JP2003190082A - Connector structure for electronic endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for preventing a breakage or a drop of a pin for specifying a relative rotary angle from occurrence in an electronic endoscope having a connector body to be attached to or detached from a video processor relatively rotatably to a universal tube at a distal end of the tube extended from an operating unit of the endoscope. <P>SOLUTION: The connector structure for the electronic endoscope comprises an outside cylindrical member 9 provided at the connector body 6; an inside cylindrical member 11 relatively rotatably inserted into the member 9 and formed coaxially integrally with the universal tube 4; a stop ring 13 coupled to an inner periphery of an end of the member 9 in a state in which the member 11 is inserted into the member 9 and stopping drawing out of the member 11; a rotary angle control through hole 24 of a circumferential direction disposed and formed at an inside from the ring 13; and a rotary angle control pin 14 screwed with the member 11 and fitted with the hole 24. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector structure of an electronic endoscope. 2. Description of the Related Art In an electronic endoscope, an illumination light from a light source unit in a video processor is transmitted to an illumination window at a distal end of a body insertion portion of the endoscope to illuminate an observation object. An image signal picked up by the objective optical system at the distal end of the body insertion portion is transmitted to a video processor. The light guide fiber bundle for transmitting the illumination light from the light source unit to the illumination window and the CCD cable for transmitting the image signal include a body insertion section of the endoscope, an operation section of the base, a universal tube extended from the operation section, and The connector is provided at the distal end of the universal tube, and can be connected to the video processor via the connector. When using this electronic endoscope, the connector section is connected to a fixed video processor, while the body insertion section, the operation section, and the universal tube are
It is moved according to the position of the observation target. This relative movement is
Although it can be absorbed to some extent by the flexibility of the universal tube itself, in order to further increase the degree of freedom of relative movement, the universal tube and the connector section are relatively rotatable around their axes. Conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an outer cylindrical member 109 is provided on a connector main body 106 so as to enable relative rotation between the universal tube 104 and the connector 106. An inner tubular member 111 inserted into the inside of the tube 109 so as to be relatively rotatable is provided on the universal tube 104 side. And the outer tubular member 1
A rotation range restricting groove 124 is formed on the end face of the rotation shaft 09, and a rotation angle restricting pin 115 that fits into the rotation range restricting groove 124 is fixed to the inner cylindrical member 111. However, since a stopper ring 112 for retaining the inner tubular member 111 is screwed into the inner peripheral portion of the outer tubular member 109, a rotation range regulating groove on the end face of the outer tubular member 109 is provided. 124 must be located at a position away from the inner cylindrical member 111. As a result, the rotation angle regulating pin 11
No. 5 has a problem in that when the tip end portion of the rotation range regulating end collides with the end of the rotation range regulating groove 124, a large bending moment is received, and as a result, it breaks or falls off. Of course, if the rotation angle regulating pin 125 is made to have a large diameter and the inner cylindrical member 111 is made to be thick, this inconvenience can be solved, but it is against the demand for miniaturization. An object of the present invention is to provide a connector structure for an electronic endoscope which can prevent breakage or dropping of a rotation angle regulating pin without increasing the size based on the above problem awareness. It is in. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, the problem of the conventional product arises because the rotation angle regulating recess formed in the outer cylindrical member is formed as a rotation angle regulating groove on its end face. This is based on the analysis. That is, the connector structure of the electronic endoscope of the present invention is attached to and detached from the video processor at the distal end of the universal tube extended from the operation unit of the endoscope so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the universal tube. An electronic endoscope provided with a connector section main body, wherein an outer tubular member provided on the connector section main body; formed coaxially and integrally with the universal tube inserted into the outer tubular member so as to be relatively rotatable. An inner cylindrical member; a stopper ring which is coupled to an inner periphery of an end of the outer cylindrical member when the inner cylindrical member is inserted into the outer cylindrical member, and which stops the inner cylindrical member; A circumferential rotation angle regulating through-hole formed inside the retaining ring; and a rotation angle regulating pin screwed into the inner cylindrical member and fitted into the rotation angle regulating through-hole. Yes It is characterized in Rukoto. As described above, the concave portion for regulating the rotation angle formed in the outer cylindrical body is formed as a through hole in the circumferential direction located on the inner side (connector body side) of the retaining ring of the inner cylindrical member. By forming, the bending moment applied to the rotation angle regulating pin fixed to the inner cylindrical member can be reduced. As shown in FIG. 1, an electronic endoscope 1 according to this embodiment has a flexible insertion portion 2 on the distal end side, an operation portion 3 on a base portion, It has a universal tube 4 extended from the operation unit 3, and a connector unit main body 6 provided at the end of the universal tube 4, which is rotatable relative to the universal tube 4 and detachable from the video processor 5. are doing. Light from a light source unit (not shown) mounted on the video processor 5 passes through the connector body 6, the universal tube 4, the operation section 3, and the light guide fiber bundle inserted through the body insertion section 2, and the distal end of the body insertion section. The image signal captured by the solid-state imaging device, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) is converted to a digital signal by the objective optical system of the endoscope body insertion section 2, and is inserted into the body. Part 2, operation part 3, universal tube 4, and connector part body 6
Is transmitted to the video processor 5 through the CCD cable inserted through the. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connector portion main body 6 has an outer shell tube 7, and an annular flange portion 7a is formed on the inner periphery of the end on the universal tube side in a radially inward direction. ing. The inner end of the outer tubular member 9 is inserted into the inner periphery of the annular flange 7a, and is fixed via the O-ring 21 and the lock nut 10. An annular groove 9a is formed in a protruding portion of the outer cylindrical member 9 into the outer shell cylinder 7, and the inner cylinder 8 of the connector portion main body 6 is formed in the annular groove 9a.
Are locked. In addition, FIG.
In FIG. 3, the internal components (for example, a light guide fiber bundle,
Illustration of CCD cables, various channels, etc.) is omitted. On the other hand, an inner cylindrical member 11 coaxially integrated with the universal tube 4 is fixed to the universal tube 4 side so as to be able to relatively fit into the outer cylindrical member 9. That is, the universal tube connecting base 14 fixed to the distal end portion of the universal tube 4 is inserted into the inner cylindrical member 11 and connected coaxially and integrally by the set screw 13. The outer periphery of the end portion of the universal tube 4 on the connector section main body 6 side is covered with a protective cylinder 16 and a cylindrical pressing rubber 17, and an O-ring 19 is inserted between the protective cylinder 16 and the inner cylindrical member 11. I have. The distal end 11a of the inner tubular member 11 abuts on the step 9b of the outer tubular member 9 and is positioned in the axial direction. A stop ring 12 is screwed into an end of the outer tubular member 9, and the stopper ring 12 comes into contact with the small-diameter stepped portion 11 b of the inner tubular member 11, and passes through the inner tubular member 11. stop. That is, the inner cylindrical member 11 is
a contacts the step 9 b of the outer tubular member 9, and the small-diameter step 11
b is in contact with the retaining ring 12 and is supported in the outer tubular member 9 in a state where the movement in the axial direction is restricted and the relative rotation is free. The outer tubular member 9 is provided inside a retaining ring 12 for preventing the inner tubular member 11 from coming off (the connector main body 6).
Side), and a rotation angle regulating through hole 24 which is long in the circumferential direction.
Is formed. In FIG. 3, the rotation angle regulating through-hole 24 is formed in a range of approximately 180 ° in the circumferential direction, but other rotation angles may be used. The rotation angle regulating pin 15 is screwed and fixed to the outer surface of the inner cylindrical member 11 corresponding to the rotation angle regulating through hole 24. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the rotation angle regulating pin 15 includes a fixed diameter portion 15a and a small diameter screw portion 15b.
The inner cylindrical member 11 has a support hole 11c for receiving the fixed diameter portion 15a with a minimum clearance and a small diameter screw portion 15b.
Has a female screw portion 11d for screwing. Therefore, in the present apparatus having the above-described structure, when the universal tube 4 (inner cylindrical member 11) rotates relative to the connector main body 6 (outer cylindrical member 11), the rotation angle regulating pin 15 rotates the rotation angle. By contacting both ends of the regulating through hole 24 in the circumferential direction, the relative rotation between the two is adjusted to a predetermined rotation angle (approximately 1 rotation angle).
80 °). At the time of contact between the rotation angle regulating pin 15 and the end of the through hole 24, the regulating pin 15 has a bending moment at a portion hatched in FIG. 3, that is, at a position close to a fixed portion (screw portion 15b) of the pin. Therefore, there is little risk of breakage or falling off. That is, since almost the entire rotation angle regulating pin 15 is received in the rotation angle regulating through hole 24, the rotation angle regulating pin 1
It is possible to avoid the rotational force of the universal tube 4 and the connector body 6 from being concentrated only on the distal end of the connector 5. In addition, in this embodiment, the rotation angle regulating pin 15
Is a part of the constant diameter portion 15a on the small diameter screw portion 15b side,
Since it is inserted and supported in the support hole 11c of the inner cylindrical member 11, breakage and falling off are less likely to occur. According to the present invention, the universal tube extended from the operation section of the endoscope is attached to and detached from the video processor while being rotatable relative to the universal tube. In the electronic endoscope provided with the connector portion main body, it is possible to reliably prevent the pin for regulating the relative rotation angle from being broken or dropped without increasing the size of the member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an overall view showing an electronic endoscope to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a connection structure between a connector unit main body and a universal tube illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a rotation angle regulating pin of FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional connection structure between a connector portion main body and a universal tube. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. [Description of Signs] 1 Endoscope 2 Internal insertion section 3 Operation section 4 Universal tube 5 Video processor 6 Connector section main body 9 Outer cylindrical member 11 Inner cylindrical member 12 Retaining ring 15 Rotation angle regulating pin 24 Rotation angle regulating through hole

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A connector main body attached to a distal end of a universal tube extended from an operation unit of an endoscope, the connector unit being rotatable relative to the universal tube and detachably attached to a video processor. An outer tubular member provided on the connector portion main body; an inner tubular member coaxially integrated with the universal tube, which is inserted into the outer tubular member so as to be relatively rotatable. Element;
When the inner tubular member is inserted into the outer tubular member, the stopper ring is coupled to the inner periphery of the end of the outer tubular member and prevents the inner tubular member from coming off; A rotation angle regulating through-hole formed in the circumferential direction, and a rotation angle regulating pin screwed into the inner cylindrical member and fitted into the rotation angle regulating through-hole. Connector structure of electronic endoscope.