b on the opposing upper surface and lower surface, respectively.
And a small-diameter opening 23 c are formed, and the small-diameter opening 23 c is fitted in the disc-shaped portion 21 b of the operation shaft 21. In the bending operation knob 23, a plurality of convex portions 23d are formed in the vicinity of the small-diameter opening 23c at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.
By welding d in the circular hole 21c, the bending operation knob 23 is fixed to the operation shaft 21.

A pulley 24 is fixed to the lower end of the operating shaft 21. The pulley 24 has a pair of operation wires 2
5 and 26 are fixed, and one of the operation wire 25 and the operation wire 26 is wound around the pulley 24 by the forward and reverse rotation of the pulley 24, and the other is unreeled from the pulley 24. The operation wire 25 and the 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 moved in the left-right direction by the pulling and extending operations with respect to the operation wire 25 and the operation wire 26. Curved. In the present embodiment, when the combined body of the bending operation knob 23 and the operation shaft body 21 is rotated in the L direction in FIG. 10, the bending portion 12a is bent to the left, and when the combined body is rotated in the R direction. The bending portion 12a is bent rightward.

Next, the vertical bending mechanism will be described.
An operation shaft 31 constituting the up-down bending mechanism 13UD is rotatably supported outside the cylindrical portion 21a of the operation shaft 21. 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 bending operation knob 33, which is a plastic molded product, is fixed to the operation shaft 31. Bending operation knob 3
3 has five finger hooks 33a projecting in the outer diameter direction at equal angular intervals, and the inside is formed hollow. Bending operation knob 3
3 has a large-diameter opening 33b on the opposing lower surface and upper surface, respectively.
And a small-diameter opening 33c are formed, and the small-diameter opening 33c is fitted in the disc-shaped portion 31b of the operation shaft body 31. In the bending operation knob 33, a plurality of protrusions 33d are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction near the small diameter opening 33c.
By welding d in the circular hole 31c, the bending operation knob 33 is fixed to the operation shaft 31. In the bending operation knob 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 one of the operation wire 35 and the operation wire 36 is wound around the pulley 34 by the forward and reverse rotation of the pulley 34, and the other is unreeled from the pulley 34. It is. The operation wire 35 and the operation wire 36 are respectively connected to the bending portion 12a of the insertion portion 12, and the bending portion 12a is bent up and down in the vertical direction by the pulling and extending operations between the operation wire 35 and the operation wire 36. In the present embodiment, when the combined body of the bending operation knob 33 and the operation shaft body 31 is rotated in the U direction in FIG.
a is curved upward, and when the joint is rotated in the D direction, the curved portion 12a is curved downward.

Left-right bending mechanism 13LR and up-down bending mechanism 13
Each of the UDs has a bending operation knob 2 by a lock mechanism.
The rotation operation of the insertion portion 12 can be restricted.
Can be brought into a desired curved state. First, the lock mechanism of the left and right bending mechanism 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. As shown in FIG. 9, a non-circular hole 44c is formed in the center of the retaining member 44, and the upper end of the rotation base shaft 20 is formed in a non-circular cross-sectional shape that can be inserted into the non-circular hole 44c. By fitting the non-circular portion of the lock member 44, the retaining member 44 is supported in a state where the rotation is restricted with respect to the rotation base shaft 20. The retaining member 44 is further fixed by the fixing screw 20a so as not to drop in the axial direction of the rotation base shaft 20.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the combination of the lock shaft 41 and the lock operation knob 42 is a disc-shaped portion 41b.
A pair of rotation restricting projections 41c are provided on the retaining member 44 at different positions in the circumferential direction.
Can be rotated within the range of contact with The retaining member 44 is further formed with a pair of click concave portions 44b at positions radially opposed to the respective rotation restricting surfaces 44a, and the rotation restricting projections 41c contact the respective rotation restricting surfaces 44a. And the click spring 4 fixed to the lock operation knob 42 at the rotation restricting position of the lock operation knob 42.
5 engages with the click recess 44b at the radially opposite position to give the lock operation knob 42 a click feeling.

