JP2013252171A - Structure of distal end portion of endoscopic flexible tube - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a structure of a distal end portion of an endoscopic flexible tube in which an adhesive and a nozzle can be prevented from falling off.SOLUTION: A structure of a distal end portion of an endoscopic flexible tube is used to attach a nozzle 38 to the distalmost end portion 18 of the endoscopic flexible tube. Protrusions 46 to be exposed on the outer peripheral surface and the front surface of the distalmost end portion 18 are formed on the nozzle 38. An annular member 32 has an annular body 31, and an engaging portion 33. The annular body 31 covering the outer peripheral surface is fitted to the distalmost end portion 18. The engaging portion 33 is continuously provided on the edge of the annular body 31, and bulges to a front surface side. The protrusions 46 interfere with the annular member 32. In this way, the nozzle 38 is prevented from being displaced from the distalmost end portion 18 toward the front surface side.

Description

  The present invention relates to a structure of a distal end portion of a flexible tube of an endoscope.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a structure is known in which a nozzle provided for cleaning a lens or the like is screwed from a side surface at a distal end portion of a flexible tube of an endoscope and the screw hole is filled with an adhesive (Patent Document 1). ).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-197095

  However, since the adhesive is exposed at the distal end portion of the flexible tube, it is likely to deteriorate due to exposure to chemicals, drop off, and injure the body. In addition, the nozzle may fall off due to the adhesive falling off.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a structure that prevents the adhesive at the distal end of the flexible tube and the nozzle from falling off.

  The structure of the flexible tube distal end portion of the endoscope according to the present invention is a structure for attaching a nozzle to the distal end portion of the endoscope flexible tube, and is formed on the outer peripheral surface and the front surface of the distal end portion. The protrusion includes an annular protrusion having an exposed protrusion, an annular main body that is fitted to the tip and covers the outer peripheral surface, and an engaging portion that is connected to the edge of the annular main body and extends to the front side. The nozzle is prevented from being displaced from the tip portion to the front surface side by interfering with the member.

  Moreover, it is preferable that a nozzle has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped nozzle head part which protrudes from the front-end surface of a front-end | tip part.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the structure which prevents the adhesive agent and nozzle of a flexible tube front-end | tip part of an endoscope from dropping off can be provided.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an entire endoscope to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is an enlarged view of the flexible tube front-end | tip part of FIG. It is sectional drawing in the III-III line of FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, an endoscope 10 includes an insertion unit 11 inserted into a body, an operation unit 15 held by a user to operate the endoscope 10, and the endoscope 10 as a processor (see FIG. 1). The connector part 16 for connecting to a not-shown) is provided. The insertion part 11 includes a flexible part 12 having flexibility, a bending part 13 connected to the tip of the flexible part 12, and a tip part 14 connected to the tip of the bending part 13. The operation unit 15 is connected to the connector 16 via the universal cable 17.

  The in-vivo optical image photographed at the distal end portion 14 is converted into an electrical signal by an imaging unit (not shown) provided at the distal end portion 14. The electrical signal is image processed in the processor via the universal cable 17 and the connector 16, and the image is observed by the operator.

  With reference to FIG. 2, the structure of the external appearance of the front-end | tip part 14 is demonstrated. An annular member 32 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the most distal end portion 18 of the distal end portion 14. FIG. 2 shows a state where the annular member 32 is removed. The distal end portion 14 includes a light distribution lens 34 that irradiates light to the observed portion, and an objective lens 36 that observes the observed portion. The operator treats the observed portion using a treatment tool (not shown) that appears and disappears from the channel hole 40 while viewing the observed portion projected on the monitor (not shown). The dirt on the objective lens 36 is washed with water ejected from the nozzle 38 provided.

  As will be described in detail below, the nozzle 38 is fixed at a predetermined position by a rectangular parallelepiped protrusion 46 engaged with a narrow portion S that is a groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the most distal end portion 18. The circumferential width of the narrow portion S is equal to the circumferential dimension of the protrusion 46. The axial width of the narrow portion S is equal to the axial dimension of the protrusion 46. Further, the radial width of the narrow portion S is equal to the radial dimension of the protrusion 46. That is, the front end surface of the protrusion 46 is flush with the front surface of the most advanced portion 18 and is exposed to the front surface. The protrusion 46 is accommodated inside the outer peripheral surface of the most distal end portion 18 and is exposed on the outer peripheral surface. At the rear end of the narrow portion S, a flange portion 64 that protrudes in the radial direction from the protrusion 46 and is connected to the foremost portion 18 is provided. The binding thread 48 is wound adjacent to the flange 64 in the axial direction. The outer skin 49 on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion 14 is wound around the binding thread 48 from the outside, and is fixed by the adhesive 50 (see FIG. 3).

  The annular member 32 is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the most distal end portion 18 so as to cover the binding thread 48 and the narrow portion S. The annular member 32 includes an annular main body 31 and an engaging portion 33 that is connected to the edge portion of the annular member 31 and projects to the front surface in the distal direction. The inner diameter of the engaging portion 33 is smaller than the diameter of the annular main body 31.

  The structure around the nozzle 38 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the annular member 32 is attached. A blower pipe 52 through which air passes and a water supply pipe 54 through which water passes are arranged close to the tip portion 14. The blower pipe 52 and the water supply pipe 54 each have an injection port at the tip. These injection ports communicate with the nozzle insertion hole 56 through the connection portion 58. The nozzle insertion hole 56 is a cylindrical space extending from the distal end of the most distal end portion 18 to the distal ends of the blower pipe 52 and the water supply pipe 54.

  The nozzle 38 has a nozzle head 60 and a cylindrical connection base 62. The nozzle head 60 protrudes from the front end surface of the most distal end portion 18. The nozzle head 60 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The area of the end surface E (see FIG. 2) of the nozzle head 60 is slightly larger than the opening of the nozzle insertion hole 56. That is, when the foremost portion 18 is viewed from the axial direction, the opening of the nozzle insertion hole 56 is blocked by the nozzle head 60.

  A nozzle 61 is provided inside the nozzle head 60 so as to follow the outer shape of the nozzle head 60. The jet outlet 61 is formed so that the tip thereof faces the objective lens 36 (see FIG. 2). The nozzle 38 is formed with a rectangular parallelepiped protrusion 46 that protrudes outward from the most distal end portion 18. The circumferential width of the protrusion 46 is equal to the circumferential length of the nozzle head 60. The connection base 62 is formed by cutting a part of a cylinder along the axial direction, and is configured such that water and air supplied from the blower pipe 52 and the water supply pipe 54 are guided to the nozzle head 60. Yes.

  The rear end portion 65 of the connection base 62 is inserted into the nozzle insertion hole 56 and bonded to the inner wall surface of the nozzle insertion hole 56. Furthermore, the rear end surface of the protrusion 46 is bonded to the flange portion 64, so that the connection base portion 62 is fixed in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the nozzle insertion hole 56. A metal annular member 32 is fitted over the outermost surface of the outer skin 49 from the most distal portion 18. The front end surface of the protrusion 46 engages with the engaging portion 33 of the annular member 32 and is fixed in the axial direction. That is, when the projection 46 interferes with the annular member 32, the nozzle 38 is prevented from being displaced from the most distal portion 18 to the front side. Thus, the nozzle 38 is fixed in the axial direction and in the vertical direction thereof.

  The annular member 32 is fixed by the adhesive 50. By being covered with the annular member 32, the surface of the most distal end portion 18 and the surface of the distal end portion 14 are flush with each other, and the insertion portion 11 (see FIG. 1) is smoothly inserted into the body. Further, since the adhesive 50 is sealed by the annular member 32 and is not exposed, an effect of preventing the adhesive 50 from dropping without being deteriorated can be obtained.

18 Cutting edge (tip)
31 annular body 33 engaging part 38 nozzle 46 protrusion 60 nozzle head

Claims (2)

A structure for attaching a nozzle to a distal end portion of an endoscope flexible tube, the protrusion formed on the nozzle and exposed to an outer peripheral surface and a front surface of the distal end portion;
An annular main body fitted to the tip and covering the outer peripheral surface;
An annular member having an engaging portion that is connected to an edge portion of the annular main body and extends to the front surface side;
The structure of the distal end portion of the flexible tube of the endoscope that prevents the nozzle from being displaced from the distal end portion to the front surface side when the protrusion interferes with the annular member.   The structure of the flexible tube distal end portion of the endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped nozzle head portion protruding from a front end surface of the distal end portion.

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