JP4869645B2 - Endoscope - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope including a light emitting element as an illumination optical system at a distal end portion of an insertion portion.

  Conventionally, endoscopes have been widely used in the medical field and the industrial field. The diagnosis or inspection target by the endoscope is in a living body, in a plant, or the like. For this reason, a light source for illuminating the observation target is necessary. In a general endoscope apparatus, a light source device is prepared as an external device of the endoscope. Illumination light generated by the light source device is supplied to a light guide fiber provided in the endoscope, and transmitted to the distal end portion of the insertion portion through the light guide fiber. The transmitted illumination light is emitted from the illumination window arranged at the distal end of the insertion portion toward the observation target.

In recent years, instead of a combination of a light source device that illuminates an observation site and a light guide fiber, a light-emitting element such as LED illumination is provided at the distal end of the insertion portion, and the light emitted from the light-emitting element is irradiated toward an observation target. Endoscopes have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an endoscope in which LED illumination is arranged at the distal end portion of an insertion portion. On the other hand, Patent Document 2 shows an endoscope in which LED illumination is arranged on a distal end adapter configured to be detachable with respect to an insertion portion distal end. In an endoscope using LED illumination, an electric cable is inserted instead of inserting a light guide fiber into an insertion portion. Therefore, the diameter of the insertion portion can be reduced, or the filling rate of the built-in objects inserted into the insertion portion can be reduced. Moreover, the lamp life of LED illumination is longer than that of a general lamp.
JP 2004-248835 A JP 2005-27851 A

  However, if the environment in which the endoscope is used is harsh or if the handling of the endoscope is complicated, the LED illumination is cut off even in a long-life LED illumination. In the endoscope of Patent Document 1, in the unlikely event that the LED illumination is cut off, it is possible to replace only the LED illumination so as to replace the lamp provided in the light source device of a general endoscope apparatus. Have difficulty. This is because the LED board on which the LED illumination is mounted and the objective receiver on which the bundle member is arranged are integrally joined by bonding or soldering. Therefore, in the case where the LED illumination is cut off in the endoscope of Patent Document 1, not only the LED illumination but also the imaging optical system including the imaging element in which no malfunction occurs, the side line member, and the like in the entire insertion portion. Must be exchanged across. That is, when the lamp is replaced, there is a problem that the maintenance cost is significantly increased as compared with a general endoscope apparatus.

  On the other hand, when the LED illumination is cut off in the endoscope of Patent Document 2, the tip adapter may be replaced. Therefore, compared with the endoscope of Patent Document 1, the cost generated by maintenance is much lower. However, since the endoscope of Patent Document 2 has a configuration in which the tip adapter is detachable from the distal end of the insertion portion, the structure is complicated and the price is higher than that of the endoscope of Patent Document 1.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope that is simple and inexpensive and that can easily replace the LED illumination disposed at the distal end of the insertion portion. .

An endoscope according to the present invention includes a tip unit having a unit body on which a substrate on which a light emitting element is mounted is disposed, and the tip unit is replaceable, and an electric power for supplying power to the light emitting element. An endoscope insertion portion having a terminal member connected to the end of the cable at the distal end portion of the insertion portion;
One end portion provided integrally with the unit main body and electrically joined integrally to the substrate on which the light emitting element is mounted, and the insertion portion length in a state where the distal end portion unit is attached to the insertion portion distal end portion. A pin member having the other end portion that is electrically connected to the terminal member by the biasing force of the biasing member acting in the hand axis direction, and a rotation holding member at a predetermined position on the outer circumferential surface of the distal end portion of the insertion portion. A pivoting member that is pivotably disposed , the tip unit having a severable portion, and an opening side end on the other end side of the tip unit being pivoted. It is fixed integrally to the member .

According to this configuration, the LED illumination can be replaced by cutting and replacing the tip unit.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the structure simple and cheap endoscope which can replace | exchange LED illumination arrange | positioned at the front-end | tip part of an insertion part easily can be implement | achieved.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIGS. 1 to 23 relate to one embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 1 to 10 are views for explaining the configuration of the distal end portion of the insertion portion of the endoscope, and FIGS. 11 to 20 are assembled with the distal end portion of the insertion portion. FIG. 21 to FIG. 23 are diagrams for explaining the procedure for removing the tip unit from the tip set after the occurrence of LED illumination interruption.
1 is a perspective view illustrating the distal end portion of the insertion portion of the endoscope, FIG. 2 is a front view of the distal end portion of the insertion portion, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the distal end portion of the insertion portion along line AA in FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the distal end portion of the insertion portion, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the distal end portion unit, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the distal end unit along line BB in FIG. 7 is a view when the tip unit of FIG. 5 is viewed from the arrow C side, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the connection pins, FIG. 9 is a front view of the tip set, and FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view for explaining a preparation stage for attaching the rotation cover to the assembly main body, and FIG. 12 explains a state in which the rotation cover is inserted into the assembly main body. FIG. 13 is a perspective view for explaining a state in which the rotation cover is disposed at a predetermined position of the assembly main body, and FIG. 14 is a temporary attachment portion of the temporary attachment member of the assembly main body. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state in which the temporary fixing member is disposed in the temporary fixing member mounting hole of the assembly body, and FIG. 16 is the tip unit. FIG. 17 is a perspective view for explaining a state in which the rotary cover is inserted into the assembly body, and FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the unit cover when the tip unit is inserted into the assembly body where the rotation cover is installed. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the female screw portion is in contact with the guiding male screw portion of the rotating cover. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the tip unit is further inserted into the assembly body in which the rotating cover is disposed. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the female screw portion is in contact with the retracting screw portion of the rotating cover. FIG. 19 shows a unit cover that forms the tip unit by rotating the rotating cover using a jig. The figure explaining the state pulled in to the main body side 20 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the tip unit has been pulled into the assembly body side, FIG. 21 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the unit cover is cut along the cutting position notification mark, and FIG. FIG. 23 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the rotating cover with the tip unit remnant part is removed from the tip unit set.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a direct view type in which an observation range is set forward in the longitudinal direction of the insertion portion at an insertion portion distal end portion (hereinafter, abbreviated as a distal end portion) 3 of the insertion portion 2 of the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment. Objective optical system 4 is provided. Around the objective optical system 4, there is provided an illumination optical system 5 that includes an LED chip that is a light emitting element to be described later.

  The insertion portion 2 includes, for example, a hard tip portion 3, a bending portion 6 configured to bend in the vertical and horizontal directions by connecting a bending piece (not shown), and a flexible tube portion (not shown) that is a flexible tubular member. ). Reference numeral 4 a is a tip lens and constitutes the objective optical system 4. Reference numeral 11 denotes a unit cover, reference numeral 7 denotes a mounting / replacement cover which is a rotating member (hereinafter referred to as a rotating cover), reference numeral 21 denotes a tip end assembly cover (hereinafter referred to as a first cover), and reference numeral 22. Is a connecting cover member (hereinafter referred to as a second cover). Reference numeral 10a denotes a cutting position notification mark, which notifies a repairer of a cleavable portion of a tip unit (see reference numeral 10 in FIG. 4) described later. This cutting position notification mark 10 a is provided at a predetermined position on the outer surface of the unit cover 11.

  In addition, in this embodiment, although the structure which provides the cutting position notification mark 10a is shown, instead of providing this cutting position notification mark 10a, for example, a portion of 2 mm from the rear end is set as the cutting position. Cutting work is possible even with information. Reference numeral 70 denotes a fixing adhesive, which secures the water tightness of the rotating cover 7 and the unit cover 11 and integrally and firmly fixes them. The fixing adhesive 70 is, for example, a silicone adhesive or an epoxy adhesive.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a unit lens frame 12 is disposed at the center of the tip surface of the tip 3. The unit lens frame 12 is provided with a tip lens 4a constituting the objective optical system 4 and the like. Around the unit lens frame 12, an annular element substrate (see reference numeral 51 in FIG. 3) provided with a conductive pattern (not shown) on one surface side is disposed. A plurality of LED chips 52 constituting the illumination optical system 5 are arranged on one surface side of the element substrate 51. For example, eight LED chips 52 are arranged at a predetermined interval on the circumference at a predetermined distance from the central axis of the insertion portion, and are electrically connected to the conductive pattern through wirings (not shown). Furthermore, one end of a connection pin 9 that is a pair of pin members that are connection members for supplying power to the LED chip 52 is electrically connected to the conductive pattern on the element substrate 51. One end portions of these connection pins 9 and the LED chip 52 are sealed with an LED sealing resin 53.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the exterior of the distal end portion 3 includes a unit cover 11, a rotation cover 7, a first cover 21, and a second cover 22 in order from the distal end side. The objective optical system 4 includes a unit side optical system and a group side optical system. The unit-side optical system includes a unit lens frame 12, a tip lens 4a having predetermined optical characteristics, optical lenses 4b and 4c, a mask member, a spacing ring, and the like disposed on the unit lens frame 12. The On the other hand, the group side optical system includes a group lens frame 24, an imaging frame 25, a plurality of optical lenses 4d, 4e, and 4f having predetermined optical characteristics disposed in the group lens frame 24, and an imaging frame 25. The cover glass 4g and the image pickup device 4h are provided. The cover glass 4g is disposed in the imaging frame 25. The cover glass 4g and the image pickup device 4h are fixed by adhesion via a package glass (not shown) provided on the image pickup surface side of the image pickup device 4h.

  The unit lens frame 12 is disposed at a predetermined position of the unit main body 13. A pair of connection pins 9 are disposed at predetermined positions of the unit main body 13 via insulating members 91. The connection pin 9 includes a joint protrusion 9a, a pin body 9b, and a sliding protrusion 9c. The joint convex portion 9a is electrically connected to a conductive pattern (not shown) provided on the element substrate 51, and the sliding convex portion 9c is disposed in electrical contact with the terminal members 61 and 62 which are terminal portions. . The unit main body 13 is integrally fixed to the unit cover 11.

  The partial lens frame 24 is integrally fixed to the imaging frame 25. The imaging frame 25 is disposed at a predetermined position of the assembly body 23. Terminal members 61 and 62 are disposed at predetermined positions of the assembly main body 23 via insulating protection members 63. The end portions of the core wire 65 constituting the electric cable 64 that supplies power to the LED chip 52 are joined and fixed to the terminal members 61 and 62 by, for example, solder 66. The assembly main body 23 is integrally fixed to the first cover 21.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the distal end portion 3 of the present embodiment is mainly configured by combining a cylindrical distal end portion unit 10, a tubular rotation cover 7, and a distal end portion set 20. Reference numeral 8 denotes a temporary fixing member which is a rotation holding member, and is a cylindrical pin member in the present embodiment.

The configuration of the tip unit 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in the figure, the tip unit 10 is mainly composed of a unit cover 11, a unit lens frame 12, and a unit main body 13. The unit main body 13 is integrally fixed to the unit cover 11 by, for example, adhesion. The unit lens frame 12 is integrally fixed to the unit body 13 by, for example, adhesion.

  The unit main body 13 is formed of a metal member such as copper or aluminum having a substantially cylindrical shape and good thermal conductivity. A D-shaped recess (hereinafter abbreviated as a recess) 13 a having a substantially D-shaped cross section is provided on the base end side of the unit main body 13. A central through hole 13b in which the unit lens frame 12 is disposed is formed in the central portion of the unit main body 13. A collar portion disposing hole 13c is provided on the bottom surface side of the concave portion of the central through hole 13b.

  Further, a pair of pin insertion holes 13 d are provided at predetermined positions of the unit main body 13. The pair of pin insertion holes 13d are parallel, for example, with the central through hole 13b interposed therebetween. The insulating member 91 is disposed in the pin insertion hole 13d. The inner diameter dimension in the pin insertion hole 13 d is larger than the outer diameter dimension of the connection pin 9. In the present embodiment, the insulating member 91 is an insulating pipe formed in a pipe shape, and the connection pin 9 is integrally fixed in the insulating pipe. The insulating member 91 is not limited to an insulating tube, and may be an insulating sealing resin or the like filled between the connection pin 9 and the pin insertion hole 13d.

  An element substrate 51 constituting the illumination optical system 5 is integrally disposed on the front end surface of the unit main body 13. The element substrate 51 is a flexible substrate in which a predetermined conductive pattern is formed on one surface side of, for example, a polyimide film excellent in electrical insulation. The element substrate 51 is provided with a pair of pin holes 51a arranged coaxially with the pin insertion holes 13d. The pin hole 51a is a through hole, and the joint convex portion 9a of the connection pin 9 is inserted therethrough. The joint protrusion 9a is electrically and mechanically joined to a conductive pattern (not shown) by, for example, solder 54 which is an electrical joint member. As described above, after the bonding convex portion 9a is inserted and arranged in the pin hole 51a of the element substrate 51, by performing the soldering operation, the bonding convex portion 9a and the conductive pattern can be easily positioned, Subsequent electrical joining and integral joining of the joining projection 9a and the conductive pattern can be easily and reliably performed.

  The unit lens frame 12 is a tubular member formed in a predetermined shape with a metal member having excellent corrosion resistance such as stainless steel. The unit lens frame 12 has a main body portion 12a and a flange portion 12b. The main body portion 12a is disposed in the central through hole 13b, and the flange portion 12b is disposed in the flange portion disposing hole 13c. The base end surface of the unit lens frame 12 is disposed so as to be positioned on the front end side with respect to the concave bottom surface of the unit main body 13.

  The unit cover 11 includes a thick part 11a and a thin part 11b. The unit body 13 is disposed on the thick portion 11a side. An internal thread portion 11c is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the opening side end portion of the unit cover 11, in other words, on the base end portion of the thin portion 11b that is the inner peripheral surface of the base end side. The female screw portion 11 c is a screw portion that functions for attachment that is used when the distal end unit 10 is attached to the distal end portion group 20.

The configuration of the connection pin 9 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in the figure, the connection pin 9 is mainly composed of a joint convex portion 9a, a pin body 9b, and a sliding convex portion 9c. An internal space 9d is provided in the pin body 9b. A sliding projection 9c and a coil spring 9e that is a biasing member that biases the sliding projection 9c are accommodated in the internal space 9d. The internal space 9d is formed by inserting the coil spring 9e and the sliding projection 9c into a narrow hole having a predetermined depth dimension provided in the pin body 9b in advance, and biting the opening side end of the narrow hole. Formed by.

  In the connection pin 9, the sliding protrusion 9c is normally in the maximum protruding state by the biasing force of the coil spring 9e. And when the external force which resists the urging | biasing force of the coil spring 9e is applied with respect to the sliding convex part 9c, this sliding convex part 9c is moved to the joint convex part 9a side.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the state where the connection pin 9 is disposed in the pin insertion hole 13 d of the unit main body 13 via the insulating member 91, the end of the joint projection 9 a of the connection pin 9 is the end surface of the unit main body 13. Project a certain amount from. On the other hand, when the sliding projection 9c is in the maximum projecting state, the end of the sliding projection 9c projects a predetermined amount from the bottom of the recess. Then, when an external force against the urging force of the coil spring 9e is applied to the sliding convex portion 9c, the sliding convex portion 9c is moved to the joint convex portion 9a side, and the end surface of the sliding convex portion 9c and the unit The main body 13 is configured to be movable to a position where the bottom surface of the concave portion substantially coincides with the bottom surface.

The rotation cover 7 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in the figure, the rotation cover 7 is a stepped tubular member having a straight through hole 7a that is elongated in the axial direction, and the rotation cover 7 includes a small diameter portion 7b and a large diameter portion 7c. . The narrow diameter portion 7b is provided with a guide male screw portion 7d, a relief portion 7e, a pull-in male screw portion 7f, and an adhesive application groove 7g in order from the distal end side. The female screw part 11c of the unit cover 11 is screwed into the guide male screw part 7d and the retracting male screw part 7f. The pull-in male screw portion 7f functions as a screw portion for pulling the tip unit 10 toward the tip set 20 side. A jig placement hole 7h in which a predetermined portion of the fixing jig is disposed is formed at a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 7c. On the base end face side of the large-diameter portion 7c, a first cover distal end portion disposing recess 7k having a diameter larger than the through hole 7a and a predetermined depth is provided. The first cover tip portion disposition recess 7k is provided with the thin tip portion of the first cover 21. The structure of the tip portion group 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 9, and 10. FIG.
As shown in the figure, the front end group 20 is mainly composed of a first cover 21, a second cover 22, a group body 23, a group lens frame 24, and an imaging frame 25. An optical lens 4d is disposed at the center of the front end surface of the assembly body 23, and terminal members 61 and 62 are disposed at predetermined positions on the front end surface. The terminal member 61 is, for example, a power supply side terminal, and the terminal member 62 is, for example, a ground terminal.

  The terminal members 61 and 62 are disposed on the assembly body 23 via an insulation protection member 63. For this reason, a protection member disposing hole 23 a is provided on the distal end surface of the assembly body 23. The areas of the tip surfaces of the terminal members 61 and 62 are set larger than the cross-sectional area of the sliding projection 9c. The insulation protection member 63 has a cylindrical shape, and a communication hole 63a is formed at the bottom. The distal end surfaces of the terminal members 61 and 62 of the insulation protection member 63 are arranged so as to be flush with the distal end surface of the assembly main body 23 or in a position recessed from the distal end surface of the assembly main body 23. The electric cable 64 is guided through the communication hole 63a and the cable insertion hole (hereinafter abbreviated as a cable hole) 23b of the assembly body 23 to the curved portion 6 side. The cable hole 23b communicates with the protective member disposing hole 23a, and the opening of the cable hole 23b is provided to face the communicating hole 63a of the insulating protective member 63 disposed in the protective member disposing hole 23a. . In addition, the code | symbol 67 is insulation coating and coat | covers the core wire 65 over the perimeter.

  The subassembly main body 23 is formed of a metal member such as copper or aluminum having a substantially cylindrical shape and good thermal conductivity. A stepped through hole (hereinafter referred to as a stepped hole) 23 c is formed in the center of the assembly body 23. A part of the lens group frame 24 and the imaging frame 25 are disposed in the stepped hole 23c. The partial lens frame 24 and the imaging frame 25 are tubular members formed in a predetermined shape with a metal member having excellent corrosion resistance such as stainless steel.

  The group lens frame 24 is provided with a flange 24a and a main body 24b. The imaging frame 25 is a stepped tubular member having a substantially uniform thickness. In the present embodiment, the imaging frame 25 has a three-stepped shape. A main body portion 24b of the sub-group lens frame 24 is disposed in the front end side step portion inner hole which is a fine hole of the imaging frame 25. A cover glass 4 g is fixed to the inner hole of the center step portion of the imaging frame 25.

  In the present embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the front end side stepped portion of the imaging frame 25 is integrally fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the front end side inner hole of the stepped hole 23c by screwing or bonding. The central stepped portion outer peripheral surface and the base end side stepped portion outer peripheral surface of the imaging frame 25 are loosely fitted to the central inner hole inner peripheral surface and the base end side inner hole inner peripheral surface of the stepped hole 23c. That is, between the outer peripheral surface of the central step portion of the imaging frame 25 and the inner peripheral surface of the central inner hole of the stepped hole 23c, and the inner peripheral side hole of the proximal end stepped outer surface of the imaging frame 25 and the stepped hole 23c. A predetermined gap is provided between the inner peripheral surface.

  An imaging circuit board (not shown) is electrically and mechanically connected to the proximal end side of the imaging element 4h. Electronic components such as capacitors and transistors are mounted on the imaging circuit board. A signal line that passes through a signal cable (not shown) is electrically connected to the imaging circuit board in a predetermined state. The imaging element 4h and the imaging circuit board are sealed with, for example, a thermoplastic resin 4k.

  A heat dissipating member 26 composed of heat dissipating wires is disposed around the thermoplastic resin 4k and in the assembly body 23. The heat dissipating member 26 radiates heat generated from the imaging circuit board provided in the thermoplastic resin 4k and heat conducted to the assembly body 23 to the base end portion of the heat dissipating wire. Specifically, the heat dissipating member 26 is formed in consideration of flexibility by bundling a plurality of strands having a high thermal conductivity such as a copper wire, an aluminum wire, and a silver wire and having a strand diameter of 0.1 mm or less. Yes. Then, the number of strands and the length dimension are appropriately set according to the type of endoscope in consideration of both heat capacity and workability.

A predetermined side surface of the assembly body 23 is provided with a notch surface 23d, a temporary fixing member disposing hole 23e, and a heat dissipating wire installation hole 23f used when disposing the heat dissipating member 26.
The notch surface 23 d is formed on the distal end side of the assembly body 23. By forming a notch surface 23d on the distal end side of the assembly body 23, the distal end portion is configured as a D-shaped distal convex portion (hereinafter abbreviated as a convex portion) 23g. The convex portion 23g is accommodated in the concave portion 13a. That is, the concave portion 13a and the convex portion 23g are positioning means for setting the tip unit 10 and the tip set 20 to a predetermined arrangement state.

  For example, a pair of temporary fixing member disposing holes 23e are provided at positions facing each other across the longitudinal central axis of the assembly body 23. The temporary fixing member 8 is disposed in the temporary fixing member disposing hole 23e. The temporary fixing member 8 is disposed in the temporary fixing member disposing hole 23e in a state where the rotation cover 7 is disposed on the assembly body 23. The temporary fixing member 8 is a member for preventing the rotation cover 7 from falling off the assembly body 23. Therefore, in a state where the temporary fixing member 8 is disposed in the temporary fixing member disposition hole 23e, the end of the temporary fixing member 8 projects from the temporary fixing member disposition hole 23e by a predetermined amount.

  Note that an adhesive may be applied to prevent the temporary fixing member 8 from falling out of the temporary fixing member disposition hole 23e. At that time, the adhesive strength is considered so that the temporary fixing member 8 is not firmly fixed to the temporary fixing member disposing hole 23e. This is because the temporary fixing member 8 can be removed from the temporary fixing member disposing hole 23e when the LED lighting LED lighting cut described later occurs.

  Further, the temporary fixing member disposing hole 23e is provided with a notch 23h. By providing the notch 23h, the amount of protrusion of the temporary fixing member 8 increases. Thus, the protruding portion of the temporary fixing member 8 can be securely held and removed from the temporary fixing member disposition hole 23e more easily.

  Furthermore, the distal end portion and the proximal end portion of the heat radiating member 26 may be configured as a single integral portion by soldering, brazing, adhesive, or the like in consideration of workability. Moreover, the heat radiation line base end portion is disposed in the flexible tube portion, for example, through the curved portion.

  The first cover 21 is a front end part forming cover, and is integrally fixed to the base end part side of the part main body 23 by, for example, adhesion. The first cover 21 is a stepped tubular member having a distal end side small diameter portion 21a and a proximal end side large diameter portion 21b. A concave portion 21c is provided on the large diameter portion 21b side, and a communication hole 21d communicating with the concave portion 21c is provided on the small diameter portion 21a side. A first cover tip portion disposition recess 7k of the rotating cover 7 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface side of the tip portion of the small diameter portion 21a. An internal thread portion 21e is provided on the opening side of the recess 21c. And the 2nd cover arrangement | positioning hole 21f larger diameter than the recessed part 21c is provided in the base end part of the 1st cover 21. As shown in FIG.

  The second cover 22 is a connecting cover member for connecting the tip end group 20 and the bending portion 6. The second cover 22 is a stepped tubular member having a large diameter portion 22a, a distal end side small diameter portion 22b having a male screw formed on the entire outer peripheral surface, and a proximal end side small diameter portion 22c. A concave portion 22d is provided on the distal end side small diameter portion 22b and the large diameter portion 22a side, and a communication hole 22e communicating with the concave portion 22d is provided on the proximal end side small diameter portion 22c side. A step portion 22f disposed in the second cover disposition hole 21f is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 32a. The first cover 21 and the second cover 22 are firmly and integrally fixed by, for example, applying an adhesive in a state where the male screw of the distal end side small diameter portion 22b is screwed to the female screw portion 21e. And the one end part of the member which comprises the curved part 6 is fixed to the base end side thin diameter part 22c of the 2nd cover 22. As shown in FIG.

Reference numeral 27 denotes an O-ring that is a watertight holding member. The O-ring 27 is disposed on the front end surface side of the first cover 21 constituting the front end group 20. In a state where the O-ring 27 is arranged on the assembly body 23,
The outer diameter dimension of the O-ring 27 and the outer diameter dimension of the narrow diameter portion 21a of the first cover 21 are substantially the same diameter.

Here, with reference to FIGS. 11 to 20, the assembling process of the distal end portion for forming the distal end portion 3 by integrally fixing the distal end unit 10 to the distal end portion set 20 will be described.
In assembling the distal end portion 3, the rotation cover 7, the temporary fixing member 8, the distal end unit 10, and the distal end portion set 20 shown in FIG. 4 are prepared.

First, the rotation cover arrangement process for arranging the rotation cover 7 at a predetermined position of the tip end group 20 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 11, the operator prepares the rotating cover 7 and the distal end portion set 20, and sets the proximal end side opening of the through hole 7 a of the rotating cover 7 to the distal end of the assembly main body 23 of the distal end portion set 20. Opposite the surface. Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the operator inserts the through hole 7 a of the rotation cover 7 into the distal end portion of the assembly body 23. Thereafter, the operator moves the rotation cover 7 to a predetermined position as shown in FIG. As a result, the first cover tip portion disposition recess 7k is in a state of being fitted around the tip portion of the small diameter portion 21a of the first cover 21 that is integrally fixed to the assembly body 23. This completes the rotating cover placement process.

  At this time, since the outer diameter dimension of the O-ring 27 and the outer diameter dimension of the small-diameter portion 21a of the first cover 21 are substantially the same diameter, the O-ring 27 and the first cover tip portion disposition recess of the rotating cover 7 are used. A large contact resistance is not generated between the inner surface and the inner surface of 7k, and is smoothly moved and arranged.

Next, a rotation cover attaching step for rotating the rotation cover 7 on the assembly body 23 will be described.
After completion of the rotating cover arrangement process, the operator arranges the temporary fixing members 8 in the temporary fixing member arrangement holes 23e provided in the assembly main body 23 as shown in FIG. At this time, the rotation cover 7 in contact with the O-ring 27 is in a state of protruding toward the temporary fixing member disposing hole 23e. In this state, the operator presses and holds the rotary cover 7 against the urging force of the O-ring 27 so as to move the rotary cover 7 toward the first cover 21 and holds the temporary fixing member 8 in the temporary fixing member disposition hole 23e. Arrange. At this time, the rising step portion constituting the first cover tip portion disposition recess 7 k of the rotating cover 7 presses the O-ring 27. Then, the O-ring 27 is compressed and expanded to the outer peripheral side, and as shown in FIG. Secure. Further, the upper end portion of the temporary fixing member 8 protrudes from the side peripheral surface of the assembly body 23 by a predetermined amount, and the temporary fixing member 8 comes into contact with the distal end surface of the rotating cover 7.

  As a result, the rotation cover 7 inserted and arranged in the assembly body 23 is prevented from falling off the tip assembly 20. Further, the rotation cover 7 is disposed so as to be rotatable with respect to the assembly body 23 in a state where the rotation cover 7 can be rotated with a force against the urging force of the O-ring 27. This completes the rotation cover attachment process.

  In this state, for example, a small amount of an instantaneous adhesive may be applied between the temporary fixing member 8 and the temporary fixing member disposing hole 23e. Thus, the temporary fixing member 8 is prevented from falling off from the temporary fixing member disposition hole 23e by the adhesive, and the falling off of the rotary cover 7 from the tip end set 20 is more reliably prevented.

  Next, a unit assembling process for assembling and fixing the tip unit 10 to the tip part group 20 in which the turning cover 7 is rotatably arranged with respect to the part body 23 will be described. The unit assembly process is divided into four processes: a unit placement process, a unit attachment process, a unit pull-in process, and a unit integrated fixing process. Each process is demonstrated in order with reference to drawings.

  In addition, when an operator starts the operation | work of a unit assembly | attachment process, the recessed part 13a is provided in the unit main body 13 which comprises the front-end | tip part unit 10, and the assembly main body 23 which comprises the front-end | tip part group 20 is provided. It is taken into account that the protrusion 23g is provided at the tip.

  First, a unit arranging step for arranging the tip unit on the rotation cover 7 arranged on the assembly body 23 constituting the tip assembly will be described.

  After completion of the rotation cover attachment process, the operator inserts the tip unit 10 into the assembly body 23 in which the rotation cover 7 is arranged as shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 17, the small diameter portion of the rotation cover 7 in which the proximal end of the female screw portion 11 c provided at the end portion of the distal end unit 10 is rotatably disposed on the assembly body 23. 7b is brought into contact with the leading end of the guide male screw portion 7d. Here, the operator rotates the tip unit 10 in a predetermined direction in order to screw the female screw portion 11c into the guiding male screw portion 7d. At this time, the rotating cover 7 is held integrally with the assembly main body 23 by the urging force of the O-ring 27. Therefore, the female screw portion 11c and the guide male screw portion 7d are screwed together without being rotated as the tip unit 10 rotates. Here, when the operator further rotates the tip unit 10 in the same direction, the female screw portion 11c passes through the guiding male screw portion 7d and is guided and arranged on the escape portion 7e as shown by the broken line. At this time, the distal end unit 10 is arranged in a loosely fitted state in a state in which the distal end unit 10 is prevented from dropping off from the distal end set 20. This completes the unit placement process.

Next, a unit mounting step for causing the tip unit to be screwed to the rotating cover disposed on the assembly body constituting the tip assembly will be described.
After completion of the unit arrangement process, the operator slides and moves the tip unit 10 so as to push it into the first cover 21 side. Then, the internal thread portion 11c of the distal end portion unit 10 is moved on the escape portion 7e to the retracting male thread portion 7f side, and the proximal end of the internal thread portion 11c contacts the distal end of the retractable external thread portion 7f as shown in FIG. It will be in the state. At this time, a slight gap is formed between the base end surface of the unit main body 13 and the front end surface of the assembly main body 23. That is, the base end surface of the unit main body 13 and the front end surface of the assembly main body 23 are in a positional relationship that does not come into contact. Here, as shown in FIG. 19, in order to rotate the rotation cover 7 in a predetermined direction, the fixing portion 71 of the jig 71 is inserted into the jig arrangement hole 7 h provided in the large-diameter portion 7 c of the rotation cover 7. Arrange. Then, with the tip unit 10 pushed into the first cover 21 side, the jig 71 is operated to rotate the rotation cover 7 in the arrow direction against the urging force of the O-ring 27. Then, the internal thread portion 11c of the tip unit 10 and the retractable external thread portion 7f are in an attached state. This completes the unit attachment process.

  When the unit attachment process is completed, the operator further operates the jig 71 to rotate the rotation cover 7 and shifts to the unit retracting process.

Next, a description will be given of a unit drawing-in process in which the rotation cover is rotated and the tip unit is further drawn into the first cover side constituting the tip set.
After completing the unit mounting process, the operator operates the jig 71 to further rotate the rotating cover 7 against the urging force of the O-ring 27. Then, since the male thread portion 7f for retraction and the female thread portion 11c are in a screwed state, the tip unit 10 is slightly pulled toward the first cover 21 as the rotating cover 7 rotates. At this time, when the positional relationship between the concave portion 13a and the convex portion 23g coincides, the convex portion 23g is engaged and disposed in the concave portion 13a, and the tip unit 10 is drawn into the first cover 21 side. . Then, it will be in the state contact | abutted to the terminal members 61 and 62 at the front-end | tip of the sliding convex part 9c of the connection pin 9. FIG. Thereafter, when the rotation cover 7 is further rotated, the sliding projection 9c is gradually pushed into the internal space 9d, and the amount of protrusion decreases. Finally, the tip unit 10 is pulled to a predetermined position, and the rotating cover 7 is not rotated in the direction of the arrow even if the operator operates the jig 71 as shown in FIG. As a result, the tip unit 10 is integrally fixed to the tip set 20 at a predetermined position as shown in FIG. This completes the unit pull-in process. At this time, the cutting position notification mark 10a is arranged on the escape portion 7e of the rotating cover 7 which is a predetermined position.