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 combined body of the lock operation knob 42 and the lock shaft 41 is rotated to move the movable lock member 46 up and down,
A friction engagement portion 46b fixed to the moving lock member 46
The frictional engagement portion 48a fixed to the fixed lock member 48
Approaching / separating from The friction engagement portions 46b and 48a are formed of a material having a high friction coefficient, for example, cork or silicone rubber. The fixed lock member 48 is coupled to the operating shaft 21 by screwing the female screw 48b into the male screw 21e described above, and is rotated together with the operating shaft 21 when the bending operation knob 23 is rotated. When the movable lock member 46 moves upward and the frictional engagement portion 46b is pressed against the frictional engagement portion 48a, the rotation of the fixed lock member 48 is regulated by the frictional force. Fixed locking member 48
When the rotation of the shaft is restricted, the operation shaft 21 and the bending operation knob 2
The rotation of the combined body 3 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. More specifically, when the lock operation knob 42 is rotated in the F ′ direction (lock direction) in FIG. 10, the movable lock member 46 moves upward and frictionally engages with the fixed lock member 48 to perform the bending operation. When the rotation of the knob 23 is restricted and the knob 23 is rotated in the F direction (free (unlocked) direction), the movable lock member 46 is rotated.
Moves downward to release the frictional engagement with the fixed lock member 48, and the bending operation knob 23 is allowed to rotate. As described above, the lock operation knob 42 is locked with a click feeling at the two rotation positions. However, the bending operation knob 23 is locked at one click position, and the bending operation knob 23 is locked at the other click position. Is allowed to rotate. This lock operation knob 42
The former rotational position is referred to as a lock position, and the latter rotational position is referred to as an unlock position. Note that the movable lock member 46 and the fixed lock member 48 are each formed in an annular shape, and regardless of the rotational position of the fixed lock member 48 rotated together with the bending operation knob 23, the frictional engagement portion 46b Can be engaged with the frictional engagement portion 48a.

On the other hand, it is also possible to rotate only the fixed lock member 48 in a state where the combined body of the bending operation knob 23 and the operation shaft body 21 is restricted in rotation, and in this case, the female screw 48b
Of the movable lock member 4 depending on the screwing relationship between
The vertical position of the fixed lock member 48 with respect to 6 can be adjusted. When the vertical position of the fixed lock member 48 changes, the frictional force between the frictional engagement portion 46b and the frictional engagement portion 48a when the lock operation knob 42 is rotated to the lock position changes. The lock strength with respect to 23 can be adjusted. For example, the bending portion 12
a, the lock on the bending operation knob 23 is released in accordance with the external force applied to the bending portion 12a.
It is also possible to set the frictional force between b and the frictional engagement portion 48a. By rotating the fixed lock member 48 to change its vertical position, such a frictional force can be easily adjusted.

Next, the lock mechanism of the vertical bending mechanism 13UD will be described. A fixed pedestal 50 formed in a cylindrical shape concentric with the rotation base shaft 20 is provided outside the operation shaft body 31. The fixed pedestal 50 has its lower end fixed to the substrate 11b together with the rotation base 20. In the space between the fixed pedestal 50 and the rotation base 20, operation shafts 21, 31, and pulleys 24 and 34 are provided. Supported. On the other hand, a lock shaft 51 is supported on the outer peripheral surface of the fixed base 50. 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,
The lock operation lever 52 is fixed by fitting and projecting the convex portion 52a into the circular hole 51c. That is, the lock operation lever 52 and the lock shaft 51 are
It is supported so as to be rotatable around 0 (rotation base shaft 20). 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 combined structure of the lock shaft 51 and the lock operation lever 52 includes a cylindrical portion 51 a of the lock shaft 51 and the fixed base 5.
The lock spring 55 is locked at two rotation positions by a rotation restriction mechanism (not shown) provided between the click spring 55 and the click spring 55. At each rotation position, the click spring 55 acts as a stopper for generating a click feeling.

An external thread 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 moves up and down by rotating the combined body of the lock operation lever 52 and the lock shaft 51, the frictional engagement portion 56b formed on a part of the movable lock member 56 is fixedly locked. It comes into contact with and separates from the frictional engagement portion 58a fixed to the member 58. The fixed lock member 58 is engaged with the inner frame 33 e of the bending operation knob 33 so as to rotate integrally in the circumferential direction, and is rotated together when the bending operation knob 33 is rotated. When the movable lock member 56 moves downward and the frictional engagement portion 56b is pressed against the frictional engagement portion 58a, the rotation of the fixed lock member 58 is regulated by the frictional force. When the rotation of the fixed lock member 58 is restricted, the operation shaft 31 and the bending operation knob 33 are controlled.
Is restricted, and the pulley 34 is locked so as not to rotate. As a result, the bending portion 1 in the vertical direction
The bending operation of 2a is regulated, and a specific bending position is maintained. More specifically, when the lock operation lever 52 is rotated in the F ′ direction (lock direction) in FIG. 10, the movable lock member 56 moves downward and frictionally engages with the fixed lock member 58 to perform the bending operation. When the rotation of the knob 33 is restricted and the knob 33 is rotated in the F direction (free (unlocked) direction), the movable lock member 56 moves upward to release the frictional engagement with the fixed lock member 58 and bend. The rotation of the operation knob 33 is allowed.
As described above, the lock operation lever 52 is locked with a click feeling at the two rotation positions, but the bending operation knob 33 is locked at one click position, and the bending operation knob 33 is locked at the other click position. Is allowed to rotate. The former rotation position of the lock operation lever 52 is called a lock position, and the latter rotation position is called an unlock position. The movable lock member 56 and the fixed lock member 58 are each formed in an annular shape, and the frictional engagement portion 5 is provided regardless of the rotational position of the fixed lock member 58 that is rotated together with the bending operation knob 33.
6b can be engaged with the friction engagement portion 58a.

On the other hand, the fixed lock member 58 is connected to the inner frame 33e.
With respect to the vertical direction. A female screw is formed in the inner frame 33e of the bending operation knob 33, 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. When the lock adjustment nut 60 is rotated while restricting the rotation of the combined body of the bending operation knob 33 and the operation shaft body 31, the vertical position of the lock adjustment nut 60 with respect to the inner frame 33e is adjusted. The vertical position of the fixed lock member 58 with respect to the movable lock member 56 can be adjusted. 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. For example, by adjusting the lock adjustment nut 60, the vertical bending mechanism 13U
It is possible to set the half lock state as described above for D.

The components of the left and right bending mechanism 13LR and the vertical bending mechanism 13UD having the above-described lock mechanism are finally assembled to the operation unit 11 via the rotation base shaft 20. The vertical bending mechanism 13UD is provided with the horizontal bending mechanism 13
The vertical position is determined by being sandwiched between the operation shaft 21 (disc-like portion 21 b) and the pulley 24 constituting the LR, and the upper end of the operation shaft 21 is located at an intermediate position in the axial direction of the rotation base shaft 20. An intermediate retaining member 61 that engages with the portion is provided. The intermediate retaining member 61 holds the entire vertical bending mechanism 13UD and the combined body of the operation shaft 21 and the bending operation knob 23 in the left and right bending mechanism 13LR so as not to fall off from the rotation base shaft 20. Further, the lock shaft member 41 and the lock operation knob 42 located above the bending operation knob 23 are held by the above-described retaining member 44 so as not to fall off the rotation base shaft 20. That is, the rotation base shaft 20
In contrast, the entire bending operation device 13 is held in a state where it is prevented from falling off.

The bending operation device 13 is provided with a sealing material such as an O-ring having elasticity in order to keep the inside watertight and prevent foreign substances such as dust from entering. Due to its function, the sealing material seals the inside of the housing 11a (reference numeral S1), seals the inside of the bending operation knob 23 (S2), and seals the inside of the bending operation knob 33 (S3). It can be divided into a type that seals the inside of the lock operation knob 42 (S4) and a type that seals between the operation shafts 21 and 31 (S5). For example, when the endoscope 10 is disinfected with a chemical solution, portions exposed to the outside are surely disinfected, but each of the operation knobs 23, 33, and 42 formed in a hollow shape.
Infiltration of the chemical solution into the inside or the housing 11a of the operation unit 11 is prevented by the seal materials S1 to S5.

[0034]

[Description of Characteristic Features of the Present Invention] The bending operation knob 23 of the left and right bending mechanism 13LR has a pair of opposing wall surfaces (end surface walls) 23f and 23g which are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the rotation base shaft (operation center shaft) 20 and face. A cylindrical body having a pair of opposed wall surfaces 23f and 23g connected by a connecting wall surface (outer peripheral wall) 23h extending in the axial direction of the rotation base shaft 20, and the inside thereof is a hollow portion 23i.

