JPH0451761Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an endoscope in which the operating section is provided with a bending operation device for bending the insertion section.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, the casing body of the operating section of an endoscope is often made of metal. However, it has been difficult to obtain reliable watertightness with a metal casing body.

Therefore, in order to ensure highly reliable watertightness,
It has been proposed that the casing body is made of plastic.

On the other hand, there are places where metal parts must be used to ensure strength. For example, in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 59-196205, the operating lever, mounting ring, presser ring, etc. in the angle operating section are metal parts. These metal parts are directly exposed to the outside at the operating section.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

By the way, when using a high-frequency treatment tool, if the operator touches the surface of a metal component during angle operation, there is a risk of electric shock due to high-frequency leakage current. When the entire casing body of the operating section is made of metal, the surface of the casing body is widely contacted with the entire palm, and the leakage current is widely dispersed, so that no electric shock occurs.

However, when the casing body is made of plastic, if a part of the operating device that requires the use of metal is touched, there is a risk of leakage current concentrating on the operator and causing burns due to the small area. It was hot.

The present invention was developed in view of the above-mentioned problems.The purpose of this invention is to ensure that the casing body of the operation part is electrically insulated so that it can be used safely by preventing electric shock during bending operation. The goal is to provide a scope.

[Means and actions for solving problems]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an endoscope in which an electrically insulating member covers the metal parts exposed to the outside of the curved operating section which is exposed to the outside of the casing body of the electrically insulated operating section. Since the metal parts are covered with the electrically insulating member in this way, the operator who operates the bending operation part will not receive an electric shock.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 in FIG. 2 is an endoscope. This endoscope 1
consists of an operating section 2, an insertion section 3, and a light guide cable 4. The insertion section 3 is a flexible tube 5
A tip forming part 7 is connected to the tip of the tube via a curved tube 6. The operating section 2 is provided with a bending operation device 8, which will be described later.
It's outside. And this bending operation device 8
The bending operation section 8a allows the operator to remotely bend the bending tube 6 by operating the bending operation section 8a from the outside, thereby changing the direction of the distal end component 7 in the vertical and horizontal directions.

The bending operation device 8 is constructed as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. That is, the casing body 10 of the operating section 2 is made of an electrically insulating material, such as plastic, and a substrate 11 fixed to the casing body 10 is disposed inside the casing body 10 . A fixed shaft 12 is fixed to this substrate 11 via a collar 13 formed at one end thereof. The other end of the fixed shaft 12 projects outward from a through hole 14 formed in the casing body 10. Further, a first sleeve 15 is attached to the fixed shaft 12.
and the second sleeve 16 are rotatably fitted to the outside one after another. A first sprocket 17 is integrally provided at one end of the first sleeve 15, and a second sprocket 18 is integrally provided at one end of the second sleeve 16. Each of these sprockets 17, 18 is meshed with a chain (both not shown) having wires connected to both ends. The four wires are connected to a piece (not shown) forming the curved tube 6 at intervals of 90° in the circumferential direction. Therefore, when the first sprocket 17 rotates, the bending tube 6 is bent left and right, and when the second sprocket 18 rotates, it is bent up and down. Further, a bearing cylinder 20 is airtightly fitted into the through hole 14 of the main body 10 via an O-ring 21, and the second sleeve 16 is rotatably supported in the bearing cylinder 20. ing. Note that one end of the bearing cylinder body 20 is connected to a cover 2 that covers the substrate 11.
It is fixed at 2.

