JPH08114754A - Operation part for endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide the operation part of an endoscope which is constituted so that plural operation buttons can be easily operated because the deflection angle of a forefinger is small when they are operated to be depressed by the forefinger and whose operability is excellent. CONSTITUTION: This is the operation part 1 of the endoscope constituted so that the lower half part thereof is used as a grip part 3 and the plural depressing operation buttons 11, 12 and 13 are projectingly provided in front of the upper half part thereof. Then, the height of the tips of the buttons 11, 12 and 13 is arranged so that the upper buttons 12 and 13 become higher than the lower button 11 or the height of the tips of the buttons 11, 12 and 13 with respect to the center axis line 10 of the grip part 3 is arranged so that the upper buttons 12 and 13 become higher than the lower button 11.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an operating portion of an endoscope having a lower half portion as a grip portion and a plurality of push-in operation buttons projecting from the front surface of the upper half portion.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An operation section of an endoscope is provided with a plurality of operation buttons for performing air supply / water supply operation, suction operation, etc., and an index finger of a hand holding a grip section in the lower half of the operation section. It is desirable to be able to push all the operation buttons by themselves.

Therefore, in the conventional operation section of the endoscope, as shown in FIG. 6, for example, the front wall surface 2 of the upper half of the operation section 1 is used.
Is formed so as to project forward from the grip portion 3 and is formed obliquely so that the projecting amount becomes smaller toward the upper side, and the projecting height with respect to the front wall surface 2 is arranged to be the same for each operation button 11, 12. (Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-5809).

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the inclination angle of the front wall surface 2 is changed in the middle so that the protruding heights from the respective surfaces are the same for the respective operation buttons 11, 12 and 13. There are also things (Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-52482).

In the operation section of such an endoscope, the lowermost operation button 11 can be operated by extending the index finger naturally, and the upper operation buttons 12 and 13 can be operated by the present invention. As shown by a broken line in FIG. 2 for explaining the embodiment of the above, the index finger is to be swung upward around the root.

[0006]

When pressing a plurality of operation buttons with one forefinger, it is very easy to extend or bend the forefinger because the middle finger, the ring finger and the little finger hold the grip. However, swaying the index finger upwards around its root is not natural and causes fatigue.

Therefore, in the above-mentioned conventional endoscope operation section, since the swinging angle (opening angle) of the index finger required to operate the upper operation buttons 12 and 13 is large, the operator operates it. I often felt tired.

Therefore, the present invention provides an operating portion of an endoscope which has a small oscillating angle of the index finger and can be operated easily when pushing and operating a plurality of operation buttons with the index finger. To aim.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the operation portion of the endoscope of the present invention has a lower half portion as a grip portion, and a plurality of push-in operation buttons are projected on the front surface of the upper half portion. In the operation section of the endoscope, the height of the tip of the pushing operation button with respect to the front wall surface of the upper half of the operation section is arranged so that the upper operation button is higher than the lower operation button. Or the height of the tip of the push-in operation button with respect to the central axis of the grip part,
It is characterized in that the upper operation buttons are arranged higher than the lower operation buttons.

[0010]

Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention, in which a lower half portion 3 of the operation unit 1 is used.
Has a grip portion 3 which is thinner and easier to grip than the upper half portion, and an insertion portion 4 made of a flexible tube is connected to the lower end portion thereof. An eyepiece 5 is provided on the upper end of the operation unit 1 so as to project therefrom.

On the front surface of the upper half portion of the operation unit 1, three operation buttons 11, 12, 13 are provided so as to project forward. The operation buttons are, for example, the air / water supply operation button 11, the first suction operation button 12, and the second suction operation button 13 from the lower side. However, other combinations or operation buttons of other functions such as video related operation buttons of the electronic endoscope may be used, and there may be four or more operation buttons, or two.

Each of the operation buttons 11, 12 and 13 is biased in the projecting direction, and is operated so as to be pushed into the operation portion 1 from the tip end side against the biasing force, and if the pushing operation is stopped. The urging force returns to the standby state shown in FIG.

Three operation buttons 1 on the upper half of the operation unit 1
The front wall surface 2 on which 1, 12, and 13 are projected is formed so as to protrude forward from the grip portion 3, and is formed obliquely so that the protruding amount becomes smaller toward the upper side.

The heights of the projecting ends of the operation buttons 11, 12, 13 with respect to the front wall surface 2 of the operation section 1 are arranged so that the operation buttons 12, 13 on the upper side are higher than the operation buttons 11 on the lower side. Has been done. That is, in FIG. 1, A <
B <C.

The operation portion of the endoscope thus constructed is
As shown in FIG. 2, the grip portion 3 is held by being held by the middle finger, the ring finger, and the little finger of the left hand.
12 and 13 are pushed in with the index finger.

In that case, the index finger naturally faces the position of the lowermost air supply / water supply operation button 11, and operates the first suction operation button 12 or the second suction operation button 13 above it. In doing so, it is necessary to swing the index finger upward with its root as the center, as shown by the broken line in FIG.

FIG. 3 illustrates the relationship between the position of the tip of the upper operation button 12 or 13 and the swing angle (opening angle) of the index finger when the index finger is swung upward as described above. However, the right hand is shown for clarity.

Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the protrusion position of the operation button 12 is set to a protrusion position 12a having a high protrusion height (H) from the front wall surface 2 and a protrusion position 1 having a low protrusion height (L).
Consider two of 2b.

Then, the swing angle P required to swing the index finger to the tip end position 12a having a high protrusion height from the front wall surface 2 is larger than the swing angle P required to swing the index finger to the tip end position 12b having a low protrusion height from the front wall surface 2. It can be smaller than the required swing angle Q.
That is, P <Q.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the protrusion height from the front wall surface 2 of the operation portion 1 is set to the lower operation button 11
In this embodiment, in which the operation buttons 12 and 13 on the upper side are arranged to be higher, the operation of the upper side is higher than that of the operation portion of the conventional endoscope in which the protrusion heights of the operation buttons are the same. A small swing angle of the index finger when operating the buttons 12 and 13 is sufficient.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the front wall surface 2 is formed parallel to the central axis 10 of the operating portion 1, and other portions are the first embodiment. Is the same as.

As a result, even in this embodiment, the same effect can be obtained by the same operation as that of the first embodiment, but the protruding height of the operating portion 1 from the central axis 10 is higher than that of the lower operating button 11. Since the operation buttons 12 and 13 are higher, the swing angle of the index finger when operating the upper operation buttons 12 and 13 can be made smaller.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the front wall surface 2 of the operation portion 1 is formed obliquely in the direction in which the amount of protrusion increases toward the upper side, contrary to the first embodiment. Then, the protrusion heights of the operation buttons 11, 12, and 13 from the front wall surface 2 are the same.

In the case of this embodiment, even when the operation buttons 11, 12, 13 from the front wall surface 2 have the same protrusion height, the protrusion height from the central axis 10 of the operation portion 1 is the lower operation button 11. Since the upper operation buttons 12 and 13 are higher, the swinging angle of the index finger when operating the upper operation buttons 12 and 13 can be small.

[0025]

According to the present invention, the index finger required to operate the upper operation button when operating the plurality of push-in operation buttons projecting on the front surface of the upper half of the operation section with the index finger, respectively. Since the swinging angle of can be small, the operator can easily press each button without fatigue.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a gripped state of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of movement of a finger according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the third embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a first conventional example.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a second conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Operation part 2 Front wall surface 3 Grip part 11, 12, 13 Operation buttons

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An operating portion of an endoscope in which a lower half portion is a grip portion, and a plurality of pushing operation buttons are provided on a front surface of an upper half portion, and the pushing operation button is pressed against a front wall surface of the upper half portion of the operating portion. The operation portion of the endoscope, wherein the height of the tip of the operation button is higher than that of the operation button on the lower side. 2. In an operation part of an endoscope in which a lower half part is a grip part and a plurality of push-in operation buttons are projected on a front surface of an upper half part, a height of a tip of the push-in operation button with respect to a central axis of the grip part is high. The operating portion of the endoscope is characterized in that the upper operating button is higher than the lower operating button.