JPH0228493Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to an endoscope connector that connects an endoscope connector and a power supply socket.

A connection device is known that connects a connector provided on an endoscope's light guide cable and a socket of a power supply device to establish electrical and optical continuity, and also enables mechanical connection of an air and water supply system. There is.

The connector constituting this connection device includes a light guide tube, an air supply tube, and a plurality of contact pins, which are protruded into a recess formed at the tip of the connector body. That is, the base end portions of the light guide tube, the air supply tube, and the contact pin are surrounded by the fitting tube that forms the recessed portion.

On the other hand, in recent years, due to advances in endoscope cleaning technology as well as endoscopes, the entire endoscope has been made waterproof, and the entire endoscope has been immersed in a chemical solution for disinfection and cleaning. However, as mentioned above, there is a concave part at the tip of the connector body, and the light guide tube, air supply tube, and multiple contact pins are protruded from the concave part, so even if it is pulled out of the cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid will not flow. It accumulates in the small gaps between the tubes and pins at the bottom of the recess, and cannot be wiped off.

Therefore, we completely changed the structure of the connector, making the tip of the connector body a flat surface, with the light guide tube and air supply tube protruding from this flat surface, and multiple contact pins protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the connector body. A connector has been developed. This connector has no recesses in the connector body, and the light guide tube, air supply tube, and contact pin protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the connector body, making it easy to wipe off cleaning liquid adhering to the surface after cleaning. It has the advantage of being possible.

However, with connectors that have contact pins protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the connector body, if the connector is placed horizontally on a desk or other surface when not in use, the contact pins will collide with the desk surface, causing the contact pins to bend or be damaged. Therefore, it is necessary to take great care in handling the connector.

This idea was devised in light of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to make it easy to wipe off the cleaning fluid after cleaning, and to keep the contact pins from leaving the surface of the desk even when the connector is placed horizontally on a desk. Provides an endoscope connector that does not make contact, protects the contact pins, and prevents damage to the power supply even if the connector is attached by mistake without attaching the endoscope side adapter. This is what I am trying to do.

This invention will be explained below based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. In FIG. 1, 1 is an endoscope, and 2 is a power supply device. First, the endoscope 1 will be described. An operating section 4 having an eyepiece section 3 is connected to a flexible insertion section 5 and a light guide cable 6. A light guide 7 made of an optical fiber bundle is inserted into the light guide cable 6, and is connected to the illumination window 9 of the distal end portion 8 of the insertion portion 5 through the operation portion 4 and the insertion portion 5. has been done. Further, an image guide (not shown) is inserted into the insertion section 5 and has one end connected to the eyepiece section 3 and the other end connected to the observation window 10 of the tip structure section 8.

In addition, the light guide cable 6 of the endoscope 1
A connector 11 is attached to the tip.
This connector 11 is constructed as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. That is, 12 is a connector body formed in a cylindrical shape, and an opening 13 is provided at the tip thereof. An annular groove 14 is provided along the edge of the opening 13, and a protruding edge 16 of an end plate 15 that closes the opening 13 is fitted and fixed into the annular groove 14. Therefore,
This end plate 15 is formed to have a slightly smaller diameter than the connector main body 12, and a stepped portion 1 is provided at the connecting portion.
7 is formed. Further, an annular groove 18 having a U-shaped cross section is carved on the outer circumferential surface of the end plate 15, and an engagement ring 19 having a chevron-shaped cross section is formed by an elastic engagement member in this annular groove 18. are fitted. Further, a light guide tube 20 and an air supply tube 21, which house the light guide 7 therein, are provided on the end plate 15 so as to protrude forward. Furthermore, a plurality of through holes 22 are bored at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of the tip side of the connector main body 12, and insulating bushes 23 are inserted into these through holes 22. Contact pins 24 are fixed therebetween. The tip ends of these contact pins 24 protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the connector body 12, and the ends are electrically connected to the endoscope camera to transmit and receive photographing drive signals and control signals. There is. Furthermore, these contact pins 24
...Connector body 12 located slightly behind
A protruding body such as an annular protrusion 25 is integrally provided on the outer circumferential surface of. The protrusion height of this annular protrusion 25
h ₁ is slightly larger than the height h ₂ that protrudes from the contact pins 24 . . . so that the contact pins 24 . It has a protective effect.

Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the connector body 12, an air/water supply cap 26, a carbon dioxide gas supply cap 27, and a suction cap 28 are provided.
And a high frequency ground cap 29 is provided protrudingly.

Further, an endoscope side adapter 30 is detachably attached to the connector 11 of the endoscope 1 configured as described above. The endoscope side adapter 30 is constructed as shown in FIG. 3. That is, 31 is a cylindrical body with openings at both ends, one end of which is formed into a large diameter portion 32 and the other end formed into a small diameter portion 34 via a stepped portion 33 . An insulating wall 3 is provided in the axially intermediate portion of this cylindrical body 31 so as to close the opening.
5 is provided, and the large diameter portion 3 is
The second side is formed as a connector side fitting cylinder 36, and the small diameter portion 34 side is formed as a socket side fitting cylinder 37. The connector-side fitting tube 36 is adapted to fit into the end plate 15 of the connector 22, and has an annular groove 38 formed in its inner circumferential surface that can be freely engaged with and detached from the engagement ring 19. . Furthermore, a pair of engagement pins 37a, 37 are provided on the outer periphery of the socket side fitting cylinder 37.
A is provided protrudingly. Further, the insulating wall 35 is provided with through holes 39 and 40 through which the light guide tube 20 and the air supply tube 21 of the connector 12 pass through, and when the connector side fitting tube 36 is fitted into the connector 11, The front end surface of the end plate 15 is an insulating wall 35.
It is now connected to the Furthermore, insulating wall 3
A plurality of terminal pins 41 are provided protruding in the axial direction from the socket side fitting tube 37 side of the socket 5. Also,
Through holes 42 are bored in the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 32 of the cylindrical body 31 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. Contact pins 44 are fixed to these through holes 42 through insulating bushes 43, and these contact pins 44 are connected to the terminal pins 41.
...and are electrically connected in a one-to-one relationship.

Further, the endoscope side adapter 30 is also detachably connected to a power source side adapter 45. Next, the power supply side adapter 45 will be explained. It is configured as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. That is, 46 is an adapter main body, which is composed of a front case 47 and a rear case 48 which are divided into two parts, front and rear. The front case 47 and the rear case 48 have an engaging stepped portion 49,
50 and are engaged with each other by
Openings 53 and 54 are provided in the front wall 51 of the front case 47 and the rear wall 52 of the rear case 48, respectively. The opening 54 of the rear case 48 is formed to have a slightly smaller diameter than the annular projection 25 of the connector 11. Further, a small arcuate portion 55 is integrally provided on the upper edge forming the opening 54 of the rear case 48, and a large arcuate portion 56 is integrally provided on the lower edge, and notch openings 57, 5
7 is provided. Then, the small arc-shaped portion 5
5 and the inner edge of the large arcuate portion 56 are the contact pins 24 of the connector 11 and the endoscope side adapter 30.
Notch grooves 58 are provided corresponding to the intervals between... and 44... to be inserted therethrough. Furthermore, insulated terminal blocks 59, 5 are formed in an arc shape along the curvature of the small arc portion 55 and the large arc portion 56 between the front case 47 and the rear case 48.
9 is provided. These insulated terminal blocks 59, 5
9 is divided into three parts, each consisting of an intermediate member 60 and end members 61 and 62 provided at both ends thereof, which are connected to the front wall 51 of the front case 47 and the rear case 48.
The rear wall 52 of the rear wall 52 is interposed in a side-branch state. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, these intermediate member 60 and end members 61, 62 are provided with through holes 60a, 61a, 62a which are opposed to each other. It also faces the screw hole 51a of the section wall 51 and the through hole 52a of the rear wall 52. And the above-mentioned through hole 5
There are through holes 60a, 6 between 2a and the screw hole 51a.
A fixing bolt 63 passing through 1a and 62a is inserted, and its tip end threaded portion 63a is inserted into the screw hole 51.
By screwing into the case 47 and the rear case 48, an intermediate member 60 and an end member 6 are inserted between the case 47 and the rear case 48.
1 and 62 are clamped and fixed at the same time. Further, on the inner peripheral surfaces of the intermediate member 60 and the end members 61 and 62, a plurality of guide grooves 64 corresponding to the notch grooves 58 are provided.
are engraved in the front and rear directions. In addition, the intermediate member 6
Terminal plates 65 . . . , 66 . is installed. These terminal boards 65..., 66... are made of leaf springs, one end of which is curved in an arc shape and housed in the guide groove 64..., and the other end of the insulated terminal blocks 59, 66...
It protrudes outside of 9. Further, on the outside of the insulated terminal block 59 provided in the large arc-shaped portion 56, there is a space 6 surrounded by the front case 47 and the rear part 48.
7 is provided, and an electric circuit 68 is provided in this space 67.
is fixed.

A connecting cylinder 69 protruding forward is provided on the front wall 51 of the front case 47 of the power supply side adapter 45 configured in this way. This connecting cylinder 69 consists of a cylindrical part 70 and a mounting collar part 71,
The mounting collar 71 is fixed to the front case 47 by fixing bolts 63 that fix the front case 47 and the rear case 48 together. Further, the cylindrical portion 70 is formed to have an inner diameter that can be fitted into the socket-side fitting tube 37 of the endoscope-side adapter 30 described above, and its distal end abuts the tip of the socket-side fitting tube 37 to extend its insertion length. A stopper 72 for regulating the movement is integrally provided. Further, a threaded portion 73 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end of the cylindrical portion 70, and a mounting ring body 74 is screwed onto this threaded portion 73. An annular recess 76 is formed between the attachment ring 74 and the step 75 of the cylindrical portion 70, and a tightening operation ring 77 is rotatably fitted into the annular recess 76. Furthermore, a tightening ring 78 is integrally attached to the front part of this tightening operation ring 77. The tightening ring 78 is provided at the front of the connecting cylinder 69 so as to encompass the tip of the cylindrical part 70 and the attachment ring 74, and has a female threaded part 79 carved on its inner peripheral surface.

Further, a screw shaft 80 that projects forward is provided in a lower portion of the front case 47 of the power supply side adapter 45 . A pressing member 81 made of synthetic resin or rubber is rotatably fitted onto this screw shaft 80. This pressing member 81 consists of a large-diameter operating portion 82 with a knurled outer peripheral surface and a small-diameter contact portion 83, and moves forward and backward by rotating with respect to the screw shaft 80, and the contact portion 83 is connected to the power supply device. 2 to hold the power supply side adapter 45.

Further, the power supply device 2 includes a driving power supply circuit for photographing, an exposure control circuit, and an illumination lamp (none of which are shown). and,
There is a socket 8 on the front panel 84 of this power supply device 2.
5 is provided. A socket main body 86 of this socket 85 is attached to project forward from the front panel 84 by a mounting ring 87 having a male thread 87a. Further, the socket body 86 is provided with a light guide tube insertion hole 88, an air supply tube insertion hole 89, and a terminal pin insertion hole 90. And the light guide tube insertion hole 88
An illumination lamp is opposed to the air pipes 89, and an air pipe 91 is inserted into the air pipe insertion hole 89, and an electrical connection terminal 92 is inserted into the terminal pin insertion hole 90.

Next, the operation of the endoscope connection device configured as described above will be explained. First, when attaching the power supply side adapter 45 to the socket 85 of the power supply device 2, the tightening ring 78 of the power supply side adapter 45 is fitted into the attachment ring 87 of the socket body 86. In this state, when the tightening operation ring 77 is rotated in one direction, the tightening ring 78 rotates together, and the female threaded portion 79 of the tightening ring 78 is screwed into the male thread 87a of the mounting ring 87. Therefore, the connecting cylinder 69 is fitted to the outside of the socket main body 86 with a gap through the mounting ring 74 that engages with the tightening operation ring 77, and the power supply side adapter 45 is connected to the socket 85. Fixed. In this state, when the operating portion 82 of the pressing member 81 is rotated with a finger or the like, the pressing member 81 is rotated by the screw shaft 80.
Since it is screwed together, it moves forward, and the contact portion 83 contacts the front panel 84 of the power supply device 2 . Here, when the pressing member 81 is further rotated, the contact portion 83 comes into pressure contact with the front panel 84, and the frictional resistance increases, so that the bonding strength at the connection portion between the socket 85 and the power supply side adapter 45 can be improved.

In this manner, when using the endoscope 1 with the power source adapter 45 attached to the socket 85 of the power supply device 2, the endoscope side adapter 30 is first attached to the connector 11. That is,
The light guide tube 20 and air supply tube 21 protruding from the end plate 15 of the connector 11 are connected to the endoscope side adapter 3.
0 through holes 39, 40, and then insert the end plate 1 into the through holes 39, 40 of
5 into the connector side fitting cylinder 36. and,
The end surface of the connector side fitting tube 36 is connected to the connector body 12
When the engagement ring 19 is press-fitted until it comes into contact with the stepped portion 17, the engagement ring 19 is elastically engaged with the annular groove 38, and the connector 11 and the endoscope-side adapter 30 are integrally coupled.

In this state, when the connector 11 is inserted together with the endoscope side adapter 30 into the power supply side adapter 45 attached to the socket 85, the light guide tube 20 that protrudes through the endoscope side adapter 30 first penetrates into the socket 85. The air supply pipe 21 is inserted into the light guide pipe insertion hole 88 and the air supply pipe insertion hole 89, respectively. In addition, the endoscope side adapter 30
The contact pins 44 of the connector 11 and the contact pins 24 of the connector 11 pass through the notch grooves 58 and are inserted into the guide grooves 64. Therefore, these contact pins 44...
are attached to the terminal plate 65..., and the contact pins 24... are attached to the terminal plate 66.
... and are electrically connected. At the same time, the socket side fitting tube 34 of the endoscope side adapter 30 is fitted into the socket body 86, the insulating wall 35 is joined to the front end surface of the socket body 86, and the light guide tube 20 is inserted into the light guide tube insertion hole 88. Then, the air pipe 21 is inserted into the air pipe insertion hole 89, and the terminal pins 41 are inserted into the terminal pin insertion holes 90.
The air pipe 21 is connected to the air pipe 91, and the terminal pins 41 are electrically connected to the electrical connection terminals 92. Therefore, the endoscope 1 is electrically and optically connected to the power supply device 2. Further, when the connector 12 is inserted into the socket 85 together with the endoscope side adapter 30, the engaging pins 37a, 37a protruding from the endoscope side adapter 30 are locked by a locking mechanism (not shown). Therefore, after using the endoscope 1, when pulling out the connector 11 from the socket 85 of the power supply device 2, it is possible to remove the connector 11 by pulling out only the connector 11.
1 can be separated from the endoscope side adapter 30 and pulled out from the socket 85. At this time, since the endoscope side adapter 30 is locked to the power supply side adapter 45 by the lock mechanism, it is held within the power supply side adapter 45 without being pulled out. Therefore, when using the endoscope 1 again, connect the connector 11 to the power supply side adapter 4.
By inserting it into the endoscope side adapter 30 in 5, it is electrically and optically connected in the same manner as described above.

Furthermore, when removing the endoscope side adapter 30 together with the connector 11 from the power supply side adapter 45, by removing the connector 11 with the locking mechanism unlocked, the endoscope side adapter 30 can be integrated with the connector 11. can be extracted.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a protrusion made of an annular protrusion was integrally provided at the rear of the contact pin.
This invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and a protrusion may be provided partially near the rear of the contact pin to protect the contact pin.

As explained above, this idea has a light guide tube and an air supply tube protruding from the tip surface of the connector body, and a contact pin that is electrically connected to the power adapter is protruded from the outer circumferential surface. The present invention is characterized in that a protrusion that is higher than the protrusion height of the contact pin and protrudes outward from the opening of the power adapter is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the connector body located nearby. Therefore, the cleaning liquid can be easily wiped off, and even if the connector is placed horizontally on a desk or the like, the contact pins will not come into contact with the desk top surface, and the contact pins can be protected. Furthermore, the protruding body serves as a stopper to restrict the insertion length when inserting into the power adapter, and the tip of the light guide tube protruding from the connector collides with the light source in the power supply device, damaging the light source. This has the effect of being able to prevent accidents that may occur.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing shows one embodiment of this invention.
The figure is a perspective view of the endoscope and power supply device, Figure 2 is a side view when the connector and endoscope side adapter are separated, and Figure 3 is a sectional view of the connector, endoscope side adapter, and power supply side adapter. , FIG. 4 is a front view of the power supply side adapter, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the assembled structure of the insulated terminal block of the power supply side adapter. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Endoscope, 2... Power supply device, 11... Connector, 12... Connector main body, 24... Contact pin, 25... Annular projection (projection body).

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] It is attached to a socket formed by a power adapter that is connected to the connected part of the power supply device, and an endoscope side adapter that is inserted through the opening of the power adapter and is detachably connected to the connected part. In an endoscope connector that is electrically connected to the connected part via an adapter, a light guide tube and an air supply tube are provided protruding from the distal end surface of the connector body, and the power adapter is electrically connected to the outer peripheral surface of the connector body. A contact pin to be connected is provided in a protruding manner, and a protruding body is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the connector body located near the rear of the contact pin, the protruding body being higher than the protruding height of the contact pin and protruding outward from the opening of the power adapter. An endoscope adapter featuring: