JP2532380Y2 - Endoscope angle ring connecting pin - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to an angle part constituting an insertion part of an endoscope, and a plurality of angle rings serving as a structure of the angle part are pivotally connected to each other. The present invention also relates to a structure of an angle ring connecting pin through which an operation wire for angle operation is inserted.

[Conventional technology]

Endoscopes used for medical and industrial purposes are generally
As shown in the figure, an insertion section 2 to be inserted into a patient's body or the like is continuously provided on a main body operation section 1, and the insertion sections 2 are sequentially provided from the connection side to the main body operation section 1. A soft portion 2a, an angle portion 2b, and a hard tip portion 2c are provided. Angle part 2a
Has a function of guiding the rigid distal end portion 2c along the insertion path, and changing the observation field of view at a site where diagnosis, observation, or the like is to be performed.

For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 5, the angle part 2b has a plurality of angle rings 3, 3,.
Are used, and each pair of the adjacent angle rings 3 is inserted into a pin insertion hole formed in each of the adjacent angle rings 3, and the tip thereof is swaged to be pivotally connected. Thus, a node ring structure having a required length is provided. If the connecting portion of the angle ring 3 is provided only on the left and right, the angle portion 2b will bend up and down, and if it is configured to be connected left and right and up and down alternately, the angle portion 2b will be bent up and down and left and right. Will be able to The bending operation of the angle portion 2a can be performed by remote control by operating an angle operation knob 5 provided in the main body operation portion 1. For this purpose, an operation wire 6 which is pushed and pulled in conjunction with the knob 5 is provided, and an insertion hole 7 is drilled in the head 4a of the connection pin 4 described above. The operation wire 6 is inserted through 7.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

By the way, the shape of the insertion hole 7 provided in the angle ring connecting pin 4 in the prior art is cylindrical, and therefore, as shown in FIG. Has an edge portion 7a. Then, when the operation wire 6 is pushed and pulled to bend the angle portion 2b, the operation wire 6 slides in a state of hitting the edge portion 7a. Here, a considerably strong force acts on the operation wire 6, especially near the maximum angle angle, and the operation wire 6 is pressed against the edge portion 7a with an extremely strong force. If the operation wire 6 slides in this state, it will be worn by the edge portion 7a of the insertion hole 7. Since the operation wire 6 is usually formed by twisting a thin wire, a part of the wire is broken at an early stage, and the wire is broken during repeated angle operations. There is a drawback that stress concentrates on a portion and the entire operation wire 6 is disconnected. In particular, when the operation wire 6 is broken, the replacement of the operation wire 6 is extremely difficult, since the entire endoscope must be disassembled and repaired. Also, as described above, the operation wire 6
Is pushed and pulled in contact with the edge portion 7a, the sliding resistance also increases, so that the operating torque of the angle operation increases and the operability also deteriorates.

From the above point, that is, if the both ends of the insertion hole 7 are rounded, the edge portion 7a can be eliminated from the insertion hole 7. As described above, if there is no edge in the insertion hole, the operation wire is protected. However, since the operation wire is in line contact or at least at two points in the insertion hole, the sliding resistance is reduced, and the angle operation is reduced. I am still dissatisfied with reducing operating torque.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its purpose is to prevent the operation wire from being worn or damaged even when the angle portion is curved,
In addition, the object is to make it possible to smoothly perform the push-pull operation with a light load.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an insertion hole formed at the head of the angle ring connecting pin, in which the open ends at both ends have the largest passage cross-sectional area, and , And the entire inner wall of the hole is formed so as to have a curved surface shape so that the cross-sectional area of the passage is continuously reduced toward the center, and the cross-sectional area of the passage is substantially minimized at the substantially middle portion.

[Action]

In the first place, if the positioning is guided by inserting the operation wire for the angle operation through the ring having a circular cross section, the operation wire will not be damaged and the point will be substantially in a point contact state at only one point on the curved surface portion. Therefore, the push-pull operation can be smoothly performed with a light load. However, since the head of the connection pin for pivotally connecting the front and rear angle rings is shared with the operation wire insertion portion, the cross section of the operation wire insertion member cannot be a circular ring shape.

From the above, in the present invention, the inner wall of the insertion hole was machined so that the cross section became a circular ring shape. As a result, the inner wall of the insertion hole has a rounded shape without edges in all directions, and the operation wire is substantially in point contact with a portion of the insertion hole having the smallest passage cross-sectional area or a position in the vicinity thereof. Therefore, when the operation wire is pushed and pulled, the operation wire slides extremely smoothly, the wear of the operation wire can be significantly reduced, and even if the angle operation is repeatedly performed,
There is no fear that the wire of the operation wire is broken. Further, when the movement of the operation wire is smooth, the operation torque of the angle operation operated by the angle operation knob is reduced, and the operability is improved.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

In the present embodiment, the same or equivalent components as those of the above-described prior art are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

Thus, in this embodiment, as is apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2, in order to pivotally connect the angle ring 3 constituting the angle portion 2b and to insert the operation wire 6, An angle ring connecting pin 10 is used. The angle ring connecting pin 10 includes a head 10a and a leg 10b, and the leg 10b is connected to two adjacent angle rings 3a.
And are swiveled to each other by inserting and caulking through the pin insertion holes. In this respect, there is no particular difference from the above-mentioned prior art.

However, the insertion hole 11 formed in the head 10a of the connecting pin 10 has a shape different from that of the related art. That is, as shown schematically in FIG. 3, this insertion hole 11
In the state where the cross-section is kept circular, the middle section has the smallest passage cross-sectional area, and the passage cross-sectional area increases continuously from this portion toward the both-side opening end, and the passage has the widest opening at both ends. Has a cross-sectional area, the entire hole wall of the insertion hole 11 is a curved surface shape,
That is, it is formed in a trumpet shape from the intermediate portion to both sides and expands. The portion having the smallest diameter, which is an intermediate portion of the insertion hole 11, is the insertion hole 7 in the above-described prior art.
Is almost the same as the hole diameter.

The present embodiment is configured as described above, whereby the insertion hole 11 into which the operation wire 6 is inserted is rounded in all directions, and there is no linear portion in addition to the edge. Therefore, since the operation wire 6 is in a point contact state only in the middle portion or the vicinity thereof having the smallest passage cross-sectional area in the insertion hole 11 and only at the portion having the curved surface shape, the operation wire 6 is moved even in the vertical direction. Even if it is pushed and pulled in a state where it is deviated in any of the left and right directions, it slides very smoothly. When the angle operation is performed in both the vertical and horizontal directions, the operation wire 6 is twisted. However, even if the operation wire 6 makes such a complicated movement, the operation wire 6 is still inserted. The contact with the hole 11 is maintained in a substantially point contact state. In particular, when the angle portion 2b is bent, for example, upward with a small radius of curvature, a pulling force acts on the operation wire 6 located inside the bending direction, and the operation wire 6 is strongly pressed against the inner wall of the insertion hole 11. Also at this portion, the operation wire 6 is kept in a substantially point contact state with the curved insertion hole 11, so that the slidability of the operation wire 6 is further improved. Further, in this state, even when the composite angle operation is performed in another direction, that is, in the left-right direction, the operation wire 6
Is almost in point contact with the insertion hole 11,
No excessive twisting force or the like is applied to the operation wire 6, and the insertion hole
Sliding smoothly within 11.

In short, even if the operation wire 6 is bent in any of the vertical and horizontal directions and is twisted, the inner wall of the insertion hole 11 is maintained in a curved surface shape and almost in a state close to point contact. become. Therefore, even if the operation wire 6 is repeatedly operated for a long period of time by reducing the wear of the operation wire 6, there is no inconvenience that the operation wire 6 is damaged or worn. Further, as described above, the operation wire 6 is inserted into the insertion hole.
To be able to slide inside 11 smoothly,
The operation torque at the time of pushing and pulling operation of the operation wire 6 is reduced, and as a result, the operability of the angle operation is improved.

Moreover, since the operation wire 6 is inserted into the insertion holes 11 of the plurality of connecting pins 10, even if the opening portions on both sides are expanded and widened, the diameter of the intermediate portion is sufficiently small. Therefore, the straightness of the operation wire 6 is ensured in the angle portion 2b, and the operation wire 6 swings at the time of the angle operation, so that the light guide,
There is no risk of damaging the image guide (a signal cable in the case of an electronic endoscope), the treatment tool insertion channel, and other insertion members of the endoscope.

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, according to the present invention, the insertion hole formed in the head has the widest passage cross-sectional area at the open ends at both ends, and the cross-sectional area of the passage decreases continuously toward the middle portion. Since the entire inner wall of the hole is formed into a curved surface so as to have a minimum passage cross-sectional area, the operation wire inserted through the insertion hole slides substantially in a point contact state with the curved surface portion of the insertion hole. That is, when the operation wire slides along the insertion hole, not only does the operation wire not engage with the edge-shaped portion, but the sliding portion during the push-pull operation becomes extremely small, The sliding operation is extremely smooth, so that the operation wire is prevented from being worn and its damage and disconnection can be reliably prevented, and the operating torque of the angle operation is reduced, so that the angle operation can be performed with a light force. That can be Achieve the various effects such as the work is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the head of a connecting pin shown together with an angle ring, and FIG. 2 is II-II of FIG. 3 is an explanatory view schematically showing the shape of the insertion hole, FIG. 4 is an overall configuration diagram of the endoscope, FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of an angle portion of the endoscope, and FIG. It is sectional drawing of the head of the connection pin of a prior art. 1: body operation part, 2: insertion part, 2a: flexible part, 2b: angle part,
2c: Hard tip, 3: Angle ring, 6: Operation wire, 10:
Angle ring connecting pin, 10a: head, 11: insertion hole.

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] An endoscope has a leg and a head, and a plurality of angle rings are pivotably connected to each other to bend an angle of an insertion portion of the endoscope, and an operation wire is attached to the head. In the angle ring connecting pin formed with an insertion hole to be inserted, in the insertion hole provided in the head, the open end of both ends has the largest passage cross-sectional area, and the passage cross-sectional area decreases continuously toward the intermediate portion, An angle ring connecting pin for an endoscope, wherein an entire inner wall of the hole is formed to have a curved shape so as to have a minimum passage cross-sectional area at a substantially intermediate portion.