JPH07275189A - Duct switching device for endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the duct switching device for endoscope with which the assembly of the duct switching device can be facilitated and washing is easily enabled in a short time as well. CONSTITUTION:The duct switching device for switching ducts arranged at an endoscope is composed of a cylinder 30 and a piston part 26 inserted to this cylinder 30 so as to freely move back and forth. Then, the piston part 26 is provided with a main body 40 of a piston, packing supporting members 46 and 47 fixed to the main body 40 of the piston, and packings 60, 64 and 66 composed of elastic bodies formed integrally with these packing supporting members 46 and 47 and brought into close contact with the cylinder 30.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an endoscope which is provided in an electronic endoscope having a solid-state image pickup device, an endoscope having an image guide fiber, and the like, and which switches between air supply, water supply, suction, and the like. The present invention relates to a conduit switching device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in an endoscope for digestive organs, mucus or the like adheres to an objective lens during an endoscopic examination, which may obstruct the visual field. Therefore, by operating the conduit switching device for air supply and water supply provided in the operation part of the endoscope, air or cleaning is performed on the surface of the objective lens from the nozzle provided in the tip configuration part via the air supply / water supply channel. Water is sprayed to remove the mucus that has adhered.

A typical example thereof is shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-88603. The structure is composed of a cylinder embedded in the operation portion of the endoscope, and a piston made of a rigid body which is inserted into the cylinder so as to be capable of advancing and retracting and switches air supply and water supply. The piston is removably mounted on the cylinder by a mounting member that is inserted. The cylinder is connected to an air supply line and a water supply line from a gas supply source and a cleaning water supply source, and an air supply line and a water supply line communicating with the nozzle.

A packing made of an elastic body for sealing is fitted in an annular groove provided on the outer circumference of the piston, and a pipe line is formed between the cylinder and the piston to divide a space. ing.

When the packing is mounted on the piston, the elasticity of the packing is used to expand the inner diameter of the packing, and the packing is mounted on the annular groove by overcoming the large diameter portion of the piston.

[0006]

However, in the pipeline switching device for air and water supply disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-88603, the packing is mounted in the annular groove provided in the piston. There is a gap between the packing and the groove, and dust, foreign matter, etc. easily enter this gap.

In order to remove the dirt that has entered this gap, the piston is removed from the pipeline switching device for air and water supply, immersed in the cleaning liquid for a long time, rinsed in running water, and then the water remaining in the gap is dried. This requires the work to be performed, which requires a lot of time and labor for cleaning and is a burden on the worker.

Further, if an ultrasonic cleaning device, a drying device or the like is introduced in order to reduce the working time and labor, there is a problem that a lot of cost is generated. Also, in the work of attaching the packing to the annular recessed groove, when expanding the inner diameter of the packing, the packing is not damaged or the corner of the piston (edge part) is not contacted by the packing and the packing is not damaged. Care must be taken not to work over multiple annular recessed grooves and to prevent the packing from being attached to the piston in a twisted state, which requires a great deal of time and labor and is a burden to the operator. Was becoming.

The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to facilitate the assembling work of the pipe line switching device and also to easily clean it in a short time. It is an object to provide a conduit switching device for an endoscope that can be performed.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a pipe line which is composed of a cylinder and a piston which is inserted into the cylinder so as to be able to move forward and backward, and which is provided in an endoscope. In the endoscope channel switching device for switching, the piston includes a piston body, a packing support member fixed to the piston body, and an elastic body integrally formed with the packing support member and in close contact with the cylinder. It is characterized by including a packing.

[0011]

By forming the packing made of an elastic body integrally with the packing support member, there is no gap between the packing and the packing support member, and dust and foreign matter do not enter and cleaning is easy. Further, by incorporating the packing supporting member provided with the packing into the piston body, the packing can be assembled to the piston, and the assembling becomes easy.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment, FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view of a conduit switching device, FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of an endoscope device, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of a packing support member. FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the endoscope 1 includes an operation unit 2
Is equipped with. The operation portion 2 is provided with a grip portion 2a for holding it by hand. The insertion portion 3 and the universal cord 4 are connected to the operation portion 2.

A connector 5 is provided at an end of the universal cord 4, and the connector 5 is connected to a light source device 6 which supplies illumination light. The insertion portion 3 is provided with a tip forming portion 9 via a bending portion 8 that is bent by an angle knob 7 provided in the operating portion 2, and the insertion portion 3 is provided in the tip forming portion 9.
An opening 9d of the forceps channel inserted in the is provided. The other opening of the forceps channel communicates with the forceps opening 10 provided in the operation portion 2. Further, the tip forming unit 9 is provided with an observation window 9b, a nozzle 9a capable of supplying air and water toward the observation window 9b, and an illumination window 9c for illuminating an observation object. .

A forceps plug 11 is attached to the forceps opening 10 as needed. The insertion portion 3 is provided with a break preventing portion (not shown) for preventing damage, and the break preventing portion is covered by a break preventing cover 12 provided at an end portion of the operation portion 2.

The connector 5 of the universal cord 4 has an air supply device 13, a water supply device 14, and a gas supply device 1.
5 and is also connected to a video processor 16 for processing a video signal via a connection adapter 16a. The video processor 16 includes a monitor 17 for displaying a subject image based on the signal-processed video signal, a VTR deck 18 for recording and reproducing the video signal, a video printer 19 for printing the subject according to the video signal, and a large recorder for recording the video signal. A video disk 20 or the like, which is a storage device of capacity, is connected.

A switch 21 for operating the video processor 16 is provided in the operation section 2. Furthermore, the operation unit 2
Is connected to a nozzle 9a which is open at the tip forming portion 9 of the insertion portion 3, and is provided with an air / water switching device 22 for air / water supply, a suction operation device 23 for suction, and an inert gas such as CO ₂ . A gas feeding operation device 24 for pressure feeding the gas is provided. That is, the operation section 2 is provided with the conduit switching device which is the main part of the present invention.

Next, the air / water switching device 2 shown in FIG.
2 will be described. The air / water switching device 22 includes a cylinder portion 25 and a piston portion 26, and in FIG.
The left side of the piston portion 26 is in a natural state, and the right side thereof is in a pushed state.

A mounting hole 28 is formed in the casing 27 which constitutes the operation portion 2, and a cylinder portion 25 is fixed to the mounting hole 28 by means which will be described later, and a piston portion 26 is attached to the cylinder portion 25. It is detachably inserted.

The cylinder portion 25 has a substantially cylindrical cylinder 30 made of metal and having a step.
On the side wall of 0, from the opening side to the bottom side, in order from the opening side to the bottom side, an air supply conduit 31 which is a gas outlet communicating with the nozzle 9a, and an air supply conduit 32 which is a gas inlet communicating with the air supplying device 13.
And a water supply conduit 33 which is a liquid outlet communicating with the nozzle 9a and a water supply conduit 34 which is a liquid inlet communicating with the water supply device 14.

The air supply conduit 31, the air supply conduit 32 and the water supply conduit 33 project in the direction of the switch 21 provided in the operating section 2, and the water supply conduit 34 projects in the direction of the insertion section 3. .

A threaded portion 35 is formed at an end portion of the cylinder 30 on the opening side, and a base 36 is screwed into the threaded portion 35 from the outside of the casing 27 of the operating portion 2 so as to be fixed to the casing 27. The base 36 has an upper flange 36a and a lower flange 36b. The lower flange 36b compresses an O-ring 38 inside an annular groove 37 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole 28, and the mounting hole 28 The airtightness prevents gas and liquid from entering the operation portion 2.

The piston portion 26 has a substantially cylindrical piston body 40 made of a rigid material such as metal or synthetic resin. Communication passage 41 of this piston body 40
Has an opening 42 that opens in the left-right direction at the lower end thereof, and an annular upper contact portion 43 at the opening edge of this opening 42.
And an annular lower contact portion 44 are integrally provided. Further, a protruding shaft portion 45 that coaxially protrudes downward is provided integrally with the lower end portion of the piston body 40.

A first packing support member 46, which will be described later, is provided on the outer periphery of the piston body 40 above the upper contact portion 43.
The second packing support member 47, which will be described later, is fitted to the protruding shaft portion 45 below the lower contact portion 44.

On the upper part of the first packing support member 46, a retaining cylinder 4 fitted around the outer periphery of the cylinder body 40.
8 is fitted. The retaining cylinder 48 is made of metal, and a flange portion 49 that abuts on the end surface of the upper abutting portion 43 is integrally provided on the lower end portion, and a screw portion 50 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the upper end portion. .

Further, the threaded portion 5 of the retaining cylinder 48.
At 0, a finger contact member 52 having a leak hole 51 is screwed and fixed. The material of the finger contact member 52 is, for example, modified PPO, PSF, PET or the like, or FRP containing it as a main component.
Is formed by.

A cylindrical piston receiver 53 is fitted on the outside of the retaining cylinder 48. At the lower end of this piston receiving body 53, while projecting inward,
A piston stopper 54 whose lower surface abuts the opening end surface of the cylinder 30 is integrally provided, and an urging spring 55, which is a coil spring, is interposed between the piston stopper 54 and the lower surface of the finger contact member 52. There is. That is, the urging spring 55 urges the finger contact member 52 upward, and in a natural state, the piston stopper 54 of the piston receiver 53 comes into contact with the flange portion 49 of the retaining cylinder 48 so that the piston body 40 moves. It is locked.

Further, an elastic covering member 56 made of an elastic material such as silicon rubber, PVC, EBR or the like or a mixture thereof is integrally provided outside the piston receiving member 53, and the covering member 56 is provided with the insulating member 56. A hook 57 that engages with the upper flange 36a of the base 36 is provided.

The finger contact member 52 has an umbrella-like substantially rotating body shape, and is externally mounted with a gap always maintained between the finger contact member 52 and the upper end of the cover member 56 in both the natural state and the pushed state. ing. As a result, even if the liquid is applied to the outside of the finger contact member 52 from above and from the side, the liquid does not enter the inside. Further, even when a good conductor is used for the internal organs, it is safe because it is not directly touched by the finger.

Next, the first packing support member 46 and the second packing support member 47 will be described in detail. First
The packing support member 46 is an upper member 46a having the same outer diameter.
And a lower member 46b are divided into two parts, which are formed in a cylindrical shape by a material having rigidity such as metal or synthetic resin.

The upper member 46a and the lower member 46b have inner diameters which are closely fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the piston body 40, and a packing 60 is formed in the outer peripheral portion of the upper member 46a with a gap with respect to the annular groove 61. Instead, they are integrally formed, and the seams are formed smoothly without steps. Similarly, the valve member 62 is integrally formed in the annular groove 63 on the outer peripheral portion of the lower member 46b without a gap, and the joint is formed smoothly without any step. Then, the packing 60 and the valve body 62
Is elastically in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder 30.

Further, the upper member 46a and the lower member 46
At the time of assembling, after applying an adhesive to the outer peripheral surface of the piston main body 40, the b is fitted from the upper end side of the lower body 46b.
The lower end surface of the abutment portion abuts on the abutment portion 43. Further, after fitting the retaining cylinder 48 from the upper end side of the piston body 40, the finger contact member 5 is attached to the screw portion 50 of the retaining cylinder 48.
2 is screwed into the upper member 46a and the lower member 4
6b is sandwiched between the upper contact portion 43 and the flange portion 49 of the retaining cylinder 48, and is adhesively fixed to the piston body 40.

The second packing support member 47 is also divided into an upper member 47a and a lower member 47b having the same outer diameter, which are made of a rigid material such as metal or synthetic resin so that the upper member 47a has a cylindrical shape. The lower member 47b is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape.

The upper member 47a and the lower member 47b have inner diameters so as to be closely fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the protruding shaft portion 45 of the piston body 40, and the packing 64 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the upper member 47a. With respect to the annular groove 65, the lower member 47b
A packing 66 is formed integrally with the annular groove 67 on the outer peripheral portion of the above without a gap, and its joint is formed smoothly without any step. Then, the packings 64 and 66 are
It is elastically in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder 30.

Further, the upper member 47a and the lower member 47
b, at the time of assembly, after applying an adhesive to the outer peripheral surface of the protruding shaft portion 45 of the piston main body 40, fit it from the lower end side,
The upper end surface of the upper member 47a is brought into contact with the lower contact portion 44, and is adhesively fixed to the protruding shaft portion 45.

The packings 60, 64, 66 and the valve body 6
2 is made of rubber. As the rubber, for example, natural rubber or synthetic rubber can be used. Silicon rubber, fluororubber, or acrylic rubber can be used as the synthetic rubber. Note that synthetic resin may be used instead of rubber.

Further, as a method of integrally forming the packings 60, 64, 66 and the valve body 62 in the annular grooves 61, 63, 65, 67 without a gap, for example, press vulcanization or molding by rubber lining is preferable. . In addition, packing 6
The materials of 0, 64, 66 and the valve element 62 may be different from each other or may be the same material.

Further, the flange portion 49 of the retaining cylinder 48 and the upper member 4 of the first packing support member 46.
6a, the entire circumference of the annular contact surface, the entire circumference of the annular contact surfaces of the upper member 46a and the lower member 46b, the inner peripheral surfaces of the upper member 46a and the lower member 46b, and the annular contact surface of the piston body 40. The entire circumference and the entire circumference of the annular contact surface of the lower member 46b and the upper contact portion 43 are sealed by the sealing means 68 without any gap.

Similarly, the entire circumference of the annular contact surfaces of the upper member 47a and the lower contact portion 44 of the second packing support member 47, the entire circumference of the annular contact surfaces of the upper member 47a and the lower member 47b, and The entire circumferences of the inner peripheral surfaces of the upper member 47a and the lower member 47b and the annular contact surface of the protruding shaft portion 45 are sealed by a sealing means 68 without any gap.

The sealing means 68 is formed as shown in FIG. 3 when the second packing support member 47 is described as an example. That is, although the end surface 69 of the upper member 47a and the end surface 70 of the lower member 47b, which form the second packing support member 47, are in contact with each other, a minute gap 71 forms an end surface 69.
And the end face 70. Further, a taper chamfered portion 6 formed when removing burrs or the like is provided on the outside of the contact portion.
A V-shaped recess 72 is formed by 9a and 70a. In addition, preferably, the upper member 47a and the lower member 47b
It is preferable that the outer shapes of the two have substantially the same diameter.

Sealing means 6 is provided in the gap 71 and the recess 72.
8 is injected and sealed without a gap. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the upper member 47a and the outer peripheral surface of the lower member 47b are formed so as to be smoothly connected without any unevenness, and the recess 72 is also filled so as to be smoothly connected with the outer peripheral surfaces of the upper member 47a and the lower member 47b without any unevenness. Has been. Further, the sealing means 68 may be filled in the gap between the second packing support member 47 and the protruding shaft portion 45 of the piston body 40.

As the sealing means 68, a filler, an adhesive, a brazing material or the like is preferable. Silicon rubber can be used as the filler. As the adhesive, an epoxy adhesive or a urethane adhesive can be used. As the brazing material, solder or brazing can be used.
It should be noted that the sealing means 68 may be made of different materials depending on the sealing portion, or may be made of the same material.

Further, the sealing means 68 may be used to fix the piston body 40 to the upper member 46a and the lower member 46b constituting the first packing support member 46.
Next, the operation of the endoscope conduit switching device configured as described above will be described. In the natural state, the piston body 40 is pushed up by the urging force of the urging spring 55, and the seal portion 66a of the packing 66 causes the water supply conduit 3 to move.
4 is cut off from the water supply conduit 33, and the flow of the liquid sent from the water supply device 14 to the water supply conduit 33 from the water supply conduit 34 is blocked.

Further, the gas delivered from the air supply device 13 through the flow passage in the cylinder 30 formed by the seal portion 64a of the packing 64 and the seal portion 62a of the valve body 62 is located on the side surface of the piston body 40. It flows into the opening 42 and flows out from the leak hole 51 of the finger contact member 52 to the atmosphere.

In a natural state, when a finger is attached to the leak hole 51 of the finger contact member 52 to close the leak hole 51, the valve body 62 causes the air supply device 13 to close.
It is bent inward by the pressure of the gas delivered from
The seal portion 62a is separated from the inner wall surface of the cylinder 30.
As a result, the gas flowing in from the air supply conduit 32 is packed in the packing 6
4 passes through the flow passage in the cylinder 30 formed by the seal portion 64a of the No. 4 and the seal portion 60a of the packing 60 and flows out from the air supply pipe line 31.

When the finger contact member 52 is pushed by the finger and the piston body 40 is pushed against the urging force of the urging spring 55, when the leak hole 51 is closed with a finger, the valve body 62 of the valve body 62 is closed. The seal portion 62a is the tapered surface 30a of the cylinder 30.
It becomes pressure-tight and airtight, and the gas is blocked from the flow path.

On the other hand, the seal portion 66a of the packing 66 is
It moves to the large diameter portion 30b of the cylinder 30 and forms a gap with the inner wall surface of the cylinder 30. As a result, the liquid flowing in from the water supply conduit 34 passes through the flow path in the cylinder 30 formed by the seal portion 64a and flows out from the water supply conduit 33.

Here, the action of each packing 60, 64.66 associated with the movement of the piston body 40 will be described with reference to the packing 60 as shown in FIG. That is,
From the natural state to the pushed-in state (arrow direction) Piston body 4
At the time of the movement of 0 and the movement of the piston body 40 from the pushed state to the natural state, the packing 60
The seal portion 60a of the above is in sliding contact with the inner surface of the cylinder 30, and receives a force in a direction against the movement of the piston body 40. At this time, since the packing 60 is integrally formed in the annular groove 61 of the upper member 46a at the A interface 73 and the B interface 74 without a gap, the packing outer shape 75 in a natural state is deformed like the packing outer shape 76, and the A interface A compressive force is applied to 73 and a tensile force is applied to the B interface 74, but no gap is created between the A interface 73 and the B interface 74 due to the adhesive action.

This is the same as when the piston portion 26 is attached to and detached from the cylinder portion 25, and the A interface 73 and the B interface 7
There is no gap in 4. By the same action, when the piston body 40 operates, the valve body 62 and the lower member 46b, the packing 64 and the upper member 47a, and the packing 66 and the lower member 47b.
There is no gap between them.

When assembling the piston portion 26,
The packing 60 and the valve body 62 are the first packing support member 4
6, since the packing 64 and the packing 66 are fixed to the second packing support member 46 in advance, the packing 60, the valve body 62, the packing 64,
The packing 66 can be fitted without contact.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, there is no gap in the portion of the piston portion 26 that is inserted into the cylinder portion 25 that constitutes the pipe line, so that the piston portion 26 is replaced by the cylinder portion 25. Even if dust in the atmosphere, dust generated by the human body, or the like adheres to the piston portion 26 when it is removed from the inside, it does not enter the inside of the piston portion 26, so that it can be easily washed.
Moreover, since moisture does not enter the inside of the piston portion 26,
Easy to dry.

In the assembly of the piston portion 26, the packing 60, the valve body 62, the packing 64, and the packing 66 do not come into contact with the piston body 40, and the corner portions of the rigid body are not damaged, so that no skill is required for the work. The work can be done in a short time.

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment. This embodiment is a modification of the tip portion of the piston portion 26 of the first embodiment, and other constitutions not shown are the same as those of the first embodiment. Is. The packing support member 80 is formed of a metal or a synthetic resin material in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and has an inner diameter that fits tightly with the protruding shaft portion 45 of the piston body 40.

On the outer peripheral portion of the packing support member 80, packings 81 and 82 are integrally formed with the annular grooves 83 and 84 without any gap, and the joints are formed smoothly without any step.

The upper member 46a and the lower member 4 which compose the first packing support member 46 in the first embodiment.
6b may be integrated as in the above embodiment, or the lower member 46b and the upper member 47 of the second packing support member 47 may be integrated.
a may be integrated.

The operation is the same as in the first embodiment. Since the number of parts is smaller than that of the first embodiment, the effect is that the assembly is easy, the working time can be shortened, and the labor of the worker can be reduced.

FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment. This embodiment is a modification of the tip portion of the piston portion 26 of the first embodiment, and other constitutions not shown are the same as those of the first embodiment. Is. Projecting shaft portion 8 at the lower end of the piston body 40
5 is provided with a packing support member 86. The packing support member 86 is formed of a metal or a synthetic resin material in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and has an inner diameter that fits tightly with the protruding shaft portion 85 of the piston body 40.

Packings 87 and 88 are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the piston main body 40 and the outer peripheral portion of the packing supporting member 86 so that the annular groove 8 is formed.
It is integrally formed with the gaps 9 and 90 without any gap, and the joint is formed smoothly without any step. Furthermore, the packing support member 86 is fixed to the piston body 40 with an adhesive, and the annular contact surface thereof is sealed by the sealing means 68 over the entire circumference.

Incidentally, the packing 6 in the first embodiment.
0 or the valve body 62 may be integrally formed with the piston body 40 as shown in this embodiment, or a plurality of combinations of the packing 60, the valve body 62, and the packings 64 and 66 may be combined. It may be formed integrally with the piston body 40.

According to this embodiment, when the packing 87 is formed on the piston main body 40 by using, for example, a mold, the lower end of the piston main body 40 does not have an undercut shape, which simplifies the mold. , Mold release becomes easy. Further, since the number of parts is smaller than that of the first embodiment, the assembling is easy, and the working time is shortened and the labor of the worker is reduced.

FIG. 7 shows a fourth embodiment. This embodiment is a modification of the tip portion of the piston portion 26 of the second embodiment, and the other constructions not shown are the same as those of the first embodiment. Is. Projecting shaft portion 4 at the lower end of the piston body 40
5 is provided with a packing support member 80. The packing support member 80 is formed of a metal or a synthetic resin material into a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and has an inner diameter that fits tightly into the protruding shaft portion 45 of the piston body 40.

On the outer peripheral portion of the packing support member 80, a cylindrical packing 91 in which the packing 64 and the packing 66 in the first embodiment are integrally formed is integrally formed in the annular groove 92 without any clearance. The seams are formed smoothly without any steps. Sealing portions 93 and 94, which are convex portions and correspond to the sealing portions 64a and 66b of the first embodiment, are integrally formed on both side edges of the packing 91.

Further, the packing support member 80 is fixed to the piston main body 40 with an adhesive, and the annular contact surface thereof is sealed by the sealing means 68 over the entire circumference without any gap. Incidentally, the packing 60 and the valve body 6 in the first embodiment.
2 may be integrally formed as shown in this embodiment, or the valve body 62 and the packing 64 may be integrally formed.

According to this embodiment, the number of joints between the packing 91 and the packing support member 80 is reduced, and a gap due to the peeling of the joint portion due to an excessive external force is less likely to occur.
As a result, the service life of the piston portion 26 is extended.

FIG. 8 shows a fifth embodiment and is a vertical sectional side view of the gas feeding operation device 24. The gas supply operating device 24 has basically the same structure as the air supply / water supply switching device 22 shown in FIG. 1, and the same components are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. The gas feeding operation device 24 is composed of a cylinder portion 100 and a piston portion 101. The left side of the piston 101 is in a natural state, and the right side is in a pushed state.

On the side wall of a cylinder 102 having a cylindrical shape with a bottom, which constitutes the cylinder portion 100, the gas feeding device 1 is sequentially arranged from the top.
5, there are provided a gas feed conduit 103 which is a gas inlet communicating with 5, and a gas feed conduit 104 which is a gas outlet communicating with the nozzle 9a of the tip forming section 9.

A second piston body 106, which also functions as a packing support member, is screwed and fixed to the lower end of the piston body 105 which constitutes the piston portion 101. A packing support member 111 is fitted and fixed to the outer periphery of the piston body 105, and a packing 107 having a seal portion 107a that slidably contacts the cylinder 102 is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the packing support member 111 with respect to the annular groove 108 without a gap. The seams are formed smoothly without any step.

A packing 109 having a seal portion 109a slidably contacting the cylinder 102 is integrally formed on the outer peripheral portion of the second piston main body 106 with respect to the annular groove 110 without any gap, and the joint is formed smoothly without any step. Has been done.

In the gas supply operation device 24, the air supply / water supply switching device 2 is provided in the piston body 105 and the finger contact member 52.
The two communicating leak holes 51 and the opening 42 are not provided, and the inside of the cylinder 102 and the outside of the operating portion 1 are separated from each other by a packing 107 in a watertight and airtight manner.

In the natural state, the packing 109 separates the gas feeding pipeline 103 and the gas feeding pipeline 104 in a watertight and airtight manner, and they are not in communication with each other. With the piston body 105 being pushed in, the packing 109 moves downward from the gas feeding pipeline 104, and the gas feeding pipeline 103 and the gas feeding pipeline 104
Is the seal portion 1 of the inner surface of the cylinder 102 and the packing 107.
07a communicates with the fluid passage formed by the seal 109a of the packing 109. The gas delivered from the gas delivery device 15 is passed through the gas delivery operation device 24 and the tip forming unit 9
From the nozzle 9a. Other functions are the same as those of the air / water switching device 22.

According to this embodiment, the air / water switching device 2
In addition to the effect similar to 2, the piston main body 105 and the second piston main body 106, which is a packing support member, are screwed together, so that the fixing is reliable and the fixing work such as bonding becomes easy.

According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the following constitution can be obtained. 1. In an endoscope pipe line switching device configured to include a cylinder and a piston that is inserted into the cylinder so as to be capable of advancing and retracting, and the pipe line switching device for switching the pipe line provided in the endoscope, the piston is a rigid piston body. At least an outer side of a joint surface between the piston body and the packing support member, a packing support member made of a fixed rigid body, a packing made of an elastic body formed integrally with the packing support member and in close contact with the cylinder. A conduit switching device for an endoscope, comprising a sealing means for sealing without a gap.

2. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of the packings and packing support members. 3. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing support member is fitted to the piston body. 4. The endoscope channel switching device according to claim 2, wherein the packing support member is fitted and inserted from both ends of the piston body. 5. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the piston body has a communication passage.

6. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the packings is a check valve that allows fluid to pass in one direction and does not allow fluid to pass in the opposite direction. 7. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing support member is screwed to a piston body. 8. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the piston body also serves as a packing support member. 9. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is an adhesive.

10. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is a brazing material. 11. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is a wax. 12. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is solder. 13. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is a sealing material. 14. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is rubber. 15. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing is made of rubber.

16. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing is made of synthetic resin. 17. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing support member is made of metal. 18. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing support member is made of synthetic resin. 19. A first packing support member is made of ceramic.
Paragraph 3 or the conduit switching device for an endoscope according to Paragraph 2. 20. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the piston body is made of metal.

21. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the piston body is made of synthetic resin. 22. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the piston body is made of ceramic. 23. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing is made of natural rubber. 24. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing is made of silicone rubber. 25. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing is made of fluororubber. 26. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing is made of acrylic rubber. 27. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is fusion bonding.

28. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is welding. 29. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is an epoxy resin adhesive. 30. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is an acrylic resin adhesive. 31. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is a silicone rubber adhesive. 32. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is a polyurethane rubber adhesive. 33. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is a silicone rubber sealing material.

34. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is ultrasonic welding. 35. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is heat fusion. 36. The endoscope line switching device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means is a combination of two or more means of ultrasonic welding and heat fusion. 37. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing material is a combination of two or more kinds of natural rubber, silicon rubber, fluororubber, and acrylic rubber.

38. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the material of the packing support member is a combination of two or more kinds of synthetic resin, metal, and ceramic. 39. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 5, wherein the piston body is connected to the cylinder and has a communication path that communicates a plurality of conduits that communicate with each other in the cylinder. 40. The duct line switching device for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing is integrally provided on the packing support member by a rubber lining. 41. 3. The endoscope channel switching device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing is integrally formed in an annular groove formed in an outer peripheral portion of the packing support member without a gap.

42. In an air-and-water supply / switching device for an endoscope, which comprises a cylinder and a piston fitted in the cylinder so as to be capable of advancing and retracting, and which switches a pipe line provided in the endoscope,
The piston is a packing support member fixed to the piston body, and a packing made of an elastic body formed integrally with the packing support member and in close contact with the cylinder,
An air / water switching device for an endoscope, comprising: a sealing unit that seals at least an outer side of a joint surface between the piston body and the packing support member without a gap.

43. In an endoscope gas-switching device for switching a pipe line arranged in an endoscope, which comprises a cylinder and a piston that is inserted into and retracted from the cylinder, the piston is fixed to a piston body. A packing supporting member, a packing formed of an elastic body integrally formed with the packing supporting member and in close contact with the cylinder, and a seal for sealing at least an outer side of a joint surface between the piston body and the packing supporting member without a gap. A gas switching device for an endoscope, comprising: a stop means.

44. The conduit switching device for an endoscope according to claim 5, wherein the communication passage communicates with the inside and the outside of the cylinder. 45. 3. The endoscope conduit switching device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing has a cylindrical shape and has a seal portion formed of an annular convex portion at both end edges thereof. According to the above-described items 1 to 8 and 39 to 44, when the piston body moves back and forth, the packing slides and deforms with respect to the inner surface of the cylinder. The packing is formed integrally with the packing support member without any clearance, and even if the packing is deformed, no clearance is created between the packing and the packing support member. Since the packing support member and the piston body are fixed and both are rigid, even if an external force is applied by moving the piston up and down, the spacing between the joint surfaces does not change, and no compression force or tensile force is applied to the sealing means. Therefore, the sealing means does not peel off.

At the time of assembling the piston portion, the work of fixing the packing support member to the piston body is performed. The packing is attached to the piston body via a packing support member made of a rigid body that is integrally molded, and does not contact the piston body. When a force is applied to the packing support member during the work, the packing support member is a rigid body and is not deformed so that no force is applied to the packing.

Therefore, when the piston main body moves back and forth, no gap is generated in the piston main body, so that dirt does not enter the inside of the piston main body and adheres to the surface, and moisture does not enter the inside of the piston main body. Therefore, the dirt attached to the piston body is only on the outer surface, can be easily washed, and can be dried quickly. Therefore, the time and labor required for the cleaning work are reduced, and the burden on the worker is reduced. Further, since the packing is not damaged by mistake when the piston portion is assembled, the work does not require skill and the work can be performed in a short time. Therefore, the time and labor required for the assembling work are reduced and the burden on the worker is reduced.

9th to 12th, 27th to 32nd, 34th, 35th
According to the paragraph (1), the packing support member and the piston body are fixed to each other via the sealing means. Since the packing support member and the piston body are fixed by the sealing means, the fixing strength between the packing support member and the piston body can be increased.
Further, the sealing means can also serve as the fixing means.

According to the thirteenth and thirty-third items, the sealing means maintains flexibility after being applied to or filled in the joint surface between the packing supporting member and the piston body, and the packing supporting member and the piston body are relatively weakly bonded. Attached to. Therefore, the sealing means can be easily removed, for example, easily wiped off when the sealing means is applied excessively, and the assembled piston body is not wasted, which is economical.

According to the fourteenth item, even if the packing support member or the piston body is deformed and the gap between the joint surfaces is changed, the sealing means is largely elastically deformed and follows the deformation of the joint surface. Even when the packing support member or the piston body is damaged due to deformation, no gap is created at the joint surface, so dirt does not enter the inside of the piston body, so it can be easily cleaned and the air / water supply function must be obstructed. If so, the piston body can be used as it is.

According to the fifteenth term, the seal is maintained even if the distance between the piston body and the cylinder increases. This allows
The pipe line is surely switched. According to the sixteenth aspect, since the distance between the piston body and the cylinder is maintained, the volume of the pipe line formed by the piston body, the cylinder, and the packing does not change, and the fluid passage is secured.

According to Item 17, the packing support member is less likely to be damaged. According to the fifteenth aspect, when the piston body is eccentric with respect to the cylinder and the distance between the piston body and the cylinder is changed, the packing has high flexibility, so that the packing is largely elastically deformed and the contact with the cylinder is kept high. A sealing property can be obtained.

According to the sixteenth item, when a strong force is applied to the packing, the packing has a small deformation amount, the distance between the piston body and the cylinder is maintained, and the packing has high strength and high wear resistance. Is.

According to Item 17, high strength can be given to the packing supporting member. According to the eighteenth item, it is possible to reduce the weight of the packing support member. According to Item 19, high rigidity and high wear resistance can be given to the packing support member.

According to the twentieth item, high strength can be given to the piston body. According to the twenty-first item, the weight of the piston body can be reduced. According to Item 22, high rigidity and high wear resistance can be given to the piston body.

According to the twenty-third item, the packing is inexpensive. According to item 24, the chemical resistance of the packing,
The heat resistance, aging resistance and cold resistance can be increased.
According to Item 25, the chemical resistance, heat resistance, aging resistance and oil resistance of the packing can be improved. According to Item 26, the heat resistance and oil resistance of the packing can be improved.

According to the thirty-sixth aspect, when the kind, temperature, etc. of the fluid contacting each sealing portion are different, the sealing means can be made of a material which does not easily deteriorate correspondingly. According to the thirty-seventh aspect, when the types and temperatures of fluids contacting each packing are different, each packing can be made of a material having high sealing ability corresponding to each fluid. According to Item 38, when the amount of force applied varies depending on the mounting position of each packing support member, the strength of each packing support member can be changed.

According to the forty-fifth item, the packing can be provided with a plurality of seal portions, and the assembly of the packing to the piston body becomes easy. Further, a fluid ejection nozzle capable of performing air supply or water supply toward an observation window or the like is provided at a tip end portion of an electronic endoscope having a solid-state imaging device or an endoscope having an image guide fiber. Has been.

For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 3-165731 discloses a conventional nozzle structure, in which a nozzle protective material made of epoxy resin is integrally molded by casting, and a nozzle mounting hole provided at a tip forming portion. It is fixed with a screw and low temperature curing type rubber (silicone soft adhesive) so that it can be detached at the time of repair. However, the epoxy resin was not applied to the deformed portion of the throat portion of the nozzle mouth, but only the unmolded round pipe portion on the nozzle base side.

Therefore, the low temperature curing type rubber (silicone soft adhesive) is surely applied to the deformed portion of the throat of the nozzle without gaps.
It was difficult to pour in and the liquidity was poor, so it was difficult to check if there were any gaps.

Further, the low temperature curable rubber applied near the opening end of the nozzle is rubbed by a brush or other member harder than the low temperature curable rubber, so that the surface is dug into a concave portion or a rough surface. It was easy to deteriorate, such as when it was cut or cut. Furthermore, dirt was accumulated on the deteriorated part, and cleaning was also troublesome. In addition, there is a problem that the quality of the workers is not stable because of large variations among workers during repair and shipping.

Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem,
The nozzle structure shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 was developed. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the distal end constituent portion of the endoscope, FIG. 10 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 9, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY of FIG.

The distal end portion 120 of the endoscope has a distal end main body 121 made of metal or insulating plastic, and a connection hole 122 is formed at the proximal end of the distal end main body 121.
A connection pipe 123 made of metal or plastic is inserted into the connection hole 122 and is watertightly fixed with a hard adhesive 124 or the like. A fluid conduit 125 made of PTFE or the like extending to the operation portion (not shown) of the endoscope is watertightly fixed to the connecting pipe 123 by a thread binding adhesive means 126.

Opening concave portion 1 is provided at the tip of the tip body 121.
27 is provided, and a nozzle 128 is provided in the opening recess 127.
Is fixed. That is, 129 is a metal deformed pipe, and a hard insulating adhesive 131, such as an epoxy adhesive, is integrally cast on the outer peripheral portion of the deformed pipe 129 over the throat 130. , A nozzle 128 is formed.
It is fitted and fixed to 7.

The casting integral molding of the hard insulating adhesive 131 is performed according to a predetermined molding die (not shown), and its shape is the same as that of the opening concave portion 127 provided in the tip body 121. It has the same shape. The inner diameter of the lower end protruding portion 129a of the deformed pipe 129 of the nozzle 128 is formed to be substantially the same as the inner diameter of the connecting pipe 123.

Moreover, the lower end projecting portion 1 of the deformed pipe 129 is
The outer diameter of 29a and the inner diameter of the lower end portion 127a of the opening concave portion 127 of the tip portion main body 121 are provided so as to fit with each other.
The nozzle 128 is watertightly fixed in the opening recess 127 by filling the gap with a silicon-based soft adhesive 132. Moreover, a side hole 134 is formed in the side surface portion 133 of the tip end portion main body 121, and a metal pin 136 having a slot is fitted in a concave portion 135 provided in the hard insulating adhesive 131. The space of the side hole 134 after the fitting is filled with a silicon-based soft adhesive 132 to prevent the pin 136 from coming off.

After the nozzle 128 is watertightly fixed to the opening concave portion 127 with the soft adhesive 132 of silicon type,
As shown in FIG. 5, the slight gap is also repair-coated with the soft adhesive 132 to fill the gap.

A silicone type soft adhesive 132 is applied and dropped onto the outer periphery of the lower end protruding portion 129a of the nozzle 128 and the outer periphery of the hard insulating adhesive 131 formed in the opening concave portion 127 of the tip portion main body 121 with a molding die, Next, the tip body 12
Insulating adhesive 1 harder than the side surface 133 and the side hole 134
The pin 136 is fitted into the recess 135 of the pin 31 and the pin 13
Silicon-based soft adhesive 132 so that 6 does not fall out
Is filled in with. Next, the nozzle 128 protruding from the tip end main body 121 is repair-coated to cover the gap with a silicon-based soft adhesive 132 as shown in FIG. At the time of repair, the silicon-based adhesive 132 in the side hole 134 of the side surface portion 133 of the tip portion main body 121 is taken out with a tool or the like, and the pin 136 is removed.
And the nozzle 128 is pulled out from the opening recess 127.
Then, the inner surface of the opening concave portion 127 and the lower end portion 127a thereof is cleaned with a cleaning brush (not shown), and a new nozzle 128 is attached in the order described above.

In this manner, since the nozzle 128 can be molded in advance by casting with the hard insulating adhesive 131 in the deformed portion of the nozzle 128, there is no gap due to the variation of the operator, and the work is easy. Moreover, repair is easy, and the working time and labor can be reduced. Further, since the adhesive portion is not deteriorated due to being used, and dirt is not accumulated due to the deterioration, the cleaning property is also excellent. Further, even after the nozzle 128 is removed, the step of the lower end portion 127a of the tip body 121 is tapered, so that the interior of the tip body 121 is excellent in cleanability.

In this embodiment, the outer surface of the tip forming portion has a tip body 121 and a deformed pipe 129 as a nozzle body.
And a hard insulating adhesive 131 as a nozzle support member. Since all three are hard, they are less likely to be damaged or worn during long-term use.

Even if the outer surface of the deformed pipe 129 is entirely covered with the hard insulating adhesive 131 as the nozzle supporting member, the tip end body 121 and the hard insulating adhesive 131 as the nozzle supporting member are used. Good. By making both of them insulative, the tip portion of the endoscope is completely insulated.

According to the above-mentioned embodiment, the following constitution can be obtained. 1. In an endoscope in which a nozzle for ejecting a fluid is provided in the tip end main body of the endoscope, the nozzle is composed of a nozzle main body having a flow passage inside and a hard nozzle support member covering at least a part of the outer surface of the nozzle main body. The tip body has an opening concave portion corresponding to the outer shape of at least a part of the nozzle support member, and the nozzle is detachably inserted and fixed in the opening concave portion, and the outer surface of the tip portion of the endoscope is An endoscope comprising a tip body and a nozzle body and a nozzle support member, or a tip body and a nozzle support member.

2. The nozzle support member is made of resin
The endoscope according to the item. 3. The endoscope according to claim 2, wherein the nozzle support member is fixed to the nozzle body without a gap. 4. The endoscope according to claim 3, wherein the nozzle support member is integrally formed with the nozzle body. 5. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein at least the opening concave portion of the distal end portion main body is made of resin.

6. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein a space between the tip body and the nozzle is filled with a filler. 7. The endoscope according to claim 6, wherein the filler is a soft resin. 8. The endoscope according to claim 7, wherein the filler is a silicone adhesive. 9. The nozzle support member and the tip end body are each provided with an insertion hole for the retaining member or an insertion recess for the retaining member,
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the retaining member is inserted into both.

According to the first item, the work of eliminating the gap on the outer surface of the tip end main body becomes easy. Moreover, since the nozzle support member is hard, it does not deteriorate even after long-term use and has excellent durability. Moreover, since the surface of the nozzle support member is kept in the initial state, it is easy to wash and dirt is not easily accumulated. Further, at the time of repair as well, since the nozzle portion in which the gap is filled can be created and placed in advance, and the stocked portion can be stocked, the work of filling the gap in the deformed portion of the nozzle during use can be omitted. In addition, there is no variation among workers, and quality can be stabilized.

According to the second term, since the nozzle support member is made of resin, the insulation and shape of the nozzle can be arbitrarily formed.
According to the third aspect, since the nozzle support member is fixed to the nozzle body without a gap, dirt does not enter between the nozzle support member and the nozzle body. According to the fourth aspect, since the nozzle support member is integrally formed with the nozzle body, no gap is generated, dirt is not entered, and the nozzle support member can be easily formed. Fifth
According to the item (1), at least the opening concave portion of the tip end main body is made of resin, so that the shape can be arbitrarily formed.

According to the sixth aspect, since the space between the tip end main body and the nozzle is filled with the filler, dirt does not enter. According to the seventh item, since the filler is a soft resin, repair is easy. According to the eighth item, the filler is a silicone adhesive and therefore has chemical resistance. According to the ninth aspect, since the insertion hole for the retaining member or the recess for inserting the retaining member is provided in each of the nozzle support member and the tip portion main body, and the retaining member is inserted into both of them, reliable removal is ensured. A stopping effect can be obtained, and the size can be reduced.

[0115]

As described above, according to the present invention, the piston is fixed to the piston body and the piston body in the endoscope channel switching device for switching the channels arranged in the endoscope. It is possible to facilitate the assembling work of the pipeline switching device by configuring the packing support member and the packing made of an elastic body that is formed integrally with the packing support member and is in close contact with the cylinder. In addition, there is an effect that cleaning is easy and can be performed in a short time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of an endoscope channel switching device showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the entire endoscope apparatus of the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a part of the packing support member of the embodiment in an enlarged manner.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional side view showing a part of the packing of the embodiment in an enlarged manner.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a part of a packing support member according to a second embodiment of the present invention in an enlarged manner.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional side view showing a part of a packing supporting member of a third embodiment of the present invention in an enlarged manner.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a part of a packing support member according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention in an enlarged manner.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of an endoscope channel switching device showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the distal end configuration portion of the endoscope.

10 is a view seen from the direction of arrow X in FIG.

11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line YY of FIG.

[Explanation of reference numerals] 30 ... Cylinder, 40 ... Piston body, 46, 47 ... Packing support member, 60, 64, 66 ... Packing.

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] May 13, 1994

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0088

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

According to the fifteenth item, the piston body is eccentric with respect to the cylinder and the distance between the piston body and the cylinder is changed.
The packing has high flexibility when
Elastically deforms significantly, maintains contact with the cylinder, and
The seal between the ton and the cylinder is maintained. This allows
It is possible to reliably switch the pipeline. According to the sixteenth aspect, when a strong force is applied to the packing, the packing has a small deformation amount, the distance between the piston body and the cylinder is maintained, and the packing can have high strength and high wear resistance. The volume of the conduit formed by the main body, the cylinder, and the packing does not change, and the fluid passage can be secured. According to Item 17, high strength can be given to the packing support member, and the packing support member is less likely to be damaged. According to the eighteenth item, it is possible to reduce the weight of the packing support member. According to Item 19, high rigidity and high wear resistance can be given to the packing support member.

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0089

[Correction method] Delete

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0090

[Correction method] Delete

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0091

[Correction method] Delete

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An endoscope conduit switching device comprising a cylinder and a piston fitted in the cylinder so as to be capable of advancing and retracting, and switching the conduit arranged in the endoscope, wherein the piston is a piston. An endoscope conduit comprising a main body, a packing support member fixed to the piston main body, and a packing made of an elastic body formed integrally with the packing support member and in close contact with the cylinder. Switching device.