JP2007117289A - Sheath for endoscope, endoscope apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheath for an endoscope, which is equipped with a wiper for removing a deposit on the front face of an objective lens and that of an illumination light-emitting window and not blocking the front face of the objective lens and the illumination light-emitting window while observing the inside of the body cavity by the endoscope. <P>SOLUTION: The sheath is equipped with a sheath insertion part 1a which is formed to be capable of inserting the endoscope 2 having the objective lens 21 and the illumination light-emitting window 22 at the tip end and inserting it into the body cavity, and a wiper device composed of a wiper member 11 which is formed so that a part is brought into contact with the front face of the endoscope to be inserted into the sheath insertion part and can move in the direction following along the front face of the endoscope and is arranged at the distal end of the sheath insertion part, an operation member 10 for driving and operating this wiper member, and a driving force transmitting mechanism 12 for connecting the operation member and the wiper member and transmitting the driving force of the operation member to the wiper member. The wiper member is formed by mutually sequentially connecting a plurality of knot members 11aa, 11ab, 11ac having rigidity, and is constituted in the form that a part or whole body is covered with an elastic member 11b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope sheath, an endoscope apparatus, and more specifically, an endoscope including a wiper device for wiping off an attachment attached to the front surface of an endoscope, in particular, the front surface side of an objective lens or an illumination light irradiation window. The present invention relates to a sheath or an endoscope apparatus.

  Conventionally, by inserting an elongated insertion portion into a body cavity, an internal organ or the like deep inside the body cavity can be observed, or a treatment instrument can be inserted into a treatment instrument insertion channel provided in the insertion section. 2. Description of the Related Art Medical endoscopes configured to be able to perform various treatments and treatments as needed in the deep part are widely used.

  When using such an endoscope, for example, when performing inspection or treatment in a body cavity, smoke or mist generated due to fat or body fluid in the body cavity, bleeding during treatment, water droplets, or use of an energy treatment device, etc. In some cases, it is attached to the front surface (outer surface) of an observation objective lens or cover glass provided at the distal end portion of the endoscope. Such attachments cause distortion of the observation image and halation (irregular reflection) of the illumination light. In other words, these attachments and the like can be a factor that obstructs observation in the body cavity such as degrading the observation image such as blurring the observation image obtained by the endoscope or obstructing the visual field of the objective lens. Is.

  Therefore, in a conventional endoscope, water or the like is allowed to flow to the front surface of the objective lens or cover glass at the tip, thereby washing the front surface of the objective lens or cover glass and removing attachments and the like. There was a thing equipped with the following apparatus.

  In this case, particularly with respect to fat stains or the like, it may not be possible to reliably clean the endoscope tip by simply flowing water or the like. Therefore, in such a case, for example, by removing the endoscope once from the body cavity and washing the distal end of the endoscope with hot water or the like outside the body cavity or wiping it with gauze or the like, The attachments were removed and washed.

  However, with such means, the endoscope inserted into the body cavity is removed, and the attachment at the distal end of the endoscope is removed or washed, and then the same inspection or treatment is performed again. It was necessary to insert the endoscope into the body cavity again.

  As described above, when the endoscope is removed and washed, it is necessary to temporarily interrupt the observation and treatment by the endoscope during the washing. Therefore, there has been a problem that the overall time required for the endoscopic examination and treatment becomes longer. Thus, if the time required for observation and treatment becomes long, the burden on the operator and the subject increases, which is a problem.

  Therefore, conventionally, for example, a wiper member is provided in the vicinity of the distal end portion of the endoscope, and the wiper member is moved in a predetermined direction by a predetermined operation of the operation member on the hand side, so that the objective of the endoscope distal end portion is obtained. Various proposals have been made by, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-199703, etc., so that attachments attached to the front surface of the lens can be wiped off.

According to this, even when an attachment is attached to the front surface of the objective lens while performing observation or treatment by inserting the endoscope into the body cavity, the endoscope is not removed from the body cavity. By operating the wiper member by operating the operation member on the hand side, the attachment can be wiped off and the field of view of the objective lens can be secured.
JP 2003-199703 A

  However, according to the means disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-199703, a wiper member having a length sufficient to wipe the entire front surface of the objective lens or the like disposed at the distal end portion of the endoscope is provided. In this case, when performing normal observation or treatment, there is a problem that the wiper member may obstruct a part of the observation visual field range or the illumination light irradiation range.

  In order to avoid this, in order to securely retract the wiper member from the front surface of the objective lens or the illumination light irradiation window while securing the observation visual field range and illumination light irradiation range, the retracting portion of the wiper member If this is provided, there is a problem that the diameter in the vicinity of the distal end portion of the endoscope is increased.

  Here, for example, as a conventional endoscope sheath provided with a wiper member, a configuration in which a wiper member is disposed at the distal end portion will be considered.

  35 and 36 are front views showing the configuration of a conventional endoscope sheath having a wiper member. Among these, FIG. 35 is a front view conceptually showing the configuration of an endoscope sheath provided with a wiper member for wiping the front surface of the objective lens. FIG. 36 is a front view conceptually showing the configuration of an endoscope sheath provided with a wiper member that wipes the front surface of the objective lens and the illumination light irradiation window.

  In this case, an endoscope having an objective lens and an illumination light irradiation window at its distal end is inserted into the endoscope sheath. One end portion of the wiper member is rotatably disposed at a predetermined position of the distal end portion of the endoscope sheath.

  In a state where the endoscope is inserted through the endoscope sheath, a part of the wiper member comes into contact with the objective lens of the endoscope and each front side of the illumination light irradiation window.

  With such a configuration, when the wiper member is rotated by a predetermined operation in a state where the endoscope is inserted through the endoscope sheath, a part of the wiper member is used for the objective lens and illumination of the endoscope. While moving in the direction along the front surface of the endoscope while being in contact with each front surface side of the light irradiation window, the front surface side of the objective lens and the illumination light irradiation window is wiped off.

  Consider the arrangement of the wiper members (111A, 111B) for wiping only the front surface of the objective lens 121 in the conventional endoscope sheath having such a wiper member, for example, as shown in FIG.

  Here, as shown in the right half of FIG. 35, in the state where the wiper member 111A is retracted, the wiper member 111A does not interfere with the observation field of view of the objective lens 121, and the diameter of the distal end portion of the endoscope. When it arrange | positions so that it may be settled in the range, the length of the wiper member 111A will become short. From this, on the front surface of the objective lens 121, the range that can be wiped off by the wiper member 111A is only within the range indicated by the symbol A in FIG. Therefore, in this case, the entire range of the observation field of view by the objective lens 121 cannot be wiped off.

  On the other hand, as shown in the left half of FIG. 35, when the wiper member 111B has a length sufficient to wipe the entire front surface of the objective lens 121 (the region indicated by the symbol B in FIG. 35), If this wiper member 111B is disposed outside the observation field of view of the objective lens 121, the outer diameter of the sheath member 101B will be larger than the outer diameter of the sheath member 101A in the above case. (D2> D1).

  For example, as shown in FIG. 36, consider the arrangement of wiper members (111C, 111D) that also wipe the front surface of the illumination light irradiation window 122 in addition to the front surface of the objective lens 121.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 36, a wiper member 111C having a length sufficient to wipe the entire observation field range of the objective lens 121 and the illumination light irradiation range of the illumination light irradiation window 122 with the wiper member 111C; In this case, considering the minimum outer diameter of the sheath member when the wiper member 111C is retracted, it is as shown in the right half of FIG. In this case, the area indicated by reference numeral C1 in FIG. 36 in the observation visual field range of the objective lens 121 and the area indicated by reference numeral C2 in FIG. 36 in the illumination light irradiation range of the illumination light irradiation window 122 are the wiper member 111C. Will be hindered.

  On the other hand, as shown in the left half of FIG. 36, when the wiper member 111C is disposed at a position completely retracted from the observation field range of the objective lens 121 and the illumination light irradiation range of the illumination light irradiation window 122, the sheath member The outer diameter of 101D will be larger than the outer diameter of the sheath member 101C in the above case (D4> D3).

  In the industrial field as well, an elongated insertion part is inserted into a boiler, a gas turbine engine, a piping of a chemical plant, the body of an automobile engine, etc. to observe and inspect the inspection site for scratches and corrosion. Endoscopes are widely used.

  Such conventional industrial endoscopes have the same problems as the medical endoscopes described above.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described points, and an object of the present invention is to irradiate an objective lens and illumination light when, for example, observation or treatment in a body cavity is performed using an endoscope. Even if an attachment is attached to the front of the window, the attachment can be easily removed using the wiper member without removing the endoscope from the body cavity, and from the front of the objective lens and the illumination light irradiation window. When the wiper member is in the retracted state, the wiper member does not shield the front surfaces of the objective lens and the illumination light irradiation window, so that the field of view of the objective lens can always be secured and illumination from the illumination light irradiation window can be achieved. It is an object of the present invention to provide an endoscope sheath or endoscope having a wiper device configured so as not to interfere with light irradiation.

  In order to achieve the above object, an endoscope sheath according to the present invention is formed so that an endoscope having an objective lens and an illumination light irradiation window at a distal end portion can be inserted and can be inserted into a body cavity. A sheath insertion portion that is configured to be in contact with the front surface of the endoscope inserted through the sheath insertion portion and to move in a direction along the front surface of the endoscope. A wiper member disposed at a distal end portion of the sheath insertion portion, an operation member for driving the wiper member, and connecting the operation member and the wiper member to generate a driving force generated by the operation member. A wiper device comprising a driving force transmission mechanism for transmitting to the wiper member, wherein the wiper member is formed by sequentially connecting a plurality of rigid node members, and part or all of the wiper member is formed by an elastic member. Characterized in that it is composed of a crack forms.