  On the other hand, after the unit attachment process is completed, the operator operates the jig 71 to rotate the rotation cover 7 and pulls the tip unit 10. At this time, if the positional relationship between the concave portion 13a and the convex portion 23g is in a mismatched state, the base end surface of the unit main body 13 and the front end surface of the assembly main body 23 come into contact with each other, and the leading end unit 10 is retracted. Stopped. At this time, in order to make the positional relationship between the concave portion 13a and the convex portion 23g coincide with each other, the tip unit 10 is rotated with respect to the rotary cover 7, and then the jig 71 is operated again so that the rotary cover 7 is moved. Rotate. Here, when the retraction of the tip unit 10 is stopped again, an operation of matching the positional relationship between the concave portion 13a and the convex portion 23g is performed. And as shown in the said FIG. 3, the front-end | tip part unit 10 is arrange | positioned in the predetermined position of the front-end | tip part group 20. As shown in FIG.

Finally, a unit integrated fixing process for integrally fixing the tip unit 10 to the tip set 20 will be described.
After completing the unit pull-in process, the operator applies the fixing adhesive 70 over the entire circumference in the adhesive application groove 7g located between the base end of the unit cover 11 and the large diameter portion 7c of the rotation cover 7. To do. The unit may be pulled in with the fixing adhesive 70 applied in advance to the adhesive application groove 7g. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the tip unit 10 is integrally assembled and fixed to the tip set 20 to form the tip 3. That is, the unit assembly process is completed.

  When the unit assembling process is completed, the end surface of the sliding projection 9c constituting the connection pin 9 is abutted against the distal end surface of the terminal members 61 and 62 by the biasing force of the coil spring 9e provided on the connection pin 9. The contact state. As a result, the LED chip 52 mounted on the element substrate 51 and the core wire 65 of the electric cable 64 are electrically connected, and the terminal members 61 and 62 are connected to the bonding convex portion 9a, the pin body 9b, the coil spring 9e, the sliding member. It is electrically connected via a connection pin 9 having a moving projection 9c. Further, the objective optical system 4 is configured by disposing the optical lens 4d disposed in the partial lens frame 24 to face the optical lens 4c disposed in the unit lens frame 12.

  Therefore, in this state, by supplying electric power to the LED chip 52 via the electric cable 64, the LED chip 52 mounted on the element substrate 51 enters a light emitting state, and the observation site is illuminated. On the other hand, the optical image of the observation site illuminated by the LED chip 52 passes through the tip lens 4a, the optical lenses 4b to 4f and the cover glass 4g constituting the objective optical system 4, and forms an image on the imaging surface of the imaging device 4h. Is done.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 21 thru | or FIG. 23, when LED illumination LED illumination interruption | blocking generate | occur | produces, the process of removing a front-end | tip part unit from a front-end | tip part group is demonstrated. The tip unit removing process is divided into three processes, a tip unit cutting process, a temporary fixing member removing process, and a tip unit remaining part removing process. Each process is demonstrated in order with reference to drawings.

  When the LED chip 52 of the endoscope 1 is cut and the observation becomes impossible, the user is notified to the service center that the lighting LED has been cut off. Then, the service center is informed to the person in charge of the repair that the LED illumination has run out. The repair person visits the user and performs the repair on the spot or by taking the endoscope home.

  The person in charge of the repair confirms the state of the endoscope 1, and then replacement parts such as a repair tool such as a pipe cutter and pliers, an adhesive, the tip unit 10, the rotation cover 7, the temporary fixing member 8, and the O-ring 27. Prepare for repair.

First, the tip unit cutting process for removing the tip unit provided with the LED chip in which the LED illumination is cut off from the tip set will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 21, the person in charge of the repair places the blade portion 72 a of the pipe cutter 72 on the cutting position notification mark 10 a provided on the unit cover 11 of the endoscope 1. Then, the person in charge of the repair operates the pipe cutter 72 to move the blade portion 72a along the cutting position notification mark 10a. Then, the cutting part 10b is formed along the cutting position notification mark 10a of the tip part unit 10 constituting the tip part 3 of the endoscope 1, and the unit cover 11 constituting the tip part unit 10 is sandwiched by the cutting part 10b. Is divided into two. This completes the tip unit cutting process.

  Since the cutting position notification mark 10a is arranged on the escape portion 7e of the rotation cover 7, when the tip unit 10 is cut by the pipe cutter 72, the blade portion 72a is a replacement part of the rotation cover 7. Since the escape portion 7e is contacted, the tip end group 20 is prevented from being damaged by the pipe cutter 72.

Next, the temporary fixing member removal process which removes a temporary fixing member from a temporary fixing member arrangement | positioning hole is demonstrated.
After completion of the tip unit cutting step, the person in charge of the repair cuts the distal end portion located on the distal end side of the cutting portion 10b from the distal end set 20 constituting the distal end portion 3 of the endoscope 1 as shown in FIG. Remove the unit 10A. By providing the cutting unit 10 b in the tip unit 10, the cut tip unit 10 </ b> A is separated from the tip set 20 and can be easily detached from the tip set 20. By removing the cut end portion unit 10A from the end portion set 20, the end portion of the assembly body 23 is exposed. Note that the cut tip unit 10A is discarded.

  Here, the person in charge of the repair places, for example, pliers (not shown), which is a repair tool, in the cutout portion 23 h and holds the end portion of the temporary fixing member 8. Then, the temporary fixing member 8 disposed in the temporary fixing member disposing hole 23e as shown by the solid line and in contact with the front end surface of the rotation cover 7 is arranged as shown by the broken line. Remove from the installation hole 23e. This completes the temporary fixing member removal step.

  Lastly, a tip unit debris removal step for removing the tip unit debris part, which is integrally left in the tip unit set in the tip unit cutting process, from the tip set will be described.

  After the temporary fixing member removal process is completed, the repair person removes the distal-end unit debris portion 10B left on the proximal end side from the cutting portion 10b. The proximal end portion of the tip unit remnant portion 10B is in a state of being fixedly bonded to the rotating cover 7 by a fixing adhesive 70, and the rotating cover 7 is integrated with the assembly body 23 by an O-ring 27. It is in a held state. Accordingly, the repair person removes the rotating cover 7 from the assembly body 23 against the urging force of the O-ring 27, and is fixed integrally to the rotating cover 7 together with the rotating cover 7. The tip unit debris 10 </ b> B can be removed from the tip set 20. Thus, the tip unit debris removal step is completed, and the step of removing the tip unit 10 from the tip set 20 is completed.

  Thereafter, the person in charge of the repair removes the O-ring 27 from the assembly main body 23, checks the state around the tip assembly 20, and cleans the new tip unit 10, the rotating cover 7, the temporary fixing member 8 and so on. A replacement part such as an O-ring 27 is prepared, and the tip unit 10 is fixed to the tip set 20 in accordance with the tip assembly process shown in FIGS. 11 to 20 described above. This completes the replacement of the LED lighting.

  Thus, the distal end portion of the endoscope includes a distal end portion set, a distal end unit having a female thread portion disposed in the distal end portion set, and a male screw portion that is screwed into the female thread portion of the distal end portion unit, While the tip unit is pulled into the tip set, it is mainly composed of a rotating cover that is integrally fixed to the tip set after the tip unit is pulled to a predetermined position. And the rotation cover is rotatably arranged with respect to the assembly main body by a temporary fixing member provided in the assembly main body. Further, the rotating cover is firmly fixed to the tip unit by a fixing adhesive in a state where the tip unit is pulled to a predetermined position of the tip set. Thus, the distal end portion of the endoscope in which the distal end unit is integrally fixed at a predetermined position of the distal end portion set can be configured.

  Moreover, a cutting part is provided in the predetermined part of the unit cover which comprises a front-end | tip part unit, and this unit cover is divided into two. By this, the cut | disconnected front-end | tip part unit of the front end side rather than a cutting | disconnection part can be removed from a front-end | tip part group. And the temporary fix | stop member provided in the assembly main body is exposed by removing the cut | disconnected front-end | tip part unit from a front-end | tip part group. Here, the temporary fixing member is extracted from the temporary fixing member disposition hole. Then, the temporary fixing member 8 that has been in contact with the distal end surface of the rotating cover 7 is removed, and the rotating cover can be easily removed from the distal end set 20. At this time, since the tip unit debris 10B is bonded and fixed to the rotary cover 7, the tip unit debris 10B can be removed by removing the rotary cover 7 from the tip set. At this time, there is no need to remove or remove the fixing adhesive 70 that fixes the rotating cover 7 and the base end portion of the distal end unit debris 10B. Therefore, when the LED chip is out of the LED illumination, the tip unit can be easily detached from the tip set in a short time.

  As a result, when the LED lighting is interrupted, the tip unit is removed from the tip set, and then the tip unit is fixed to a predetermined position of the tip set in an integral manner. Configure the tip of the mirror. This makes it possible to easily replace the LED illumination.

  In the above-described embodiment, when the LED illumination is cut and the LED illumination is replaced and repaired, the tip lens 4a and the optical lenses 4b and 4c constituting the objective optical system 4 are simultaneously replaced in addition to the LED chip. Has been. With reference to the following FIG. 24 to FIG. 30, a configuration example of an endoscope capable of only replacing the LED chip when the LED illumination is interrupted will be described.

  FIG. 24 to FIG. 27 are related to an example of the configuration of an endoscope in which only the LED chip can be replaced when the LED illumination is cut off, and FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of each of the tip unit and the tip set. 25 is a front view of the tip unit, FIG. 26 is a front view of the tip set, and FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating the tip of the endoscope in a state where the tip unit and the tip set are assembled.

  In the above-described embodiment, the unit lens frame 12, the group lens frame 24, and the imaging frame 25 are disposed on the optical axis by assembling the tip unit 10 to the tip set 20, and the objective optical system. Is configured. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 24 to 26, the objective optical system 4A is provided in the distal end portion group 20A, while the distal end unit 10D is provided with an objective optical system arrangement hole.

  That is, the front end group 20A includes a first lens frame 41, a second lens frame 42, an imaging frame 43, a plurality of optical members such as a front end lens 4a, optical lenses 4b to 4f, a cover glass 4g, and An image sensor 4h is provided. A tip lens 4a, optical lenses 4b and 4c, and a second lens frame 42 are fixed to the first lens frame 41. Optical lenses 4d to 4f are fixed to the second lens frame 42. A cover glass 4 g is fixed to the imaging frame 43. The image pickup element 4h is bonded and fixed to the cover glass 4g via a package glass (not shown) provided on the image pickup surface side of the image pickup element 4h.

The first lens frame 41 is configured in a stepped pipe shape having a large diameter portion 41a and a small diameter portion 41b. The small diameter portion 41b is disposed in the first lens frame fixing hole 23k provided in the assembly main body 23A, and is fixed integrally by, for example, adhesion. Therefore, the large diameter part 41a protrudes from the front end surface of the assembly body 23A. For example, a circumferential groove 41c for arranging two O-rings 44 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the protruding large-diameter portion 41a. On the other hand, the second lens frame 42 is formed in a pipe shape and is bonded and fixed to the inner hole of the first lens frame 41, for example. The imaging frame 43 is, for example, bonded and fixed to the imaging frame fixing hole 23m of the assembly body 23A after the focus adjustment is completed. In addition,
The assembly main body 23A is provided with an imaging frame fixing hole (not shown) communicating with the imaging frame fixing hole 23m. A female screw into which the temporary set screw is screwed is formed in the imaging frame fixing hole.

  On the other hand, the tip unit 10D is mainly composed of a unit cover 11 and a unit main body 13A. The unit main body 13A is integrally fixed to the unit cover 11 by adhesion, for example. At the center of the unit main body 13A, there is provided an objective optical system arrangement hole 13e constituted by a round hole in which the large diameter part 41a of the first lens frame 41 constituting the objective optical system is arranged. Reference numeral 13f denotes an escape portion. The escape hole 13f has a larger diameter than the objective optical system arrangement hole 13e. Other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, and the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

Then, the tip unit 10D is assembled to the tip set 20A in accordance with the tip assembly process described above. In this assembly process, after completing the rotating cover mounting process,
The operator inserts the tip unit 10D into the assembly main body 23A so as to insert the tip unit 10 of FIG. 16 into the assembly main body 23 in which the rotation cover 7 is disposed. Then, the base end of the internal thread part 11c provided in the edge part of the front-end | tip part unit 10D is formed in the small diameter part 7b of the rotation cover 7 arrange | positioned rotatably at the assembly main body 23A. Before coming into contact with the tip of the guide male screw portion 7d, the tip of the first lens frame 41 is disposed in the escape hole 13f. Here, the operator rotates the tip unit 10 in a predetermined direction in order to screw the female screw portion 11c into the guiding male screw portion 7d. Then, the female screw portion 11c and the guide male screw portion 7d are screwed together. Here, when the operator further rotates the tip portion unit 10 in the same direction, the female screw portion 11c is moved toward the escape portion 7e, and the first lens frame is placed in the objective optical system arrangement hole 13e. After the front end portion of 41 is engaged and arranged, the female screw portion 11c reaches the escape portion 7e side. Thereafter, assembly is performed again according to the above-described assembly process of the tip portion. When the assembly is completed, the distal end portion 3A of the endoscope 1A shown in FIG. 27 is configured. In the distal end portion 3A, the large-diameter portion 41a of the first lens frame 41 constituting the objective optical system 4A is arranged in the objective optical system arrangement hole 13e of the unit main body 13A. In this arrangement state, the outer peripheral surface of the O-ring 44 arranged in the peripheral groove 41c of the large diameter portion 41a is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the objective optical system arrangement hole 13e of the unit main body 13A, thereby maintaining watertightness. Is done.

  According to the distal end portion 3A of the endoscope 1A having this configuration, when the LED illumination is cut off, only the illumination lamp can be replaced without replacing the optical member constituting the objective optical system. Other operations and effects are the same as those of the above-described embodiment.

  In the configuration example of the endoscope 1A in which only the replacement of the LED chip shown in FIGS. 24 to 27 described above can be performed, the first lens provided with the small-diameter portion 41b of the first lens frame 41 in the assembly body 23A. Although the frame fixing hole 23k is integrally fixed by, for example, adhesion, the imaging frame 43 is disposed in the imaging frame fixing hole 23m of the assembly body 23A, and after the focus adjustment is completed, for example, the adhesive fixing is illustrated. As shown in FIG. 28, the tip end group may be configured.

  FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a main part different from the configuration of the tip end part set of FIG.

  In the tip end group 20B shown in FIG. 28, instead of the imaging frame fixing hole 43p communicating with the imaging frame fixing hole 23m, the side peripheral surface of the assembly body 23B communicates with the first lens frame fixing hole 23k instead of the imaging frame fixing hole 43p. A lens frame fixing hole 43n is provided. The lens frame fixing hole 43n is formed with a female screw into which the temporary set screw 45 is screwed. The other configuration is the same as the configuration of the tip end group 20A, and the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In the configuration of this embodiment, when performing focus adjustment, the first lens frame 41 is moved in the optical axis direction to perform focus adjustment. After the focus adjustment, the moved first lens frame 41 is temporarily fixed by the temporary set screw 45, and then an adhesive is applied to change the temporarily fixed state to the fastening and fixed state. Thus, by providing the lens frame fixing hole including the female screw in the assembly main body, it is possible to significantly improve the workability of the focus adjustment as compared with the case where the focus adjustment is performed by moving the imaging frame.

  In addition, in the configuration example of the endoscope 1A in which only the replacement of the LED chip shown in FIGS. 24 to 27 described above can be performed, the side portion that opposes the lens shape of the tip lens 4a disposed in the first lens frame 41 is provided. However, as shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, the tip lens 4m disposed in the first lens frame 41A may be circular. 29 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a main part different from the configuration of the tip end set in FIG. 28, and FIG. 30 is a front view of the tip end set. In this way, by forming the tip lens in a circular shape, a recess for disposing the tip lens can be formed easily and with high accuracy. This provides a highly accurate objective optical system at a low cost.

  Furthermore, in the endoscope shown in Patent Document 1, when the LED illumination is cut off by configuring the endoscope as shown in FIG. 31, an imaging optical system including an imaging element, a side line member, and the like The LED illumination can be easily exchanged as shown in FIG. 32 without exchanging the entire inside of the insertion portion. FIG. 31 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the distal end portion of the endoscope, and FIG. 32 is a diagram illustrating a state where the unit cover is cut.

  In the endoscope 1B shown in FIG. 31, the exterior of the distal end portion 3B includes a unit cover 111, a rotation cover 100, a first cover 121, and a second cover 122 in order from the distal end side. The objective optical system 4 </ b> B includes a unit lens frame 131 and a partial lens frame 132. The unit lens frame 131 is provided with a tip lens 4r having predetermined optical characteristics, an optical lens 4s, a mask member, a spacing ring, and the like. A plurality of optical lenses 4 t, 4 u, 4 w having predetermined optical characteristics are disposed in the distal end side pore of the partial lens frame 132. An imaging element 4y provided with a cover glass 4x is provided in the large-diameter hole on the base end side of the partial lens frame 132.

  The unit lens frame 131 is disposed at a predetermined position of the unit main body 112. A wiring part 140 as a connecting member is provided at a predetermined position of the unit main body 112. The wiring unit 140 includes a wiring member 141, a substrate 142, and a conductive rubber 143. The wiring member 141 is electrically connected to a conductive pattern (not shown) provided on the LED substrate 113, and terminal protrusions 161 and 162 as terminal portions are electrically bonded to the conductive rubber 143. The unit main body 112 and the LED substrate 113 are integrally fixed to the unit cover 111 by an annular holding member 114. Reference numeral 114a is a recess for placing the end of the square wrench. Reference numeral 115 denotes an insulating member. Reference numeral 116 denotes a positioning hole. Reference numeral 112a is a wiring hole. Although the terminal convex portion 161 is not shown in the figure, the terminal convex portion 161 is provided at a position facing the terminal convex portion 162 across the central axis.

  The partial lens frame 132 is disposed at a predetermined position of the partial body 123. Terminal protrusions 161 and 162 are disposed at predetermined positions of the assembly main body 123 via an insulation protection member 163. The end portions of the core wire 165 constituting the electric cable 164 that supplies power to the LED chip 117 are bonded and fixed to the terminal convex portions 161 and 162 by, for example, solder 166.

  The assembly main body 123 is integrally fixed to the first cover 121. The distal end portion 3B of the present embodiment is mainly configured by combining the distal end portion unit 110, the rotation cover 100, and the distal end portion set 120 which is a main portion. Reference numeral 108 denotes a temporary fixing member, which is a cylindrical pin member in the present embodiment.

  The tip unit 110 mainly includes a unit cover 111, a unit lens frame 131, and a unit main body 112. The unit lens frame 131 is integrally fixed to the unit main body 112 by adhesion, for example. A central through hole 112b in which the unit lens frame 131 is disposed is formed at the center of the unit main body 112. Further, the wiring member 141 is inserted into the wiring hole 112 a of the unit main body 112. A sealing resin 118 is provided around the wiring member 141 and the LED chip 117.

  An LED substrate 113 constituting the illumination optical system 5B is integrally disposed on the front end surface of the unit main body 112. The unit lens frame 131 is a tubular member formed in a predetermined shape with a metal member having excellent corrosion resistance such as stainless steel. The unit cover 111 includes a thick part 111a and a thin part 111b. The unit main body 112 is disposed on the thick portion 111a side. A first female threaded portion 111c is provided in the vicinity of the thick portion 111a of the unit cover 111, and a second female threaded portion 111d is provided on the inner peripheral surface on the base end side. A male screw formed on the outer peripheral surface of the holding member 114 is screwed into the first female screw portion 111c.

  The rotation cover 100 disposed on the assembly main body 123 is a pipe-shaped member. On the outer peripheral surface, a guide male screw portion 101, a relief portion 102, a pull-in male screw portion 103, and an adhesive application groove 104 are provided in this order from the front end side. The second female screw portion 111 d of the unit cover 111 is screwed into the male screw portion 101 for guidance and the male screw portion 103 for retraction. A jig installation hole 105 in which a predetermined portion of the fixing jig is disposed is formed at a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface on the proximal end side of the rotation cover 100.

  The tip group 120 is mainly composed of a first cover 121, a second cover 122, a group body 123, and a group lens frame 132. An optical lens 4t is disposed at the center of the distal end surface of the assembly body 123, and terminal convex portions 161 and 162 are disposed at predetermined positions on the distal end surface. The terminal convex portion 161 is, for example, a power supply side terminal, and the terminal convex portion 162 is, for example, a ground terminal.

  The terminal convex portions 161 and 162 are disposed on the assembly main body 123 via an insulation protection member 163. The insulation protection member 163 has a cylindrical shape, and a communication hole 163a is formed at the bottom. The front end surfaces of the terminal convex portions 161 and 162 of the insulation protection member 163 protrude from the front end surface of the assembly body 123 by a predetermined amount. The electric cable 164 is guided through the communication hole 163a and the cable insertion hole (hereinafter abbreviated as a cable hole) 123b of the assembly main body 123 to the curved portion side.

  The assembly main body 123 is formed of a metal member such as copper or aluminum having a substantially cylindrical shape and good thermal conductivity. A stepped through hole (hereinafter referred to as a stepped hole) 123 c is formed in the center of the assembly body 123. An imaging circuit board (not shown) is electrically and mechanically connected to the proximal end side of the imaging element 4y. Electronic components such as capacitors and transistors are mounted on the imaging circuit board. A signal line that passes through a signal cable (not shown) is electrically connected to the imaging circuit board in a predetermined state. The imaging element 4y and the imaging circuit board are sealed with, for example, a thermoplastic resin 4z.

  A heat dissipating member 126 made of a heat dissipating member is disposed around the thermoplastic resin 4z and in the assembly body 123. The heat dissipating member 126 guides heat generated from the imaging circuit board provided in the thermoplastic resin 4z and heat conducted to the assembly main body 123 to the base end of the heat dissipating wire and dissipates it. Specifically, the heat radiating member 126 is formed in consideration of flexibility by bundling a plurality of strands having a high thermal conductivity such as copper wire, aluminum wire, silver wire, etc., and a strand diameter of 0.1 mm or less. Yes. Then, the number of strands and the length dimension are appropriately set according to the type of endoscope in consideration of both heat capacity and workability.

  A positioning pin 127 inserted into the positioning hole 116 is provided on the distal end surface of the assembly body 123. On the other hand, a temporary fixing member arrangement hole 128 is provided at a predetermined position on the side peripheral surface of the assembly body 123. In other words, the positioning hole 116 and the positioning pin 127 are positioning means for setting the tip unit 110 and the tip set 120 to a predetermined arrangement state.

  For example, a pair of temporary fixing member arrangement holes 128 are provided at positions facing each other across the longitudinal central axis of the assembly body 123. The temporary fixing member 108 is disposed in the temporary fixing member arrangement hole 128. The temporary fixing member 108 is arranged in the temporary fixing member arrangement hole 128 in a state where the rotation cover 100 is arranged in the assembly main body 123. The temporary fixing member 108 is a member for preventing the rotation cover 100 from falling off the assembly body 123. Therefore, in a state where the temporary fixing member 108 is arranged in the temporary fixing member arrangement hole 128, the end of the temporary fixing member 108 protrudes from the temporary fixing member arrangement hole 128 by a predetermined amount and comes into contact with the tip of the rotating cover 100. .

  Note that an adhesive may be applied to prevent the temporary fixing member 108 from falling out of the temporary fixing member arrangement hole 128. At this time, the adhesive strength is taken into consideration so that the temporary fixing member 108 is not firmly fixed to the temporary fixing member arrangement hole 128. This is so that the temporary fixing member 108 can be removed from the temporary fixing member arrangement hole 128 when the LED illumination cut-off described later occurs.

  The first cover 121 is integrally fixed to the base end side of the assembly body 123 by, for example, adhesion. The second cover 122 is a connection cover member for connecting the tip end group 120 and the bending portion. Reference numeral 129 denotes a seal pipe. The seal pipe 129 is provided so as to integrally cover the rotation cover 100 and the first cover 121 so as to close the jig installation hole 105.

Here, with reference to FIG. 32, cutting of the tip unit that removes the tip unit including the LED chip from the tip set when the LED illumination is cut off will be described.
In order to replace the LED illumination when the LED illumination is cut off, as shown in FIG. 31, the cutting portion notification mark (not shown) provided on the unit cover 111 of the endoscope 1B with the blade portion 72a of the pipe cutter 72 is provided. ). And the pipe cutter 72 is operated and the blade part 72a is moved along the cutting position notification mark. Then, the cutting part 119 is formed along the cutting position notification mark of the tip part unit 110, and the unit cover 111 constituting the tip part unit 110 is divided into two with the cutting part 119 interposed therebetween.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 32, the cut distal end unit 110 </ b> A located on the distal end side from the cutting portion 119 is removed from the distal end portion set 120 constituting the distal end portion 3 </ b> B of the endoscope 1 </ b> B. The cut tip unit 110A is easily removed from the tip set 120, and the tip of the tip set 120 is exposed. As a result, the replacement can be performed as shown in the above-described embodiment.