In the bending operation knob 23, a circular small-diameter opening 23c centering on the rotation base shaft 20 is formed in the lower opposing wall surface 23g of the pair of opposing wall surfaces.
An operation shaft (rotation support member) 21 is provided in the small-diameter opening 23c.
Is fitted and closed. Specifically, a circular hole (hole) 21c formed in a disk-shaped portion (plate-shaped portion) 21b of the operation shaft body 21
A convex portion 23d formed on the inner surface side of the opposing wall surface 23g of the bending operation knob 23 is fitted and welded to the opposing wall surface 2g.
The bending operation knob 23 and the operation shaft 21 are fixed to each other so that 3g and the disc-shaped portion 21b overlap. The cylindrical portion 21a of the operation shaft 21 projects outside the bending operation knob 23 through the small-diameter opening 23c, and is rotatably fitted to the rotation base shaft 20. That is, the bending operation knob 23
Through the operation shaft 21 fixed to the opposing wall surface 23g side,
It is rotatably supported by the rotation base shaft 20 (see FIG. 3). The operating shaft 21 is formed of a metal material, and the bending operation knob 23 is formed of resin.
When fixing the bending operation knob 23 to the bending operation knob 23, the convex portion 23d on the resin bending operation knob 23 side is heated and welded.

A large-diameter opening (opening) 23b for communicating the hollow portion 23i with the outside is formed on the opposing wall surface 23f which is the upper end surface of the cylindrical bending operation knob 23. The large-diameter opening 23b has a circular shape centered on the rotation base shaft 20 (see FIG. 10). Finger hook 23a of bending operation knob 23
Are formed so as to protrude outward from the large-diameter opening 23b in a radial direction about the rotation base shaft 20. As will be described later, the large-diameter opening 23b allows a mold for forming the inner surface of the bending operation knob 23 to be extracted after the bending operation knob 23 is formed.

Further, with respect to the formed bending operation knob 23, a lock mechanism for restricting or freely rotating the bending operation knob 23 can be attached and detached through the large-diameter opening 23b. Specifically, the left and right bending mechanism 13LR
When the lock mechanism is mounted on the bending operation knob 23,
The cylindrical portion 41a, the movable lock member 46, and the fixed lock member 48 of the lock shaft 41 are housed in the hollow portion 23i. The outer diameter of the fixed lock member 48 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the large-diameter opening 23b. On the other hand, the innermost cylindrical portion 41 in the same radiation direction
“a” has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the rotation base shaft 20, and fits rotatably with respect to the rotation base shaft 20. Similarly to the fixed lock member 48, the movable lock member 46 having an annular shape around the rotation base shaft 20 is located between the fixed lock member 48 and the tubular portion 41a in the same radial direction. Therefore, without disassembling the bending operation knob 23, the large-diameter opening 2 can be used.
A lock mechanism can be incorporated into the bending operation knob 23 through 3b, or the lock mechanism can be removed.

In the left and right bending mechanism 13LR, the bending operation knob 23 is connected to the pair of opposing wall surfaces 23f and 23g and the connecting wall surface 23h connecting the pair of opposing wall surfaces 23f and 23g.
And is integrally formed as a hollow resin molded member having The bending operation knob 23 is formed, for example, as follows.

FIGS. 12 to 17 show the bending operation knob 23.
Is formed by injection molding. A molding die 80 for molding the bending operation knob 23 in the present embodiment.
Is composed of seven types. The lower mold (first mold) 81 is
It has a forming surface 81a for forming the outer surface of one opposing wall surface 23g of the bending operation knob 23, and a forming surface 81b for forming a part (lower half) of the outer surface of the connecting wall surface 23h. The upper mold (first mold) 82 combined with the lower mold 81 is
It has a molding surface 82a for molding the outer surface of the other opposing wall surface 23f of the bending operation knob 23, and a molding surface 82b for molding a part (upper half) of the outer surface of the connection wall surface 23h. The lower die 81 and the upper die 82 are formed with positioning surfaces 81c and 82c for determining a combination position.

The upper die 82 has a through-hole 82d slightly larger in diameter than the large-diameter opening 23b of the bending operation knob 23, and a central punching die (third die) 83 is inserted into the through-hole 82d.
Then, the peripheral punching die (second die) 84, 85, 86 and 87 can be inserted and removed. The central blanking die 83 is a columnar body having a cross section that can be inserted into and removed from the large-diameter opening 23b of the bending operation knob 23.
h has four molding surfaces 83a for molding a part of the inner surface (see FIG. 16). At the end of the central punch 83, an end surface convex portion 83b for forming a small diameter opening 23c of the bending operation knob 23 and an end surface concave portion 83c for forming a welding convex portion 23d are provided.

The peripheral blanking dies 84, 85, 86 and 87 are dies for forming the inner surface of the finger hook 23a of the bending operation knob 23, respectively. The peripheral die 84 has an inner positioning surface 84a that contacts the positioning surface 83d of the central die 83,
Outer positioning surface 84 in contact with through hole 82d of upper mold 82
b, a forming surface 84c for forming the inner surface of one opposing wall surface 23g of the bending operation knob 23, a forming surface 84d for forming the inner surface of the other opposing wall surface 23f, and a forming surface 84e for forming the inner surface of the connecting wall surface 23h. have. The peripheral die 85 held at a position facing the peripheral die 84 across the central die 83 has the same configuration as the peripheral die 84,
It has an inner positioning surface 85a, an outer positioning surface 85b, and molding surfaces 85c, 85d and 85e. Furthermore, the peripheral die 8 held opposite to each other with the central die 83 interposed therebetween.
6 and 87 also have the same configuration as the peripheral die 84, and have inner positioning surfaces 86a and 87a abutting on the positioning surface 83d of the central die 83, and molding surfaces 86e and 87e for molding the inner surface of the connection wall surface 23h. In addition, peripheral die 8
6 and 87, the outer positioning surface 8 of the peripheral die 84
4b, portions corresponding to the molding surfaces 84c and 84d are not shown.

FIG. 12 and FIG. 16 show a state where the above-mentioned mold 80 is assembled. In this state, each mold 8
The emission space W formed by 1 to 87 corresponds to the shape of the bending operation knob 23. Therefore, when the molten plastic (synthetic resin) as the raw material is injected into the injection space W and cooled, the bending operation knob 23 is formed.

At the time of removing the mold, as shown in FIG. 13, first, the central blanking die 83 is pulled out in the direction of the large-diameter opening 23b of the bending operation knob 23. As a result, the peripheral punches 84 to 87 become
Since it becomes possible to pass through the large-diameter opening 23b (the through hole 82d of the upper die 82), as shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 17, the peripheral punches 84 and 85 are slid in a direction approaching each other. Pull out the bending operation knob 23 in the direction of the large-diameter opening 23b. Similarly, the peripheral blanking dies 86 and 87 are also slid in a direction approaching each other and then pulled out in the direction of the large-diameter opening 23b. Finally, as shown in FIG. 15, when the lower die 81 and the upper die 82 are removed, the die cutting operation is completed. Note that, unlike the above description, after removing the lower die 81 and the upper die 82 first, the central die 83 located in the hollow portion 23i,
The peripheral punches 84 to 87 may be removed. The order of removing the peripheral die 84 to 87 is arbitrary, and is not limited to the order described above.

Since the bending operation knob 23 formed as described above is formed as a hollow integrally molded member, the bending operation knob 23 is formed as compared with a case where an operation knob having a similar shape is formed of a plurality of outer skin parts. Hassle-free. Also, there is no need to bond a plurality of outer skin parts while considering waterproofness and the like. Therefore, the bending operation knob 23 can be easily manufactured at low cost. In addition, in the bending operation knob 23 formed as an integral member, a portion exposed to the exterior, for example, a portion where the outer skin parts are bonded to each other is not located on the connection wall surface 23h.
Cleaning can be easily performed.

The bending operation knob 23 is supported by the rotation base shaft 20 via the operation shaft 21,
And the bending operation knob 23 are fixed to each other by fitting a projection 23d projecting from the inner surface of the opposed wall surface 23g into a circular hole 21c formed in the disk-shaped portion 21b. That is, since the disc-shaped portion 21b is fixed to the inner surface side of the opposing wall surface 23g, the connection portion between the bending operation knob 23 and the operation shaft body 21 is not exposed to the outside, and the left and right bending mechanism 13LR is formed as a whole. The washing workability is also excellent.

The bending operation knob 23 further includes a large-diameter opening 23 that allows the removal of the punches 83 to 87 after molding.
b allows the lock mechanism to be attached and detached when the left and right bending mechanism 13LR is assembled and disassembled. When the lock mechanism is attached, the large-diameter opening 23b is provided between the annular seal member S2 provided on the lock mechanism side and the lock mechanism and the lock operation knob 4.
2 is closed by the sealing material S4 disposed between the two, even if the large-diameter opening 23b is formed in the bending operation knob 23,
The inside of the hollow portion 23i can be kept watertight.

Like the bending operation knob 23 described above, the bending operation knob 33 of the up-down bending mechanism 13UD is a pair of opposing wall surfaces (end surface walls) that face each other while being separated in the axial direction of the rotation base shaft (operation center shaft) 20. A cylindrical body having a pair of opposed wall surfaces 33f, 33g connected by a connecting wall surface (outer peripheral wall) 33h extending in the axial direction of the rotating base shaft 20. Has become.

In the bending operation knob 33, a circular small-diameter opening 33c centering on the pivot shaft 20 is formed in the upper facing wall surface 33f of the pair of facing wall surfaces.
An operation shaft (rotation support member) 31 is provided in the small-diameter opening 33c.
Is fitted and closed. Specifically, a circular hole (hole) 31c formed in a disk-shaped portion (plate-shaped portion) 31b of the operation shaft body 31
A convex portion 33d formed on the inner surface side of the opposing wall surface 33f of the bending operation knob 33 is fitted and welded thereto.
The bending operation knob 33 and the operation shaft body 31 are fixed to each other so that 3f and the disc-shaped portion 31b overlap. The cylindrical portion 31a of the operation shaft 31 projects outside the bending operation knob 33 through the small-diameter opening 33c, and is rotatably fitted on the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 21a of the operation shaft 21. That is, the bending operation knob 33 is rotatably supported by the rotation base shaft 20 via the operation shaft 31 fixed to the opposing wall surface 33f (see FIG. 4). Since the operation shaft 31 is formed of a metal material and the bending operation knob 33 is formed of resin, when the operation shaft 31 and the bending operation knob 33 are fixed, a convex portion on the resin bending operation knob 33 side is used. The portion 33d is heated and welded.

A large-diameter opening (opening) 33b for communicating the hollow portion 33i with the outside is formed in the opposing wall surface 33g, which is the lower end surface of the cylindrical bending operation knob 33. The large-diameter opening 33b has a circular shape centered on the rotation base shaft 20 (see FIG. 11). Finger hook 33a of bending operation knob 33
Are formed so as to protrude outward from the large-diameter opening 33b in a radial direction about the rotation base shaft 20. Like the large-diameter opening 23b of the bending operation knob 23, the large-diameter opening 33b allows the removal of a molding die for forming the inner surface of the bending operation knob 33 after the bending operation knob 33 is formed.

Further, with respect to the formed bending operation knob 33, a lock mechanism for restricting or freely rotating the bending operation knob 33 can be attached and detached through the large diameter opening 33b. Specifically, the vertical bending mechanism 13UD
When the lock mechanism is attached to the bending operation knob 33,
The cylindrical portion 51a, the movable lock member 56, and the fixed lock member 58 of the lock shaft 51 are housed in the hollow portion 33i. The outer diameter of the located annular fixed lock member 58 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the large-diameter opening 33b. On the other hand, the innermost cylindrical portion 51a in the same radial direction has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the fixed pedestal 50, and is rotatably fitted to the fixed pedestal 50. Similarly to the fixed lock member 58, the movable lock member 56 having an annular shape centered on the fixed base 50 is located between the fixed lock member 58 and the tubular portion 51a in the same radial direction. Therefore, without disassembling the bending operation knob 33, the lock mechanism can be incorporated into the bending operation knob 33 through the large-diameter opening 33b, or the lock mechanism can be removed.

Similarly to the bending operation 23, the bending operation knob 33
Also, it is integrally formed as a hollow resin molded member having a pair of opposed wall surfaces 33f, 33g and a connecting wall surface 33h connecting the pair of opposed wall surfaces 33f, 33g. The bending operation knob 33 can be injection-molded in the same manner as the bending operation knob 23 described above, and detailed description of the molding process is omitted. In the case of the bending operation knob 33, since five finger hooks 33a are provided, five punches (peripheral punches) for forming the inner surface of the finger hook 33a are used.

Bending operation knob 3 formed by injection molding
3 is formed as a hollow integrally formed member, so that it takes less time and effort to form the operation knob than a case where an operation knob having a similar shape is formed of a plurality of outer skin parts. Also, there is no need to bond a plurality of parts while taking into account waterproofness and the like. Therefore, the bending operation knob 33 can be easily manufactured at low cost. In addition, the bending operation knob 33 formed as an integral member has a smooth shape as a whole without a portion exposed to the external appearance, for example, a bonding portion of parts on the connection wall surface 33h. It can be performed.

The bending operation knob 33 is supported by the rotation base shaft 20 via the operation shaft 31, but the operation shaft 31
And the bending operation knob 33 are fixed to each other by fitting a projection 33d projecting from the inner surface of the opposed wall surface 33f into a circular hole 31c formed in the disk-shaped portion 31b. That is, since the disc-shaped portion 31b is fixed to the inner surface side of the facing wall surface 33f, the connection portion between the bending operation knob 23 and the operation shaft body 21 is not exposed to the outside, and the entire vertical bending mechanism 13UD is formed. The washing workability is also excellent.

Further, in the bending operation knob 33, a large-diameter opening 33b for enabling the removal of the mold after molding allows the locking mechanism to be attached and detached when the vertical bending mechanism 13UD is assembled and disassembled. When the lock mechanism is attached, the large-diameter opening 33b is provided with an annular seal member S provided on the lock mechanism side.
3, the inside of the hollow portion 33i can be kept watertight even if the bending operation knob 33 has the large-diameter opening 33b.

As described above, in the operating device for an endoscope according to the present embodiment, the bending operation knobs 23 and 33, which are the rotation operation members for bending the bending portion at the distal end of the insertion portion, are replaced with hollow resin-made members. Since it is formed as an integrally molded member, it can be easily manufactured at low cost and has excellent cleaning workability after assembly.

[0056]

As is apparent from the above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an endoscope operating device having a hollow curved operation knob which can be manufactured at low cost and is excellent in maintenance such as cleaning. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

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

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a member integrally rotated by a left-right bending mechanism from FIG. 2 as one member;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a member integrally rotated by a vertical bending mechanism as one member from FIG. 2;

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 a view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the vicinity of a retaining member viewed from the direction of arrow VIII in FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a single shape of the retaining member of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the bending operation device.

FIG. 11 is a view of the bending operation device viewed from the bottom side, excluding members inside the endoscope housing;

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a forming process of the bending operation knob.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a forming step of the bending operation knob.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a forming step of the bending operation knob.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a forming process of the bending operation knob.

FIG. 16 is a view along the section line XVI-XVI of FIG. 12;

FIG. 17 is a view along a section line XVII-XVII in FIG. 14;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Endoscope 11 Operation part 11a Housing 11b Substrate 11c Through hole 11d Lid body 12 Insertion part 12a Bending part 13 Bending operation device 13LR Left and right bending mechanism 13UD Up and down bending mechanism 14 Connector 15 Eyepiece part 17 Light source device 18 Forceps port 20 Rotation Main shaft (operation center axis) 20a Fixing screw 21 Operation shaft (rotation support member) 21a Cylindrical part 21b Disc-shaped part (plate-shaped part) 21c Circular hole (hole) 21d Flange part 21e Male screw 22 Non-circular cross-section 23 Curved operation knob 23a Finger hook 23b Large-diameter opening (opening) 23c Small-diameter opening 23d Convex 23f 23g Opposed wall (end wall) 23h Connection wall (outer peripheral wall) 23i Hollow 23d Convex 24 Pulley 25 Operation wire 26 Operation wire 31 Operation shaft (rotation support member) 31a Cylindrical part 31b Disc-shaped part (plate-shaped part) 31c Circular hole (hole) 33 Bending operation knob 33a Finger hook 33b Large diameter opening (opening) 33c Small diameter opening 33d Convex 33e Inner frame 33f 33g Opposing wall (end wall) 33h Connection wall (outer wall) 33i Hollow Part 34 Pulley 35 Operation wire 36 Operation wire 41 Lock shaft 41a Cylindrical part 41b Disk-shaped part 41c Rotation restricting projection 41d Male screw 42 Lock operation knob 43 Fixed nut 44 Prevention member 44a Rotation restricting surface 44b Click recess 44c Non-circular Hole 45 Click spring 46 Movement lock member 46a Female screw 46b Friction engagement part 47 Rotation restricting body 48 Fixed lock member 48a Friction engagement part 48b Female screw 50 Fixed pedestal 51 Lock shaft body 51a Cylindrical part 51b Disk-shaped part 51c Circle hole 51d Male screw 52 Lock operation lever 52a Convex part 54 Non-circular cut Surface part 55 Click spring 56 Movement lock member 56a Female screw 57 Rotation restricting body 56b Friction engagement part 58 Fixed lock member 58a Friction engagement part 60 Lock adjustment nut 61 Intermediate stopper member 80 Mold 81 Lower mold (first mold) 81a 81b Molding surface 81c Positioning surface 82 Upper die (first die) 82a 82b Molding surface 82c Positioning surface 82d Through hole 83 Center punching die (third die) 83a Molding surface 83b End surface convex portion 83c End surface concave portion 83d Positioning surface 84 85 86 87 Peripheral punching die (second die) 84a 85a 86a 87a Inner positioning surface 84b 85b Outer positioning surface 84c 84d 84e Molding surface 85c 85d 85e Molding surface 86e 87e Molding surface W Injection space

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An insertion section having a bending portion at a distal end and inserted into an observation target, and a bending operation knob which is rotatable about an operation center axis and which bends the bending portion by the rotation operation. An endoscope provided with a hollow resin made of a hollow resin having a pair of perforated end face walls spaced apart in the operation center axis direction and an outer peripheral wall connecting the pair of end face walls in the operation center axis direction. An endoscope operating device formed as a molded member. 2. The endoscope operating device according to claim 1, wherein the bending operation knob is formed by injection molding, and one of the pair of end face walls has an opening for inserting and removing a molding die. Operating device. 3. The endoscope operating device according to claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral wall of the bending operation knob has a plurality of hollow finger hooks protruding in a radial direction orthogonal to the operation center axis. Endoscope operating device. 4. The endoscope operating device according to claim 3, wherein the forming die for forming the bending operation knob includes a first die for forming an outer surface of the bending operation knob and a hollow portion of the bending operation knob. A second position for forming the inner surface of the plurality of finger hooks;
And a third die located in the hollow portion to hold the second die at the finger hook formation position. When the die is removed, the third die is moved toward the opening of the bending operation knob. An endoscope operating device that pulls out, then moves the second mold to a position where it can pass through the opening, and then pulls out in the direction of the opening. 5. The endoscope operating device according to claim 2, further comprising a detachable / removable attachment to the bending operation knob through the opening, and restricting a rotation operation of the bending operation knob in a mounted state. Or, an endoscope operating device including a lock mechanism that can be operated from outside so as to be free. 6. The endoscope operating device according to claim 5, further comprising an annular sealing member that seals a gap between the opening and the lock mechanism in a watertight manner. 7. The endoscope operating device according to claim 1, further comprising: a tubular portion rotatably fitted on the operation center axis; and a plate-shaped portion substantially orthogonal to the operation center axis. A rotation support member formed separately from the bending operation knob, wherein a plate-shaped portion of the rotation support member is fixed to one inner surface of a pair of end surface walls of the bending operation knob. Endoscope operation device. 8. The endoscope operating device according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of convex portions are formed on the inner surface side of the end surface wall of the bending operation knob, and the plurality of convex portions are formed on the plate-shaped portion of the rotation support member. A plurality of holes corresponding to the portions are formed, and the end surfaces of the bending operation knob and the plate-like portion of the rotation support member are fixed to each other by inserting and welding the plurality of protrusions to the plurality of holes. Endoscope operating device. 9. The endoscope operating device according to claim 7, wherein the rotation support member is formed of a metal material. 10. An endoscope having a bending portion at a distal end portion, which is inserted into an observation target, and a bending operation mechanism for bending the bending portion by a rotation operation about an operation center axis. In the mirror, the bending operation mechanism includes a curved portion formed as a hollow resin molded member having a pair of perforated end surface walls separated in the operation center axis direction and an outer peripheral wall connecting the pair of end surface walls in the operation center axis direction. An operation knob; a rotation support member having a plate-shaped portion fixed to one inner surface of a pair of end face walls of the bending operation knob, and a cylindrical portion rotatably fitted on the operation center axis. An endoscope operating device.