JP5479877B2 - Tubular member receiving mechanism - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a tubular member receiving mechanism that receives an end of a flexible tubular member having a linear member inserted therein. For example, the present invention relates to a tubular member receiving mechanism that receives an end portion of a tubular member into which a linear member that operates a tip bending mechanism is inserted.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, devices such as manipulators and endoscopes are provided with a tip bending mechanism that bends by manipulating an end portion of the manipulator or a bending tube on the tip side of the endoscope with an operation wire (linear member). Since this operation wire is operated at a position away from the bending tube, the inside of the tubular member that has flexibility but hardly expands or contracts in the length direction so that the insertion length is constant inside the flexible tube. May have been inserted. As this tubular member, a flexible member such as a coil pipe or a thin metal tube is used.
For example, in Patent Document 1, a wire guide tube that guides an operation wire for operating a member to be scanned is inserted into an insertion portion formed by connecting a distal end portion to a distal end of a flexible tube via a bending tube, An endoscope is described in which at least a portion of the wire guide tube disposed in the flexible tube is formed by a superelastic alloy pipe.
Further, Patent Document 2 incorporates a flexible tube portion that can be bent, a bending tube portion that is connected to the flexible tube portion and performs a bending operation by operating an operation wire, and the flexible tube portion. In addition, there is described an endoscope having a metal pipe through which the Usa wire along the entire length of the flexible tube portion is inserted. A wire guide tube or a metal which is a tubular member of these endoscopes is described. The end portion of the pipe includes a tubular member receiving mechanism in which an outer peripheral surface is inserted into the through hole of the receiving member at the end portion and is fixed to the receiving member at the outer portion of the tubular member.
As a method for fixing the tubular member, friction fitting, soldering, welding, adhesion, or the like is performed.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-57057 JP-A-1-277530

However, the conventional tubular member receiving mechanism as described above has the following problems.
In the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, since the tubular member is fixed to the receiving member on the outer side, the friction force from the operation wire is applied to the inner peripheral surface of the tubular member by repeating the operation of the operation wire. The fixing portion between the tubular member and the receiving member receives a shearing force by acting or by bending the tubular member during operation of the apparatus. For this reason, there exists a problem that a tubular member is damaged at the fixing | fixed part with a receiving member, or it is easy to remove | deviate from a receiving member.
In particular, in the distal end bending mechanism, when the tubular member is detached from the receiving member in this way, the insertion length of the operation wire in the flexible tube changes to change the bending amount with respect to a certain operation amount, or to change the bending operation. There is a problem that it cannot be done.
In addition, there is a problem that the operation wire is brought into contact with the end portion of the detached tubular member and the operation wire is damaged.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a tubular member receiving mechanism that can stabilize the receiving position of the tubular member in the axial direction and prevent damage to the tubular member. For the purpose.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in the invention according to claim 1, the tubular member that receives the end of the tubular member in a state where the bendable linear member is inserted into the flexible tubular member. A member receiving mechanism comprising: a hole-shaped receiving portion that inserts an end portion of the tubular member to restrict a radial position of the end portion of the tubular member; and the tubular member inserted into the hole-shaped receiving portion. A receiving member having a receiving surface that receives the end in the axial direction and a through-hole through which the linear member inserted into the tubular member is inserted, and the position of which is fixed inside the hole-shaped receiving portion with the door, the retaining surface of the receiving member, the name Ru consists inclined surface inclined from the outer periphery to the inner periphery toward the end of the tubular member.

In the invention described in claim 2, in a tubular member receiving mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the receiving member, the inclined surface of the retaining surface is a configuration provided on the conical surface shape.

In the invention described in claim 3, in a tubular member receiving mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the hole-like receiving portion, an end portion of said tubular member to restrict deformation along the inclined surface of the receiving member It is set as the structure provided with a deformation | transformation control part.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the tubular member receiving mechanism according to any one of the first to third aspects, the hole-shaped receiving portion includes an outer peripheral surface of an end portion of the tubular member and an outer peripheral surface of the receiving member. It is configured to be formed of a connecting member that is in close contact and connects the tubular member and the receiving member.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the tubular member receiving mechanism according to the fourth aspect , the connecting member is composed of an elastic member that connects the tubular member and the receiving member by elastic force.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the tubular member receiving mechanism according to the fourth aspect , the connecting member is composed of a heat-shrinkable member that is heat-shrinked.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the tubular member receiving mechanism according to the fourth aspect , the connecting member is detachably provided to the receiving member.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the tubular member receiving mechanism according to the seventh aspect, the connecting member includes an internal thread portion that is screwed with an external thread portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the receiving member on the inner peripheral surface. The configuration.

  According to the tubular member receiving mechanism of the present invention, since the axial end portion of the tubular member is received by the receiving surface portion of the member and received by the tubular member, the axial receiving position of the tubular member can be stabilized. The tubular member can be prevented from being damaged.

It is a typical perspective view showing an example of a tip curving mechanism provided with a tubular member receiving mechanism concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is typical sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the tubular member receiving mechanism which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is BB sectional drawing and CC sectional drawing in FIG. It is a typical perspective view which shows an example of the receiving member which can be used for the tubular member receiving mechanism of the 1st Embodiment of this invention, and its modification (1st modification). It is DD (EE) sectional drawing in FIG. It is the elements on larger scale of the F section in FIG. 5 which shows an example of the detail of the receiving part of the tubular member receiving mechanism which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention, and its modification. It is a schematic diagram which shows a mode that the tubular member which received external force deform | transforms in the tubular member receiving mechanism which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the structure of the principal part of the tubular member receiving mechanism which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the structure of the principal part of the tubular member receiving mechanism which concerns on the 4th modification of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all the drawings, even if the embodiments are different, the same or corresponding members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and common description is omitted.

[First Embodiment]
The tubular member receiving mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described together with a tip bending mechanism provided with this tubular member receiving mechanism.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a tip bending mechanism including a tubular member receiving mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the tubular member receiving mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 3A and 3B are a BB cross-sectional view and a CC cross-sectional view, respectively, in FIG. FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic perspective views showing an example of a receiving member that can be used in the tubular member receiving mechanism of the first embodiment of the present invention and a modified example (first modified example). It is. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD (EE) in FIG. FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view of a portion F in FIG. 5 showing an example of the details of the receiving portion of the tubular member receiving mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention and a modification thereof.
Each figure is a schematic diagram, and the size and shape of each member are exaggerated for ease of viewing (the same applies to the following drawings).

The distal end bending mechanism 1 changes the position and posture of the distal end portion by bending or bending the distal end side of the elongated flexible tubular body in various directions by operation from the proximal end side (hereinafter, these are changed). These are collectively referred to as a curved movement) and can be suitably used for, for example, an endoscope or a manipulator.
As shown in FIG. 1, the schematic configuration of the distal end bending mechanism 1 includes an insertion portion 3 having an elongated tubular shape as a whole, and a drive connected to the proximal end side of the insertion portion 3 to bend and move the distal end of the insertion portion 3. Part 2.
The insertion portion 3 includes a distal end portion 6, a bending tube portion 5, and a flexible tube portion 4 from the distal end side toward the proximal end side.
In the following, unless there is a possibility of misunderstanding, when representing the shape and arrangement position of the individual members in the distal bending mechanism 1, the relative positional relationship in the extending direction of the insertion portion 3 will be described. Depending on the distal end side and the proximal end side, they may be referred to as the distal end side and the proximal end side.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view including the central axis O of the insertion portion 3 when the bending of the insertion portion 3 is released and the whole is straightened (straight state). In the following, for simplicity, the shape and positional relationship of each member will be described in such a straight state unless otherwise specified.

The distal end portion 6 is a member that is bent and moved, and is formed into an appropriate shape according to the purpose of the apparatus in which the distal end bending mechanism 1 is used. For example, when used as a manipulator, it has a shape of a treatment part attachment part, for example, an attachment hole part, a mount, a screw part, an engagement part, etc., in order to detachably attach a treatment part such as forceps. Also, for example, when used in an endoscope, it is made of a cylindrical hard member, and the end of the light guide or image guide is embedded in the distal end surface, or an opening for advancing and retracting a treatment instrument or the like is provided. To do.
The center of the distal end portion 6 is disposed so as to be coaxial with the central axis O of the insertion portion 3.
As shown in FIG. 2, an end portion of an operation wire 26 (linear member) for operating the bending movement of the distal end portion 6 is disposed on the proximal end side (right side in FIG. 2) of the distal end portion 6. One is fixed at a position that divides the circumference drawn by the radius r from the center of 6 into four equal parts. However, since FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view including the central axis O, one provided on the front side of the drawing is not shown.

In the present embodiment, the four operation wires 26 shown in the figure are actually composed of two operation wires 26 bent in a U-shape at the center and extending in parallel with each other. The parallel wire portions are visible. The paired wire portions are arranged in a positional relationship facing each other in the radial direction across the central axis O of the insertion portion 3. That is, the operation wires 26A and 26B opposed in the vertical direction shown in FIG. 2 are configured by parallel wire portions of one operation wire 26 bent in a U shape. Further, the operation wires 26C and 26D (see FIG. 3) opposed to each other in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2 are configured by parallel wire portions of another operation wire 26 bent in a U shape. .
In the straight state of the insertion portion 3 shown in FIG. 2, the operation wires 26 provided in this way are straightened while keeping parallel to each other inside the bending tube portion 5 and the flexible tube portion 4. The U-shaped bent portions of the two pairs of operation wires 26 are wound around a driving pulley (not shown) or the like inside a wire driving portion 29 provided inside the driving portion 2.
In the following, the operation wires 26A, 26B, 26C, and 26D that are the two pairs of wire portions in the insertion portion 3 may be simply referred to as four operation wires 26 unless there is a possibility of misunderstanding.
As long as the operation wire 26 is an elongate linear member, a suitable material and a structure can be employ | adopted. For example, as the material of the operation wire 26, a metal, a synthetic resin, or the like can be used. As the configuration of the operation wire 26, a stranded wire or a single wire can be used.

The bending tube portion 5 moves the distal end portion 6 in a bending manner, and as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of annular node rings 24 are connected in the axial direction, and an outer peripheral surface thereof is formed by a flexible tube (not shown). Is covered. The centers of the node rings 24 are arranged so as to be coaxial with the central axis O of the insertion portion 3 in a state in which the bending tube portion 5 is extended straight.
Each node ring 24 includes a pair of flat plate-like projecting pieces 24a that protrude toward the base end side and face each other in the radial direction on the end face on the base end side. In addition, a pair of flat plate-like protrusions projecting toward the distal end side at the distal end side (left side in FIG. 2) and facing each other in the radial direction perpendicular to the radial direction where the pair of projecting piece portions 24a are opposed to each other. One piece 24b is provided. However, the protruding piece portion 24a protrudes at a position substantially aligned with the outer peripheral surface of the node ring 24, and the protruding piece portion 24b protrudes from a position shifted inward from the outer peripheral surface of the node ring 24 by about the plate thickness of the node ring 24. Has been.
Each projecting piece 24a, 24b is provided with a through-hole 24c penetrating in the plate thickness direction.
Also, a wire guide that restricts the radial and circumferential passing positions of the operation wire 26 by inserting the operation wire 26 into the inner peripheral surface on the opposite side in the axial direction of the position where the projecting piece portions 24a and 24b are provided. 27 are provided.

The outer shape of each wire guide 27 is a block shape that protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the node ring 24, and the inner diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the operation wire 26 at a fixed position in the protruding direction. A guide hole 27a having a through hole is penetrated in the axial direction.
The centers of these guide holes 27a are provided at positions that divide the circumference drawn by the radius r from the center of the node ring 24 into four equal parts.

Between the pair of node rings 24 that are adjacent to each other in the axial direction, the node ring 24 having such a configuration is located on the inner side in the opposing direction of each protruding piece portion 24a of the one node ring 24, and the other node ring 24. Each of the projecting piece portions 24b is inserted and disposed so that the through holes 24c overlap each other, and the through holes 24c are rotatably connected to each other through the connecting shaft 25.
Further, a pair of projecting pieces 24a and 1 having the same shape and positional relationship as described above are formed on the end surface 6a of the distal end portion 6 and the end surface 21g on the distal end side of the connecting portion 21 of the flexible tube portion 4 described later. A pair of projecting piece portions 24b are provided. As a result, the most distal node ring 24 and the most proximal node ring 24 of the bending tube portion 5 are respectively connected to the proximal end surface of the distal end portion 6 and the distal end of the connection portion 21 of the flexible tube portion 4. In the same manner as described above, the end surfaces on the side are connected so as to be rotatable.
Each projecting piece 24a on the end surface 6a of the tip 6 is provided so as to face each other with a pair of operation wires 26 facing each other in the direction perpendicular to the drawing sheet with the center of the tip 6 interposed therebetween. Yes.

With such a configuration, the bending tube portion 5 can be bent in two axial directions by a plurality of coupled node rings 24. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the node rings 24A, 24B, 24C sequentially connected from the front end side are rotatable about the vertical axis on the paper surface, and the node rings 24B, 24C are on the paper surface. Are connected to each other so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis.
Further, the four operation wires 26 inserted into the inner peripheral side of the node ring 24 are inserted into the guide holes 27a of the wire guides 27 provided at four positions on each node ring 24. Even at the time of the bending, they are arranged along the axial direction at a substantially constant distance from each inner peripheral surface of the node ring 24.

  In addition, although not particularly illustrated, a space on the inner peripheral side of each node ring 24, for example, a region adjacent to the operation wire 26 in the circumferential direction, a central region closer to the inner peripheral side than each operation wire 26, etc. In addition to the operation wire 26, various members that need to be inserted along the axial direction (hereinafter referred to as an internal insertion member) can be disposed in addition to the operation wire 26. It has become. Examples of the internal insertion member include, for example, a light guide, an image guide, or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) signal line of the image guide, a hollow tube, and a hollow channel provided at the distal end portion 6 when used for an endoscope. And a member such as a flexible treatment instrument.

As shown in FIG. 2, the flexible tube portion 4 is a hollow flexible tube 28 having a proximal end connected to the drive portion 2 and forming the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube portion 4. And a tubular member receiving mechanism 10B provided at the distal end of the flexible tube 28, and one end is received by the tubular member receiving mechanism 10B, and the inside of the flexible tube 28 is extended to the proximal end side. Four hollow tubular metal pipes 22 (tubular members) are provided. The other end (base end side) of the metal pipe 22 is received by four tubular member receiving mechanisms 10 </ b> A whose positions are fixed to a support member (not shown) of the driving unit 2.
In the tubular member receiving mechanisms 10A and 10B of the present embodiment, the shape of the receiving portion of the metal pipe 22 is common.

The tubular member receiving mechanism 10B includes a connecting portion 21 and four receiving members 23 as shown in FIGS.
The connecting portion 21 has an annular shape in which a hole 21 e is penetrated at the center of a disk member having substantially the same outer diameter as that of the flexible tube 28, and the base 21 is arranged coaxially with the flexible tube 28. The end of the flexible tube 28 is connected to the outer edge of the end face 21f on the end side. The hole 21e is formed in a size that allows an internal insertion member (not shown) to pass therethrough.
Moreover, the connection part 21 is arrange | positioned coaxially with the central axis O of the insertion part 3 in the straight state shown in FIG.

The end surface 21f is provided with four cylindrical hole portions 21b each having a hole inner peripheral surface 21c and a hole bottom surface 21d. The centers of the holes 21b are arranged at positions that divide the circumference drawn by the radius r from the center of the connecting portion 21 into four equal parts.
Each hole inner peripheral surface 21 c (hole-shaped receiving portion) is a cylindrical surface having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the metal pipe 22. For this reason, the hole inner peripheral surface 21c regulates the radial position of the end of the metal pipe 22 inserted into the hole 21b.
The inner diameter of the hole inner peripheral surface 21c is set to such a size that the end of the metal pipe 22 does not break even when the metal pipe 22 is deformed to expand in the range of the inner diameter of the hole inner peripheral surface 21c. For example, it is preferable to set the metal pipe 22 to such a size that the diameter can be expanded within the range of elastic deformation. However, even if the metal pipe 22 is plastically deformed, it may be set within the range of plastic deformation as long as it does not break.
Each hole bottom surface 21d is provided at the same depth in the axial direction of the connection portion 21 from the end surface 21f, and has a diameter smaller than that of the hole inner peripheral surface 21c and larger than that of the operation wire 26 at the center. A wire insertion hole 21a is provided.

  In addition, in the connection part 21, as shown with the dashed-two dotted line in Fig.3 (a), in the area | region pinched | interposed between each hole part 21b, the through-hole 21h penetrated between the end surfaces 21f and 21g is provided, It is good also as a structure which can insert an internal penetration member in this through-hole 21h.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the end face 21 g is provided with a projecting piece portion 24 b connected to the projecting piece portion 24 b of the node ring 24 on the most proximal side of the bending tube portion 5. Although FIG. 2 is not shown because of a cross-sectional view, another projecting piece 24b is provided opposite to the radial direction as shown by a broken line in FIG.
The four holes 21b and the wire insertion holes 21a are arranged in pairs, respectively, in accordance with the opposing direction of the pair of projecting pieces 24b provided on the end surface 21g and the direction orthogonal to the opposing direction. . Further, the radial positions of the four hole portions 21 b and the wire insertion hole 21 a coincide with the radial position of the guide hole 27 a with respect to the center of the node ring 24.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the curved tube portion 5 and the flexible tube portion 4 are connected, and the guide ring 24 and the connecting portion 21 are located at the most proximal end side in the rotational position. The hole 27 a is opposed to each wire insertion hole 21 a of the connection portion 21.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A, the receiving member 23 is a circle having a diameter slightly larger than that of the operation wire 26 at the center and substantially the same diameter as the wire insertion hole 21a of the connection portion 21. A wire insertion hole 23a (through hole) made of a hole is formed, and an outer peripheral surface 23b made of a cylindrical surface coaxial with the wire insertion hole 21a having an outer diameter fitted into the hole inner peripheral surface 21c of the connection portion 21 at the outer peripheral portion. It is made of a hard annular member formed with
At one end in the axial direction of the receiving member 23, a fixed portion end surface 23d formed of a plane orthogonal to the axial direction is formed, and at the other end in the axial direction, the outer diameter of the outer peripheral surface 23b toward the tip. A receiving portion end surface 23c (receiving surface portion) that is a conical inclined surface that is reduced in diameter to the inner diameter of the wire insertion hole 23a is formed.
The overall length of the receiving member 23 in the axial direction is sufficiently shorter than the depth of the hole 21b. Thereby, when the receiving member 23 is inserted to the back of the hole portion 21b, a hole portion having an appropriate depth is formed so that the hole inner peripheral surface 21c becomes the hole inner peripheral surface and the receiving portion end surface 23c becomes the hole bottom surface. It has become so.
As the material of the receiving member 23, an appropriate material can be adopted as long as it is a hard material that is not easily damaged even when the end of the metal pipe 22 is pressed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the detailed shape of the metal pipe 22 is such that the outer diameter of the outer peripheral surface 22b is smaller than the inner diameter of the hole inner peripheral surface 21c, and the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 22a is larger than the outer diameter of the operation wire 26. The receiving portion end surfaces 23 c having a diameter and provided at both ends are respectively formed on a plane orthogonal to the axial direction of the metal pipe 22.
The pipe thickness (dimension obtained by subtracting the inner radius from the outer radius of the tube hole) and the material of the metal pipe 22 are broken by the external force received by the metal pipe 22 disposed in the flexible pipe portion 4. It has a strength that does not cause crushing, and has flexibility such that the flexible tube portion 4 can be bent within a necessary range.
Examples of the external force received by the metal pipe 22 include an external force accompanying the bending of the flexible tube portion 4, an external force received from the operation wire 26 inserted into the metal pipe 22, and an external force acting through the fixing portion of the metal pipe 22. Can do.
As a material of the metal pipe 22, for example, stainless steel, titanium, brass, or copper alloy can be suitably used.
As an example of the pipe thickness dimension of the metal pipe 22, for example, in the case of SUS304 which is stainless steel, 100 μm or less is preferable, and about 50 μm is more preferable.

Further, the metal material is not limited to a crystalline metal, and a metal material having no crystal structure can also be employed.
For example, it is possible to employ a metallic glass that is an amorphous alloy that is made amorphous by melting a raw material alloy made of a zirconium-based alloy or the like after being melted and rapidly cooled, and has a wide glass transition region (for example, 20K or more). it can. Since metal glass has good mold transferability, a thin metal pipe 22 can be easily formed. Moreover, since the metal glass has high strength and high elasticity, the metal pipe 22 having good flexibility can be formed even if it is thin.
Further, as a metal material having no crystal structure, an alloy system having a superelastic property, for example, a superelastic alloy having an elastic limit of 5% or more can be adopted. A superelastic alloy has a property that yields following an elastic deformation and an apparent plastic deformation occurs when the load increases, but the strain is removed when the load is unloaded, and exhibits a large elastic limit. For this reason, the highly durable metal pipe 22 can be formed.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3B, the tubular member receiving mechanism 10 </ b> A includes four stoppers 20 and receiving members 23 provided on the stoppers 20, respectively.
The stopper 20 is an end portion on the proximal end side of the four metal pipes 22 inserted through the flexible tube 28 in the vicinity of the proximal end portion of the flexible tube 28 connected to the drive portion 2. And is a block-like member for fixing to the drive unit 2 and is supported by a support member (not shown) in the drive unit 2.
The stopper 20 of the present embodiment is provided in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped block in which the end face 20f is aligned with a plane spaced apart from the base end portion of the flexible tube 28 by a certain distance.
A hole 20b having the same shape as the hole 21b of the connecting portion 21 is formed on the end surface 20f. That is, the hole 20b includes a hole inner peripheral surface 20c (hole receiving portion) and a hole bottom 20d having the same shape as the hole inner peripheral surface 21c and the hole bottom 21d of the connection portion 21.
Further, the center of each hole 20b of the four stoppers 20 is the circumference drawn with the radius r from the central axis O of the insertion portion 3 in the straight state shown in FIG. Is arranged at a position to divide into four equal parts.

Next, the positional relationship of the members in the tubular member receiving mechanisms 10A and 10B will be described collectively with reference to FIG.
The receiving member 23 in the tubular member receiving mechanism 10A (10B) is inserted into the hole 20b (21b) of the stopper 20 (connecting portion 21) with the fixing portion end surface 23d facing the back side, and the fixing portion end surface 23d is in close contact with and in contact with the bottom 20d (21d) of the hole 20b (21b). In addition, the outer peripheral surface 23b of the receiving member 23 and the hole inner peripheral surface 20c (21c) are fitted to each other without rattling in the radial direction.
For this reason, the wire insertion hole 23a of the receiving member 23 and the wire insertion hole 20a of the stopper 20 (connection portion 21), which are coaxially provided on the outer peripheral surface 23b and the hole inner peripheral surface 20c (21c), respectively, and have substantially the same inner diameter, respectively. 21a) is connected in the axial direction with almost no step.
Moreover, the receiving part end surface 23c of the receiving member 23 is arrange | positioned facing the opening part side formed in the end surface 20f (21f) of the hole 20b (21b).
Thereby, on the back side of the hole portion 20b (21b), a bottom surface that is inclined obliquely from the inner edge of the wire insertion hole 23a opened at the center toward the hole inner peripheral surface 20c (21c) by the receiving portion end surface 23c. Is formed.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the inclination angle of the receiving portion end face 23c is represented by an angle θ from a plane orthogonal to the central axis in a plane passing through the central axis of the receiving member 23, the angle θ is 1 ° to 45 °. Is preferred.

The end of the metal pipe 22 is inserted into the hole 20b (21b) of the tubular member receiving mechanism 10A (10B) provided with the receiving member 23 as described above, and the end surface 22c of the metal pipe 22 is connected to the receiving member 23. It is fixed to the stopper 20 (connecting portion 21) in a state where it is received by the receiving portion end face 23c.
In the present embodiment, the outer peripheral surface 22b of the metal pipe 22 and the stopper 20 (connecting portion 21) are fixed by bonding with an adhesive 40 in the vicinity of the opening of the hole 20b (21b). Examples of the adhesive 40 include a resin adhesive and solder.
The operation wire 26 is inserted into the inner peripheral surface 22a of the metal pipe 22 fixed in this way, and inside the wire insertion holes 23a and 20a (21a) of the receiving member 23 and the stopper 20 (connection portion 21).

In the present embodiment, since the receiving portion end surface 23c is an inclined surface, the state in which the end surface 22c is received by the receiving portion end surface 23c is the inner surface of the end surface 22c as shown in detail in FIG. This means that the circular ridge formed by the peripheral surface 22a and the end surface 22c is received in contact with the surface of the receiving portion end surface 23c. In this case, the wire insertion hole 23a is slightly smaller in diameter than the inner peripheral surface 22a, and the receiving portion end surface 23c is received by a positional relationship that slightly sinks into the inner peripheral side of the inner peripheral surface 22a. become. For this reason, the center of the end surface 22c of the metal pipe 22 is aligned with a position that is coaxial with the central axis of the receiving portion end surface 23c.
However, as shown in FIG. 6B, the metal pipe 22 may have a chamfered portion 22d formed at a ridge line portion formed by the inner peripheral surface 22a and the end surface 22c. In this case, the chamfered portion 22d receives the chamfered portion 22d. As long as it is received on the end face 23c, the inner diameter of the wire insertion hole 23a and the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 22a can be made equal, or the inner diameter of the wire insertion hole 23a can be made slightly larger. is there.
In this case, if the angle of the chamfered portion 22d is the same as the inclination angle θ of the receiving portion end surface 23c, the entire chamfered portion 22d is chamfered by the receiving portion end surface 23c.

The operation of the tubular member receiving mechanisms 10A and 10B of the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a state where the tubular member that has received an external force is deformed in the tubular member receiving mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In the distal end bending mechanism 1, the bending portion of the bending tube portion 5 is bent by changing the amount of the wire portion of the operation wire 26 inserted into the insertion portion 3 by driving the operation wires 26 by the wire driving portion 29 of the drive portion 2. The amount of movement and the direction of bending movement can be changed.
For example, in FIG. 2, when the operation wire 26 </ b> A is pulled and pulled to the proximal end side and the operation wire 26 </ b> B is drawn out to the distal end side, the length of the operation wire 26 </ b> B becomes longer than the operation wire 26 </ b> A in the insertion portion 3. Therefore, the insertion portion 3 receives a driving force that attempts to bend and move the distal end portion 6 upward in the drawing from the operation wires 26A and 26B.
At this time, since the operation wires 26A and 26B are inserted into the metal pipe 22 whose length hardly changes in the axial direction inside the flexible tube portion 4, a difference in length between the operation wires 26A and 26B appears. Is the inside of the bending tube portion 5. For this reason, in the inside of the bending pipe part 5, each node ring 24 which can be rotated around a vertical axis | shaft of a paper surface is rotated according to the change of the length of operation wire 26A, 26B. Thereby, the bending tube portion 5 is bent, and the distal end portion 6 provided at the distal end thereof is bent and moved.
Similarly, if the operation wires 26C and 26D are driven by the wire driving portion 29, the distal end portion 6 can also be bent and moved in a direction orthogonal thereto. As described above, in the distal end bending mechanism 1, the distal end portion 6 can be bent and moved in two axial directions orthogonal to each other by changing the drive amount of each operation wire 26.

In such a bending movement operation, a moving load is generated at the distal end portion 6 and the bending tube portion 5, so that a tension is generated at the operation wire 26 that is drawn to the proximal end side. This tension acts as an external force against the guide hole 27a through which the operation wire 26 is inserted, the wire insertion hole 21a, the inner peripheral surface 22a of the metal pipe 22, and the wire insertion holes 23a and 20a.
For this reason, external force in the direction of compressing the metal pipe 22 from the tubular member receiving mechanisms 10A and 10B acts on both ends of the metal pipe 22 through which the operation wire 26 drawn to the base end side is inserted. When this external force is a large external force or the number of repetitions is increased even with a small external force, the adhesive 40 that fixes the tubular member receiving mechanisms 10A and 10B and the outer peripheral surface 22b that is the side surface of the metal pipe 22 is the same as the conventional one. May be damaged or peeled off.

According to the tubular member receiving mechanism 10A, 10 B of the present embodiment, such a case, as shown in FIG. 7, in forming ridge portion Q1 of the inner peripheral surface 22a and the end face 22c, the surface receiving the receiving end face 23c The metal pipe 22 that has been made slides on the receiving portion end surface 23c while maintaining the surface receiving state. At that time, the inner diameter of the ridge line portion is increased in accordance with the inclination angle of the receiving portion end surface 23c, and the tip of the receiving member 23 goes into the inner peripheral surface 22a.
Thus, in this embodiment, even if the metal pipe 22 receives a compressive force from the end surface 22c, the metal pipe 22 is securely received by the receiving member 23 without being reduced in diameter or crushed. And deformed. For this reason, the end surface 22c of the metal pipe 22 does not contact the operation wire 26 inserted through the wire insertion hole 23a at all, and the operation wire 26 can be prevented from being damaged by contact with the edge portion of the end surface 22c. .
Therefore, according to the tubular member receiving mechanisms 10A and 10B, the durability of the operation wire 26 can be improved.

As shown in FIG. 7, the deformation of the end portion of the metal pipe 22 moves while the ridge line portion S1 formed by the outer peripheral surface 22b and the end surface 22c is expanded in diameter, and forms the ridge line portion S2 as the hole inner peripheral surface 20c. (21c), a ridge line portion S2 and a ridge line portion Q2 formed by the inner peripheral surface 22a and the end surface 22c are formed in a V-shaped gap between the hole inner peripheral surface 20c (21c) and the receiving portion end surface 23c. When they are sandwiched in the surface receiving state, they stop, and the position of the end surface 22c is also fixed.
For this reason, even when the fixation by the adhesive 40 is released, the metal pipe 22 can maintain the fixed state inserted into the hole 20b (21b).
During this time, the metal pipe 22 is moving in the axial direction, but the amount of movement is at most about the axial dimension of the receiving portion end face 23c, so that the amount of movement can be ignored compared to the amount of pulling in of the operation wire 26 and the like. be able to. That is, even when the adhesive 40 is detached, the axial position of the metal pipe 22 can be stabilized over time.
Therefore, even if the adhesive 40 is damaged or peeled off as in the prior art, in this embodiment, the bending movement of the distal bending mechanism 1 can be continued without hindrance.

In this case, the diameter of the metal pipe 22 is restricted by the inner diameter of the hole inner peripheral surface 20c so that at least the metal pipe 22 is not damaged. Can be prevented.
In addition, since the ridge line portions S2 and Q2 are chamfered, unlike the case where they are received by the convex portions or the edge portions, the cracks may be generated even if the compressive force increases or acts impactively. It is possible to reduce the possibility of breakage and the like.
Therefore, according to the tubular member receiving mechanisms 10A and 10B, the durability of the metal pipe 22 can be improved.

As described above, according to the tubular member receiving mechanism of the present embodiment, the end of the metal pipe 22 in the axial direction is received by the receiving end surface 23c of the member 23 to receive the metal pipe 22. The direction position can be stabilized, and the durability of the metal pipe 22 can be improved. Furthermore, since the operation wire 26 can be prevented from being damaged, the durability of the operation wire 26 can be improved.
Further, for example, by using the tip Bay songs mechanism 1 such as an endoscope or a manipulator, to continue driving even if the is adhesive material 40 shear departing adhesion of the metal pipe 22 by an external force during driving Can do. Further, it is possible to improve the durability of the tip Bay songs mechanism 1.

Next, a first modification of the tubular member receiving mechanisms 10A and 10B of the present embodiment will be described.
In this modification, instead of the receiving member 23 of the first embodiment, a receiving member 23A shown in FIG. 4B is provided.
The receiving member 23A includes a receiving end face 23e having a polygonal pyramid shape instead of the receiving end face 23c of the receiving member 23 of the first embodiment.
As the receiving portion end face 23e, a shape of a polygonal pyramid having a triangular pyramid or more formed by a combination of a plurality of planar inclined surfaces can be adopted. FIG. 4B shows a quadrangular pyramid shape as an example. The ridge line portion of the receiving member 23A may be a polygonal pyramid that is appropriately rounded.
The inclination angle of each inclined surface of the receiving portion end surface 23e is the same as that in the first embodiment, as measured in the same manner as in FIG. 5 in the cross section including the normal line of the inclined surface and the central axis of the receiving member 23A. It is preferable to set the same range.
Further, in this modification, instead of the metal pipe 22 of the first embodiment, the inner peripheral surface 22a of the metal pipe 22 is at least near the end surface 22c in accordance with the polygonal pyramid cross-sectional shape of the receiving portion end surface 23e. You may employ | adopt what was made into polygonal column shape in the range. That is, for example, when the receiving portion end surface 23e has a quadrangular pyramid shape, a tubular member in which the inner peripheral surface 22a of the metal pipe 22 has a quadrangular prism shape at least in the vicinity of the end surface 22c can be suitably employed.
Further, the entire metal pipe 22 may be formed in a polygonal cylindrical shape in accordance with the polygonal pyramid cross-sectional shape of the receiving portion end face 23e.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the receiving portion end surface 23 e of the receiving member 23 </ b> A of the present modified example has the same positional relationship as the first embodiment with respect to the metal pipe 22, as shown in FIG. 7. The same operation as the first embodiment and the receiving member 23 is provided.

Next, a second modification of the tubular member receiving mechanisms 10A and 10B of the present embodiment will be described.
This modification includes a receiving member 23B (see FIG. 2) instead of the receiving member 23 of the first embodiment.
Although the detailed shape of the receiving member 23B is not particularly shown, the inclination angle θ of the receiving portion end surface 23c of the receiving member 23 of the first embodiment is 0 °. That is, the receiving member 23B is a cylindrical tubular member whose both end faces are flat surfaces perpendicular to the central axis.

According to this modification, since the inclination angle θ of the receiving portion end surface 23c is 0 °, there is no effect of reliably expanding the diameter when compressed in the axial direction, but the end surface 22c of the metal pipe 22 receives the receiving surface. Since it is received by the end face 23c, unlike the case where it is received by the convex part or the edge part, cracks and the like are generated even if the compressive force increases or acts impactively. The risk of rupture can be reduced.
Therefore, according to this modification, the axial receiving position of the metal pipe 22 can be stabilized even when the adhesive 40 is detached, and the use can be continued. For this reason, the durability of the metal pipe 22 can be improved.
Unlike the first embodiment, the entire end face 22c of the metal pipe 22 is received and locked by a receiving end face 23c formed of a flat surface. Further, in the radial direction, the radial position of the outer peripheral surface 22b of the metal pipe 22 is regulated by the hole inner peripheral surface 20c (21c), and therefore, between the hole inner peripheral surface 20c (21c) and the outer peripheral surface 22b. By adjusting the clearance, the end surface 22c of the metal pipe 22 and the operation wire 26 can be prevented from contacting each other. Or even if it contacts, it can set to the contact amount of the grade which does not bite into the operation wire 26. FIG.

[Second Embodiment]
A tubular member receiving mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the tubular member receiving mechanism according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the tubular member receiving mechanism 110A (110B) of this embodiment is replaced with a stopper 20 (connection portion 21) of the tubular member receiving mechanism 10A (10B) of the first embodiment. 120 (connector 121). And as a hole-shaped receiving part, the connection member 30 is provided instead of the hole inner peripheral surface 20c (21c). That is, it can be used for the tip bending mechanism 1 of the first embodiment in exactly the same manner as the tubular member receiving mechanism 10A (10B). Below, it demonstrates centering on a different point from the said 1st Embodiment.

The stopper 120 (connection portion 121) includes a hole portion 120b (121b) instead of the hole portion 20b (21b) of the stopper 20 (connection portion 21) of the first embodiment.
The hole 120b (121b) is obtained by making the axial length of the hole 20b (21b) of the first embodiment shorter than the axial length of the outer peripheral surface 23b of the receiving member 23. Accordingly, the hole inner peripheral surface 20c (21c) of the first embodiment is a hole inner peripheral surface 120c (121c) that is shorter than the axial length of the outer peripheral surface 23b of the receiving member 23.
For this reason, in this embodiment, the receiving member 23 has a part of the outer peripheral surface 23b on the fixed portion end surface 23d side fitted in the hole 120b (121b), and the outer peripheral surface 23b on the receiving portion end surface 23c and the receiving end surface 23c side. The other part is detachably disposed in a state of protruding from the end face 20f (21f) to the outside.
And as a hole-shaped receiving part, the connection member 30 is provided instead of the hole inner peripheral surface 20c (21c) of the said 1st Embodiment which became short.

The connecting member 30 includes an end portion of the metal pipe 22 received on the receiving portion end surface 23c of the receiving member 23 in the same surface receiving state as that in the first embodiment, and the receiving member 23. , 23b is a hollow member that is connected by being held in close contact. As an example, the connecting member 30 in FIG. 8 illustrates a hollow member made of a tube.
At the end of the connecting member 30, a connecting portion 30B is formed on one end side to hold the outer peripheral surface 23b of the receiving member 23 protruding from the stopper 120 (connecting portion 121) in close contact with the tube inner surface 30a. A connecting portion 30A that holds the outer peripheral surface 22b of the metal pipe 22 in close contact with the tube inner surface 30a is formed on the side.
A deformation restricting portion 30C is formed at an intermediate portion between the connecting portions 30A and 30B so as to surround the outer peripheral sides of the end surface 22c and the receiving portion end surface 23c.
That is, the tube inner surface 30a of the deformation restricting portion 30C is separated from the connecting portion 30A toward the connecting portion 30B by a space having a V-shaped cross section in which the gap is gradually reduced from the gap of the thickness of the metal pipe 22. The end surface 23c is covered.

As for the material of the connecting member 30, the connecting portions 30A and 30B can press the metal pipe 22 and the receiving member 23 radially inward, and the deformation regulating portion 30C receives the external force on the receiving portion end face 23c side. There is no particular limitation as long as it is a material that restricts the amount of expansion of the metal pipe 22 when moved and can be engaged with the receiving end face 23c on the end face 22c of the moved metal pipe 22. However, it is preferable to have a degree of flexibility that can be deformed in accordance with the curved deformation of the metal pipe 22.
Examples of the material of the connecting member 30 include an elastic member that can be detachably attached to the metal pipe 22 and the receiving member 23 by an elastic force. Examples of the elastic member include metal, rubber, and synthetic resin.
As the shape of the connecting member 30, a cylindrical tube member having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of any of the metal pipe 22 and the receiving member 23 can be employed in a natural state.
In addition, as a hollow member used for the connection member 30, it is not limited to a cylindrical tube member, For example, the coil pipe by which the wire which has elasticity is wound by coil shape may be sufficient.

According to the tubular member receiving mechanism 110 </ b> A (110 </ b> B) of the present embodiment, the metal pipe 22 and the receiving member 23 are connected to each other by the connecting member 30.
Since the receiving member 23 is made of a hard material compared to the metal pipe 22 and has a large outer diameter, the connecting portion 30B is more firmly connected than the connecting portion 30A.
When the operation wire 26 is driven and an external force is applied from the operation wire 26 to move the metal pipe 22 toward the receiving member 23, and the external force exceeds the holding force of the connecting member 30 in the connecting portion 30 </ b> A, the metal pipe 22 moves to the receiving member 23 side.
In this case, similarly to the first embodiment, the metal pipe 22 moves by sliding on the receiving portion end face 23c, and the end of the metal pipe 22 has an inner diameter increased in accordance with the inclination angle of the receiving portion end face 23c. As a result, the leading end of the receiving member 23 sinks into the inner peripheral surface 22a.
For this reason, as in the first embodiment, the operation wire 26 inserted through the wire insertion hole 23a does not contact the end surface 22c of the metal pipe 22 at all, and the operation wire 26 is operated by contact with the edge portion of the end surface 22c. It is possible to prevent the wire 26 from being damaged.

The metal pipe 22 is deformed along the receiving portion end surface 23c that is the inclined surface of the receiving member 23 while the amount of deformation on the radially outer side is restricted by the tube inner surface 30a of the deformation restricting portion 30C of the connecting member 30. In this way, the deformation of the end is restricted.
For this reason, even when the connection of the connecting portion 30A is released, the metal pipe 22 can maintain the fixed state inserted into the hole portion 20b (21b) as in the first embodiment.
In particular, when an elastic member is employed as the connecting member 30 and the connecting portion 30A is configured by elastic force, even if the external force acts and the metal pipe 22 is temporarily moved, the external force is weakened. When the movement stops, the same elastic force acts at the position after the movement, so that the connecting member 30 can hold the outer peripheral surface 22b of the metal pipe 22 in close contact with each other. It is possible to maintain a state close to the state.
Further, since the moving amount of the metal pipe 22 can be suppressed to a negligible moving amount compared to the pulling amount of the operation wire 26, the position of the metal pipe 22 in the axial direction can be stabilized with time.
Therefore, the bending movement of the tip bending mechanism 1 can be continued without hindrance.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, if the metal pipe 22 is damaged and needs to be replaced, it can be easily removed from the stopper 20 (connection portion 21) together with the receiving member 23. The damaged metal pipe 22 can be replaced together with the connecting member 30 without changing 20 (the connecting portion 21). For this reason, the tip bending mechanism 1 can be easily replaced or repaired.
Further, since the connecting member 30 is not fixed to the metal pipe 22 or the receiving member 23 by, for example, adhesion or welding, the connecting member 30 can be easily detached from the metal pipe 22 or the receiving member 23. For this reason, it becomes easy to reuse the receiving member 23.

Next, a tubular member receiving mechanism according to a modified example (third modified example) of the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 8, this modification includes a heat shrink member 31 instead of the connecting member 30 of the second embodiment.
The heat-shrinkable member 31 can employ a heat-shrinkable tube made of a heat-shrinkable resin. And it deform | transforms into the shape similar to the connection member 30 by heating.
The heat-shrinkable member 31 is an example of a connecting member that does not require elastic force when the metal pipe 22 and the receiving member 23 are connected, and may be an elastic member. For example, a heat-shrinkable resin is used. In the case of a heat-shrinkable tube, the heat-shrinked portion cannot be restored to its shape before heat-shrinking, and therefore it is not detachably attached by elastic force.
In this case, before heating, the metal pipe 22 and the receiving member 23 are inserted into the inside of the tube inner surface 30a having an inner diameter larger than that of the metal pipe 22 and the receiving member 23, and then the heat shrink member 31 is heated and connected. The portions 30A and 30B are thermally contracted. As a result, the tube inner surface 30 a after heat shrinkage is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface 22 b at the end of the metal pipe 22 and the outer peripheral surface 23 b of the receiving member 23.
For this reason, since it is not necessary to expand the diameter of the tube smaller than that of the metal pipe 22 and the receiving member 23, the connecting operation is facilitated.

Next, a tubular member receiving mechanism according to another modified example (fourth modified example) of the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 9: is typical sectional drawing which shows the structure of the principal part of the tubular member receiving mechanism which concerns on the 4th modification of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the tubular member receiving mechanism 111 </ b> A (111 </ b> B) of the present modification is replaced with the receiving member 23 and the connecting member 30 of the tubular member receiving mechanism 110 </ b> A (110 </ b> B) of the second embodiment. The receiving member 23C is provided with a screwed connecting member 32 (connecting member, hole-shaped receiving portion), and is used in the distal bending mechanism 1 of the first embodiment in exactly the same manner as the tubular member receiving mechanism 110A (110B). It is something that can be done. Below, it demonstrates centering on a different point from the said 2nd Embodiment.

The receiving member 23C is a member in which a male screw portion 23f is formed on the outer peripheral surface between the receiving portion end surface 23c and the outer peripheral surface 23b of the receiving member 23 of the second embodiment.
The screw connection member 32 is formed of a hollow cylinder, and an internal thread part 32a that is screwed into the male thread part 23f of the receiving member 23C is provided on the inner peripheral part on one end side of the hollow cylinder, and the other end part is provided. It is a member provided with a tapered inner peripheral surface 32b that squeezes toward the opening on the other end side on the inner peripheral portion.
The taper inner peripheral surface 32b of the present modification is composed of a conical surface that is continuous in the circumferential direction. The minimum inner diameter of the tapered inner peripheral surface 32b is set to a value slightly larger than the minimum outer diameter of the receiving portion end surface 23c. Further, the inclination angle of the tapered inner peripheral surface 32b is set to be substantially the same as the inclination angle θ of the receiving portion end face 23c.

In this modification, the outer peripheral surface 32d on the back surface side of the tapered inner peripheral surface 32b is also provided with a shape that decreases in diameter toward the tip, similarly to the tapered inner peripheral surface 32b, but the outer peripheral surface 32d is simply a cylindrical surface. It is good.
Further, the tapered inner peripheral surface 32b is composed of a plurality of conical surfaces divided in the circumferential direction by a groove penetrating in the radial direction along the axial direction, and is provided in a plurality of claw shapes each having flexibility. Good.

According to such a configuration, the threaded connecting member 32 is inserted from the end portion side where the female screw portion 32a is provided toward the side where the receiving portion end face 23c of the receiving member 23C is provided, and the male screw portion of the receiving member 23C. By screwing 23f and the female screw portion 32a, a movable gap 32c as shown in FIG. 9 can be formed between the receiving portion end surface 23c and the tapered inner peripheral surface 32b.
The movable gap 32c has a conical cylindrical shape in which the receiving end face 23c and the taper inner peripheral face 32b face each other with a substantially uniform gap, and the back side is closed by a threaded portion of the male screw portion 23f and the female screw portion 32a. It is a space, and the size of the gap can be changed by the screwing amount of the screwing connection member 32.

In the tubular member receiving mechanism 111A (111B) of this modification, when the metal pipe 22 is connected to the receiving member 23C, the screw connection member 32 is shallowly screwed to widen the movable gap 32c, and the metal pipe is inserted into the movable gap 32c. 22 ends are inserted. At this time, the end portion of the metal pipe 22 has the receiving portion end surface 23c embedded therein. Then, the screw connection member 32 is screwed to narrow the gap of the movable gap 32c, and the end portion of the metal pipe 22 is sandwiched in the movable gap 32c as shown in FIG. The end of the metal pipe 22 is held in a pressed state between the receiving portion end surface 23c and the tapered inner peripheral surface 32b. Thereby, the edge part of the metal pipe 22 and the receiving member 23C are connected.
The end surface 22c of the metal pipe 22 is located in the intermediate portion in the axial direction of the receiving portion end surface 23c so that a gap is formed between the end surface 22c and the inner side of the movable gap 32c.
The size of the gap is set such that the end portion of the metal pipe 22 does not break even if the metal pipe 22 is deformed so that the diameter of the metal pipe 22 advances and expands. For example, it is preferable to set the metal pipe 22 to such a size that the diameter can be expanded within the range of elastic deformation. However, even if the metal pipe 22 is plastically deformed, it may be set within the range of plastic deformation as long as it does not break.