  Thereafter, the temporary fixing member 108 is removed, and 129 is cut with a cutter or scraped off with a file or the like. And the front-end | tip part debris part 110B left on the base end side from the cutting part 119 is removed. At this time, the base end portion of the tip unit remnant portion 110 </ b> B is in a state of being bonded and fixed to the rotating cover 100 by the fixing adhesive 70. Therefore, by removing the rotating cover 100 from the distal end set 120, the distal end unit debris 110B fixed to the rotating cover 100 together with the rotating cover 100 can be detached from the distal end set 120.

  As a result, when the LED illumination is interrupted, the LED illumination can be easily replaced without replacing the entire portion of the imaging optical system including the imaging element and the insertion portion such as the side line member.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1 to 10 are views for explaining the configuration of the distal end portion of the insertion portion of the endoscope, and FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining the distal end portion of the insertion portion of the endoscope. Front view of the distal end of the insertion section Sectional drawing of the insertion part front-end | tip part along the AA line of FIG. Exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the distal end of the insertion portion Sectional drawing explaining the structure of a front-end | tip part unit Sectional drawing of the front-end | tip part unit along the BB line of FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram when the tip unit of FIG. 5 is viewed from the arrow C side. Sectional drawing explaining the structure of a connection pin Front view of the tip group Sectional drawing of the front-end | tip part group along the DD line of FIG. 11 to 20 are views for explaining a procedure for assembling the insertion portion distal end, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view for explaining a preparation stage for attaching the rotation cover to the assembly main body. The perspective view explaining the state which made the rotation cover penetrate the assembly body The perspective view explaining the state which has arrange | positioned the rotation cover in the predetermined position of a assembly main body. The perspective view explaining the state which has arrange | positioned the temporary fixing member in the temporary fixing member arrangement | positioning hole of a assembly main body. Sectional drawing explaining the state which has arrange | positioned the temporary fixing member in the temporary fixing member arrangement | positioning hole of a assembly body. The perspective view explaining the state which made the front-end | tip part unit pass in the assembly main body by which the rotation cover is arrange | positioned. Sectional drawing explaining the state which inserts the front-end | tip part unit in the assembly main body by which the rotation cover is arrange | positioned, and the internal thread part of a unit cover is contacting the external thread part for guidance of a rotation cover Sectional drawing explaining the state which inserts the front-end | tip part unit further into the assembly main body in which the rotation cover is arrange | positioned, and the female screw part of a unit cover is contact | abutting to the drawing-in screw part of a rotation cover The figure explaining the state which is rotating the rotation cover using a jig | tool and the unit cover which comprises a front-end | tip part unit is drawn in the assembly main body side. The figure explaining the state which has finished drawing in the tip unit to the assembly body side FIG. 21 to FIG. 23 are diagrams for explaining the procedure for removing the tip unit from the tip set after the occurrence of the LED illumination interruption, and FIG. 21 is a perspective view for explaining a state in which the unit cover is cut along the cutting position notification mark. The perspective view explaining the state which removed the cut-ended tip part unit from the tip part set. The perspective view explaining the state which removed the rotation cover with which the tip part remnant part was integral from the tip part group. FIG. 24 to FIG. 27 are related to an example of the configuration of an endoscope in which only the LED chip can be replaced when the LED illumination is cut off, and FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of each of the tip unit and the tip set. Front view of the tip unit Front view of the tip group The figure explaining the front-end | tip part of the endoscope of the state which assembled | attached the front-end | tip part unit and the front-end | tip part group. Sectional drawing explaining the principal part different from the structure of the front-end | tip part group of FIG. FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a main part different from the configuration of the tip end part set of FIG. Front view of the tip group The figure explaining the structural example of the front-end | tip part of an endoscope The figure explaining the state which cut the unit cover

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Endoscope 3 ... Insertion part front-end | tip part 4 ... Objective optical system 5 ... Illumination optical system
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 7 ... Rotation cover 8 ... Temporary fixing member 9 ... Connection pin 10 ... Tip part unit 10a ... Cutting position notification mark 11 ... Unit cover 13 ... Unit main body 20 ... Tip part set 23 ... Group main part 23e ... Member installation hole 23g ... Projection 27 ... O-ring 52 ... LED chip 61 ... Terminal member 62 ... Terminal member 64 ... Electric cable 70 ... Fixing adhesive

Claims (15)

A tip unit having a unit body on which a substrate on which a light emitting element is mounted is disposed;
An endoscope insertion portion having a terminal member connected to an end portion of an electric cable for supplying power to the light emitting element, the distal end unit being replaceable, and an insertion portion distal end portion;
One end portion provided integrally with the unit main body and electrically joined integrally to the substrate on which the light emitting element is mounted, and the insertion portion length in a state where the distal end portion unit is attached to the insertion portion distal end portion. A pin member having a second end portion that is in an electrically connected state to the terminal member by a biasing force of a biasing member that works in a hand axis direction;
A rotation member that is rotatably disposed at a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion of the insertion portion via a rotation holding member ,
The tip unit has a severable part,
An endoscope characterized in that an opening side end on the other end side of the tip unit is integrally fixed to the rotating member . The rotating member has a guide male screw part, a relief part, a pull-in male screw part, and an adhesive application groove in order from the tip side,
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the distal end unit is fixed by an adhesive at a position of an adhesive application groove of the rotating member. The rotating member further includes an O-ring disposed in a first cover distal end portion disposing recess provided on a proximal end surface side of the rotating member which is a rear end side of the adhesive application groove of the rotating member. The endoscope according to claim 2. In a state where the tip unit and the rotating member are arranged at the tip of the insertion portion,
The cleavable portion of the tip unit is
The endoscope according to claim 2 , wherein the endoscope is located on an escape portion of the rotating member. In a state where the distal end unit and the rotating member are disposed at the distal end portion of the insertion portion,
The cleavable portion of the tip unit is
The endoscope according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the endoscope is located rearward of the rotation holding member and forward of the adhesive application groove. The tip unit includes a unit cover, and an outer surface of the unit cover is provided with a cutting position notification mark for notifying a cuttable portion,
The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cutting position notification mark is arranged on an escape portion of the rotating member. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the unit cover includes a thin portion and a thick portion, and a portion of the tip unit that can be cut is a thin portion. The rotation holding member includes a temporary fixing member and an arrangement hole formed on the distal end side of the insertion portion for arranging the temporary fixing member. The endoscope described. The inner end according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein a female screw part is provided at an opening side end part of the tip part unit, and a male screw part screwed into the female screw part is provided in the rotating member. Endoscope. In the configuration in which the unit body is a conductive member,
The unit body is
The pin member has a through-hole in the longitudinal direction of the insertion portion arranged in a loose fit state,
The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein an insulating member that covers the pin member is provided in the through hole. In the configuration in which the unit body is an insulating member,
The unit body is
The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a through-hole in an insertion portion longitudinal axis direction in which the pin member is disposed. The substrate has flexibility, a conductive substrate having a conductive pattern formed on one surface side of an electrically insulating base material, wherein the light emitting element is mounted on one surface side of the flexible substrate,
The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein an arrangement hole through which one end of the pin member is arranged is provided in the flexible substrate. The substrate has flexibility, a conductive substrate having a conductive pattern formed on one surface side of an electrically insulating base material, wherein the light emitting element is mounted on one surface side of the flexible substrate,
A through hole electrically connected to the conductive pattern is provided in the flexible substrate, and a conductive pattern in which one end portion of the pin member is electrically connected is provided at a predetermined portion on the other surface side of the through hole. The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the endoscope is characterized. 14. The objective optical system according to claim 1 , wherein an optical system on the unit main body side provided in the distal end unit and an optical system on the distal end side of the insertion portion provided in the distal end portion of the insertion portion constitute an objective optical system. The endoscope according to claim 1. In the configuration in which the objective optical system protrudes from the distal end surface of the insertion portion distal end,
The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the distal end unit is provided with a round hole through which the objective optical system is inserted.

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