JPH0532814Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a connector device for an electronic scope that has a built-in electronic circuit and is capable of blocking heat from a light source device to a connector connected to the light source device. It is something.

[Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention] In recent years, by inserting an elongated insertion part into a body cavity, internal organs, etc. in the body cavity can be observed, and when necessary, treatment tools have been inserted into the channel of the treatment instrument. Endoscopes (also called scopes or fiberscopes) are widely used for medical purposes, which can be used to perform various treatments, and for industrial purposes, which can be inserted into various devices or pipes for inspection and repair. .

Furthermore, various electronic scopes using solid-state imaging devices such as charge-coupled devices (CCDs) as imaging means have been proposed. This electronic scope has advantages such as higher resolution than fiberscopes, easier recording and reproduction of images, and easier image processing such as enlargement of images and comparison of two images.

The color image capturing method of the electronic scope includes a method of sequentially switching illumination light to R (red), G (green), B (blue), etc., as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-82731, for example. Sequential type and, for example, JP-A-60-
As shown in Japanese Patent No. 76888, a simultaneous type (also called a color mosaic type) is provided in which a filter array in which color filters that transmit color light such as R, G, and B are arranged in a mosaic pattern is provided in front of a solid-state image sensor. )
There is. The field sequential method has the advantage that the resolution is better than that of the simultaneous method, the number of pixels can be reduced, and the scope can be made thinner. Also, data for each color can be directly obtained, so it is suitable for image processing. On the other hand, the simultaneous type has the advantage that it allows short exposure, does not cause color shift, is suitable for areas that move quickly such as the esophagus, and does not cause smearing due to the laser guide light.

By the way, in the above-mentioned electronic scope, a light guide is inserted from the operation part on the hand side to the tip of the insertion tube to illuminate the tip side. A solid-state image sensor is disposed in the operating section (on the side), its signal line and the light guide are inserted into a universal cord extending from the operating section, and a lighting connector and a light guide are provided at the tip of the cord. It is designed to be connected to a light source device and a video processor, respectively, via signal connectors. Here, for the cord connecting the electronic scope, the light source device, and the video processor, it is preferable to arrange both the light guide and the signal line in one cable from the point of view of operability, and a lighting connector. and signal connectors are often incorporated into one connector body. Furthermore, there are connector bodies that have built-in electronic circuits such as circuits for electrically correcting the scope length.

When an electronic circuit is built into the connector body that has a lighting connector connected to a light source device in this way, the upper limit of the operating temperature range of the electronic circuit elements is generally around 40°C to 50°C. Therefore, there is a problem in that the heat from the lamp of the light source device is conducted through the lighting connector inserted and connected to the light source device, and has an adverse thermal effect on the circuit elements, causing deterioration of their characteristics.

In order to solve this problem, it is conceivable to increase the storage space within the connector body that houses the electronic circuit board, or to provide a ventilation hole in the connector body. However, the former has another problem in that the connector main body becomes large, and the latter allows dirt, water droplets, etc. to easily enter the board storage chamber, and that these adversely affect the electronic elements.

The present invention was developed in view of these circumstances, and the electronic element built into the connector body that has the lighting connector connected to the light source device can absorb the heat and heat of the light source device without increasing the size of the connector body. The object of the present invention is to provide a connector device for an electronic scope that is not affected by external dust, water droplets, etc.

[Means for solving the problems and their effects] The electronic scope connector device according to the present invention has the following features:
A light guide and a signal line are disposed within an external connection cord of an electronic scope incorporating a light guide and a solid-state image sensor, a connector body is provided at the end of this cord, and a storage chamber is formed within this connector body. An electronic element is installed inside the connector body, and a lighting connector that is inserted and connected to the light source device is provided protruding from the connector body, and a heat insulating means is interposed between the lighting connector and the storage chamber of the connector body. It is.

With this configuration, heat conducted through the illumination connector inserted and connected to the light source device in which the illumination lamp is installed and which becomes hot is blocked by the heat insulating means, and deterioration of the characteristics of the electronic element due to this heat conduction is prevented.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the device of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 relate to the first embodiment of the device of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the connector device, and FIG.
The figure is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of an electronic scope device.

First, the overall configuration of an example electronic scope device will be explained with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes an electronic scope, which has an elongated insertion section 2 that is inserted into a body cavity, for example, and an operation section 3 that also serves as a grip section and is connected to the rear end side of this insertion section 2. A universal cord 4 for external connection extends from the operating section 3, and a connector device 5 is provided at the end of the cord 4. In the electronic scope 1, a light guide 6 for transmitting illumination light is inserted, and the illumination light is irradiated to the subject side in front through a light distribution lens 7 arranged as necessary in front of the output end of the light guide 6. It's becoming like that. Further, in this electronic scope 1, an objective lens 8 for imaging is disposed at the distal end of the insertion section 2, and a solid-state imaging device 9 such as a CCD is disposed at an imaging position behind this objective lens. In the case of a simultaneous electronic scope (not shown), a color mosaic optical filter is provided in front of the solid-state image sensor.
A solid-state image sensor 9 constituting an image sensor is configured to photoelectrically convert an optical image formed on an imaging surface, amplify it with a preamplifier, and then transmit it via a signal line 10. This signal line 10 is connected from inside the insertion section 2 to the operating section 3, and from this operating section 3, via the universal cord 4, reaches the connector device 5 and is connected to the signal connector. On the other hand, the light guide 6 of the electronic scope 1 is inserted into a universal cord 4 extending to the operating section 3, reaches a connector device 5, and is connected to an illumination connector. And the connector device 5
The lighting connector is inserted into and connected to a lighting connector receiver of a light source device having a built-in illumination lamp, and the signal connector is connected to a signal connector receiver of a video processor. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the light source device and the video processor are arranged in one control unit 11. In the example shown in FIG.
Further, the video processor is connected to peripheral devices 12a such as a color CRT 12 and a VTR as display means.

Next, referring to FIG.
An example will be explained.

The connector device 5 has a connector body 13,
A storage chamber 14 is formed inside the storage chamber 14, and a connection receptacle 15 that communicates with the inside of the storage chamber 14 is protruded from the back side. A light guide 6 and a signal line 10 are inserted and extended into the storage chamber 14. Inside this storage chamber 14, an electronic circuit board 16 for electrically correcting the scope length, for example, is installed, and the signal line 10 is connected to the board 16.
are electrically connected. A frame 17 projects from the front of the connector body 13, and a signal line connection recess 18 and a lighting connection recess 19 are formed within the frame 17. A signal connector 20 is housed within the signal line connection recess 18 and is electrically connected to the circuit board 16 .
On the other hand, inside the lighting connection recess 19, a heat insulating resin,
For example, a heat insulating member 21 made of phenolic resin, Teflon, Bakelite, etc. is housed and arranged.
A light guide through hole 22 and a connector cap fitting fixing hole 23 are formed in the central axis direction of the heat insulating member 21, and the light guide 6 extending from the storage chamber 15 passes through the light guide 6, and the connector cap 24 is inserted from the front side. is inset and fixed. This connector base 2
A rod lens 25 is disposed within the tip of the rod lens 25, and the inserted light guide 6 is brought into contact with the back surface of the rod lens 25, and the light guide 6 is connected to the connector base by a screw 26 screwed from the outer periphery of the connector base 24. It is fixed at 24. The connector base 24, the rod lens 25, and the inserted light guide 6 constitute a lighting connector 27.

The light guide 5 and the signal line 10 introduced into the storage chamber 14 in the connector main body 13 form loops 6a and 10a within the storage chamber 14, respectively. This is because when the universal cord 4 is bent when operating the electronic scope 1, stress is also applied to the internal light guide 6 and signal line 10, causing the light guide 6 to bend and the signal line 10 to break. Therefore, the connector body 1
This is to reduce or eliminate the stress applied to the light guide 6 and signal line 10 by providing room for the light guide 6 and signal line 10 to extend within the light guide 3 .

The light guide 6 and the signal line 10 are guided from the tip of the insertion section 2 of the electronic scope 1 through the elongated insertion section 2, the operation section 3, and the universal cord 4 into the storage chamber 14 of the connector body 13. Therefore, variations in the light guide 6 and signal line 10 of each component from the tip end to the connector body 13 can be absorbed by the loop in the storage chamber 14.

The connector main body 13 is made of metal such as aluminum, zinc, stainless steel, brass, etc. to ensure heat dissipation effect and strength.

In such a configuration, the lighting connector 27 is
It is inserted and connected to a light source device that becomes hot due to the lamp.
This heat from the light source device side tries to be transmitted to the storage chamber 14 side of the connector main body 13 through the connector base 27, but a heat insulating member 21 is interposed between the connector base 24 and the storage chamber 14, and the light source device The heat from the side is blocked by the heat insulating member 21, and is prevented from being conducted to the storage chamber 14 where the circuit board 16 is placed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of the device of the present invention.

In addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, this embodiment has the following features:
A heat insulating space 2 is provided between the heat insulating member 21 and the storage chamber 14.
8.

In this configuration, the heat insulating member 21 and the heat insulating space 28 can block heat transmitted from the light source device side to the storage chamber 14 side via the connector base 24. In this embodiment, there is one heat insulating space in the illustrated example, but a plurality of heat insulating spaces may be provided in series.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a third embodiment of the device of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the heat insulating member is omitted and the connector base 24 is directly fixed to the lighting connection recess 19.
A plurality of heat insulating spaces 28 are formed in series within this recess 19.

5 and 6 are sectional views showing a fourth embodiment of the device of the present invention.

In addition to the configuration of each of the above-mentioned embodiments, this embodiment has the following features:
A plurality of collars 29, 29 are installed in the storage chamber 14 of the connector main body 13, and a transparent cover 30, for example, is attached to the circuit board 16 stored and arranged via the collars 29, 29 with a set screw 31, and this cover is A light guide 6 and a signal line 10 are arranged on the light guide 30. With this configuration, there is no possibility that the light guide 6 will come into contact with an electronic element (not shown) mounted on the circuit board 16 and the light guide 6 will be damaged, or that the signal line 10 will come into contact and the element will be shot.

Further, the cover 30 has a plurality of notch holes 32.
The light guide 6 and the signal line 10 can be fixed on the cover 30 by, for example, tying the light guide 6 and the signal line 10 arranged on the cover 30 with a thread 33.

7 to 9 relate to modified examples of the device of the present invention, FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of the electronic scope device, and FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are modified examples of the connector device.

In FIG. 7, the difference from the configuration shown in FIG. 2 is that the light source unit 41 and the video processor unit 42 are configured separately, and the signal cable 43 of the video processor unit 42 is connected to the connector device 5 by a universal cord. 4, except that the signal connector 20 is provided not at the connector device 5 but at the connection end of the signal cable 43 to the video processor unit 42. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, only the illumination connector 27 is formed protruding from the connector body 13. Further, on the back side of the connector body 13, a signal socket 44 is provided in parallel with the connection socket 15.
is formed, the signal cable 43 is fitted into and connected to this signal socket 44, and the signal line 10b is connected to the circuit board 16 in the storage chamber 14.

In the illustrated example, the connector device 5 is provided with a lighting connector 27, and the signal connector 20 is connected to the cable 4.
Although the configuration is such that the illumination connector is provided through the connector device 5, the opposite configuration may be used, that is, the illumination connector may be provided separately from the connector device 5.

With such a configuration, two or more types of light source devices can be selected according to the purpose of use without increasing the number of universal cords or impairing operability.

The configuration and operation other than those described above are the same as in each of the above-described embodiments.

[Effects of the invention] As explained above, according to the invention, the electronic element built in the connector body having the lighting connector connected to the light source device can absorb the heat of the light source device without increasing the size of the connector body. It also has the effect of not being affected by external dust, water droplets, etc.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 relate to the first embodiment of the device of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the connector device, and FIG.
The figure is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of an electronic scope device, FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the device of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a third embodiment of the device of the present invention. , FIGS. 5 and 6 show the fourth part of the device of the present invention.
7 to 9 are cross-sectional views showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the overall configuration of the electronic scope device, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are views of the connector device. It is a sectional view showing a modification. 1...Electronic scope, 4...Universal cord, 5...Connector device, 6...Light guide,
10...Signal line, 13...Connector body, 14...
... Storage room, 16 ... Circuit board, 20 ... Signal connector, 21 ... Heat insulation member, 27 ... Lighting connector, 28 ... Heat insulation space.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A light guide and a signal line are disposed within an external connection cord of an electronic scope incorporating a light guide and a solid-state image sensor, a connector body is provided at the end of this cord, and a storage chamber is formed within this connector body. A lighting connector that is inserted and connected to a light source device is provided protruding from the connector body, and a heat insulating means is interposed between the lighting connector and the storage chamber of the connector body. A connector device for an electronic scope characterized by: