JP3679431B2 - Endoscope operation unit - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to an operation portion of an endoscope in which a lower half portion is used as a grip portion and a plurality of push-in operation buttons are projected from a front surface of the upper half portion.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The operation part of the endoscope is provided with a plurality of operation buttons for air supply / water supply operation, suction operation, etc., and all operations are performed only with the index finger of the hand holding the grip part of the lower half of the operation part. It is desirable that each button can be pushed in.
[0003]
Therefore, in the operation portion of the conventional endoscope, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the front wall surface 2 of the upper half of the operation portion 1 protrudes forward from the grip portion 3, and the protrusion amount increases toward the upper side. It was formed so as to be slanted so as to be small, and the protruding height relative to the front wall surface 2 was the same between the operation buttons 11 and 12 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-5809).
[0004]
In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, there is also an arrangement in which the inclination angle of the front wall surface 2 is changed in the middle so that the protruding height from each surface is the same for each operation button 11, 12, 13. (Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-52482).
[0005]
In such an operation part of the endoscope, the lowermost operation button 11 can be operated when the index finger is naturally extended. When the upper operation buttons 12 and 13 are operated, the embodiment of the present invention is used. As shown by a broken line in FIG. 2 for explaining the above, the index finger is swung upward with the root at the center.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When pressing multiple operation buttons with a single index finger, the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger hold the grip, so it is extremely easy to extend and bend the index finger. Shaking upward from the center is not natural and causes fatigue.
[0007]
Therefore, in the operation part of the conventional endoscope as described above, the operator swings the operation because the swinging angle (opening angle) of the index finger necessary for operating the upper operation buttons 12 and 13 is large. I often felt it.
[0008]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an operation unit of an endoscope with good operability that can be operated easily with a small swing angle of the index finger when a plurality of operation buttons are pushed by the index finger. .
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the operation part of the endoscope of the present invention has an operation part of the endoscope in which a lower half part is a grip part and a plurality of push operation buttons are protruded on the front surface of the upper half part. The height of the protrusion of the push-in operation button with respect to the front wall surface of the upper half of the operation unit is arranged so that the upper operation button is higher than the lower operation button, or the grip unit The height of the tip of the push-in operation button with respect to the central axis is arranged such that the upper operation button is higher than the lower operation button.
[0010]
【Example】
Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. The lower half 3 of the operation unit 1 is a grip portion 3 that is thinner and easier to grip than the upper half, and is flexible at the lower end thereof. The insertion part 4 which consists of a pipe | tube is connected. An eyepiece 5 is projected from the upper end of the operation unit 1.
[0011]
Three operation buttons 11, 12, and 13 protrude forward from the front face of the upper half of the operation unit 1. The operation buttons are, for example, an air / water supply operation button 11, a first suction operation button 12, and a second suction operation button 13 from the lower side. However, other combinations or operation buttons for other functions such as video-related operation buttons of an electronic endoscope may be used, and there may be four or more operation buttons, or two.
[0012]
Each of the operation buttons 11, 12, and 13 is urged in the protruding direction, and is operated so as to be pushed into the operation unit 1 from the protruding end side against the urging force. To return to the standby state shown in FIG.
[0013]
The front wall surface 2 on which the three operation buttons 11, 12, 13 protrude from the upper half of the operation unit 1 is formed to project forward from the grip unit 3, and the projection amount decreases toward the upper side. It is formed diagonally.
[0014]
And the height of the protrusion of each operation button 11,12,13 with respect to the front wall surface 2 of the operation part 1 is arrange | positioned so that the upper operation button 12,13 may become higher than the lower operation button 11. FIG. . That is, in FIG. 1, A <B <C.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 2, the operation portion of the endoscope configured as described above is held by holding the grip portion 3 with the middle finger, the ring finger, and the little finger of the left hand, and each operation button 11, 12, 13 is held. It is pushed in with the index finger.
[0016]
In that case, the index finger is oriented to the position of the lowest air / water supply operation button 11 in a natural state, and when operating the first suction operation button 12 or the second suction operation button 13 above it. As shown by a broken line in FIG. 2, it is necessary to swing the index finger upward about its root.
[0017]
FIG. 3 illustrates the relationship between the position of the protruding end of the upper operation button 12 or 13 and the swing angle (opening angle) of the index finger when the index finger is swung upward as described above. However, the right hand is shown for easy viewing.
[0018]
Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the protrusion positions of the operation button 12 are considered as two protrusion positions: a protrusion position 12a having a high protrusion height from the front wall surface 2 (H) and a protrusion position 12b having a low protrusion height (L). Try.
[0019]
Then, the swing angle P necessary for waving the index finger to the tip position 12a having a high protrusion height from the front wall surface 2 is the swing required to swing the index finger to the tip position 12b having a low protrusion height from the front wall surface 2. It can be smaller than the angle Q. That is, P <Q.
[0020]
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment in which the upper operation buttons 12 and 13 are arranged so that the protrusion height from the front wall surface 2 of the operation unit 1 is higher than the lower operation button 11. The swing angle of the index finger when operating the upper operation buttons 12 and 13 is smaller than that of a conventional endoscope operation unit in which the protruding heights of the operation buttons are the same.
[0021]
FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the front wall surface 2 is formed in parallel to the central axis 10 of the operation portion 1, and the other parts are the same as in the first embodiment. is there.
[0022]
As a result, in this embodiment, the same effect can be obtained by the same operation as in the first embodiment, but the operation button 12 having a protruding height from the central axis 10 of the operation unit 1 higher than the operation button 11 on the lower side. , 13 is higher, so that the swing angle of the index finger when operating the upper operation buttons 12, 13 can be made smaller.
[0023]
FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, wherein the front wall surface 2 of the operation unit 1 is formed obliquely in a direction in which the protruding amount increases toward the upper side, contrary to the first embodiment. The protruding heights of the operation buttons 11, 12, 13 from the front wall surface 2 are the same.
[0024]
In the case of this embodiment, even if the projecting heights of the operation buttons 11, 12, 13 from the front wall surface 2 are the same, the projecting height from the central axis 10 of the operation unit 1 is higher than that of the lower operation button 11. Since the operation buttons 12 and 13 are higher, the swing angle of the index finger when operating the upper operation buttons 12 and 13 is small.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, when the plurality of push-in operation buttons projecting from the front surface of the upper half of the operation unit are each operated with the index finger, the swing angle of the index finger required to operate the upper operation button is small. Therefore, the operator can easily press each button without getting tired.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing a gripping state of the first embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of finger movement according to the first embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a side view of the second embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the third embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a side view of a first conventional example.
FIG. 7 is a side view of a second conventional example.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Operation part 2 Front wall surface 3 Grip part 11, 12, 13 Operation button

Claims (1)

The lower half of the grip portion, the operation portion of the endoscope which projects a plurality of push operation buttons on the front wall surface of the upper half portion,
By forming the front wall surface of at least the upper half of the operation unit in an oblique direction in which the protrusion amount increases toward the upper side, and making the protrusion height of each push operation button from the front wall surface of the operation unit the same, An operation portion of an endoscope, wherein a height of a protruding end of an upper push operation button with respect to a center axis of the grip portion is set higher than a height of a protruded end of a lower push operation button .

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