JP5992725B2 - Endoscope flexible tube connection structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope, and more particularly to a connection structure of an endoscope flexible tube.

  Conventionally, a configuration is known in which a connecting portion is covered with a ring material in order to smooth the connecting portion surface between the bending portion and the distal end portion of the endoscope insertion tube (Patent Document 1). The connecting portion is covered with a soft outer skin, and a binding thread for fixing the outer skin is wound around the connecting portion. Since the insertion tube is not smoothly inserted into the body when the binding thread is exposed, the surface of the curved portion is smoothed by covering the binding thread with a ring material.

International Publication No. 2011/052303 Pamphlet

  However, since the outer skin is soft, the outer diameter cannot be accurately manufactured, and the ring material may not be coaxially bonded to the tip shaft. Therefore, there is a problem that irregularities are generated on the surface of the connection portion, and there is a risk of sliding in the body during insertion.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope flexible tube having a surface with no irregularities on the surface of the connecting portion of the insertion tube.

  The structure of the endoscope flexible tube according to the present invention is an endoscope flexible tube in which a bending portion is attached to the distal end side of the flexible portion, and an annular connecting tube that connects the bending portion and the flexible portion. And an annular outer skin provided coaxially and adjacent to the connecting pipe, and an annular first fixing member fitted to the outer peripheral surface across the connecting pipe and the outer skin, and the connecting pipe Is formed with a projection having an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the inner wall surface of the first fixing member, and the projection abuts against the inner wall surface of the first fixing member, It is characterized in that it has a coaxial positional relationship with the connecting pipe.

  Moreover, it is preferable that a flexible tube is equipped with the cyclic | annular 2nd fixing member fitted to an outer peripheral surface over a curved part and a 1st fixing member. A shaft misalignment can be prevented by fitting the second fixing member to the outside of the first fixing member having a flat surface without fitting the second fixing member directly to the outer skin.

  Further, it is preferable that the first fixing member and the outer skin are in close contact with each other through an adhesive. The bonding surface can be hermetically sealed by the adhesive.

  Furthermore, the first fixing member is preferably an insulating material that can prevent electric shock in the body.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the endoscope flexible tube which has the surface without an unevenness | corrugation in the connection part surface of an insertion tube can be provided.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an entire endoscope to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the connection part of the bending part and flexible part to which embodiment of this invention is applied. It is a perspective view of the ring material fitted by the connection part of FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, an endoscope 10 includes an endoscope flexible tube 11 that is inserted into a body, an operation unit 15 that is gripped by a user to operate the endoscope 10, and the endoscope 10. Is connected to a processor (not shown). The endoscope flexible tube 11 includes a flexible portion 12 having flexibility, a bending portion 13 connected to the distal end of the flexible portion 12, and a distal end portion 14 connected to the distal end of the bending portion 13. . The operation unit 15 is connected to the connector 16 via the universal cable 17.

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

  Referring to FIG. 2, the bending portion 13 includes a bending tube made up of a plurality of bending pieces 25 and a tubular bending portion outer skin 23 made of an elastic material such as rubber. The bending tube is formed in an elongated tubular shape by a plurality of bending pieces 25 being rotatably connected by rivets 35. The bending portion 13 is bent by a remote operation from the operation portion 15 (see FIG. 1) via the guide wire 22.

  A configuration around the connection portion between the bending portion 13 and the flexible portion 12 will be described. First, the rear end of the bending portion 13 which is a connection location has an annular connecting member 21. The connecting member 21 is fastened with an annular connecting pipe 30 and a screw 24 and connected to the flexible portion 12 via the connecting pipe 30. The connecting member 21 is brazed to the stay coil 33. The tip of the connecting member 21 is soldered to the bending piece 25 through the mesh tube 34. Thus, the connecting pipe 30, the connecting member 21, and the bending piece 25 are integrally configured. The tip of the bending piece 25 is connected to another bending piece via a rivet 35. By repeating this configuration and connecting the bending piece to the tip of the bending portion 13, the bending portion 13 can be bent.

  The connecting pipe 30 includes a central small diameter portion 30A, a rear end side first large diameter portion 30B having a larger outer diameter than the small diameter portion 30A, and a distal end side second large diameter portion 30F. That is, the second large diameter portion 30F is configured integrally with the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 30A via the step portion 30E, and further, the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 30A is the first large diameter portion via the step portion 30C. It is comprised integrally with the outer peripheral surface of 30B. Further, as will be described in detail later, a connection protrusion 30D is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rearmost end of the first large diameter portion 30B. The connecting member 21 is fitted inside the second large diameter portion 30 </ b> F of the connecting pipe 30 and is fastened with screws 24.

  The flexible tube 28 is configured by fitting two spiral tubes 26 and 26 made of a belt-like plate member and fitting a cylindrical blade 27 on the outer peripheral surface of the outer spiral tube 26 as is conventionally known. The The outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube 28 is covered with a tube-like flexible flexible tube outer skin 29. The distal end portion of the flexible tube 28 is fitted and fixed to the first large diameter portion 30B.

  The outer periphery of the connecting member 21 is covered with a tube-shaped bent tube skin 23. The bending tube outer skin 23 has a uniform thickness from the tip of the bending portion 13 to the rear end portion of the small diameter portion 30A through the second large diameter portion 30F of the connecting tube 30, more precisely to a position close to the step portion 30C. It is provided. That is, the first large diameter portion 30 </ b> B is not covered with the bending tube outer skin 23.

  A curved tube skin end 23 </ b> B that is the curved tube skin 23 covering the small diameter portion 30 </ b> A is recessed from the other surface of the curved tube skin 23. The curved tube outer skin end 23B is fixed to the small diameter portion 30A by winding a binding thread 42 around the outer periphery.

  A first ring material (first fixing member) 46 is fitted to the outer peripheral surfaces of the first large diameter portion 30 </ b> B and the flexible tube outer skin 29, and a second ring material (second ring) is disposed outside the first ring material 46. (Fixing member) 48 is fitted. The tip of the second ring material 48 reaches the stepped portion 30E beyond the binding thread 42.

  With reference to FIG. 3, the structure of the 1st ring material 46 and the 2nd ring material 48 is demonstrated. The first ring member 46 is cylindrical, has a smaller diameter than the second ring member 48, and has a ring protrusion 46A on the inner peripheral surface of the end portion. The other end of the first ring member 46 has a first inclined portion 46B whose thickness in the radial direction decreases from the outer diameter to the inner diameter. The first ring member 46 is desirably made of an electrically insulating material, for example, a resin. By using the insulating member, the flexible tube 28 and the contact portion between the body and the body can be electrically insulated, and an electric shock can be prevented. The second ring material 48 is a cylindrical member having a uniform inner diameter. One end of the second ring member 48 has a second inclined portion 48B having the same angle as that of the first inclined portion 46B, similarly to one end of the first ring member 46. The second ring material 48 is preferably made of metal. Thereby, damage can be reduced when a cylindrical insertion auxiliary instrument is used.

  The configuration around the first ring material 46 and the second ring material 48 will be described with reference to FIG. The first ring member 46 is fitted over the outer peripheral surface of the first large-diameter portion 30B so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the first large-diameter portion 30B of the connecting tube 30 and the flexible tube outer skin 29. And the ring protrusion 46A of the first ring member 46 are engaged. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the connection protrusion 30 </ b> D formed on the connection pipe 30 has an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the inner wall surface of the first ring member 46. When the connection protrusion 30D of the first large diameter portion 30B contacts the inner wall surface of the first ring material 46, the first ring material 46 and the connection pipe 30 are in a coaxial positional relationship. The flexible tube outer skin 29 is accommodated between the first ring member 46 and the flexible tube 28 coaxially and adjacent to the connection tube 30. A contact surface between the inner peripheral surface of the first ring member 46 and the connection protrusion 30 </ b> D and a contact surface between the inner peripheral surface of the first ring member 46 and the flexible tube outer skin 29 are fixed and fixed by an adhesive 32.

  On the outside of the first ring material 46, the second ring material 48 is fitted to the outer peripheral surface across the curved portion 13 and the first ring material 46. The tip of the second ring member 48 contacts the curved portion outer shell 23 at a position corresponding to the step portion 30E of the small diameter portion 30A, and the rear end of the second ring member 48 is slightly on the tip side from the rear end of the first ring member 46 Is provided. That is, the rear end position of the first ring member 46 and the rear end position of the second ring member 48 do not coincide, and more strictly speaking, the inclined surfaces of the first inclined part 46B and the second inclined part 48B are smooth. It is desirable to be arranged.

  Further, the space formed by the inner peripheral surface of the second ring member 48, the binding thread 42, the curved portion outer skin end 23B, and the connection pipe 30 is filled with an adhesive 43 and sealed. As a result, the binding thread 42 is fixed in a state in which the curved portion outer skin end 23B is pressed against the small diameter portion 30A. Thus, the second ring member 48 is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the first ring member 46 provided coaxially with the flexible portion 12 without being directly fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube outer skin 29. The second ring member 48 is also provided coaxially with the flexible portion 12. In other words, the second ring material 48 is provided coaxially with respect to the axes of the flexible portion 12 and the bending portion 13. Therefore, the curved outer skin 23 and the second ring material 48 are flush with each other. Furthermore, since the inclined surfaces of the inclined portions 46B and 48B of the first and second ring members 46 and 48 are smooth, the surface of the connecting portion at the distal end of the flexible tube has no irregularities, and the endoscope flexible tube 11 is smoothly inserted into the body.

  In addition, although this embodiment is applied in the curved part 13 and the flexible part 12, you may apply to another connection part.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Endoscope flexible pipe 12 Flexible part 13 Bending part 29 Flexible pipe outer skin (outer skin)
30 Connection tube 30D Connection protrusion (protrusion)
32 Adhesive 46 First ring material (first fixing member)
48 Second ring material (second fixing member)

Claims (3)

An endoscope flexible tube in which a bending portion is attached to the distal end side of the flexible portion,
An annular connecting pipe connecting the bending portion and the flexible portion;
An annular curved outer skin provided across the curved portion and the connecting pipe;
An annular flexible tube skin provided coaxially and adjacent to the connecting tube;
An annular first fixing member that is fitted to the outer peripheral surface across the connecting pipe and the flexible pipe outer skin ,
An annular second fixing member fitted over the outer peripheral surface of the first fixing member across the curved portion outer skin and the first fixing member ;
A protrusion is formed on the connection pipe, and the protrusion has an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the inner wall surface of the first fixing member,
Wherein by the projection abuts the inner wall surface of said first fixing member, and the first fixing member and the connecting pipe Ri Do coaxial positional relationship,
An end of the curved portion outer skin is fixed to the connecting pipe by a binding thread,
Wherein the second space formed by the inner peripheral surface wherein a bondage yarn and the end portion and the connecting pipe of the fixing member, the endoscope flexible adhesive is characterized Rukoto sealed is filled Tube connection structure.   The endoscope flexible tube connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the first fixing member and the flexible tube outer skin are in close contact with each other via an adhesive.   The endoscope flexible tube connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the first fixing member is made of an insulating material.

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