According to the tubular member receiving mechanism 111A (111B) of the present embodiment, the metal pipe 22 and the receiving member 23C are connected to each other by the screwed connecting member 32.
When the operation wire 26 is driven, an external force is applied from the operation wire 26 so that the metal pipe 22 moves toward the receiving member 23B, and this external force is applied to the metal pipe 22 from the screw connection member 32 and the receiving member 23B. When the pressing force is exceeded, the metal pipe 22 moves to the back side of the movable gap 32c.
In this case, similarly to the second embodiment, the metal pipe 22 slides on the receiving portion end face 23c, and the end of the metal pipe 22 has an inner diameter increased in accordance with the inclination angle of the receiving portion end face 23c. As a result, the tip of the receiving member 23B goes into the inner peripheral surface 22a.
For this reason, as in the first embodiment, the operation wire 26 inserted through the wire insertion hole 23a does not contact the end surface 22c of the metal pipe 22 at all, and the operation wire 26 is operated by contact with the edge portion of the end surface 22c. It is possible to prevent the wire 26 from being damaged.

Further, the amount of deformation on the outer side in the radial direction of the metal pipe 22 is regulated by the tapered inner peripheral surface 32 b of the screw-in connecting member 32. That is, the taper inner peripheral surface 32 b of the screw-in connection member 32 is a hole-shaped receiving portion that inserts the end portion of the metal pipe 22 and restricts the radial position of the end portion of the metal pipe 22. A deformation restricting portion that restricts deformation is configured so that the end portion is deformed along the receiving portion end surface 23c that is an inclined surface of the receiving member 23C.
For this reason, even when the metal pipe 22 is pushed into the back side from the first coupling position, the metal pipe 22 can be inserted into the movable gap 32c and maintained in a state of being received by the receiving portion end face 23c. Further, since the moving amount of the metal pipe 22 can be suppressed to a negligible moving amount compared to the pulling amount of the operation wire 26, the position of the metal pipe 22 in the axial direction can be stabilized with time.
Therefore, the bending movement of the tip bending mechanism 1 can be continued without hindrance.

Furthermore, according to the present modification, in the unlikely event that the metal pipe 22 is damaged and needs to be replaced, the stopper 20 (the connecting portion 21) together with the receiving member 23C in the same manner as in the second embodiment. ) Can be easily removed. For this reason, the damaged metal pipe 22 can be replaced together with the screwed connecting member 32 without changing the stopper 20 (connection portion 21). Therefore, the tip bending mechanism 1 can be easily replaced or repaired.
Further, since the screwed connecting member 32 is screwed to the receiving member 23C, the connection between the metal pipe 22 and the receiving member 23 can be easily released by releasing the screwing, and the metal pipe 22 is Easy to remove. Further, the screwed connection member 32 and the receiving member 23C after the metal pipe 22 is removed can be reused by replacing only the damaged metal pipe 22 and reattaching it to the stopper 20 (connection portion 21). .

  In the above description, the shape of the holes 20b and 21c and the receiving member 23 is determined by the tubular member receiving mechanism 10B and the like provided in the flexible tube portion 4 and the tubular member receiving mechanism 10A and the like provided in the drive portion 2. However, each shape and size may be different for each receiving part.

  In the description of the first embodiment, the example in the case where the stopper 20 (connection portion 21) and the metal pipe 22 are fixed using the adhesive 40 has been described. However, in the present invention, the adhesive 40 is used. Since the end of the metal pipe 22 can be kept in a stable fixing position by the tubular member receiving mechanism even when the fixing is removed, a fixing method such as friction fitting may be employed. Or it is good also as a structure which does not fix with the adhesive material 40. FIG.

  In the above description, the receiving surface portion of the receiving member has been described as an example of a flat surface or a conical surface. However, the receiving surface portion is curved along the axial direction, such as a surface of a rotating body having a generatrix line. It may be a curved surface.

In addition, all the constituent elements described in the above embodiments and modifications can be appropriately combined and implemented within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.
For example, instead of the receiving member 23 of the tubular member receiving mechanisms 110A and 110B of the second embodiment, the receiving member 23A of the first modification of the first embodiment may be used.
Moreover, in the said 2nd Embodiment, the receiving member 23 and 23C demonstrated in the example in the case of protruding from the stopper 120 (connection part 121). This makes it easier to remove the receiving members 23 and 23C from the stopper 120 (connection portion 121). However, like the stopper 20 (connection portion 21) of the first embodiment, the holes 20b (21b) It is good also as a form by which the edge part of the metal pipe 22 is inserted inside. That is, the connecting member 30 and the screwed connecting member 32 may be accommodated in the stopper 120 (connecting portion 121).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tip bending | flexion mechanism 2 Drive part 3 Insertion part 4 Flexible tube part 5 Curved tube part 6 Tip part 10A, 10B, 110A, 110B, 111A, 111B Tubular member receiving mechanism 20, 120 Stopper 20a, 21a Wire insertion hole 20b, 21b , 120b Hole 20d, 21d Hole bottom 20c, 21c Hole inner peripheral surface (hole-shaped receiving part)
21, 121 connection 22 metal pipe (tubular member)
22c End faces 23, 23A, 23B, 23C Receiving member 23a Wire insertion hole (through hole)
23c, 23e End surface of receiving part (receiving surface part)
23f Male thread part 24, 24A, 24B, 24C Node ring 26, 26A, 26B, 26C, 26D Operation wire (linear member)
29 Wire drive part 30 Connecting member (elastic member, heat shrink member, hole-shaped receiving part)
30C Deformation restricting portion 32 Screwed connecting member (connecting member, hole receiving portion)
32a Female thread part 32b Tapered inner peripheral surface (deformation restricting part)
32c Movable gap 40 Adhesive

Claims (8)

A tubular member receiving mechanism for receiving an end of the tubular member in a state where a bendable linear member is inserted into the flexible tubular member;
A hole-shaped receiving portion that inserts an end portion of the tubular member to regulate a radial position of the end portion of the tubular member;
A receiving surface portion that axially receives an end portion of the tubular member inserted into the hole-shaped receiving portion, and a through-hole through which the linear member inserted into the tubular member is inserted; A receiving member whose position is fixed inside the shape receiving portion ,
The receiving surface portion of the receiving member is
The tubular member receiving mechanism, wherein Rukoto such an inclined surface inclined from the outer periphery to the inner periphery toward the end of the tubular member. The tubular member receiving mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving member is provided with the inclined surface of the receiving surface portion in a conical shape. The tubular member receiving mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the hole-shaped receiving portion includes a deformation restricting portion that restricts deformation so that an end portion of the tubular member is along the inclined surface of the receiving member. The hole-shaped receiving part is
Any said outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral surface and the receiving member of the end of the tubular member is tightly held, of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is formed by a connecting member for connecting said tubular member and said receiving member A tubular member receiving mechanism according to claim 1. The tubular member receiving mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting member includes an elastic member that connects the tubular member and the receiving member with an elastic force. The tubular member receiving mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting member is a heat-shrinkable member that is heat-shrinked. The tubular member receiving mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting member is detachably attached to the receiving member. 8. The tubular member receiving mechanism according to claim 7 , wherein the connecting member includes a female screw portion that is screwed with a male screw portion provided on an outer peripheral surface of the receiving member on an inner peripheral surface.

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