JP6113089B2 - Endoscope flexible tube - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope flexible tube part that constitutes an insertion part of an endoscope.

  Endoscopes are used in the medical field, industrial field, and the like. There are so-called rigid endoscopes in which the insertion portion is rigid, and so-called soft endoscopes in which the insertion portion is flexible.

  In a flexible endoscope, an insertion portion is inserted into a lumen such as an esophagus or a large intestine, or a tube such as a pipe. Therefore, a flexible tube portion having flexibility is provided in the insertion portion.

  For example, the flexible tube portion is integrally formed with a flexible tube, which is a tubular member including a flex layer, a blade layer, and a resin layer in order from the innermost layer side, and an end portion of the flexible tube. And a fixed annular connection base.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an endoscope that can obtain a desired fixing strength for fixing a space between a flexible tube and a connection base while preventing the helical tube from being tightened. In FIG. 7C of Patent Document 1, plastic deformation processing (caulking and fixing) is performed with the core portion (crimping jig) C placed inside the inner base with the cylindrical portion of the outer base facing inward, A technique is shown in which a flex, a blade, and a base end portion of an outer skin are sandwiched and fixed between an inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical portion of the outer base and an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion of the inner base.

  According to this technique, when the caulking is fixed, the inner peripheral surface of the inner base cylindrical portion is received by the core C, so that the inner diameter of the inner base cylindrical portion can be prevented from being reduced.

JP 2009-153714 A

  However, in the endoscope insertion part, as a built-in endoscope, in addition to a plurality of bending wires, a wire insertion coil, a treatment instrument channel tube, a signal cable, a light guide fiber, an air supply tube, a water supply tube, etc. Is inserted.

  In an endoscope such as Patent Document 1, an inner diameter 2ad of an inner tube portion 2a provided in a connection base 2 is smaller than an inner diameter 3d of a flex layer 3 in a flexible tube portion 1 as shown in FIG. As a result, the filling rate of the endoscope built-in object inserted into the insertion portion is higher in the inner cylinder portion 2 a than in the flex layer 3. The filling factor is the ratio of the endoscope built-in item to the cross-sectional area.

  For this reason, in the inner cylinder part 2a, when a built-in thing contacts, there exists a possibility that the malfunction which may be deform | transformed, for example in a tube, or the malfunction which is crushed by being compressed may generate | occur | produce. Reference numeral 2b denotes an outer cap cylindrical portion deformed for crimping, reference numeral 4 denotes a blade, and reference numeral 5 denotes an outer skin.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and prevents the filling rate of the endoscope built-in object in the connection base from being higher than the filling rate in the flex layer, while the connection base is made of a flexible tube. It is an object of the present invention to provide an endoscope flexible tube portion that is securely and firmly connected to the end portion of the endoscope.

  An endoscope flexible tube portion according to an aspect of the present invention is an endoscope flexible tube portion including a tubular member and a connection base connected to an end of the tubular member, and the connection base Is a ring-shaped base body, an outer cylinder portion that protrudes from one end side of the base body on the outer peripheral side of the base body and is plastically deformed, and one end of the base body within the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion An inner cylinder portion having a cylindrical hole that protrudes from the side and through which a built-in object of the endoscope is inserted, and the tubular member constitutes a small-diameter hole of a stepped through-hole, A tubular flexible tube component having a thickness of 2 mm, and a plastic deformation having a second thickness which is a recess and which is a large diameter hole of the stepped through-hole and is thinner than the first thickness A base mounting portion in which an inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion is disposed on an outer peripheral surface; a resin layer provided with a plurality of strands; A blade layer that is integrally formed on the inner peripheral surface side of the resin layer, and a flex layer that is formed in a spiral shape with an elastic strip-like thin plate material and is provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the blade layer, And a tubular member provided with a tubular hole portion having flexibility and constituting the inner hole and an enlarged diameter hole portion into which the inner tube portion of the connection base is fitted.

  According to the present invention, the connection base is securely and firmly connected to the end of the tubular member while preventing the filling rate of the endoscope built-in object in the connection base from becoming higher than the filling rate in the flex layer. An endoscope flexible tube portion can be realized.

The figure explaining schematic structure of an endoscope flexible tube part The figure explaining the endoscope which has the endoscope flexible tube part of this embodiment The figure explaining the endoscope flexible tube part provided with the tubular member and connection mouthpiece of this embodiment. The figure explaining the manufacturing method of the tubular member which comprises an endoscope flexible tube part The figure explaining the crimping fixing method of a tubular member and a connection cap The figure explaining the other manufacturing method of the tubular member which comprises an endoscope flexible tube part. The figure explaining the structure and manufacturing method of the tubular member which provided the enlarged diameter hole part in the one side and the other side The figure explaining the core material used when manufacturing the tubular member of FIG. The figure explaining the structural example by which the endoscope built-in object which provided the protection tube in the endoscope flexible tube part which has the tubular member of FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In each drawing used in the following description, the scale of each component may be different in order to make each component large enough to be recognized on the drawing. Further, the present invention is not limited only to the number of components described in these drawings, the shape of the components, the ratio of the sizes of the components, and the relative positional relationship between the components.

As shown in FIG. 2, the endoscope 10 includes an insertion unit 11, an operation unit 12, and a universal cord 13. The insertion portion 11 is formed in an elongated tubular shape, and is inserted into a subject such as a body cavity, for example. The insertion portion 11 is configured by connecting a distal end portion 14, a bending portion 15, and a flexible tube portion 16 in order from the distal end side.
In addition, the insertion part 11 is not limited to what is inserted in a subject, You may insert in piping etc.

  The operation unit 12 is provided on the proximal end side of the insertion unit 11. Reference numeral 17a is a first folding stop. The first folding stop 17 a is provided on the distal end side of the gripping part 17 b that constitutes the operation part 12. The first folding stop 17 a covers the proximal end side end portion of the flexible tube portion 16. Reference numeral 17c is a second folding stop, which is provided on the proximal side of the gripping part 17b and covers the proximal end of the universal cord.

The operation unit 12 is provided with a treatment instrument insertion port 18, a bending operation knob 19, an air / water supply button 20, a suction button 21, and the like.
The treatment instrument insertion port 18 is connected to an end of a treatment instrument channel tube (not shown) into which a treatment instrument such as forceps is inserted. The bending operation knob 19 is rotated when the bending portion 15 is bent. The bending operation knob 19 includes, for example, an up / down bending knob 19a and a left / right bending knob 19b. The bending portion 15 bends upward and downward by pulling and relaxing the upper bending wire (not shown) and the lower bending wire (not shown) in accordance with the operation of the vertical bending knob 19a. The left bending wire (not shown) and the right bending wire (not shown) are pulled and relaxed in accordance with the operation of 19b, so that the bending operation is performed in the left direction and the right direction.

  The air / water supply button 20 is a button that is operated when liquid or gas is ejected from a nozzle (not shown) provided at the distal end portion 14. The suction button 21 is a button operated when sucking filth or the like in the body through an opening (not shown) provided in the distal end portion 14.

  Note that an air supply tube (not shown) and a water supply tube (not shown) are connected to the nozzle via a nozzle connection cap (not shown). A treatment instrument channel tube that also serves as a suction channel is connected to the opening via an opening connection cap (not shown).

  The universal cord 13 extends from the side of the operation unit 12. An endoscope connector 22 is provided at the end of the universal cord 13. The endoscope connector 22 is connected to, for example, a light source device that is an external device of the endoscope 10.

The endoscope flexible tube portion 30 will be described with reference to FIG.
The endoscope flexible tube portion 30 is constituted by a tubular member 40 mainly constituting the flexible tube portion 16 of the insertion portion 11 and a connection base 50.

  The endoscope flexible tube portion 30 has an inner hole 30h which is a through hole whose inner diameter is set to a predetermined size. Endoscope built-in items such as a treatment instrument channel tube, a water supply tube, an air supply tube, up / down / left / right bending wires, a wire insertion coil, and a signal cable (shown) are inserted into the inner hole 30h.

  The tubular member 40 is formed by integrally providing three layers of a flex layer 41, a blade layer 42, and a resin layer 43 in this order from the inner layer side that is the flexible tube center axis a side.

  The flex layer 41 is a so-called spiral tube 41S, which is formed by spirally winding an elastic strip-shaped thin plate material to have a predetermined outer diameter, and is arranged with a reduced diameter. The blade layer 42 is a so-called mesh tube 42C, and is formed to have a predetermined outer diameter by braiding a metal strand or a non-metal strand. The resin layer 43 is an outer skin layer, and is formed of an insulating and flexible resin material. The resin layer 43 may be composed of a resin tube 43C.

  The resin layer 43 is configured by providing a flexible tube constituting portion 44 and a base attaching portion 45. The flexible tube constituting part 44 has a tubular hole part 40h1, and the base attaching part 45 has an enlarged diameter hole part 40h2 that forms a recess. And the stepped through-hole is comprised by the tubular hole part 40h1 and the enlarged diameter hole part 40h2.

  The outer diameter of the flexible tube constituting portion 44 and the outer diameter of the base attaching portion 45 are set to the same size. The thickness of the flexible tube constituting portion 44 having the tubular hole portion 40h1 is set to the first thickness t1 (see FIG. 4C). The thickness of the base attachment portion 45 having the enlarged diameter hole portion 40h2 constituting the recess is set to the second thickness t2 (see FIG. 4C).

  The second thickness t2 is set to be thinner than the first thickness t1. A connection base 50 is caulked and fixed to the base attachment portion 45. Therefore, the second wall thickness t2 is set in consideration of the elasticity of the base attachment portion 45.

  The connection cap 50 is a metal connecting member provided on the operation unit 12 side. The connection base 50 is configured by providing an annular base body 51, an outer cylinder part 52, and an inner cylinder part 53.

  In the present embodiment, the inner cylinder portion 53 is formed with a cylinder hole 53h. The inner diameter of the cylindrical hole 53h is set to the same size as the inner diameter of the tubular hole portion 40h1 of the tubular member 40. And the inner hole 30h of the endoscope flexible tube part 30 is comprised by the tubular hole part 40h1 and the cylinder hole 53h.

  The outer tube portion 52 and the inner tube portion 53 protrude from the one end surface side of the base body 51 by a predetermined amount. The outer cylinder part 52 is provided on the outer peripheral surface side of the base body 51, and the inner cylinder part 53 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder part 52.

  The gap between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 52 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 53 is a cap mounting portion arrangement groove 54, and is set to a predetermined dimension. The inner cylinder portion 53 and the outer cylinder portion 52 are concentric and coincide with the central axis a of the flexible tube portion.

  The outer cylinder part 52 is a plastic deformation part. As shown by the arrow in FIG. The connection base 50 is integrally fixed to the base attachment part 45 by plastically deforming (caulking and fixing) the outer cylinder part 52 indicated by the broken line as indicated by the solid line.

  In this fixed state, the base attaching portion 45 is elastically deformed, the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 52 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the base attaching portion 45, and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 53 is the inner portion of the base attaching portion 45. It is in close contact with the peripheral surface.

  The plastically deformed outer cylindrical portion 52 has a necessary and sufficient fixing strength to resist the elasticity of the base attaching portion 45 set to the second thickness t2. As a result, it is reliably prevented that the plastic deformation state of the outer cylinder part 52 is eliminated by the elasticity of the base attaching part 45 after being integrally fixed.

  Reference numeral 55 denotes a component mounting hole. A pipe-shaped operation part skeleton part (not shown) constituting the insertion part side of the operation part 12 is connected and fixed to the part attachment hole 55.

Here, the manufacturing process of the endoscope flexible tube section 30 will be described.
A method for manufacturing the tubular member 40 constituting the endoscope flexible tube section 30 will be described with reference to FIG.
The operator prepares a core material 60 shown in FIG. The core material 60 is made of metal or an elastic body (for example, polyurethane or the like), and has a core material main body portion 61 and an enlarged diameter end portion 62. The outer diameter of the enlarged diameter end portion 62 is set to a predetermined size and a larger diameter than the outer diameter of the core body main body portion 61.

  The outer diameter of the enlarged diameter end portion 62 is set in consideration of the outer diameter size of the inner cylindrical portion 53 of the connection base 50 and the plate thickness of the elastic strip-shaped thin plate material constituting the spiral tube. On the other hand, the outer diameter of the core main body 61 is set in consideration of the inner diameter of the inner hole 30h of the endoscope flexible tube 30 and the thickness of the elastic strip-shaped thin plate.

In manufacturing the tubular member 40, the worker first puts a mesh tube 42C constituting the blade layer 42 on the outer peripheral surface side of the core member 60 as shown in FIG.
Next, as shown in FIG. 4C, the operator integrally provides a resin layer 43 that forms an outer skin on the outer peripheral side of the mesh tube 42 </ b> C that covers the core member 60. At this time, the worker coats the mesh tube 42C with the resin so that the outer diameter of the resin layer 43 is constant at a predetermined dimension.
As a result, the resin layer 43 having the flexible tube constituting portion 44 having the first thickness t1 and the base attaching portion 45 having the second thickness t2 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the mesh tube 42C.

Next, the operator removes the core member 60 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 4D, a tube body in which the blade layer 42 is provided on the inner surface of the stepped through hole 43h of the resin layer 43 is formed.
When the core member 60 is an elastic body, the core member 60 can be easily removed by reducing the diameter of the core member 60. Further, the inner diameter of the recess 45 c of the base attachment portion 45 constituting the resin layer 43 is larger than the inner diameter of the hole provided in the flexible tube constituting portion 44. Reference numeral 46s denotes an inclined surface, which is an inclined surface 46s of the communication hole 46 that opens the recess 45c and the small diameter hole 44h.

  An operator prepares a spiral tube 41S constituting a flex layer 41 disposed in the blade layer 42 of the tube body. As shown in FIG. 4D, the outer diameter of the spiral tube 41S in the natural state is formed in advance larger than the inner diameter of the recess 45c.

  The operator arranges the helical tube 41 </ b> S with a reduced diameter on the outer periphery of the winding jig 65 in order to arrange the helical tube 41 </ b> S in the blade layer 42. Then, as shown in FIG. 4E, a winding jig 65 in which the spiral tube 41S is arranged in a reduced diameter is inserted and arranged in the blade layer.

  Note that the winding jig 65 has a straight bar shape, and the outer diameter is set smaller than the inner diameter dimension of the inner hole 30h. Specifically, the winding jig 65 can be smoothly inserted into the blade layer 42 in a state in which the spiral tube 41S is arranged in a reduced diameter around the jig 65.

  After the insertion and placement, the operator releases the reduced diameter state of the spiral tube 41S, and removes the winding jig 65 as shown by the arrow in FIG. The diameter-reduced spiral tube 41 </ b> S is expanded by an elastic force, and is arranged as a flex layer 41 on the inner surface side of the blade layer 42 provided integrally with the resin layer 43. As a result, the tubular member 40 provided with the tubular hole 40h1 and the enlarged diameter hole 40h2 is completed.

The caulking and fixing of the tubular member 40 and the connection base 50 will be described with reference to FIG.
First, as shown in FIG. 5A, the operator confronts the opening of the base attachment portion 45 of the resin layer 43 constituting the tubular member 40 and the opening of the base attachment portion arrangement groove 54 of the connection base 50. Let

  Next, the worker arranges the base attachment portion 45 of the resin layer 43 in the base attachment portion arrangement groove 54 of the connection base 50 as shown in the drawing above the center line of FIG.

Thereafter, a metal cored bar 66 is disposed in the cylindrical hole 53 h of the inner cylindrical part 53 as shown in the lower side view of the center line of FIG.
The outer diameter of the cored bar portion 66 is set to a small diameter by a predetermined tolerance based on the inner diameter of the cylindrical hole 53h, that is, the inner diameter of the inner hole 30h. For this reason, the outer peripheral surface of the cored bar portion 66 is disposed in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion 53.

  Next, the worker starts caulking and fixing work. At this time, since the outer peripheral surface of the cored bar portion 66 is disposed in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 53, the outer cylindrical portion 52 is connected to the tubular member central axis a as shown by the arrow in FIG. When being deformed in the direction, deformation of the inner cylinder portion 53 is prevented.

  When the deformation of the outer cylindrical portion 52 is started, first, the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 52 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the base attaching portion 45 constituting the resin layer 43. Thereafter, the outer cylindrical portion 52 is deformed, and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 52 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the base mounting portion 45 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 53 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the flex layer 41. become. As the outer cylinder portion 52 is deformed, the base attaching portion 45 is elastically deformed against elasticity.

  And as shown in FIG.5 (C), the outer cylinder part 52 will be in the desired plastic deformation state, and caulking fixation will be completed. As a result, the endoscope flexible tube portion 30 in which the connection base 50 is integrally fixed to the base attachment portion 45 is formed.

In the endoscope flexible tube portion 30, the protruding length L1 from the one end surface side of the base body 51 of the outer cylindrical portion 52 plastically deformed is equal to the distance L from the end surface on the opening side of the base attachment portion 45 or It is set to be less than that.
On the other hand, the protruding length L2 of the inner cylinder portion 53 from the one end surface side of the base body 51 is set to be longer than the distance L from the end surface of the base mounting portion 45 on the opening side.

  As a result, it is possible to secure the buckling strength of the base attachment part 45 formed thinly by disposing the inner cylinder part 53 behind the base attachment part 45, and the outer cylinder part 52 is connected to the base attachment part 45. The thin base attachment portion 45 can be reliably deformed by being disposed inside.

  As described above, the base attaching portion 45 and the flexible tube constituting portion 44 are provided on the resin layer 43 of the tubular member 40 constituting the endoscope flexible tube portion 30. Then, the thickness of the base attaching portion 45 is set to be thinner than the thickness of the flexible tube constituting portion 44, and the elasticity of the base attaching portion 45 is set to a predetermined value smaller than the elasticity of the flexible tube constituting portion 44. To do.

According to this configuration, when the outer tube portion 52 is caulked and fixed to the base attachment portion 45 of the resin layer 43 provided in the base attachment portion arrangement groove 54 of the connection base 50, the elasticity of the base attachment portion 45 is provided. Thus, the connection base 50 can be integrally fixed to the base attachment portion 45 by obtaining a strong caulking fixing state that resists this.
In addition, the connection base 50 that is caulked and fixed to the base attachment part 45 has an inner cylinder part 53 that is disposed in a tubular hole 40 h 1 positioned in the base attachment part 45 of the tubular member 40, The inner cylindrical portion 53 is provided with a cylindrical hole 53h that constitutes the inner hole 30h of the endoscope flexible tube portion 30.

  According to this configuration, the inner hole 30h of the endoscope flexible tube portion 30 configured integrally with the tubular member 40 and the connection base 50 is configured by the tubular hole portion 40h1 and the tubular hole 53h, and the tubular hole portion 40h1. And the inner diameter of the cylindrical hole 53h have the same dimensions. Accordingly, it is possible to eliminate the change in the filling rate of the endoscope built-in object inserted into the inner hole 30h between the tubular member 40 and the connection cap 50, and the deformation of the endoscope built-in object in the inner hole 30h. Crushing etc. can be prevented.

In addition, the manufacturing method of the tubular member 40 which comprises the endoscope flexible tube part 30 is not limited to the manufacturing method mentioned above, You may make it manufacture the tubular member 40 as shown below.
The operator prepares a core material 60A shown in FIG. The core material 60A is an elastic body and has a core material main body portion 61A and an enlarged diameter end portion 62A. The outer diameter of the enlarged diameter end portion 62A is set to a predetermined size and larger diameter than the outer diameter of the core body main body portion 61A.

  The outer diameter of the enlarged diameter end portion 62A is set in consideration of the inner diameter size of the enlarged diameter hole portion 40h2, and the outer diameter of the core body main body portion 61 is set in consideration of the inner diameter size of the tubular hole portion 40h1.

  In manufacturing the tubular member 40, the worker first puts the spiral tube 41S constituting the flex layer 41 on the outer peripheral surface side of the core member 60A as shown in FIG. 6B. The inner diameter dimension of the spiral tube 41S in the natural state is set in consideration of the inner diameter dimension of the tubular hole portion 40h1, and is arranged with a reduced diameter on the outer periphery of the core material 60A.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6C, the worker first puts a mesh tube 42C constituting the blade layer 42 on the outer peripheral side of the spiral tube 41S placed on the core member 60A.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6D, the worker integrally provides a resin layer 43 constituting an outer skin on the outer peripheral side of the mesh tube 42 </ b> C covered on the outermost peripheral side of the core material 60 </ b> A. At this time, the worker coats the mesh tube 42C with the resin so that the outer diameter of the resin layer 43 is constant at a predetermined dimension.

Next, the operator reduces the diameter of the core material 60A and removes the core material 60A in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG.
Then, as shown in FIG. 6E, the tubular hole portion 40h1 and the enlarged hole portion 40h2 in which the flex layer 41 is disposed on the inner surface side of the blade layer 42 provided integrally with the resin layer 43 are provided. The tubular member 40 is completed.

Moreover, in the tubular member 40 of embodiment mentioned above, it is set as the structure which has the enlarged diameter hole part 40h2 in the one end side of the tubular hole part 40h1. However, the tubular member 40B shown in FIG. 7A having the enlarged diameter hole portion 40h2 on both ends of the tubular hole portion 40h1 may be used. One diameter-expanded hole 40h2 constitutes a base attaching part 45, and the other diameter-expanded hole 40h2 constitutes a base attaching part 45 or a flexible tube constituting part.
The tubular member 40B is manufactured as shown in FIGS.

  In addition, when manufacturing the tubular member 40B, an operator prepares the core material 60B shown to (A) of FIG. The core material 60B is made of metal or an elastic body, and has a core material main body portion 61B and enlarged diameter end portions 62B1 and 62B2. The enlarged diameter end portions 62B1 and 62B2 are provided at both ends of the core body main body portion 61B, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 8B, in the present embodiment, for example, the first diameter-expanded end 62B1 is detachably attached to the core body main body 61B. Reference numeral 62m denotes a male screw portion. The male screw portion 62m is integrally fixed to the female screw portion 62f provided in the core material main body portion 61B by screwing to constitute a core material 60B shown in FIG.
Other configurations are the same as the configuration of the core member 60.

  In manufacturing the tubular member 40B, the worker puts a mesh tube 42C constituting the blade layer 42 on the outer peripheral surface side of the core member 60B as shown in FIG. 7B. Next, as shown in FIG. 7C, the operator integrally provides a resin layer 43 constituting the outer skin on the outer peripheral side of the mesh tube 42C covered with the core member 60B. At this time, the worker covers the mesh tube 42C with resin similarly to the manufacture of the tubular member 40, and the flexible tube constituting portion 44 having the first thickness t1 and the second thickness t2. A resin layer 43 having a base attachment portion 45 is provided.

  Next, the operator removes the core material 60B. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7D, the operator releases the first enlarged diameter end portion 62B1 while releasing the integrally fixed state between the first enlarged diameter end portion 62B1 and the core body main body portion 61B. Remove as shown by arrow Y7D1. Then, after removing the first enlarged diameter end portion 62B1, the core body main body portion 61B provided with the second enlarged diameter end portion 62B2 is extracted as indicated by an arrow Y7D2.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 7E, the blade layer 42 is provided on the inner surface of the central portion 47a having the thickness t2 and the inner surfaces of the end portions 47b and 47c having the thickness t1 provided at both ends of the central portion 47a. A tube body is constructed.

Next, the worker arranges the spiral tube 41S in the blade layer 42 in which the outer diameter in the natural state is larger than the inner diameter of the recess 45c as described above. At that time, as shown in FIG. 4E, a winding jig in which the spiral tube 41S is arranged in a reduced diameter is inserted into the blade layer.
After the insertion and placement, the operator releases the reduced diameter state of the spiral tube 41S and removes the winding jig.

  As a result, similarly to the above, the spiral tube 41S is expanded by the elastic force, and is disposed as the flex layer 41 on the inner surface side of the blade layer 42 provided integrally with the resin layer 43, and the tubular hole 40h1. The tubular member 40B in which the enlarged diameter hole portion 40h2 is provided at both ends of the tubular hole portion 40h1 is completed.

The operation of the endoscope flexible tube portion 30B having the tubular member 40B configured as described above will be described.
A plurality of endoscope built-in objects are inserted and arranged in the insertion portion of the endoscope. Of the plurality of built-in endoscopes, for example, a light guide fiber and a signal cable are provided with a protective tube made of silicon or EPTFE. The protective tube prevents the light guide fiber from being bent in the bending portion or the flexible tube portion, thereby preventing the fiber from being bent and preventing the signal cable from being bent and disconnected.

  In the light guide fiber and the signal cable provided with the protection tube, the outer diameter dimension in the insertion portion axial direction is different, and the portion provided with the protection tube has a large diameter.

  In the endoscope flexible tube portion 30B shown in FIG. 9, light guide fibers 71 and 72 provided with protective tubes 71c and 72c and a signal cable 73 provided with a protective tube 73c are inserted.

  In the present embodiment, the protective tubes 71c and 72c of the light guide fibers 71 and 72 having a large diameter and the protective tube 73c of the signal cable 73 are provided in the second flexible tube constituting portion 45B having the enlarged diameter hole portion 40h2. Is arranged.

  The thin light guide fibers 71 and 72 extended from the end faces of the thick protective tubes 71c and 72c pass through the inner hole 30h formed by the tubular hole portion 40h1 and the cylindrical hole 53h for operation. It extends into the part 12. Further, the narrow signal cable 73 extended from the end face of the thick protective tube 73c is similarly extended into the operation unit 12.

  Thus, the second flexible tube constituting portion 45B having the enlarged diameter hole portion 40h2 is provided in the tubular member 40B of the endoscope flexible tube portion 30B. The protective tubes 71c, 72c, and 73c are inserted and disposed in the diameter-enlarged hole 40h2, and the light guide fibers 71 and 72 and the signal cable 73 are inserted into the inner hole 30h that is configured by the tubular hole 40h1 and the cylindrical hole 53h. Is inserted.

  As a result, the filling rate of the endoscope built-in object in the enlarged diameter hole portion 40h2 and the filling rate of the endoscope built-in object in the inner hole 30h without configuring the outer diameter of the flexible tube portion 16 to be large. Can be made uniform.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Flexible pipe part 2 ... Connection cap 2a ... Inner cylinder part 2ad ... Inner diameter 2b ... Outer mouth cylindrical part 3 ... Flex layer 3d ... Inner diameter 4 ... Blade 5 ... Outer skin 10 ... Endoscope
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Insertion part 12 ... Operation part 13 ... Universal cord 14 ... Tip part
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 ... Bending part 16 ... Flexible pipe part 17a ... 1st bend prevention 17b ... Grip part
17c ... Second folding stop 18 ... Treatment instrument insertion port 19 ... Bending operation knob
19a ... Up / down bending knob 19b ... Left / right bending knob 20 ... Air / water supply button 21 ... Suction button 22 ... Endoscope connector 30, 30B ... Endoscope flexible tube 30h ... Inner hole 40, 40B ... Tubular member 40h1 ... Tubular Hole 40h2 ... Expanded hole 41 ... Flex layer 41S ... Helix tube 42 ... Blade layer 42C ... Reticulated tube 43 ... Resin layer 43C ... Resin tube 43h ... Through hole 44 ... Flexible tube component 44h ... Small diameter hole 45 ... Base Mounting portion 45B ... second flexible tube component 45c ... concave 46 ... communication hole 46s ... inclined surface 47a ... center portion 47b ... end 50 ... connection base 51 ... base body 52 ... outer cylinder portion 53 ... inner cylinder portion 53h ·················································································· Part Mounting Holes 60, 60A, 60B ... Core Material 61, 61A, 61B ... Core Material Main Body 62, 62A ... Part 6 B2 ... second expanded diameter end 62f ... female screw portion 62m ... male screw portion 65 ... winding jig 66 ... core metal portions 71 and 72 ... light guide fiber 71c, 72c ... protective tube 73 ... signal cable 73c ... protective tube

Claims (12)

In a flexible tube portion for an endoscope comprising a tubular member and a connection base connected to an end portion of the tubular member,
The connection base is
An annular base body,
An outer cylinder portion that is provided to project from one end side of the base body on the outer peripheral side of the base body and is plastically deformed,
An inner cylindrical portion having a cylindrical hole that is provided to project from one end side of the base body within the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion, and through which the built-in object of the endoscope is inserted;
It has
The tubular member is
A tubular flexible tube component having a first thickness that constitutes a small-diameter hole of the stepped through hole, and a recess that constitutes a large-diameter hole of the stepped through-hole and the first thickness A base layer having a second wall thickness that is thinner than the outer peripheral portion of the plastically deformed outer cylinder portion, and a base mounting portion disposed on the outer peripheral surface;
A blade layer formed into a tubular shape by braiding a plurality of strands and provided integrally on the inner peripheral surface side of the resin layer;
A flex layer formed in a spiral shape with an elastic belt-like thin plate material and provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the blade layer;
A tubular member provided with a flexible tubular hole part that constitutes the inner hole and an enlarged hole part into which the inner cylindrical part of the connection base is fitted;
A flexible tube portion for an endoscope, comprising:   The endoscope flexible tube part according to claim 1, wherein an outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube constituting portion of the resin layer and an outer peripheral surface where the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion abuts are the same surface. .   The inner diameter of the flex layer constituting the enlarged diameter hole portion is the same as the outer diameter of the inner cylindrical portion, and the inner diameter of the flex layer constituting the tubular hole portion is the inner diameter of the cylindrical hole of the inner cylindrical portion. The endoscope flexible tube part according to claim 1, wherein the endoscope flexible tube part has the same dimensions as those of the endoscope.   The said flex layer is comprised with the spiral tube formed in the spiral shape with the elastic strip | belt-shaped thin board | plate material, The outer diameter in the natural state of this spiral tube is more than the internal diameter of the said recessed part, The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Of manufacturing the flexible tube portion of the endoscope.   The endoscope flexible tube part according to claim 1, wherein a protruding length of the inner cylinder part is set to be longer than an axial length of the diameter-enlarged hole part.   The endoscope flexible tube part according to claim 1, wherein a protruding length of the outer cylinder part to be plastically deformed is set to be substantially the same as an axial length of the diameter-enlarged hole part.   The tubular member has an enlarged diameter for disposing a protective tube provided on an endoscope built-in object inserted into the tubular member at the other end different from the one end where the connection base is fixed. The endoscope flexible tube part according to claim 1, wherein a hole is provided. Cover the outer peripheral surface of the core material provided with a cylindrical main body part and a diameter-enlarged end part larger than the diameter of the main body part on the outer peripheral surface of the main body part, and cover the mesh tube constituting the blade layer,
A resin layer is formed on the outer peripheral side of the mesh tube covered with the core material to form a resin layer in which the blade layer is integrated,
The core material is removed from the blade layer integrated with the resin layer in the order of the enlarged diameter end portion and the main body portion,
A helical spiral tube constituting the flex layer is inserted and arranged in the blade layer in a state in which it is arranged in a reduced diameter in a cylindrical winding jig having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the main body,
A blade layer in which the resin layer is integrated by releasing the reduced diameter state of the spiral tube in the inserted and arranged state, and removing the winding jig from the blade layer while bringing the spiral tube into close contact with the blade layer. Fix the flex layer to the inner surface of the
A method for producing a tubular member constituting an endoscope flexible tube part, comprising three layers of a flex layer, a blade layer, and a resin layer in order from the inner layer side. Cover the outer peripheral surface of the core material having a cylindrical main body and a diameter-enlarging end larger than the diameter of the main body at the end of the main body with a spiral helix tube that forms a flex layer. ,
Cover the outer peripheral side of the spiral tube covered with the core material is a mesh tube that constitutes a blade layer,
Molding the resin layer on the outer peripheral side of the blade layer covered on the outer peripheral side of the spiral tube covered on the core material, and fixing the flex layer, the blade layer, and the resin layer;
The core material is removed from the flex layer in which the resin layer is integrated, in the order of the enlarged diameter end portion and the main body portion,
A method for producing a tubular member constituting an endoscope flexible tube part, comprising three layers of a flex layer, a blade layer, and a resin layer in order from the inner layer side. In the core material configured by providing the main body portion and the enlarged diameter end portion,
The method for manufacturing a tubular member according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the diameter-expanded end portion can be divided in the axial direction of the main body portion.   The endoscope flexible tube part according to any one of claims 9 and 10, wherein an outer diameter of the flex in a natural state is equal to or larger than an inner diameter of a blade layer and a resin layer of the enlarged diameter part. Manufacturing method.   The method for manufacturing a tubular member according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the flex layer and the blade layer are fixed integrally.

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