JPH0336975Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] This invention relates to an endoscope having an imaging unit including an objective optical system, a fixed imaging element, and accompanying electronic components in its distal end component.

[Conventional technology]

As endoscopes become more multifunctional, they are becoming more electronic. For example, endoscopes in which a solid-state image pickup device and associated electronic components are built into the main body of the distal end component have become popular as inspection means. This type of endoscope has a watertight and shielded structure by integrally incorporating imaging components such as an objective optical system, a solid-state imaging device, electronic components, and electric wires into the main body of the distal end component. Moreover, when these imaging components are assembled, the forceps channel and the air/water supply tube are already assembled into the main body of the tip component.
The installation work was very difficult because it had to be done in a narrow space.

In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present applicant has filed Japanese Patent Application No. 4392/1983 for an endoscope that facilitates the work of assembling the imaging component into the main body of the distal end component. This unitizes the objective optical system, solid-state imaging device, electronic components and electric wires associated with the solid-state imaging device, and inserts the imaging unit into a through hole provided in the tip component body. The image pickup unit is fixed by inserting a fixing screw provided in the image pickup unit into a fixing hole provided in a part of the image pickup unit.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

In conventional endoscopes, the imaging unit can be removed from the tip component body by loosening the fixing screw provided on the tip component body, and the entire imaging unit can be attached and removed from the tip component body for repair or replacement. However, solid-state imaging devices have vertical orientation, so when installing the imaging unit into the main body of the tip component, the vertical orientation of the solid-state imaging device can be adjusted to match the vertical orientation of the monitor TV being displayed. It needs to match the screen. Therefore,
A fixing hole is provided in a part of the upper side surface of the imaging unit, and a fixing screw is provided in the upper side surface of the tip component body, and when the imaging unit is inserted into the through hole, the fixing hole is aligned with the position of the fixing screw, It is necessary to tighten the fixing screw while aligning the fixing hole with the fixing screw. However, since this fixing hole is hidden by the tip component body and cannot be seen, it is difficult to position the fixing hole and the fixing screw, and it takes a long time to assemble the imaging unit.

This invention was made with attention to the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to facilitate the positioning of the imaging unit with respect to the main body of the tip component, without relying on the senses of the assembly worker, and to improve assembly work efficiency. The objective is to provide an endoscope that can be improved.

[Means and actions for solving problems]

This idea includes an objective optical system,
A fixing screw is provided for fixing an imaging unit consisting of a solid-state imaging device and electronic components attached to the solid-state imaging device, and the fixing member is inserted into the imaging unit into a guide groove and deeper than the guide groove. The fixing hole is provided so that the imaging unit can be inserted and guided to a predetermined position with respect to the main body of the distal end component using the fixing member as a guide.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of this invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a distal end component of an insertion section of an endoscope, and 1 is a main body of the distal end component made of metal. A distal end cover 2 made of an electrically insulating material is tightly fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the distal end component main body 1, and is formed to have the same diameter as the outer skin 4 covering the curved tube section 3 of the insertion section. In addition, through holes 5 and 6 are bored in the axial direction in the tip component body 1, and one through hole 5 houses an imaging unit 7, which will be described later, and the other through hole 6 houses an illumination optical system 8. It is provided. This illumination optical system 8
A base 11 is fitted onto the distal end of the light guide fiber 10 which is fitted with the covering tube 9, and this base 11 is inserted into the through hole 6. The cap 11 is fastened and fixed to the tip component main body 1 by a fixing screw 12 screwed into the side wall thereof. Furthermore, an illumination lens 13 is provided at the tip of the light guide fiber 10, and this is adhesively fixed to an opening window 14 provided in the tip cover 2.

Next, the imaging unit 7 will be described. Reference numeral 15 is an insulating frame made of an electrically insulating material, and this has an outer diameter that allows it to be inserted tightly into the through hole 5 provided in the tip component main body 1. ing. and,
A metal lens frame 16 is inserted into this insulating frame 15, and the two are adhesively fixed to maintain watertightness. This lens frame 16 includes a plurality of objective lenses 1.
7 is attached to form an objective optical system 18. Furthermore, the front end side of a metal element frame 19 is fitted into the rear end of this lens frame 16.
This element frame 19 is fastened and fixed to the lens frame 16 by a fixing screw 20 screwed into the side wall thereof. A solid-state image sensor 21 is adhesively fixed inside the rear end side of the element frame 19 fixed to the lens frame 16, and a shield member 22 formed in a cylindrical shape from a metal member is provided on the outer peripheral part. is fixed with adhesive. And this shield member 2
The outer periphery of 2 is covered with an insulating member 23. Furthermore, terminals 24 of the solid-state image sensor 21...
A board 26 on which various electronic components 25 are mounted is soldered to the board 26, and an electric wire 27 is electrically connected to the board 26. Therefore, the substrate 26 on which the electronic component 25 is mounted is connected to the solid-state image sensor 2.
1 and is shielded by a shield member 22.

Further, an insulating frame 1 constituting the imaging unit 7
As shown in enlarged views in FIGS. 2 to 5, 5 is formed with a small diameter part 28 at its front end and a large diameter part 29 at its rear end, and an annular groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter part 29. 3
0 is set. An O-ring 31 is fitted into this annular groove 30 to provide an airtight structure between the annular groove 30 and the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 5 of the tip component main body 1.
Furthermore, in a part of the large diameter part 29 of the insulating frame 15, that is, in the part located above the imaging unit 7, a guide groove 32 is provided along the axial direction, with the part opened and the corners chamfered. . The guide groove 32 is connected to the guide groove 32.
A deeper fixing hole 33 is provided, and this fixing hole 33
The rear end surface 33a coincides with the rear end surface 32a of the guide groove 32. In addition, the guide groove 32 of the insulating frame 15
A screw hole 34 is bored in the radial direction in the side wall of the tip component main body 1 corresponding to the fixing hole 33, and a fixing screw 35 as a fixing member is inserted into the screw hole 34 from the outside to the inside. is screwed in. The fixing screw 35 is inserted and fixed into the fixing hole 33 of the insulating frame 15, and the imaging unit 7 is fixed to the tip component main body 1 by the fixing screw 35. Further, the head of the fixing screw 35 is hermetically sealed with a potting material 37 filled in a through hole 36 provided on the side surface of the tip cover 2.

Next, a method of assembling the imaging unit 7 and a method of assembling the imaging unit 7 into the tip structure main body 1 will be explained. When fixing the element frame 19 to which the solid-state image sensor 21 is attached in advance to the lens frame 16 which is adhesively fixed to the insulating frame 15, the element frame 19 is fitted to the rear end of the lens frame 16. At this time, the upper direction of the tip component main body 1 and the solid-state image sensor 2
In order to match the upper direction of the observed images of 1, the upper direction of the solid-state image sensor 21 is angled with the fixing hole 33 of the tip structure main body 1, and further focused.
After positioning the solid-state imaging device 21 with respect to the tip component main body 1 in this manner, the fixing screw 20 is tightened, and the lens frame 16 and the element frame 19 are integrated to form the imaging unit 7. Next, the insulation frame 15
An O-ring 31 is fitted into the annular groove 30, and the imaging unit 7 is assembled into the front end component main body 1 before and after the illumination optical system 8 is assembled. To assemble the imaging unit 7 into the distal end component body 1, first, as shown in FIG.
Insert the insulating frame 15 at the tip partway into the through hole 5 from the small diameter part 28 side, and then insert the insulating frame 15 at the tip end into the through hole 5 halfway.
A fixing screw 35 is screwed into the screw hole 34 of the insulating frame 15, and its tip is brought into contact with the small diameter portion 28 of the insulating frame 15. In this state, the imaging unit 7 is further advanced to bring the front end of the large diameter portion 29 of the insulating frame 15 into contact with the fixing screw 35, and the imaging unit 7 is rotated left and right to align the guide groove 32 with the fixing screw 35. let As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, after the guide groove 32 is fitted into the fixing screw 35, the imaging unit 7 is advanced along the guide groove 32 using the fixing screw 35 as a guide. When the rear end 32a of the guide groove 32 comes into contact with the fixing screw 35 in this way, the rear end 33a of the fixing hole 33 is aligned with the rear end 32a of the guide groove 32, so the fixing hole 33 contacts the fixing screw 35. opposite. Therefore, when the fixing screw 35 is tightened as shown in FIG.
is inserted into the fixing hole 33, and the imaging unit 7 is fixed to the tip component body 1 in a watertight manner via the O-ring 31.Finally, the through hole 36 is filled with a potting material 37 to fix it. screw 35
will be insulated and sealed watertight.

Furthermore, when repairing or replacing the imaging unit 7, loosen the fixing screw 35, pull out the tip from the fixing hole 33, and pull the imaging unit 7 backward to easily separate it from the tip component main body 1. I can do it.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, according to this invention, a fixing member is provided on the tip component body, and a guide groove is provided in which the imaging unit can be inserted into the tip component body at a predetermined position using the fixing member as a guide. Since the fixing holes are provided in a row, the imaging unit can be easily positioned and assembled into the tip structure body without relying on the senses of the assembly worker.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the distal end component of an endoscope showing an embodiment of this invention, and FIGS. 2 to 5 show the process of assembling the imaging unit into the main body of the distal end component, where A is a plane. Figure B is a side view. 1...Tip component main body, 7...Imaging unit,
32...Guide groove, 33...Fixing hole, 35...Fixing screw (fixing member).

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In an endoscope in which an imaging unit consisting of an objective optical system, a solid-state imaging device, and electronic components associated with the solid-state imaging device is provided in a main body of the distal end component, a fixing member for fixing the imaging unit to the main body of the distal end component is provided. a guide groove for guiding the fixing member to the imaging unit and inserting the imaging unit into a predetermined position with respect to the tip component body; and a guide groove in which the fixing member is inserted deeper than the guide groove. An endoscope characterized by having a fixing hole.