WO2012141045A1

WO2012141045A1 - Endoscope

Info

Publication number: WO2012141045A1
Application number: PCT/JP2012/059091
Authority: WO
Inventors: 星野　勇気
Original assignee: オリンパスメディカルシステムズ株式会社
Priority date: 2011-04-12
Filing date: 2012-04-03
Publication date: 2012-10-18
Also published as: JP5172052B2; JPWO2012141045A1

Abstract

The endoscope comprises: a first shaft, one end of which is affixed to the grip and the other end of which extends outside of the grip; a second shaft disposed on the same axis as the first shaft and is rotatable around the axis of the first shaft; an operation knob installed so as to rotate the second shaft around the axis thereof; a cover member installed on the operation knob on the side near the grip; a supporting part that holds the cover member on the operation knob; a pressing member that presses the operation knob towards the grip; a first ring-shaped sealing member that is pressed toward the operation knob by the pressing member; and a sloped surface, which is formed on at least one of the pressing member and the operation knob, is slanted with respect to the axial direction of the first shaft and to the direction that is orthogonal to the axial direction of the first shaft, supports the first sealing member that is pressed toward the operation knob by the pressing member to circumscribe the first shaft, and supports the first sealing member in the direction along the axial direction of the first shaft.

Description

Endoscope

This invention relates to an endoscope having an operation knob for bending a bending portion in a gripping portion (operation portion).

The operation knob for bending the bending portion is formed with, for example, a recess (space) in which a holding mechanism that holds the bending state of the bending portion is disposed, and the recess is covered with a sealing member. In order to prevent the sealing member from dropping off from the operation knob, the sealing member is fixed to the operation knob by combining, for example, an elastic contact member such as an O-ring, a screw, and an adhesive.

When fixing the sealing member to the operation knob, use of screws or adhesion leads to an increase in assembly time and cost.
When fixing the sealing member to the operation knob, it is possible to prevent the sealing member from falling off due to backlash with respect to the operation knob without using screws or bonding by improving processing accuracy and reducing backlash.
When fixing the sealing member to the operation knob, bias the sealing member against the operation knob with a spring member or the like to prevent the sealing member from falling off due to looseness on the operation knob without using screws or bonding. Can do.
However, any of the measures described above leads to an increase in processing cost due to improvement in processing accuracy and an increase in component cost due to the use of another member.

JP 2004-313806 A

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and it is possible to realize an internal view that can be realized at low cost when the space formed between the sealing member and the operation knob is sealed to achieve water tightness. The purpose is to provide a mirror.

The endoscope according to the present invention, in which a bending operation mechanism is disposed in a gripping portion, has a central axis, one end is fixed to the gripping portion, and the other end extends outside the gripping portion. An axis, a second axis that is arranged coaxially with the first axis and is rotatable about the axis of the first axis, and the first axis penetrates outside the gripping portion, and passes through the second axis An operation knob that is rotatably mounted around the axis, a lid member that passes through the first shaft and the second shaft, and that is attached to a side close to the grip portion of the operation knob, and the grip portion And a support portion that is provided between the control knob and that supports the cover member toward the control knob, and is disposed on the first shaft, and of the control knob, the cover member is attached. A pressing member that is disposed on the side opposite to the side and presses the operation knob toward the side close to the gripping portion; and A ring-shaped first seal member circumscribing one shaft and provided between the pressing member and the operation knob, and pressed toward the operation knob by the pressing member, and the pressing member and the operation knob. A first seal member formed on at least one side, inclined with respect to an axial direction of the first shaft and a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the first shaft, and pressed toward the operation knob by the pressing member; And an inclined surface for supporting the first seal member in a direction along the axial direction of the first shaft while supporting the outer periphery of the first shaft.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an endoscope according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a bending operation mechanism provided in the grip portion of the endoscope according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a part of the bending operation mechanism provided in the grip portion of the endoscope according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 in an enlarged manner. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an endoscope according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a bending operation mechanism provided in the grip portion of the endoscope according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a part of the bending operation mechanism provided in the gripping portion of the endoscope according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5 in an enlarged manner. FIG. 7 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a part of the bending operation mechanism provided in the grip portion of the endoscope according to the third embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
As shown in FIG. 1, an endoscope 10 includes an elongated insertion portion 12 that is inserted into a body cavity, and a grasping portion (operation portion) that is disposed at a proximal end portion of the insertion portion 12 and is operated by being grasped by a user. 14).

The insertion portion 12 includes a distal end hard portion 22, a bending portion 24, and a tubular portion 26 in order from the distal end side toward the proximal end side. Among these, the bending portion 24 is bent in two directions (upward and downward) when operated by an operator who holds the gripping portion 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, the grip portion 14 includes an internal frame 32 and an exterior frame (grip portion main body) 34.
A bending operation mechanism 40 is disposed on the inner frame 32 and the exterior frame 34 of the grip portion 14. The bending operation mechanism 40 includes a shaft (which may be a cylindrical body) 42 as a first shaft fixed to the inner frame 32, and a vertical bending operation unit (hereinafter referred to as a first bending operation unit) rotatably disposed on the outside of the shaft 42. 44) and a tightening portion 46 disposed at the end of the shaft 42.

One end of the shaft 42 is fixed to the inner frame 32 of the gripping portion 14 with a screw 52, and the other end is extended to the outside of the gripping portion 14 through an opening 34 a formed in the exterior frame 34. A cylindrical body (supporting portion) 54 disposed concentrically on the outer periphery of the shaft 42 is fixed to the inner frame 32 by screws 56. A cover 58 is formed at one end of the cylindrical body 54 so as to protect the distal side of the insertion portion 12 in a sprocket 76 described later. The other end of the cylindrical body 54 extends to the outside of the grip portion 14 through an opening 34 a formed in the exterior frame 34.
An O-ring (seal member) 62 is disposed between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 54 and the opening 34a of the exterior frame 34 to make the inside of the gripping portion 14 airtight and watertight. Note that the O-ring 62 is disposed in a first annular groove 64 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 54. For example, an annular flange 64 a that protrudes radially outward is formed on the first annular groove 64 on the first bending operation knob 72 side described later. A second annular groove 66 is formed on the flange portion 64a on the first bending operation knob 72 side. An O-ring (third seal member) 68 is disposed in the second annular groove 66. Here, the inner diameter of the O-ring 62 disposed in the first annular groove 64 is larger than the inner diameter of the O-ring 68 disposed in the second annular groove 66.

The first bending operation portion 44 includes a first bending operation knob 72, a first sleeve (second shaft portion) 74, a first sprocket 76, and a first lid member 78.
For example, a known holding mechanism that holds the first bending operation knob 72 at that position is provided in a space formed by a first recess 80 described later between the first bending operation knob 72 and the first lid member 78. It is preferable to be disposed. When the first bending operation knob 72 is not provided with a holding mechanism, the first bending operation knob 72 can be reduced in weight by forming the first recess 80.

The first bending operation knob 72 is provided with a first sleeve 74 having one end disposed inside the grip portion 14 and the other end engaged or fixed to the first bending operation knob 72. The first sleeve 74 is disposed on the outer periphery of the shaft 42 and on the inner periphery of the cylindrical body 54. That is, the first sleeve 74 is disposed between the shaft 42 and the cylindrical body 54. Therefore, the first bending operation knob 72 can rotate the first sleeve 74 about its axis.
Here, the shaft 42 and the first sleeve 74 are straight, and the shaft 42 is disposed inside the first sleeve 74. A cylindrical body 54 is disposed outside the first sleeve 74. That is, the shaft 42, the first sleeve 74, and the cylindrical body 54 are arranged coaxially.

A first sprocket 76 is fixed to one end of the first sleeve 74. For this reason, when the first bending operation knob 72 is rotated about the axis of the shaft 42, the first sprocket 76 inside the gripping portion 14 is interlocked and rotated about the axis of the shaft 42.
Note that a chain (not shown) is wound around the first sprocket 76. A rear end of an angle wire (not shown) is fixed to the end of the chain. Therefore, when the first bending operation knob 72 is rotated, the first sprocket 76 is rotated, the angle wire can be moved in the axial direction, and the bending portion 24 can be bent in the vertical direction.

The first bending operation knob 72 has a longitudinal section formed in, for example, a substantially U shape, and has a first recess 80. A first annular recess 80 a having a larger opening diameter than the first recess 80 is formed in the first recess 80 at a position close to the exterior frame 34. The opening diameter of the first annular recess 80 a is slightly larger than the diameter of the outer edge portion of the first lid member 78, and an O-ring (second seal member) 86 described later is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the first lid member 78. The O-ring 86 comes into close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the first annular recess 80a. In the first annular recess 80 a, a first lid member 78 is disposed so as to cover the first recess 80 and to face the exterior frame 34 of the grip portion 14. The depth (axial height) of the first annular recess 80 a is formed higher than the thickness (distance between end faces) of the outer edge portion of the first lid member 78.
At the center of the first bending operation knob 72, a boss portion 82 is formed, through which the shaft 42 penetrates and the other end of the cylindrical body 54 abuts. The other end of the first sleeve 74 is engaged with or fixed to the boss portion 82 of the first bending operation knob 72.
The inner diameter of the boss portion 82 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft 42, and the first bending operation knob 72 can be smoothly rotated around the shaft 42.

The first lid member 78 is formed in a substantially disk shape, and has a boss portion 84 that penetrates the shaft 42, the first sleeve 74, and the cylindrical body 54 at the center. The boss portion 84 has an extending portion 84 a that extends toward the exterior frame 34. An O-ring 68 is disposed between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 54 and the extending portion 84a. The O-ring 68 is disposed in a second annular groove 66 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 54. On the other hand, an annular concave groove 88 for accommodating the O-ring 86 is formed on the outer edge portion of the first lid member 78.
For this reason, the O-ring 68 can prevent liquid from entering the first recess 80 from among the exterior frame 34, the cylindrical body 54, and the first lid member 78. Further, the O-ring 86 can prevent liquid from entering the first recess 80 from between the first lid member 78 and the first annular recess 80a.

As shown in FIG. 3, a slope 92 is formed at a position on the tightening portion 46 side of the first bending operation knob 72. The slope 92 is formed, for example, like a counterbore in which the head of a countersunk screw is disposed. That is, the normal line of the slope 92 is directed from the slope 92 to the other end side of the shaft 42. The inclination angle of the inclined surface 92 is preferably 45 degrees with respect to the central axis C, for example, but is not limited thereto, and can be appropriately set such as about 30 degrees or about 60 degrees. When the angle is 45 degrees, the component force along the axial direction of the shaft 42 and the component force in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction can be reliably separated.
An O-ring (first seal member) 94 is disposed on the slope 92. The O-ring 94 has a circular cross section and is formed of an elastically deformable elastomer. Even when the O-ring 94 presses a tightening member, which will be described later, against the first bending operation knob 72, a gap G is formed between the first bending operation knob 72 and the tightening member 102. Has elastic force and cross-sectional diameter.

The tightening portion 46 includes a tightening member (pressing member) 102 formed in a substantially disk shape, a nut 104 that is screwed to the other end of the shaft 42, and a cap 106 that covers the nut 104.

The fastening member 102 has a boss portion 112 formed so as to penetrate the center and through which the shaft 42 penetrates, and a flange 114 formed on the outer edge portion of the fastening member 102 and extending in a direction away from the exterior frame 34. . An O-ring (seal member) 108 is disposed in an annular groove 106 a formed in the cap 106 between the flange 114 of the tightening member 102 and the cap 106. For this reason, the other end of the shaft 42 is covered with a cap 106 together with the nut 104 in a watertight state.

Then, the nut 104 is screwed into the other end of the shaft 42, that is, as the nut 104 is tightened, the tightening member 102 moves toward the first bending operation knob 72.
The boss 112 of the tightening member 102 is formed along the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 42 so as to reliably press the O-ring 94. As long as the fastening member 102 can move in the axial direction of the shaft 42, it does not have to move in the circumferential direction. That is, the tightening member 102 may be fitted to the outer periphery of the shaft 42 so as not to rotate.

The operation of the endoscope 10 according to this embodiment will be described.
When the nut 104 is fastened to the other end of the shaft 42, the fastening member 102 shown in FIG. 3 presses the O-ring 94 against the slope 92 of the first bending operation knob 72.
At this time, a force F is applied to the inclined surface 92 in a direction orthogonal to the inclined surface 92 by the O-ring 94. This force F can be divided into a component Fa parallel to the axial direction of the shaft 42 and a component Fb orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft 42.

The tightening member 102 presses the first bending operation knob 72 toward the side of the grip portion 14 that is close to the exterior frame 34. At this time, the O-ring 94 is pressed toward the exterior frame 34 along the axial direction of the shaft 42 by the boss portion 112 of the fastening member 102. That is, a force Fa having a component parallel to the axial direction is applied to the inclined surface 92 by the O-ring 94. For this reason, the O-ring 94 is brought into close contact with the fastening member 102 and is brought into close contact with the inclined surface 92 of the first bending operation knob 72. Accordingly, the O-ring 94 applies a reaction force to the boss portion 112 of the fastening member 102.
That is, the O-ring 94 pressed toward the first operation knob 72 by the fastening member 102 by the inclined surface 92 inclined with respect to the axial direction of the shaft 42 and the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft 42 is circumscribed on the shaft 42. The O-ring 94 can be supported in the direction along the axial direction of the shaft 42 while being supported in the above state.

When the O-ring 94 is pressed by the tightening member 102, a force Fb of a component perpendicular to the axial direction is applied to the inclined surface 92 by the O-ring 94. That is, a reaction force is applied to the O-ring 94 by the inclined surface 92 toward the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 42. For this reason, the O-ring 94 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 42. In other words, the O-ring 94 circumscribes the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 42. Therefore, the O-ring 94 can prevent liquid from entering between the first bending operation knob 72 and the shaft 42 and between the tightening member 102 and the shaft 42.

Then, the boss portion 82 of the first bending operation knob 72 is pressed against the other end of the cylindrical body 54 fixed to the inner frame 32 with a screw 56. The boss portion 82 of the first bending operation knob 72 and the other end of the cylindrical body 54 are formed so that the contact area with each other becomes small, and an elastically deformable O-ring 94 is provided for the first bending operation. It acts like a spring that adjusts the contact pressure between the boss portion 82 of the knob 72 and the other end of the cylindrical body 54. At this time, the gap G between the tightening member 102 and the first bending operation knob 72 is maintained by the O-ring 94. For this reason, the boss | hub part 82 of the 1st bending operation knob 72 and the other end of the cylindrical body 54 can rotate relatively with respect to each other.
Thus, since there is a gap G between the first bending operation knob 72 and the tightening member 102, the resistance of the O-ring 94 between the first bending operation knob 72 and the tightening member 102 is resisted. The first bending operation knob 72 can be rotated.

The first lid member 78 disposed so as to cover the first bending operation knob 72 is disposed in the first annular recess 80a of the first bending operation knob 72 and supported by the flange portion 64a of the cylindrical body 54. Has been. At this time, the axially movable range of the first lid member 78 is the gap G1 between the extended portion 84a of the first lid member 78 and the flange portion 64a of the cylindrical body 54. On the other hand, in order to remove the first lid member 78 from the first annular recess 80a of the first bending operation knob 72, it is necessary to be movable by a distance (movable range) indicated by a symbol D in FIG.

In this embodiment, the extension portion 84a of the first lid member 78 is supported by the flange portion 64a of the cylindrical body 54, and the first lid member 78 moves in a state of preventing the first bending operation knob 72 from falling off. The movable range D in the axial direction is formed larger than the gap G1 between the extending portion 84a of the first lid member 78 and the flange portion 64a of the cylindrical body 54. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the first lid member 78 from falling off the first bending operation knob 72.

At this time, the first lid member 78 can be disposed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical body 54, and is fitted into the first annular recess 80a of the first bending operation knob 72 with the O-ring 86 disposed on the outer periphery of the first lid member 78. It is possible and can be supported in a state where the first lid member 78 is arranged in the first annular recess 80a of the first bending operation knob 72 by forming the movable range D larger than the gap G1.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
An O-ring 68 disposed between the cylindrical body 54 and the first lid member 78, an O-ring 86 disposed between the first lid member 78 and the first bending operation knob 72, and the first bending operation knob 72. The O-ring 94 disposed between the shaft 42 and the shaft 42 can prevent liquid from entering the first recess 80 of the first bending operation knob 72.

By arranging the O-ring 94 between the inclined surface 92 of the first bending operation knob 72 and the boss portion 112 of the fastening member 102, the O-ring 94 is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 42 by the inclined surface 92. Can do. Further, the O-ring 94 can serve as a spring that exerts an urging force that moves the first bending operation knob 72 toward the exterior frame 34 along the axial direction of the shaft 42. Therefore, the first lid member 78 can be softly supported between the first bending operation knob 72 and the cylindrical body 54 fixed to the inner frame 32 of the grip portion 14. Accordingly, a slope 92 is formed on the tightening member 102 side of the first bending operation knob 72, and the O-ring 94 disposed on the slope 92 exerts an urging force, so that the first lid is moved from the first bending operation knob 72 to the first lid. The member 78 can be prevented from falling off.

And, since the O-ring 94 for water tightness presses the first operation knob 72 in the axial direction of the shaft 42, the first lid member 78 is not rattled and water tightness can be secured.

When the first bending operation knob 72 is pressed against the tightening member 102 via the O-ring 94, the first lid member 78 moves toward the exterior frame 34. At this time, the first lid member 78 is movable in the axial direction of the cylindrical body 54 by a gap between the flange portion 64 a outside the cylindrical body 54 and the extending portion 84 a of the first lid member 78. . In other words, the first lid member 78 is rattled with respect to the first bending operation knob 72, but the first lid member 78 is not so far as to be disengaged from the first annular recess 80 a of the first bending operation knob 72. The lid member 78 does not fall off from the first bending operation knob 72.
That is, when the O-ring 94 is pressed by the boss portion 112 of the tightening member 102 and the boss portion 82 of the first bending operation knob 72 is pressed to the other end of the cylindrical body 54 fixed to the inner frame 32, One lid member 78 is rotatably supported on the outer periphery of the cylindrical body 54 by the extending portion 84a, and the movable range D in the axial direction of the first lid member 78 is such that the O-ring 86 is dropped from the first annular recess 80a. It is formed smaller than the moving range D. For this reason, as long as this condition is satisfied, the first lid member 78 can be prevented from falling off the first bending operation knob 72.

In this embodiment, parts such as screws for fastening the first operation knob 72 and the first lid member 78 are not necessary, and it is not necessary to use a spring as a separate member, so that the number of parts can be reduced. At the same time, the number of assembly steps can be reduced. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the endoscope 10 can be reduced.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and the same members as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

4 is bent in four directions (upward, downward, leftward, and rightward) when operated by an operator who holds the gripper 14. The bending part 24 of the insertion part 12 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the bending operation mechanism 40 includes a shaft 42, an up / down bending operation unit (first bending operation unit) 44, and a tightening unit 46, and a left / right bending operation unit (hereinafter referred to as a second bending operation unit). This is an example having 48).

The second bending operation unit 48 includes a second bending operation knob 132, a second sleeve 134, a second sprocket 136, and a second lid member 138.
A known holding mechanism for holding the second bending operation knob 132 in its position is disposed in a space formed by a second recess 140 described later between the second bending operation knob 132 and the second lid member 138. It is preferable.

The second bending operation knob 132 is provided with a second sleeve 134 having one end disposed inside the grip portion 14 and the other end engaged or fixed to the second bending operation knob 132. The second sleeve 134 is disposed on the outer periphery of the shaft 42 and on the inner periphery of the cylindrical body 54 and the first sleeve 74. That is, the second sleeve 134 is disposed between the shaft 42 and the first sleeve 74.
Here, the shaft 42, the first sleeve 74, the second sleeve 134, and the cylindrical body 54 are arranged on the same axis.

A second sprocket 136 is fixed to one end of the second sleeve 134. For this reason, when the second bending operation knob 132 is rotated about the axis of the shaft 42, the second sprocket 136 inside the grip portion 14 is interlocked and rotated about the axis of the shaft 42.
Note that a chain (not shown) is wound around the second sprocket 76. A rear end of an angle wire (not shown) is fixed to the end of the chain. Therefore, when the second bending operation knob 132 is rotated, the second sprocket 136 is rotated, the angle wire can be moved in the axial direction, and the bending portion 24 can be bent in the left-right direction.

The second bending operation knob 132 has a longitudinal section formed in, for example, a substantially U shape, and has a second recess 140. A second annular recess 140 a having an opening diameter larger than that of the second recess 140 is formed in the second recess 140 at a position close to the first bending operation knob (support portion) 72. The opening diameter of the second annular recess 140a is slightly larger than the diameter of the outer edge of the second lid member 138, and an O-ring (second seal member) 146, which will be described later, is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the second lid member 138. The O-ring 146 comes into close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the second annular recess 140a. A second lid member 138 is disposed in the second annular recess 140a so as to cover the second recess 140 and to face the first operation knob 72 (close to the exterior frame 34 of the grip 14). The depth (axial height) of the second annular recess 140a is formed to be higher than the thickness (distance between end faces) of the outer edge portion of the second lid member 138. A boss portion 142 through which the shaft 42 passes is formed at the center of the second bending operation knob 132. The other end of the second sleeve 134 is engaged with or fixed to the boss 142 of the second bending operation knob 132.
The inner diameter of the boss portion 142 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft 42, and the second bending operation knob 132 can be smoothly rotated around the shaft 42.

The second lid member 138 is formed in a substantially disk shape, and has a boss portion 144 that penetrates the shaft 42 and the second sleeve 134 at the center.

As shown in FIG. 6, a slope 152 is formed at a position of the second bending operation knob 132 on the tightening portion 46 side. Like the slope 92 of the first bending operation knob 72, the slope 152 is formed, for example, as a counterbore in which a head of a countersunk screw is disposed. That is, the normal line of the slope 152 is directed from the slope 152 to the other end side of the shaft 42. Note that the inclination angle of the inclined surface 152 is preferably 45 degrees with respect to the central axis C, for example, as with the inclined surface 92, but is not limited thereto, and can be appropriately set such as about 30 degrees or about 60 degrees. .
An O-ring (first seal member) 154 is disposed on the slope 152. The O-ring 154 has a circular cross section and is formed of an elastically deformable elastomer. As shown in FIG. 5, the O-ring 154 is formed between the second bending operation knob 132 and the tightening member 102 even when a later-described tightening member is pressed against the second bending operation knob 132. It has an elastic force and a cross-sectional diameter in which a gap G is formed.

The second bending operation knob 132 is formed with a second annular recess 140a in which the second lid member 138 is disposed. The depth of the second annular recess 140 a is formed slightly deeper than the O-ring 146 on the outer edge of the second lid member 138. The second bending operation knob 132 is formed with a second annular recess 140a in which the second lid member 138 is disposed. The depth of the second annular recess 140 a is formed slightly deeper than the O-ring 146 on the outer edge of the second lid member 138.

The operation of the endoscope 10 according to this embodiment will be described. In addition, description is abbreviate | omitted about the effect | action same as the effect | action demonstrated in 1st Embodiment.
When the nut 104 is fastened to the other end of the shaft 42, the fastening member 102 shown in FIG. 5 presses the O-ring 154 against the inclined surface 152 of the second bending operation knob 132. That is, the tightening member 102 presses the second bending operation knob 132 toward the side of the gripping portion 14 that is close to the exterior frame 34. At this time, the O-ring 154 is pressed toward the exterior frame 34 along the axial direction of the shaft 42 by the boss 112 of the fastening member 102. For this reason, the O-ring 154 is brought into close contact with the tightening member 102 and is also brought into close contact with the inclined surface 152 of the second bending operation knob 132 to apply a reaction force to the boss portion 112 of the tightening member 102. Further, when the O-ring 154 is pressed by the fastening member 102, a force is applied to the O-ring 154 toward the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 42 by the inclined surface 152, and the O-ring 154 comes into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 42. . Therefore, the O-ring 154 can prevent liquid from entering between the second bending operation knob 132 and the shaft 42 and between the fastening member 102 and the shaft 42.
Then, when the second bending operation knob 132 is pressed toward the exterior frame 34 by the O-ring 154, the second lid member 138 receives a reaction force by the O-ring (third seal member) 94 and the first bending. The boss portion 82 of the operation knob 72 is pressed toward the other end of the cylindrical body 54.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. Note that description of the effects described in the first embodiment is omitted.
An O-ring 94 disposed between the second lid member 138 and the first bending operation knob 72, an O-ring 146 disposed between the second lid member 138 and the second bending operation knob 132, and a second The O-ring 154 disposed between the bending operation knob 132 and the shaft 42 can prevent liquid from entering the second recess 140 of the second bending operation knob 132.

By providing the O-ring 154 on the slope 152 of the second bending operation knob 132, the O-ring 154 can be brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 42 by the slope 152. Further, the O-ring 154 can serve as a spring that applies a biasing force that moves the second bending operation knob 132 toward the exterior frame 34 along the axial direction of the shaft 42. At this time, the gap G between the tightening member 102 and the second bending operation knob 132 is maintained by the O-ring 154. For this reason, the second lid member 138 can be softly supported between the second bending operation knob 132 and the first bending operation knob 72.

Accordingly, a slope 152 is formed on the tightening member 102 side of the second bending operation knob 132, and the O-ring 154 disposed on the slope 152 exerts a biasing force, so that the second lid is moved from the second bending operation knob 132 to the second lid. The member 138 can be prevented from falling off.

The elastically deformable O-rings (first seal members) 94 and 154 each act like a spring. Therefore, the first bending operation knob 72, the first lid member 78, the second bending operation knob 132, and the second lid member 138 are softly supported by the O-

rings

94 and 154 between the cylindrical body 54 and the fastening member 102. Is done.

Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. This embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment and the second embodiment, and the same members as those in the embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

Here, the relationship between the 1st bending operation knob 72 and the 2nd cover member 138 is demonstrated as a modification of 2nd Embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the first bending operation knob 72 is formed with an annular groove 172 in which an O-ring 94 is disposed instead of the inclined surface 92. On the other hand, a slope 174 is formed on the boss 144 of the second lid member 138. The normal line of the slope 174 is directed away from the other end of the shaft 42, contrary to the normal line of the slope 92 described in the first embodiment.

Even if it is such a shape, the effect similar to the bending operation mechanism 40 demonstrated in 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment is acquired.
That is, when the O-ring 94 is pressed by the inclined surface 174, the O-ring 94 is pressed toward the direction along the axial direction of the shaft 42 in the annular groove 172 and radially outward perpendicular to the axial direction. . For this reason, liquid can be prevented from entering the first recess 80 of the first operation knob 72 from between the first operation knob 72 and the second lid member 138. The same applies to the O-ring 94 serving as a spring.

It should be noted that the operation knobs 72 and 132 can have various shapes. The operation knobs 72 and 132 may be formed in, for example, a substantially disk shape, or may be formed in, for example, a substantially star shape in order to prevent slipping when rotating around the shaft 42. .

In other words, the endoscopes according to these embodiments in which the bending operation mechanism is arranged in the gripping portion have a central axis, one end is fixed to the gripping portion, and the other end is extended to the outside of the gripping portion. The first shaft, the second shaft disposed coaxially with the first shaft and rotatable about the axis of the first shaft, the first shaft penetrates outside the grip portion, and the first shaft An operation knob attached to two axes so as to be rotatable around the axis, a lid member that passes through the first axis and the second axis, and is attached to a side of the operation knob that is close to the gripping portion; A support portion provided between the grip portion and the operation knob and supporting the lid member toward the operation knob; and disposed on the first shaft; and the lid member of the operation knobs Is disposed on the side opposite to the side to which the handle is attached and presses the operation knob toward the side close to the gripping portion. A ring-shaped first seal member that circumscribes the first shaft, is provided between the pressing member and the operation knob, and is pressed toward the operation knob by the pressing member; and the pressing member And formed on at least one of the operation knobs, inclined with respect to the axial direction of the first axis and the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the first axis, and pressed toward the operation knob by the pressing member. And a slope that supports the first seal member in a state of circumscribing the first shaft and supports the first seal member in a direction along the axial direction of the first shaft.
When the first seal member is pressed against the slope by the pressing member, the first seal member comes into close contact with the slope. For this reason, when the operation knob is pressed via the seal member by the pressing member, a watertight state between the first shaft and the operation knob can be created by the seal member. The first seal member can be divided into a component force in the first axial direction and a component force in the direction orthogonal to the first axial direction. And the force of the component of the axial direction of the 1st axis | shaft when a ring-shaped seal member closely_contact | adheres to a slope acts, but since the 1st seal member has elastic force, it plays a role like a spring. For this reason, the lid member can be supported toward the operation knob by the support portion, and the lid member can be prevented from falling off the operation knob. In addition, there is no need for parts such as screws for fastening the operation knob and the lid member, and there is no need to use a spring as a separate member, so the number of parts can be reduced and the number of assembly steps can be reduced. .

A second seal member disposed between the lid member and the operation knob; and a third seal member disposed between the inner peripheral surface of the lid member and the second shaft. It is suitable to have.
For this reason, the watertightness between the operation knob and the lid member can be ensured.
Moreover, it is preferable that the normal line of the slope is directed to the other end of the first shaft.
For this reason, the first seal member can be pressed against the outer periphery of the first shaft, and an elastic force can be applied in the axial direction of the first shaft.
Further, it is preferable that the inclined surface is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the central axis.
For this reason, the slope can reliably separate the force of the axial component of the first axis into the force of the component orthogonal to the axial direction.

Therefore, according to these embodiments, it is possible to provide an endoscope that can be realized at a low cost when the space formed between the sealing member and the operation knob is sealed to achieve water tightness.

Although several embodiments have been specifically described so far with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and all the embodiments performed without departing from the gist of the present invention are described. Including implementation.

C ... central axis, G ... gap, 10 ... endoscope, 12 ... insertion part, 14 ... gripping part (operation part), 32 ... inner frame, 34 ... exterior frame, 34a ... opening, 40 ... bending operation mechanism, 42 ... shaft (first axis), 44 ... first bending operation part (vertical bending operation part), 46 ... tightening part, 52 ... screw, 54 ... cylindrical body (supporting part), 56 ... screw, 58 ... cover, 62 ... O-ring, 64 ... annular groove, 64a ... flange, 66 ... annular groove, 68 ... O-ring, 72 ... first bending operation knob, 74 ... first sleeve (second shaft), 76 ... first Sprocket, 78 ... first lid member, 80 ... first recess, 80a ... first annular recess, 82, 84 ... boss, 84a ... extension, 86 ... O-ring, 88 ... annular groove, 92 ... slope 94 O-ring (seal member) 102 Tightening member (pressing member) 104 Nut 106 ... Cap, 106a ... annular groove, 108 ... O-ring, 112 ... boss portion, 114 ... flange.

Claims

An endoscope in which a bending operation mechanism is arranged in a gripping part,
A first shaft having a central axis, one end fixed to the gripping portion and the other end extending outside the gripping portion;
A second axis disposed coaxially with the first axis and rotatable about the axis of the first axis;
An operation knob that is attached to the outside of the grip portion so that the first shaft penetrates and the second shaft can be rotated around the shaft.
A lid member that passes through the first shaft and the second shaft and is attached to a side of the operation knob that is close to the grip portion;
A support portion that is provided between the grip portion and the operation knob and supports the lid member toward the operation knob;
A pressing member disposed on the first shaft and disposed on the opposite side of the operation knob to the side on which the lid member is attached, and pressing the operation knob toward the side close to the grip portion;
A ring-shaped first seal member that circumscribes the first shaft and is provided between the pressing member and the operation knob, and is pressed toward the operation knob by the pressing member;
Formed on at least one of the pressing member and the operation knob, inclined with respect to the axial direction of the first axis and the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the first axis, and pressed toward the operation knob by the pressing member And an inclined surface for supporting the first seal member in a state of circumscribing the first shaft and supporting the first seal member in a direction along the axial direction of the first shaft. Endoscope.
A second seal member disposed between the lid member and the operation knob;
The endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising: a third seal member disposed between an inner peripheral surface of the lid member and the second shaft.
The endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a normal line of the slope is directed to the other end of the first axis.
The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inclined surface is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the central axis.