  According to the present invention, even when an attachment is attached to the front surface of the objective lens and the illumination light irradiation window, for example, when performing observation or treatment in the body cavity using the endoscope, the endoscope is attached to the body cavity. The attachment can be easily removed using the wiper member without being removed outside, and when the wiper member is retracted from the front surface of the objective lens and the illumination light irradiation window, the wiper member Including a wiper device configured to always ensure the field of view of the objective lens without blocking each front surface of the illumination light irradiation window and to prevent the illumination light from being irradiated from the illumination light irradiation window. An endoscope sheath and an endoscope apparatus can be provided.

The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments.
1 to 18 are views showing a first embodiment of the present invention. Among these, FIG. 1 is an external perspective view schematically showing the external appearance of an endoscope sheath of the present embodiment and an endoscope to which the endoscope sheath is applied. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view along the axial direction of the endoscope sheath of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the endoscope sheath of the present embodiment, taken along line [III]-[III] in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line [IV]-[IV] in FIG. 2, showing a cross section of the operation portion in the endoscope sheath of the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing an enlarged stopper member of the operation knob in the operation part of the endoscope sheath of the present embodiment. 6 to 8 show the wiper member extracted from the endoscope sheath according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction when the wiper member is incorporated into the endoscope sheath. It is. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line [VII]-[VII] in FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line [VIII]-[VIII] in FIG.

  Moreover, FIGS. 9-18 is a figure explaining the effect | action of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment. Among these, FIGS. 9 to 13 are front views of the sheath for an endoscope of the present embodiment when viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2, and each show a displacement form when the wiper member is driven. ing. 9 shows a state where the wiper member is in the initial position (first retracted position), FIG. 10 shows a state where the wiper member is driven by a predetermined angle from the state shown in FIG. 9, and FIG. FIG. 12 shows a state where the wiper member is driven by a predetermined angle from the state of FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 shows a state where the wiper member is driven by a predetermined amount from the state of FIG. The states of being driven and in the stop position (second retracted position) are respectively shown.

  14 to 18 are sectional views (corresponding to FIG. 4) of the operation portion in the endoscope sheath of the present embodiment, and the states of the operation knobs corresponding to the wiper members shown in FIGS. 9 to 18 are shown. Each is shown. 14 shows the position of the operation knob corresponding to the position of the wiper member in FIG. 9, FIG. 15 shows the position of the operation knob corresponding to the position of the wiper member in FIG. 10, and FIG. 16 shows the position of the wiper member in FIG. FIG. 17 shows the position of the operation knob corresponding to the position of the wiper member in FIG. 12, and FIG. 18 shows the position of the operation knob corresponding to the position of the wiper member in FIG. Yes.

  In addition, in FIG. 2, the cross section of a wiper member is also shown by showing the state by which the wiper member is arrange | positioned linearly.

  In each embodiment of the present invention described below, as an endoscope to which an endoscope sheath is applied, a rigid endoscope in which an insertion portion is formed rigidly will be described as an example.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the endoscope sheath 1 of the present embodiment is formed of an elongated cylindrical member so that an insertion portion 2a of an endoscope 2 to be described later can be inserted into the inside of the body cavity. A sheath insertion portion 1a formed so as to be inserted into the endoscope, a link box 1b serving as an operation portion in a wiper device to be described later, and a sheath body portion 1c through which the endoscope body portion 2b of the endoscope 2 can be inserted. And is mainly composed of.

  The sheath insertion portion 1a is formed of an elongated cylindrical member as described above, and a through-hole 1h (see FIGS. 1 and 4) through which the insertion portion 2a of the endoscope 2 described later is inserted is the sheath insertion portion 1a. It is formed in the axial direction.

  A wiper member 11 is disposed at the distal end of the sheath insertion portion 1a. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the wiper member 11 is formed such that three node members (11aa, 11ab, 11ac) are sequentially connected to each other and are formed so as to penetrate through substantially the center portion. The wiper core member 11a and a wiper blade 11b made of an elastic member arranged to cover the entire outer surface of the wiper core member 11a.

    The wiper blade 11b is formed of, for example, a rubber material such as silicon rubber or a resin material having elasticity.

  The three node members 11aa, 11ab, 11ac constituting the wiper core member 11a are formed of, for example, a metal rigid body. And these three node members are connected in order of the 1st node member 11aa, the 2nd node member 11ab, and the 3rd node member 11ac from the base end side (side connected with the rotation transmission shaft 12b mentioned later). In this case, the joint members are connected to each other by pins 11ad and 11ae so that the joint members can be rotated.

  That is, one end portion of the first node member 11aa on the proximal end side is fixed to a rotation transmission shaft 12b described later, and the other end portion of the first node member 11aa and one end portion of the second node member 11ab. Are connected to each other by a pin 11ad so as to be rotatable. The other end of the second knuckle member 11ab and the one end of the third knot member 11ac are coupled to each other by a pin 11ad so as to be rotatable.

  The wiper core 11a in which the three node members 11aa, 11ab, and 11ac are integrally formed as described above is entirely covered with the wiper blade 11b as described above. Thereby, when the wiper member 11 is in an unloaded state, the substantially linear form is maintained by the elastic force of the wiper blade 11b. When a load in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the wiper member 11 (that is, a direction having a predetermined angle) is applied, the pins 11ad and 11ae are easily bent.

  The wiper member 11 configured in this way has rigidity in a direction along the optical axis of the objective lens 21 of the endoscope 2 attached to the endoscope sheath 1 by the wiper core member 11a. At the same time, the wiper blade 11b is formed so as to have flexibility in the direction along the front surface of the endoscope 2 and along the surface perpendicular to the optical axis of the objective lens 21.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the cross-sectional shape of the wiper member 11 is formed at an acute angle so that one end (the front end portion 11c) on the front end side of the wiper blade 11b can be easily removed. The distal end portion 11c of the wiper blade 11b is in a state in which the endoscope 2 is inserted into the endoscope sheath 1, and when the wiper member 11 is operated by a predetermined operation described later, the endoscope The endoscope sheath 1 is disposed at the distal end of the endoscope sheath 1 so as to come into contact with the front surfaces of the objective lens 21 and the illumination light irradiation window 22 with a predetermined amount of force.

  That is, when the wiper member 11 is actuated by a predetermined operation to be described later, the tip 11c (the most advanced part) of the wiper blade 11b is in contact with the front surfaces of the objective lens 21 and the illumination light irradiation window 22, The wiper member 11 moves in a direction along each front surface.

  As described above, the wiper member 11 has one end of the wiper core 11a fixed to the tip of the rotation transmission shaft 12b. In the normal state (initial position or stop position described later), the wiper member 11 has a peripheral edge portion of the through hole 1h of the sheath insertion portion 1a of the endoscope sheath 1 as shown in FIGS. Each of the node members 11aa, 11ab, 11ac is arranged in a bent form at the pins 11ad, 11ae.

  As described above, when the wiper member 11 is in an unloaded state, the substantially linear form is maintained. Therefore, in order to maintain the wiper member 11 in the above-described normal state (initial position or stop position described later) (the form shown in FIGS. 9 and 13), The base end side link box 1b is provided with a pair of stopper members 10d. Details of the stopper member 10d will be described later (see FIGS. 1, 4 and 5).

  Thereby, the wiper member 11 obstructs each front surface of the objective lens 21 and the illumination light irradiation window 22 of the endoscope 2 inserted through the endoscope sheath 1 in the normal state (initial position or stop position). In addition to being able to retreat to a position where the wiper member 11 is operated, the front surfaces of the objective lens 21 and the illumination light irradiation window 22 of the endoscope 2 can be wiped off when the wiper member 11 is actuated. .

  As described above, the distal end portion of the rotation transmission shaft 12b is fixed to one end portion of the wiper member 11 on the proximal end side. The rotation transmission shaft 12b is a shaft member that is rotatably inserted into an insertion hole 1g formed so as to penetrate a predetermined portion near the outer periphery of the sheath insertion portion 1a of the sheath 1 for endoscope. (See FIGS. 1, 2 and 3).

  Accordingly, the wiper member 11 is thereby operated in the direction of the arrow R1 shown in FIG. 9 with the base end portion as the rotation center in conjunction with the rotation transmission shaft 12b being rotated by a predetermined operation described later or FIG. It rotates in the direction of arrow R2 shown in FIG.

  The rotation transmission shaft 12b extends from the wiper member 11 in the vicinity of the distal end portion of the sheath insertion portion 1a to the inside of the link box 1b (see FIG. 2). In this case, the proximal end side of the rotation transmission shaft 12b is formed in a crank shape, and the other end portion 12c is engaged with the U-shaped groove 10b of the operation knob 10 which is an operation member in the internal space 1k of the link box 1b. (See FIG. 4).

  An operation knob 10 is disposed in the link box 1b as shown in FIGS. A part of the operation knob 10 is arranged in the internal space 1k of the link box 1b, and the other part is arranged to be exposed to the outside of the link box 1b. In this case, the operation knob 10 is disposed so as to be rotatable by the rotation shaft 10a with respect to the wall portion forming the internal space 1k of the link box 1b. Thereby, the operation knob 10 is in the direction of the arrow R shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, that is, the axial direction of the sheath insertion portion 1 a of the endoscope sheath 1 and the insertion direction of the endoscope sheath 1. It can be rotated in a plane that is substantially orthogonal.

  Accordingly, when the operation knob 10 is rotated in the direction of the arrow R by this, the other end portion 12c of the rotation transmission shaft 12b engaged with the U-shaped groove 10b is accompanied with the U-shaped groove 10b. While sliding inside, it rotates in the direction of arrow R3 shown in FIG. Thus, when the other end portion 12c of the rotation transmission shaft 12b is rotated in the same direction, the rotation transmission shaft 12b is coaxially rotated in the same direction in the insertion hole 1g of the sheath insertion portion 1a. It has become.

  At this time, the rotation of the other end portion 12c of the rotation transmission shaft 12b in the direction of the arrow R3 in FIG. 4 does not cause the engagement between the other end portion 12c and the U-shaped groove 10b. In addition, the depth dimension of the U-shaped groove 10b is set.

  When the other end 12c of the rotation transmission shaft 12b is rotated in the direction of the arrow R3 in FIG. 4 by rotating the operation knob 10 in this manner, the wiper member 11 is accompanied by the arrow R1 shown in FIGS. It rotates in the direction or arrow R2.

  As described above, the rotation transmission shaft 12b serves as a driving force transmission mechanism that connects the operation knob 10 and the wiper member 11 and transmits the driving force generated by the rotation operation of the operation knob 10 to the wiper member 11. is doing. The wiper member 11, the operation knob 10 (operation member), and the rotation transmission shaft 12b constitute a wiper device.

  The operation knob 10 is formed with an operation knob 10c which is a finger hook when the operator rotates the operation knob 10 at a portion exposed to the outside of the link box 1b.

  On the other hand, on the outer surface of the link box 1b, the pair of stopper members 10d described above are disposed in the vicinity of the operation knob 10. The stopper member 10d is formed of a substantially channel-shaped member as shown in FIG. 5, and its open end is pivotally supported by the link box 1b so as to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow R4 shown in FIGS. .

  The stopper member 10d is on a surface including the rotation direction of the operation knob 10 (the arrow R direction in FIGS. 1 and 4), and moves in the rotation direction as the operation knob 10 rotates. A locking position (see a solid line in FIG. 5) for entering the movement locus of the operation knob 10c to be engaged and a locking position (see a solid line in FIG. 5) and a retraction position (two-dot chain line in FIG. 5) for retreating from the movement locus of the operation knob 10c. (See below).

  By locking the operation knob 10c of the operation knob 10 using the stopper member 10d, the rotation of the operation knob 10 can be restricted. By restricting the rotation of the operation knob 10 in this way, the wiper member 11 connected via the rotation transmission shaft 12b is prevented from returning to a substantially linear shape by the action of its own elastic force, and The configuration of the wiper member 11 in the normal state (initial position or stop position) shown in FIGS. 9 and 13 can be maintained.

  The endoscope sheath 1 of this embodiment is used in a state where the insertion portion 2a of the endoscope 2 is inserted through the through hole 1h as shown in FIG. As the endoscope inserted through the endoscope sheath 1, for example, a rigid endoscope having a normal form is used as shown in FIG. 1.

  The endoscope 2 has an objective lens 21 and an illumination light irradiation window 22 at the distal end, and has an elongated insertion portion 2a as a whole, and an endoscope main body portion 2b connected to the proximal end portion of the insertion portion 2a. And is mainly composed of. A light guide post 2c projects from the endoscope body 2b toward the outer periphery.

  When the endoscope 2 is attached to the endoscope sheath 1 of the present embodiment, the endoscope 2 is disposed at a predetermined site inside the endoscope sheath 1. In this case, the insertion portion 2a of the endoscope 2 is inserted and disposed in the through hole 1h of the sheath insertion portion 1a of the endoscope sheath 1, and the inside of the sheath main body 1c of the endoscope sheath 1 is internally provided. An endoscope main body 2b of the endoscope 2 is arranged.

  The light guide post 2c of the endoscope 2 is arranged in a guide groove 1d formed by cutting out a part of the sheath body 1c. A light guide post lock pin 1e, which is an endoscope fixing mechanism, is disposed in the guide groove 1d so as to protrude and retract toward the inner surface of the guide groove 1d.

  Then, the insertion portion 2a of the endoscope 2 is inserted into the through hole 1h of the sheath insertion portion 1a of the endoscope sheath 1, and the distal end surface of the endoscope 2 and the distal end portion 11c of the wiper member 11 are predetermined. When the endoscope 2 is disposed at a predetermined position where the force is brought into contact, the light guide post 2c is disposed at a predetermined position in the guide groove 1d of the sheath body 1c. At this time, in a state where the light guide post 2c is disposed at a predetermined portion in the guide groove 1d, the light guide post lock pin 1e is formed in a hole (particularly in FIG. (Not shown). As a result, the endoscope 2 is fixed to the endoscope sheath 1, and the two are configured so as to be integrated with each other.

  An operation when the wiper device in the endoscope sheath 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above is operated will be described below.

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope 2 is mounted inside the endoscope sheath 1 so that the endoscope sheath 1 and the endoscope 2 that are separate from each other are integrated.

  For this purpose, first, the insertion portion 2a of the endoscope 2 is inserted from the proximal end side of the sheath body portion 1c of the endoscope sheath 1 from the distal end side, and the insertion portion 2a is inserted into the through hole 1h of the sheath insertion portion 1a. Let Subsequently, the light guide post 2c is disposed at a predetermined position in the guide groove 1d of the sheath body 1c, and the light guide post lock pin 1e is placed in a hole (not shown) on the light guide post 2c side as described above. Insert. Thereby, the endoscope 2 is fixed to the endoscope sheath 1. When this state is reached, the distal end portion 11c of the wiper member 11 is disposed at a predetermined position where the distal end surface of the endoscope 2 should contact with a predetermined amount of force.

  At this time, the wiper member 11 is disposed at the initial position shown in FIG. When the wiper member 11 is in the initial position shown in FIG. 9, the wiper member 11 is disposed at a position that does not interfere with the objective lens 21 of the endoscope 2 and the front surface of the illumination light irradiation window 22. Therefore, when the wiper member 11 is in this state, this is referred to as a first retracted position.

  When the wiper member 11 is in the initial position of FIG. 9, the operation knob 10 is in the state shown in FIG.

  That is, when the wiper member 11 is at the initial position shown in FIG. 9, the distal end portion 11 c of the wiper member 11 is in a state of being retracted from the distal end surface of the endoscope 2. Therefore, in this state, the distal end portion 11 c of the wiper member 11 is not yet in contact with the distal end surface of the endoscope 2.

  In this state (when the wiper member 11 is in the initial position), the operation knob 10c is locked by one stopper member 10d as shown in FIG. Accordingly, the wiper member 11 is regulated so as to have the form shown in FIG. 9 against its own elastic force, and the form is maintained.

  When the endoscope sheath 1 and the endoscope 2 are integrally assembled and the wiper member 11 is at a predetermined initial position, the operator holds the stopper member 10d with the arrow R5 in FIG. By rotating in the direction, the locking of the operation knob 10c by the stopper member 10d is released. Then, an operation of rotating the operation knob 10 in the direction of the arrow R1 in FIG. 14 is performed. As the operation knob 10 is turned, the other end of the rotation transmission shaft 12b engaged with the U-shaped groove 10b moves along the axis of the rotation transmission shaft 12b as the U-shaped groove 10b moves. It rotates in the direction of arrow R6 in FIG. 14 with the center (insertion hole 1g) as the center of rotation.

  As a result, the wiper member 11 in the form of the initial position shown in FIG. 9 rotates in the direction of arrow R1 in FIG. 9 with the base end portion as the rotation center of the rotation transmission shaft 12b. Thereby, the wiper member 11 starts to move in the direction along the arrow X1 in FIG. 9 as a whole. Then, when the operation knob 10 is rotated in the direction of the arrow R1 in FIG. 14 and displaced from the state of FIG. 14 to the state of FIG. 16 through the state of FIG. 15, the wiper member 11 is shown in the form shown in FIG. After passing through the form shown in FIG. 10, it is displaced to the form of the neutral position shown in FIG.

  The displacement of the wiper member 11 in this case will be described in more detail as follows. That is, when the rotation transmission shaft 12b rotates as described above, the first knot member 11aa of the wiper member 11 arranged along the inner wall surface of the sheath insertion portion 1a in the state of FIG. At the end, it rotates in the direction of arrow R1 with the rotation transmission shaft 12b as the center of rotation. Along with this, the second node member 11ab and the third node member 11ac also follow the first node member 11aa and start moving in the direction along the arrow X1 in FIG.

  In this case, the first knuckle member 11aa is separated from the inner wall surface of the sheath insertion portion 1a by rotating itself. Further, the second node member 11ab and the third node member 11ac are moved in a direction away from the inner wall surface following the first node member 11aa.

  Then, at this time, the elastic restoring force of the wiper blade 11b acts on the second and third joint members 11ab and 11ac, so that the three joint members (the wiper core 11a of the wiper member 11) ( 11aa, 11ab, 11ac) are arranged substantially coaxially, that is, the direction in which the three node members (11aa, 11ab, 11ac) are in a substantially linear form (neutral position form shown in FIG. 11). Will be displaced.

  In the process of displacing the wiper member 11 from the state of FIG. 9 to the state of FIG. 11 through the state of FIG. 10, the above-described rotation of the first joint member 11aa and the elastic restoring force of the wiper blade 11b are used. A part of the tip end side of the wiper blade 11b covering the outer surface of the third knot member 11ac slides along the inner wall surface while always contacting the inner wall surface of the sheath insertion portion 1a.

  At this time, the second node member 11ab rotates clockwise in FIG. 9 with the pin 11ad as the rotation center with respect to the first node member 11aa. Further, the third node member 11ac rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 9 with the pin 11ae as the rotation center with respect to the second node member 11ab. Thus, the wiper member 11 becomes a form shown in FIG.

  Note that the third knot member 11ac is separated from the inner wall surface of the sheath insertion portion 1a at a predetermined position immediately before the wiper member 11 takes the form shown in FIG. At this point, the wiper member 11 is in an unloaded state, and thus the three node members 11aa, 11ab, and 11ac are in a substantially linear form.

  When the wiper member 11 is in the state shown in FIG. 11, the operation knob 10 is in the state shown in FIG. From this state, when the operation knob 10 is further rotated in the direction of the arrow R1 in FIG. 16 and displaced from the state in FIG. 16 to the state in FIG. 18 through the state in FIG. The configuration shown in FIG. 12 is displaced from the configuration shown in FIG. 12 to the configuration shown in FIG.

  In this case, the displacement of the wiper member 11 is the same as that in the displacement from FIG. 9 to FIG. 11. The first joint member 11aa is rotated at the base end portion of the rotation transmission shaft 12b as the rotation transmission shaft 12b rotates. It rotates in the direction of arrow R1 with 12b as the rotation center. The second node member 11ab and the third node member 11ac also rotate following the first node member 11aa.

  Here, the wiper member 11 rotates while the three node members 11aa, 11ab, and 11ac are maintained in a substantially linear form until the wiper member 11 reaches a predetermined position immediately after the form shown in FIG. And in the said predetermined position, the 3rd node member 11ac contact | abuts to the inner wall face of the sheath insertion part 1a.

  From this point of time, when the wiper member 11 (the first node member 11aa) continues to rotate in the same direction, a load is applied to the third node member 11ac of the wiper member 11 first. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 12, the third node member 11ac rotates clockwise with respect to the second node member 11ab about the pin 11ae as the rotation center. The third knuckle member 11ac slides along the inner wall surface of the wiper blade 11b, with a portion of the wiper blade 11b covering the outer surface thereof in contact with the inner wall surface of the sheath insertion portion 1a. It is bent at a portion of the pin 11ae against the elastic force, and finally arranged in a form along the inner wall surface of the sheath insertion portion 1a.

  Further, when the rotation of the wiper member 11 (the first node member 11aa) in the same direction is continued, the second node member 11ab takes the pin 11ad as the rotation center with respect to the first node member 11aa as shown in FIG. In the clockwise direction. The second knuckle member 11ab is also bent against the elastic force of the wiper blade 11b, and takes a form along the inner wall surface of the sheath insertion portion 1a.

  Thus, the wiper member 11 becomes a form in the stop position of FIG. In this state, the wiper member 11 is completely retracted from the front surface of the endoscope 2, and the components of the wiper member 11 do not interfere with the front surface of the objective lens 21 and the illumination light irradiation window 22. This is the same as the state 9. When the wiper member 11 is in the state shown in FIG. 11, this is referred to as a second retracted position.

  When the wiper member 11 is in the second retracted position, the operation knob 10 is in the state shown in FIG. Therefore, the operator rotates the stopper member 10d in the direction of the arrow R7 in FIG. 18 to ensure that the operation knob 10c is locked by the stopper member 10d. Thereby, the rotation of the operation knob 10 is locked. Accordingly, the rotation of the rotation transmission shaft 12b is also restricted. Therefore, the movement of the wiper member 11 in the direction along the front surface of the endoscope 2 is restricted by the action of the elastic force of the wiper blade 11b.

  In the process in which the wiper member 11 is displaced from the state shown in FIG. 9 to the state shown in FIG. 13, the distal end portion 11c (see FIG. 8) of the wiper blade 11b of the wiper member 11 is the endoscope 2 as described above. It is in the state which contacted with the predetermined | prescribed amount of power toward the front end surface (each front surface of the objective lens 21 and the illumination light irradiation window 22). Therefore, when the wiper member 11 moves in a direction (in the direction of arrow X1 in FIG. 9) along the distal end surface of the endoscope 2 (the front surfaces of the objective lens 21 and the illumination light irradiation window 22), the distal end portion 11c of the wiper member 11 is moved. Moves while wiping the front surfaces of the objective lens 21 and the illumination light irradiation window 22.

  As described above, by rotating the operation knob 10 from the state shown in FIG. 14 to the state shown in FIG. 18, the wiper member 11 is moved from a predetermined initial position (FIG. 14) to a predetermined stop position (FIG. 12). Can be made. Then, by the movement of the wiper member 11 at this time, the front surfaces of the objective lens 21 and the illumination light irradiation window 22 on the front surface of the endoscope 2 attached to the endoscope sheath 1 are wiped off.

  Further, when the wiper member 11 is in each position (initial position or stop position) shown in FIGS. 9 and 13, the operation knob 10c of the operation knob 10 is provided by the stopper member 10d provided in the vicinity of the operation knob 10 on the link box 1b. By setting the to the locked state, the movement of the wiper member 11 can be restricted, and the predetermined positions where the wiper member 11 is completely retracted from the front surface of the endoscope 2 can be maintained.

  When the wiper member 11 is in the position shown in FIG. 13, the operation knob 10 is in the state shown in FIG. In this state, after releasing the locked state of the operation knob 10c by the stopper member 10d and then rotating the operation knob 10 in the direction of the arrow R2 in FIG. Thus, the wiper member 11 can be moved from the position shown in FIG. 13 to the position shown in FIG. 9 through the states shown in FIGS.

  Therefore, by repeating the operation of rotating the operation knob 10 in the direction of the arrow R1 or the arrow R2 shown in FIG. 18, it is possible to appropriately repeat the wiping operation of the front surface of the endoscope 2 by the wiper member 11. is there.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the three node members (11aa, 11ab, 11ac) are elastically covered so as to cover the entire outer surface of the wiper core member 11a formed by sequentially connecting each other in pairs. Since the wiper blade 11b made of a member is arranged, the wiper core 11a has rigidity in a direction along the optical axis of the objective lens 21 of the endoscope 2 attached to the endoscope sheath 1 by the wiper core member 11a. In addition, the wiper blade 11b can be formed to have flexibility in the direction along the front surface of the endoscope 2 and the direction along the surface orthogonal to the optical axis of the objective lens 21.

  As a result, by applying a load to the wiper member 11 that maintains a substantially straight shape in a normal state, the inner wall surface of the sheath insertion portion 1a is bent at the connecting portion of each joint member. Since the wiper member 11 is not used, the wiper device is placed in front of the endoscope 2 while preventing the outer diameter of the endoscope sheath 1 from increasing. Can be placed in a position completely retracted. Therefore, when the wiper device is not used, the constituent members of the wiper device do not interfere with the objective lens 21 of the endoscope 2 or the front surface of the illumination light irradiation window 22.

  By the way, in the first embodiment described above, by rotating the wiper member 11, a part of the tip side of the wiper blade 11b covering the outer surface of the third knot member 11ac comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the sheath insertion portion 1a. In this state, by further applying a load due to the rotating operation to the wiper member 11, the connected portion of the third joint member 11ac and the second joint member 11ab and the second joint member 11ab and the first joint member 11aa The wiper member 11 is arranged at a position where it is retracted from the front surface of the endoscope 2 by bending the continuous portion.

  In this case, when a predetermined portion near the third node member 11ac is brought into contact with the inner wall surface of the sheath insertion portion 1a and a load is applied to the same portion, first, the third node member 11ac, the second node member 11ab, It is desirable that the continuous portion of the second joint member 11ab and the first joint member 11aa bend and bend after the continuous portion of the first joint portion is bent.

  If each node member acts so as to be bent in this order, the wiper blade 11b moves so as to efficiently wipe the front surface of the endoscope 2.

  Therefore, in order to perform the desired action of the wiper member 11 as described above, several modifications in which the form of the wiper member 11 is further devised can be proposed.

  19 and 20 are views showing a first modification of the wiper member in the endoscope sheath according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Of these, FIG. 19 is a side sectional view showing only the wiper member. FIG. 20 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line [20]-[20] in FIG. 19, showing a cross section when viewed from the front side of the wiper member of this modification.

  As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the basic configuration of the wiper member 11A of the present modification is substantially the same as that of the wiper member 11 of the first embodiment described above, but only the shape of the wiper blade 11Ab is slightly different. It is.

  That is, the wiper blade 11Ab of the wiper member 11A of the present modified example has a width dimension t2 of a portion mainly covering the outer surface of the third node member 11ac as shown in FIG. It is formed so as to be slightly narrower than the width dimension t1 (the portion covering the outer surface of the first and second node members 11aa, 11ab) (t1> t2).

  This is the direction along the arrow X shown in FIG. 20 in the vicinity of the portion covering the outer surface of the first and second node members 11aa, 11ab (the direction along the front surface of the endoscope, that is, the same direction as the movement direction of the wiper member 11A). The elastic force in the same direction in the figure in the vicinity of the portion covering the outer surface of the third joint member 11ac is set to be slightly weaker than the elastic force of

  That is, when the wiper member 11A is formed in this way, the wiper member 11A is rotated so that a part of the tip end side of the wiper blade 11Ab covering the outer surface of the third knot member 11ac contacts the inner wall surface of the sheath insertion portion 1a. When the contact is applied and a load is applied to the part, the connection part of the third joint member 11ac and the second joint member 11ab bends before the connection part of the second joint member 11ab and the first joint member 11aa. It tends to be easier.

  Therefore, the wiper member 11A according to the present modification can be retreated to a predetermined position for retreating from the front surface of the endoscope more smoothly and surely.

  Other configurations are the same as those of the wiper member 11 in the first embodiment described above, and thus the same reference numerals are given and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

  On the other hand, FIG. 21 is a side sectional view showing a second modification of the wiper member in the endoscope sheath according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 21, the basic structure of the wiper member 11B of this modification is substantially the same as that of the wiper member 11 of the first embodiment described above, except that the shape of the wiper blade 11Bb is slightly different. is there.

  That is, the wiper blade 11Bb of the wiper member 11B of the present modification has a cross-sectional shape from the side surface side, and the height dimension H2 of the portion that mainly covers the outer surface of the third node member 11ac as shown in FIG. The portion (the portion covering the outer surface of the first and second node members 11aa, 11ab) is formed to be slightly lower than the height dimension H1 (H1> H2).

  This is a predetermined direction in the vicinity of the portion covering the outer surface of the first and second node members 11aa and 11ab, that is, a direction along the front surface of the endoscope to be wiped, and the moving direction of the wiper member 11B (described above). The elastic force in the same direction in the vicinity of the portion covering the outer surface of the third joint member 11ac is set to be slightly weaker than the elastic force in the same direction as the arrow X shown in FIG. Become.

  Therefore, when the wiper member 11B is formed in this way, the wiper member 11B is rotated so that a portion on the tip end side of the wiper blade 11Bb covering the outer surface of the third node member 11ac contacts the inner wall surface of the sheath insertion portion 1a. When the contact is applied and a load is applied to the part, the connection part of the third joint member 11ac and the second joint member 11ab bends before the connection part of the second joint member 11ab and the first joint member 11aa. The tendency to become easy can be acquired.

  Therefore, the wiper member 11B of the present modification can also be smoothly and reliably retracted to a predetermined position for retracting from the front surface of the endoscope.

  Other configurations are the same as those of the wiper member 11 in the first embodiment described above, and thus the same reference numerals are given and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

  FIG. 22 is a side sectional view showing a third modification of the wiper member in the endoscope sheath according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The basic configuration of the wiper member 11C of the third modification is also substantially the same as that of the wiper member 11 of the first embodiment described above. The wiper member 11C of the present modification is different only in that the core member 11Cd is further inserted into a predetermined portion inside the wiper blade 11Cb.

  The core material 11Cd is a rigid body such as a thin metal wire, for example, and is disposed along the vicinity of the first knot member 11aa and the second knot member 11ab in the axial direction of the wiper blade 11Cb. In this case, the core material 11Cd is disposed between the base end side of the wiper blade 11Cb and the vicinity of the connected portion of the second node member 11ab and the third node member 11ac.

  Thereby, compared with the connection site | part with 3rd node member 11ac and 2nd node member 11ab, it can form so that the connection site | part of 2nd node member 11ab and 1st node member 11aa tends to be bent a little.

  Therefore, also in the wiper member 11C of this modification, when a load is applied to a part of the tip side of the wiper blade 11Cb covering the outer surface of the third node member 11ac, the third node member 11ac and the second node member 11ab Since the continuous portion is bent earlier than the continuous portion of the second joint member 11ab and the first joint member 11aa, the wiper member is in a predetermined position for smoothly and surely retracting from the front surface of the endoscope. 11C can be retreated.

  Other configurations are the same as those of the wiper member 11 in the first embodiment described above, and thus the same reference numerals are given and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

  Next, an endoscope sheath according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

  23 to 32 are diagrams showing a second embodiment of the present invention. Among these, FIG. 23 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the axial direction of the endoscope sheath of the present embodiment. FIG. 24 is an expanded view showing the vicinity of the operation member in the sheath body of the endoscope sheath of the present embodiment, and is a view when viewed from the direction of the arrow [24] in FIG. FIG. 25 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the vicinity of the distal end portion of the endoscope sheath according to the present embodiment.

  In addition, in FIG. 23, the cross section of the wiper member is also shown by showing the state in which the wiper member is linearly arranged.

  Moreover, FIGS. 26-32 is a figure explaining the effect | action of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment. Among these, FIGS. 26-30 is a front view of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment, and has each shown the displacement form at the time of a wiper member being driven. 26 shows a state where the wiper member is in the initial position, FIG. 27 shows a state where the wiper member is driven by a predetermined angle from the state of FIG. 26, and FIG. 28 shows a state where the wiper member is only a predetermined angle from the state of FIG. FIG. 29 shows a state where the wiper member is driven by a predetermined angle from the state shown in FIG. 28, and FIG. 30 shows a state where the wiper member is driven by a predetermined amount from the state shown in FIG. Each state is shown.

  FIGS. 31 and 32 are conceptual diagrams showing the operation of the wiper member in the endoscope sheath according to the second embodiment of the present invention when there is no rotation assisting means. FIG. FIG. 32 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the continuous portion of the third and second joint members of the wiper member is bent first, and FIG. 32 shows a state when the wiper member is further operated from the state of FIG. It is.

  33 and 34 are diagrams showing two examples of the configuration of the rotation assisting means in the endoscope sheath according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and [33]-[ 33] is a cross-sectional view taken along a line.

  The basic configuration of the endoscope sheath 1D of the present embodiment is substantially the same as that of the above-described first embodiment, and the endoscope applied thereto is also the one described in the above-described first embodiment. The same is used. Therefore, the same configurations as those of the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and only different members will be described below.

  As shown in FIG. 23, the endoscope sheath 1D of the present embodiment is formed in an elongated cylindrical shape so that the insertion portion 2a of the endoscope 2 can be inserted therein and can be inserted into a body cavity. The sheath insertion portion 1Da to be formed and the sheath main body portion 1Dc formed so that the endoscope main body portion 2b of the endoscope 2 can be inserted through the inside are connected.

  The sheath insertion portion 1Da and the sheath main body portion 1Dc include an operation cylindrical member 14 that also functions as an operation portion and a rotation transmission mechanism constituting the wiper device, and the operation cylindrical member 14 is rotatable within a predetermined range. It is comprised by the sheath exterior 15 to be provided inside.

  That is, the endoscope sheath 1 </ b> D of the present embodiment is configured by a double cylinder structure of the operation cylindrical member 14 and the sheath exterior 15. The operation cylindrical member 14 as a movable cylinder is rotatably provided within a predetermined range (details will be described later) with respect to the sheath exterior 15 as a fixed cylinder.

  The operation cylindrical member 14 is formed with a through hole 14h that allows the insertion portion 2a of the endoscope 2 to be inserted therethrough in the axial direction. In addition, the sheath exterior 15 is formed with a through-hole 1h that allows the operation cylindrical member 14 to be rotatably inserted therethrough in the axial direction. The through hole 14h and the through hole 1h are formed to penetrate from the proximal end side to the distal end side in the axial direction of the endoscope sheath 1D.

  As shown in FIG. 25, a shaft support portion 15a formed toward the inner peripheral side protrudes from a predetermined portion near the distal end portion of the sheath exterior 15. A through-hole 15aa is formed in the shaft support portion 15a so as to penetrate in the direction along the axial direction of the sheath sheath 15. A support shaft 16 is rotatably inserted into the through hole 15aa.

  Then, one end portion (fixed end) of the wiper member 11D is fixedly provided on the side closer to the tip end of the support shaft 16 so as to sandwich the shaft support portion 15a. A rubber member 18 is fitted on the side near the rear end of the support shaft 16 so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the support shaft 16.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 25, a support shaft 17 is implanted in a predetermined part of the distal end portion of the operation cylindrical member 14. In this case, the implantation site of the support shaft 17 is obtained when the endoscope sheath 1D when assembled so that the operation tubular member 14 is installed in the sheath exterior 15 is viewed from the front (for example, 28), the portion facing the arrangement position of the shaft support portion 15a of the sheath outer sheath 15, that is, the portion separated by an angle of 180 degrees, is a portion on the distal end portion of the operation tubular member 14. Yes. That is, in this state, the support shaft 17 is implanted so as to face the portion where the support shaft 16 is supported.

  A wiper member 11 </ b> D constituting a part of the wiper device is disposed at the distal end portion of the operation cylindrical member 14. The wiper member 11D includes a wiper core 11Da formed by sequentially connecting three node members (11aa, 11ab, 11ac) in pairs with each other, as in the first embodiment, and the wiper core. It is the same as that of the above-mentioned 1st Embodiment by the point comprised by wiper blade 11Db which consists of an elastic member distribute | arranged so that the whole outer surface of material 11Da may be covered (refer FIG. 25).

  The three node members 11aa, 11ab, 11ac constituting the wiper core material 11Da are formed of, for example, a metal rigid body. And these three node members are connected in order of 1st node member 11aa, 2nd node member 11ab, and 3rd node member 11ac from one edge part side (fixed end side mentioned later). In this case, the joint members are connected to each other by pins 11ad and 11ae so that the joint members are rotatable, as in the first embodiment (FIG. 25).

  In this case, in the wiper member 11 </ b> D according to the present embodiment, one end portion of the first knot member 11 aa is fixed to a support shaft 16 disposed at a predetermined site near the distal end portion of the sheath sheath 15. Thereby, one end of the first knuckle member 11aa is a fixed end.

  The other end of the first knuckle member 11aa and one end of the second knot member 11ab are coupled to each other by a pin 11ad so as to be rotatable. The other end of the second knuckle member 11ab and the one end of the third knot member 11ac are coupled to each other by a pin 11ad so as to be rotatable.

  Further, the other end portion of the third knot member 11ac is pivotally supported with respect to a support shaft 17 that is implanted in a predetermined portion of the distal end portion of the operation cylindrical member 14. Thus, one end of the third knot member 11ac is a moving end that moves along the inner wall surface of the sheath outer sheath 15 in accordance with the turning operation of the operation cylindrical member 14.

  Then, the relative positional relationship between the sheath outer sheath 15 and the operation cylindrical member 14 rotatably provided in the sheath outer sheath 15 is arranged so that the support shaft 16 and the support shaft 17 are opposed to each other. When this is done, the wiper member 11D is set to have a substantially linear form (the form shown in FIG. 28). With this position as the neutral position, the operation tubular member 14 has a sheath within each predetermined range in the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction when the endoscope sheath 1D is viewed from the front (see FIG. 28, etc.). It can be rotated with respect to the exterior 15.

  In this case, the rotation range of the operation cylindrical member 14 is defined by an operation range restriction window 1f formed in the sheath body 1Dc. The operation range restricting window 1f is formed by a hole formed in a predetermined part of the sheath body 1Dc with a predetermined length in a predetermined direction.

  That is, the operation range restricting window 1f is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the sheath body 1Dc in the shape of a long hole having a length in the direction along the axial direction of the sheath exterior 15 as shown in FIGS. Has been. An operation knob 10D that protrudes toward the outer periphery on the outer peripheral surface on the proximal end side of the operation cylindrical member 14 is engaged with the operation range restriction window 1f. The operation knob 10D may be formed integrally with the operation cylindrical member 14, or may be configured so that another member is attached to a predetermined portion on the outer peripheral surface of the operation cylindrical member 14 by a predetermined attachment means. May be.

  With such a configuration, the operation knob 10D is slid in either the direction along the arrow Y1 or the arrow Y2 shown in FIG. It can be turned in a direction along the axial direction. And the rotation range of the operation cylindrical member 14 is controlled by the length dimension of the operation range control window 1f.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 24, in the inner peripheral edge portion on the long side of the operation range restricting window 1f, protrusions 1j are provided in the vicinity of both edge portions so as to protrude toward the inside of the hole portion. Correspondingly, a recess 10j is formed on the operation knob 10 side.

  When the operation knob 10 is slid in the direction along the operation range restriction window 1f, the projection 1j and the recess 10j are engaged with each other at both ends thereof. Thereby, when the projection 1j and the recess 10j are engaged, the rotation of the operation tubular member 14 with respect to the sheath exterior 15 is restricted. In this case, the engagement force between the protrusion 1j and the recess 10j is set to be equal to or greater than a predetermined amount of force.

  Specifically, for example, when the operator operates the operation knob 10D so that the protrusion 1j and the recess 10j do not disengage against the elastic restoring force of the wiper blade 11Db of the wiper member 11D. The predetermined force is set such that the engagement between the protrusion 1j and the recess 10j is released only by applying a strong force.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the wiper member 11D is two different members that are disposed on each of the two members (the sheath exterior 15 and the operation cylindrical member 14) that rotate relatively. Both ends of the support shafts 16 and 17 are pivotally supported.

  Specifically, one support shaft 16 is supported by a sheath sheath 15 that is a fixed tube, and the other support shaft 17 is supported by an operation tubular member 14 that is a moving tube. When the operation tubular member 14 is rotated with respect to the sheath exterior 15, one end portion (support shaft 17; moving end) of the wiper member 11D is turned to the other end portion (support shaft 16; fixed end). On the other hand, it moves on the circumference of the operation cylindrical member 14.

  At this time, the wiper member 11D moves in a direction along the front surface of the endoscope (2) inserted through the endoscope sheath 1D while being displaced in a bent form at the pins 11ad and 11ae. The front is wiped off.

  When the recess 10j of the operation knob 10D is engaged with the protrusion 1j corresponding to [A] shown in FIG. 24, the wiper member 11D is arranged at the initial position shown in FIG.

  Further, in a state where the concave portion 10j of the operation knob 10D is arranged at a position corresponding to [B] shown in FIG. 24, the wiper member 11D is arranged at the neutral position shown in FIG.

  Further, in a state where the recess 10j of the operation knob 10D is engaged with the protrusion 1j corresponding to [C] shown in FIG. 24, the wiper member 11D is arranged at the stop position shown in FIG.

  That is, also in this embodiment, when the wiper member 11D is in the initial position or the stop position, the front surfaces of the objective lens 21 and the illumination light irradiation window 22 of the endoscope 2 inserted through the endoscope sheath 1D are obstructed. The wiper member 11D can be retracted to a position where it is not, and when the wiper member 11D is operated, the front surfaces of the objective lens 21 and the illumination light irradiation window 22 of the endoscope 2 can be wiped off. .

  In the present embodiment, the operation knob 10D is integrally disposed on the proximal end side of the operation cylindrical member 14, so that the operation cylindrical member 14 serves as an operation unit for operating the wiper member 11D. In addition, the operation knob 10D and the wiper member 11D are connected to each other and serve as a driving force transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force generated by the turning operation of the operation knob 10D to the wiper member 11D. .

  In the present embodiment, the wiper member 11D and the operation cylindrical member 14 constitute a wiper device.

  Other configurations such as various member configurations including the characteristics of the wiper member 11D, the cross-sectional shape thereof, the position where the tip portion is disposed, and the like are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment.

  An operation when the wiper device in the endoscope sheath 1D of the present embodiment configured as described above is operated will be described below.

  First, as shown in FIG. 23, the endoscope sheath 1D and the endoscope 2 (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 23), which are separate from each other, are integrated. The endoscope 2 is mounted inside the 1D. This procedure is the same as that in the first embodiment.

  In this state, the wiper member 11D is placed at the initial position shown in FIG. 26 by placing the operation knob 10D at the position [A] in FIG.

  When the wiper member 11D is in the initial position shown in FIG. 26, the wiper member 11D is in a position completely retracted from the front surface of the endoscope 2.

  That is, in this state, the recess 10j of the operation knob 10D is engaged with the protrusion 1j at the position [A] in FIG. Accordingly, the rotation of the operation cylindrical member 14 is restricted, and thus the wiper member 11D maintains the form shown in FIG. 26 against its own elastic force.

  In a state where the wiper member 11D is at a predetermined initial position, the operator applies a slightly stronger force to the operation knob 10D to release the engagement between the protrusion 1j and the recess 10j, and the operation knob 10D is moved to the position shown in FIG. Slide in the direction along the arrow Y1. Thereby, the operation cylindrical member 14 rotates in the same direction, and accordingly, the moving end of the wiper member 11D that is pivotally supported by the support shaft 17 is in the direction along the arrow R shown in FIG. It moves along the inner peripheral surface of the sheath exterior 15.

  As a result of this operation, the wiper member 11D in the initial position form shown in FIG. 26 first moves so that the bent state of the third joint member 11ac and the second joint member 11ab is displaced in the extension direction as shown in FIG. Do. At this time, the wiper member 11D starts to move in the direction along the arrow X1 in FIG. 26 as a whole.

  Further, when the operation tubular member 14 is moved in the direction of the arrow R by sliding the operation knob 10D in the same direction (the direction of the arrow Y1 in FIG. 24), the second joint member 11ab and the first joint member 11aa The bent state is also displaced in the extending direction, and the wiper member 11D is in the neutral position shown in FIG. That is, at this time, the three node members 11aa, 11ab, 11ac of the wiper member 11D are in a substantially linear form, and at this time, the wiper member 11D is in an unloaded state.

  When the operation knob 10D is moved from the position [A] in FIG. 24 to the position [B] by the sliding operation of the operation knob 10D in the arrow Y1 direction, the wiper member 11D is moved to the initial position shown in FIG. It shifts from the position form to the neutral position form shown in FIG. 28 through the form shown in FIG.

  In the process of displacing the wiper member 11D from the state of FIG. 26 through the state of FIG. 27 to the state of FIG. 28, the moving end of the wiper member 11D moves in the direction of arrow R along the inner peripheral surface of the sheath sheath 15. The wiper member 11D is moved in the direction of the arrow X1 as a whole by the action of the elastic restoring force of the wiper blade 11Db, and the tip of the wiper blade 11Db is disposed on the front surface of the endoscope (2). The objective lens 21 and the front surface of the illumination light irradiation window 22 are wiped off.

  Subsequently, when the operation knob 10D is further slid in the direction of the arrow Y1 from the position of the symbol [B] in FIG. 24, the moving end of the wiper member 11D is moved through the operation cylindrical member 14 to the arrow R shown in FIG. In the direction along the inner peripheral surface of the sheath outer sheath 15. Along with this, the connecting portion 11ad of the first node member 11aa and the second node member 11ab in the wiper member 11D is bent, and the first node member 11aa is arranged at a position along the inner peripheral surface of the sheath exterior 15. It is displaced to the form of FIG.

  Further, when the operation knob 10D is slid in the same direction (arrow Y1 in FIG. 24) and the operation cylindrical member 14 is moved in the arrow R direction, the second joint member 11ab and the third joint member 11ac The connected portion is also bent, and finally, the second node member 11ab and the third node member 11ac are arranged at positions along the inner peripheral surface of the sheath exterior 15, that is, the stop position of FIG. Displaces up to.

  In this case, in the process of bending each node member 11aa, 11ab, 11ac from the time when the wiper member 11D is in the neutral position in FIG. 28, it resists the elastic restoring force of the wiper member 11D trying to maintain the neutral position. Thus, a load is applied to the wiper member 11D.

  Thus, when the wiper member 11D is in the form of the stop position in FIG. 30, the operation knob 10D is in the position indicated by the reference numeral [C] in FIG. In this state, by engaging the protrusion 1j and the recess 10j, the elastic restoring force of the wiper blade 11Db in the wiper member 11D is suppressed, and the wiper member 11D is prevented from operating.

  Thus, the wiper member 11D is displaced from the neutral position form of FIG. 28 to the stop position form of FIG. 30 through the form of FIG. In this process, against the elastic restoring force of the wiper member 11D by the wiper blade 11Db, the moving end of the wiper member 11D is moved in the direction of arrow R along the inner peripheral surface of the sheath outer sheath 15, The wiper member 11D moves in the direction of the arrow X1 as a whole, and the objective lens 21 and the illumination light irradiation window 22 arranged on the front surface of the endoscope (2) attached by the tip of the wiper blade 11Db. The surface of each front side) is wiped off.

  As described above, the operation tubular member 14 is moved in a predetermined direction by the operation knob 10D being slid from the position [A] in FIG. 24 to the position [C] in FIG. By rotating, the wiper member 11D can be moved from a predetermined initial position (FIG. 26) to a predetermined stop position (FIG. 30). Then, by moving the wiper member 11D at this time, the front surfaces of the objective lens 21 and the illumination light irradiation window 22 on the front surface of the endoscope (2) attached to the endoscope sheath 1D can be wiped off. .

  Further, when the wiper member 11D is in each position (initial position or stop position) shown in FIGS. 26 and 30, the operation knob 10D is engaged with the recess 10j and the operation range restriction window 1f protrusion 1j. The operation knob 10 can be brought into a locked state. Thereby, the movement of the wiper member 11D can be restricted, and each predetermined position where the wiper member 11D is completely retracted from the front surface of the endoscope (2) can be maintained.

  When the wiper member 11D is at the position shown in FIG. 30, the operation knob 10D is at the position [C] shown in FIG. In this state, if the operation knob 10D is unlocked by the protrusion 1j and the recess 10j and the operation knob 10D is slid in the direction of the arrow Y2 in FIG. Accordingly, the wiper member 11D can be displaced from the form shown in FIG. 30 to the form shown in FIG. 26 through the states shown in FIGS. 29, 28, and 27.

  Therefore, by repeatedly performing the operation of sliding the operation knob 10D in the direction of the arrow Y1 or the arrow Y2 shown in FIG. 24, the wiping operation of the front surface of the endoscope (2) by the wiper member 11D can be repeated as appropriate. What is possible is exactly the same as in the first embodiment described above.

  Incidentally, as described above, in the endoscope sheath 1D of the present embodiment, the wiper member 11D is caused to act by the sliding operation of the operation knob 10D. As a result, the wiper member 11D as a whole rotates in the direction of the arrow R shown in FIG. The support shaft 16 on the fixed end side of the wiper member 11D is inserted in a loosely fitted state so as to be rotatable with respect to the through hole 15aa of the shaft support portion 15a so that the rotating action at this time can be smoothly performed. Has been.

  In the displacement process of the wiper member 11D from the initial position of FIG. 26 to the neutral position of FIG. 28, when the moving end moves along the inner peripheral surface of the sheath outer sheath 15, in addition to the moving action, elasticity by the wiper blade 11Db is obtained. A restoring force acts on the wiper member 11D.

  Accordingly, the wiper member 11D displaces its form in a direction extending from the folded form shown in FIG. 26 to the form shown in FIG. 28 while rotating in the direction of the arrow R with the support shaft 16 as the rotation center. It will be. At this time, the wiper member 11D moves in the direction of the arrow X1 as a whole.

  On the other hand, in the state in which the wiper member 11D is in the neutral position in FIG. 28, the elastic restoring force for maintaining the wiper member 11D in a substantially linear shape is always applied to the wiper member 11D by the wiper blade 11Db. .

  Therefore, in order to displace the form of the wiper member 11D from the time of this neutral position, a load against the elastic restoring force by the wiper blade 11Db is applied to the wiper member 11D as described above.

  Here, by performing a predetermined operation of the operation knob 10D with respect to the wiper member 11D in the neutral position shown in FIG. 28, the moving end (the support shaft 17 side) of the wiper member 11D is indicated by an arrow shown in FIG. Suppose that it is moved in the direction along R. Then, following the movement of the moving end, as shown in FIG. 31, the wiper member 11D is first bent at the joint portion 11ae between the third joint member 11ac and the second joint member 11ab. It will end up.

  If the shape of the wiper member 11D is changed in such a form, when the front surface of the endoscope (2) is wiped by the tip of the wiper blade 11Db, for example, a form as shown in FIG. 32 is considered. It is done. Then, in this case, the front surfaces of the objective lens 21 and the illumination light irradiation window 22 are shielded, and at the same time, a range E that cannot be wiped off is generated.

  Therefore, the operation after the wiper member 11D is in the neutral position is as described above. First, after the connecting portion 11ad of the first node member 11aa and the second node member 11ab is first bent, It is desirable that the connecting portion 11ae between the node member 11ab and the third node member 11ac be bent.

  Therefore, the endoscope sheath 1D according to the present invention includes a rotation assisting unit for rotating the support shaft 16 in a predetermined direction only at a predetermined time.

  As shown in FIG. 33, the rotation assisting means is formed so that the outer surface of the rubber member 18 fitted to the portion near the rear end of the support shaft 16 can come into contact with the inner wall surface of the operation cylindrical member 14. It is realized by doing.

  At this time, since the rubber member 18 of the support shaft 16 and the inner wall surface of the operation cylindrical member 14 are in contact with each other, the support shaft 16 rotates in the direction opposite to the rotation direction as the operation cylindrical member 14 rotates. It can be rotated.

  Specifically, for example, when the operation cylindrical member 14 rotates in the direction of arrow R in FIG. 33, the support shaft 16 rotates in the direction of arrow R9. As the support shaft 16 rotates, the wiper member 11D also rotates in the same direction.

  In this case, the rotation angle of the support shaft 16 is significantly larger than the rotation angle of the operation cylindrical member 14. Therefore, if the amount of force acting on the wiper member 11D is large and the operation of the operation cylindrical member 14 is excessive with respect to the support shaft 16, the wiper member 11D breaks down.

  However, since the support shaft 16 and the operation cylindrical member 14 are in contact with each other via the rubber member 18, and only a frictional force is acting on the support shaft 16, if an excessive load is applied to the support shaft 16 beyond a predetermined amount of force. The support shaft 16, the rubber member 18, and the operation tubular member 14 slip and are not regulated.

  As shown in FIG. 34, this rotation assist means can also be realized by forming a stepped portion 14a at a predetermined portion on the inner peripheral surface of the operation cylindrical member 14.

  The stepped portion 14a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the operation cylindrical member 14 at a site that is 180 degrees apart from the site where the support shaft 17 is implanted in the operation cylindrical member 14. The step height of the stepped portion 14a is fitted to a portion near the rear end of the support shaft 16 when the operation tubular member 14 is rotated and the stepped portion 14a is disposed in the vicinity of the support shaft 16. The outer surface of the rubber member 18 is set so that it can come into contact.

  By forming the stepped portion 14a in this way, when the wiper member 11D acts, at the time before and after the wiper member 11D becomes the neutral position shown in FIG. 28, that is, by the sliding operation of the operation knob 10D. When the operation tubular member 14 is rotated, the rubber member of the support shaft 16 is disposed at a time when the support shaft 17 is disposed at a position separated from the support shaft 16 at an angle of approximately 180 degrees and in a predetermined range before and after that. 18 is set so that the outer surface of 18 is in contact with the surface of the stepped portion 14a.

  In other words, in a range where the rubber member 18 of the support shaft 16 and the stepped portion 14a are in contact (a predetermined range before and after the neutral position), the support shaft 16 is rotated as the operation tubular member 14 rotates. It can be rotated in the direction opposite to the moving direction. Specifically, for example, when the operation cylindrical member 14 rotates in the direction of arrow R in FIG. 34, the support shaft 16 rotates in the direction of arrow R8. As the support shaft 16 rotates, the wiper member 11D also rotates in the same direction.

  On the other hand, outside the range where the rubber member 18 of the support shaft 16 and the stepped portion 14a are in contact (a predetermined range before and after the neutral position), the support shaft 16 can be freely rotated in a loosely fitted state with respect to the through hole 15aa. Become.

  By providing the configuration as described above, the outer surface of the rubber member 18 is always in contact with the inner wall surface of the operation cylindrical member 14, and there is no structure for slipping the support shaft 16, the rubber member 18, and the operation cylindrical member 14, respectively. However, it can be realized as a rotation assisting means.

  This means that the following operation of the wiper member 11D is caused.

  First, when the wiper member 11D is displaced from the configuration shown in FIG. 26 to the configuration shown in FIG. 27, the rubber member 18 of the support shaft 16 and the stepped portion 14a are not in contact with each other.

  In the process in which the wiper member 11D is displaced from the configuration shown in FIG. 27 to the neutral position in FIG. 28 as the operation cylindrical member 14 rotates in the arrow R direction, at a predetermined time before the neutral position is reached, The rubber member 18 of the support shaft 16 and the stepped portion 14a come into contact with each other. Then, from this point, as the operation cylindrical member 14 rotates in the arrow R direction, the support shaft 16 starts to rotate in the arrow R8 direction in FIG.

  At this time, until the wiper member 11D reaches the neutral position in FIG. 28, the rotation of the support shaft 16 in the direction of the arrow R8 in FIG. It smoothly rotates in the same direction as the center of movement.

  Then, after the wiper member 11D has passed the neutral position in FIG. 28, the wiper member 11D is only shown by the turning operation of the support shaft 16 accompanying the turning of the operation cylindrical member 14 in the arrow R direction. It rotates in the direction of arrow R8.

  In this case, the rotation of the wiper member 11D on the fixed end side due to the rotation of the support shaft 16 is smaller than the movement distance of the movement end of the wiper member 11D by the operation cylindrical member 14. Therefore, as the moving end moves along the inner wall surface of the sheath sheath 15 and the fixed end side rotates in a predetermined direction, first, the first node member 11aa and the second node are first moved as shown in FIG. The connecting portion 11ad with the member 11ab is bent.

  In addition, until the wiper member 11D reaches the neutral position in FIG. 28, the rotational force in the direction of the arrow R8 in FIG. Therefore, the formation range of the stepped portion 14a may be set so as to be at least a predetermined range from the time when the wiper member 11D is at the neutral position.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since both ends of the wiper member 11D are pivotally supported by the support shaft 16 (fixed end) and the support shaft 17 (moving end), the tip of the wiper blade 11Db and the endoscope The amount of contact force with the front surface can be made substantially uniform. Therefore, the wiping action of the front surface of the endoscope by the wiper member 11D can be made more reliable.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, as an endoscope to which an endoscope sheath is applied, a rigid endoscope having a rigid insertion portion is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. However, the present invention can be similarly applied to a flexible endoscope in which the insertion portion is formed of a flexible tube.

  When the endoscope sheath of the present invention is applied to a rigid endoscope, the material for forming the sheath insertion portion is, for example, a metal pipe member such as stainless steel, or a pipe member made of hard resin (Radel R, PEEK). , Polycarbonate, polyethylene, etc.) are applied.

  When the endoscope sheath of the present invention is applied to a flexible endoscope, the portion corresponding to the flexible portion of the endoscope needs to be a flexible pipe. Therefore, as a material for forming a sheath insertion portion when applied to a flexible endoscope, for example, a silicone rubber tube, a polyurethane tube, or a metal spiral tube is made of polyurethane as in the case of an ordinary endoscope insertion portion. For example, a flexible tube coated with an or the like is used.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the endoscope is configured as an endoscope sheath to which the endoscope is attached, and when used, the normal endoscope is attached to the endoscope sheath of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, the wiper device in the endoscope sheath of the first or second embodiment described above, It can also be realized as an endoscope apparatus configured by being incorporated in the endoscope itself.

  That is, the endoscope apparatus in this case includes an endoscope insertion portion that has an objective lens and an illumination light irradiation window at the distal end portion and is formed so as to be inserted into a lumen, and the endoscope insertion portion. An endoscope apparatus having a general shape configured to include an operation unit provided on the base end side. In addition, the endoscope according to the above-described first and second embodiments. A wiper device similar to the wiper device in the sheath is provided.

  In this case, for example, the wiper member is provided on the distal end side of the exterior part that is provided so as to mainly cover the outer surface of the endoscope insertion part. An insertion hole (see reference numeral 1g in FIG. 3) is formed in the exterior portion, and a rotation transmission shaft 12b and the like constituting a part of the driving force transmission mechanism are disposed in the insertion hole. This configuration is a configuration in the case of applying the wiper device according to the first embodiment described above.

  The endoscope operation unit is provided with a link box 1b that is an operation unit of the wiper device, and an operation knob 10 that is an operation member of the wiper member is disposed therein, and the operation knob 10 and the rotation transmission shaft are disposed therein. The other end portion 12c of 12b is connected to the operation knob 10 so that the driving force of the agar juice is transmitted to the wiper member 11 through the rotation transmission shaft 12b.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the endoscope exterior portion also serves as the sheath insertion portions 1a and 1Aa in the endoscope sheaths 1 and 1A of the first and second embodiments described above, A mechanism and the like for driving the wiper device and its operation unit are configured integrally with the endoscope operation unit.

  Also in this embodiment, the wiper member is formed in a form in which a plurality of rigid node members are sequentially connected to each other, and a part or the whole is covered with an elastic member. This is the same as in the first and second embodiments described above. Other configurations are also configured in accordance with the first and second embodiments as appropriate.

  In the endoscope apparatus of the present embodiment configured as described above, the action obtained by applying the endoscope sheath shown in the first and second embodiments to a normal endoscope is completely different. The same action can be realized and the same effect can be obtained. In addition to this, since the endoscope itself is provided with a wiper device, both configurations are compared with a case where the endoscope is configured by a combination of an endoscope sheath and an endoscope having the wiper device. In the endoscope apparatus according to the present embodiment that is configured integrally, it is possible to suppress complication of handling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an external perspective view schematically showing an external appearance of an endoscope sheath according to a first embodiment of the present invention and an endoscope to which the endoscope sheath is applied. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which follows the axial direction of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment. Sectional drawing which follows the [III]-[III] line of FIG. Sectional drawing which follows the [IV]-[IV] line of FIG. The principal part expansion perspective view which expands and shows the stopper member of the operation knob in the operation part of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment. Sectional drawing which follows the axial direction at the time of incorporating a wiper member in the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment. Sectional drawing which follows the [VII]-[VII] line of FIG. Sectional drawing which follows the [VIII]-[VIII] line of FIG. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment, Comprising: The front view which shows the state which has a wiper member in an initial position. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment, Comprising: The front view which shows the state by which the wiper member was driven only the predetermined angle from the state of FIG. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment, Comprising: The front view which shows the state which a wiper member drives only the predetermined angle from the state of FIG. 10, and exists in a neutral position. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment, Comprising: The front view which shows the state by which the wiper member was driven only the predetermined angle from the state of FIG. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment, Comprising: The front view which shows the state which a wiper member drives only the predetermined amount from the state of FIG. 12, and exists in a stop position. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment, Comprising: Sectional drawing which shows the position of the operation knob corresponding to the position of the wiper member of FIG. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment, Comprising: Sectional drawing which shows the position of the operation knob corresponding to the position of the wiper member of FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the endoscope sheath according to the present embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view illustrating the position of the operation knob corresponding to the position of the wiper member in FIG. 11. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment, Comprising: Sectional drawing which shows the position of the operation knob corresponding to the position of the wiper member of FIG. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the endoscope sheath according to the present embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view illustrating the position of the operation knob corresponding to the position of the wiper member in FIG. 13. The sectional side view which shows the 1st modification about the wiper member in the sheath for endoscopes of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which follows the [20]-[20] line of FIG. The sectional side view which shows the 2nd modification about the wiper member in the sheath for endoscopes of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The sectional side view which shows the 3rd modification about the wiper member in the sheath for endoscopes of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which follows the axial direction of the sheath for endoscopes of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The expanded view which expands and shows the operation member vicinity at the time of seeing from the arrow [24] direction of FIG. 23 in the sheath main-body part of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which expands and shows the front-end | tip part vicinity of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the sheath for endoscopes of this embodiment, Comprising: The front view which shows the state which has a wiper member in an initial position. FIG. 27 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the endoscope sheath of the present embodiment, and FIG. 27 is a front view showing a state where the wiper member is driven by a predetermined angle from the state of FIG. FIG. 28 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the endoscope sheath of the present embodiment, and FIG. 28 is a front view showing a state where the wiper member is driven by a predetermined angle from the state of FIG. 27 and is in a neutral position. FIG. 29 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the endoscope sheath according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 29 is a front view showing a state where the wiper member is driven by a predetermined angle from the state of FIG. FIG. 30 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the endoscope sheath of the present embodiment, and FIG. 30 is a front view showing a state where the wiper member is driven by a predetermined amount from the state of FIG. The conceptual diagram which shows an effect | action when there is no rotation assistance means among the effect | actions of the wiper member in the sheath for endoscopes of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The conceptual diagram which shows a state when the wiper member is further operated from the state of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows an example of a structure of the rotation assistance means in the sheath for endoscopes of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, and follows the [33]-[33] line | wire of FIG. The figure which shows the other example of a structure of the rotation assistance means in the sheath for endoscopes of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the structure of the conventional endoscope sheath which comprises a wiper member, Comprising: The figure which shows notionally the structure of the endoscope sheath provided with the wiper member which makes the front surface of an objective lens wipe. It is a front view which shows the structure of the conventional endoscope sheath which comprises a wiper member, Comprising: It is a concept about the structure of the endoscope sheath provided with the wiper member which wipes the front surface of an objective lens and an illumination light irradiation window FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1D: Endoscope sheath 1a, 1Da ... Sheath insertion portion 1b ... Link box 1c, 1Dc ... Sheath body 1d ... Guide groove 1e ... Light guide post lock pin 1f ... Restriction of operation range Window 1j ... Protrusion 2 ... Endoscope 2a ... Insertion part 2b ... Endoscope body 2c ... Light guide post 10, 10D ... Control knob 10a ... Rotating shaft 10b ... U-shaped groove 10c ...... Operating knob 10d ...... Stopper member 10j ...... Recess 11, 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D ... Wiper member 11a, 11Da ... Wiper core 11b, 11Ab, 11Bb, 11Cb, 11Db ... Wiper blade 11Cd ... Core material 11aa …… First joint member 11ab …… Second joint member 11ac …… Third joint member 11ad, 11ae …… Pin 12b …… Rotation transmission shaft 14 …… Operation -Like member 14a ... step 15 ... sheath sheath 15a ... shaft support 16 ... support shaft 17 ... support shaft 18 ... rubber member 21 ... objective lens 22 ... illumination light irradiation windows 101A, 101B, 101C , 101D …… Sheath members 111A, 111B, 111C, 111D …… Wipe member 121 …… Objective lens 122 …… Illumination light irradiation window

Claims (7)

A sheath insertion part formed so that an endoscope having an objective lens and an illumination light irradiation window at the tip part can be inserted and inserted into a body cavity;
The distal end of the sheath insertion part formed so as to be partly in contact with the front surface of the endoscope inserted into the sheath insertion part and to move in a direction along the front surface of the endoscope A wiper member disposed in a portion, an operation member that performs a drive operation of the wiper member, a drive force that couples the operation member and the wiper member and transmits a drive force generated by the operation member to the wiper member A wiper device comprising a transmission mechanism;
Comprising
An endoscope sheath according to claim 1, wherein the wiper member is formed such that a plurality of rigid node members are sequentially connected to each other, and a part or the whole of the wiper member is covered with an elastic member. The wiper member is at least a first retracted position retracted from at least the front surface of the objective lens and the illumination light irradiation window on the front surface of the endoscope, and similarly from each front surface of the objective lens and the illumination light irradiation window. The endoscope sheath according to claim 1, wherein the endoscope sheath moves between a second retracted position and a second retracted position. The endoscope sheath according to claim 1, wherein the wiper member includes at least two node members. The wiper member moves in a direction along the front surface of the objective lens and the illumination light irradiation window of the endoscope by rotating around one end portion as a rotation center. An endoscope sheath as described in 1. above. The elastic force with respect to the bending of the node portion in the direction along the front surface of the endoscope in the wiper member is set so that the portion closer to the proximal end is larger than the portion on the distal end side of the wiper member. The endoscope sheath according to claim 1, wherein the endoscope sheath is provided. The wiper member is configured to be rotatable about one end portion as a rotation center, and the other end portion is configured to be movable along an inner peripheral surface of the sheath insertion portion. The endoscope sheath according to claim 1. An endoscope apparatus including an endoscope having an objective lens and an illumination light irradiation window at a distal end portion and formed so as to be inserted into a body cavity,
An exterior part mainly provided to cover the outer surface of the endoscope insertion part;
A wiper member disposed on a front end side of the exterior portion and partially moving in contact with a front surface of the objective lens and the illumination light irradiation window and moving in a direction along the front surface of the objective lens and the illumination light irradiation window; and the endoscope A wiper device comprising: an operating member disposed on a proximal end side of the insertion portion; and a driving force transmission mechanism that connects the operating member and the wiper member and transmits a driving force generated by the operating member to the wiper member When,
Comprising
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wiper member is formed by sequentially connecting a plurality of rigid node members, and a part or the whole of the wiper member is covered with an elastic member.

Images