On the other hand, the first sleeve 15 is formed longer than the second sleeve 16, and flanges 23 and 24 are provided at the other ends thereof, respectively. The collar 24 of the second sleeve 16 has a first receiver 26 which is shaped like a cap and has a storage chamber 25 inside.
5 through an O-ring 26a. Inside the accommodation chamber 25 of the first receiver 26 is a first mounting plate 28 having a friction plate 27 attached to its upper surface, and a leaf spring 29 bent toward the first mounting plate 28 on its upper surface. A second mounting plate 31 rotatably supported via an O-ring 30 is sequentially housed in the bearing cylinder body 20 . An upper annular wall 32 is erected around the upper surface of the second mounting plate 31, and an O-ring 33 is interposed between the annular wall 32 and the inner peripheral surface of the first receiver 26. ing. Note that a projection 32a is provided on a part of the upper annular wall 32,
A notch 28a formed in the first mounting plate 28 is engaged with this protrusion 32a. On the outer peripheral surface of the first receiver 26, along the axial direction, there are a first male thread 34, a first outer peripheral spline 35 formed at 36 equal pitch intervals, and a second male thread 36a. are formed sequentially. Second male screw 36
An annular adjusting body 36 is rotatably screwed onto a. A second outer circumferential spline 37 having the same pitch spacing as the first outer circumferential spline 35 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of this adjustment body 36, and a collar 38 that protrudes both radially inward and outward is formed on the lower end surface. It is provided. A portion of the collar 38 that projects inward in the radial direction receives a lower annular wall 39 provided around the lower surface of the second mounting body 31 . Therefore, when the adjusting body 36 is screwed in, the second mounting body 31 rises and the force with which the leaf spring 29 biases the first mounting plate 28 increases. The pressing force between the friction plate 27 and the inner surface of the end wall of the first receiver 26 increases. That is, by rotating the adjusting body 36, the frictional force exerted by the friction plate 27 can be adjusted as desired. Further, the first operating knob 40 is fitted into the first receiving body 26 and the adjusting body 36. The first operating knob 40 is made of an electrically insulating material, such as plastic, and has an inner circumferential spline 41 formed on its inner circumferential surface that corresponds to the first and second outer circumferential splines 35 and 37. ,3
7 and 41, when the first operating knob 40 is rotated, the first receiving body 26 and the adjusting body 3
6 rotate together, and the relative rotation between the first receiving body 26 and the adjusting body 36 is prevented, that is, the state of adjustment of the frictional force by the adjusting body 36 is fixed. There is. Note that a retaining ring 42 is screwed onto the first male thread 34 of the first receiving body 26 to prevent the first operation knob 40 from being pulled out.

Further, below the second mounting plate 31, there is a third mounting plate 43 which is non-rotatably supported by the bearing cylinder 20, and below the third mounting plate 43, there is a third mounting plate 43 which is non-rotatably supported by the bearing cylinder body 20. A fourth mounting plate 44 rotatably supported by 20 is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of protrusions 45 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the third mounting plate 43, and a band-shaped locking spring 46 and a biasing spring 47 are provided with one end fixedly attached. There is.
Further, on the upper surface of the fourth mounting plate 44 and radially outward of the third mounting plate 43, a regulating member 49 having an engagement recess 48 is provided with a screw 44a that loosely passes through the fourth mounting plate 44 from below. It is attached by screwing,
The projection 45 is engaged with the engagement recess 48 . Therefore, the fourth mounting plate 44 is attached to the projection 4.
5 can be rotated between one end of the engagement recess 48 and the other end thereof. Further, the above-mentioned locking spring 4 is mounted on the upper surface of the fourth mounting plate 44.
A pin 50 is provided upright at a position corresponding to the other end of the biasing spring 6 and the biasing spring 47, respectively. Pin 50 is the fourth
It penetrates the mounting plate 44 from below to the top and is screwed to the mounting plate 44. These pins 50 elastically deform the other ends of the springs 46, 47 in the axial direction when the fourth mounting plate 44 is rotated in the direction of the arrow from the state shown in FIG. Further, when the fourth mounting plate 44 is in the state shown in FIG. engage with. Through this engagement, the second mounting plate 31 is coupled to the third mounting plate 43, and the second mounting plate 31 is connected to the third mounting plate 43.
1 is prevented from rotating. Therefore, when rotating the first operation knob 40 in this state, the frictional force between the friction plate 27 and the first receiver 26 becomes rotational resistance. A metal operating lever 52 extends integrally from the fourth mounting plate 44, and the fourth mounting plate 44 can be rotated by this operating lever 52.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
A button body 53 made of an electrically insulating material, for example plastic, is screwed to the top wall of the distal end of the button body. Furthermore, a heat-shrinkable tube 54 made of electrically insulating material is provided in the middle of the operating lever 52.
is covered. Therefore, the operator does not directly touch the operating lever 52 from the outside.

On the other hand, in the collar 23 of the first sleeve 15,
A cap-shaped second receiver 55 has its opening facing upward, and is fixed to the first sleeve 15 with an O-ring 56 to maintain airtightness. An annular leaf spring 5 bent upward is provided in the internal storage chamber 57 of the second receiving body 55.
8 and a fifth mounting plate 60 having a friction plate 59 on its upper surface are housed so as to be vertically movable, and these can be pulled out by a presser plate 61 attached to the second receiver 55. is prevented from doing so. Further, on the upper surface side of the friction plate 59, a pressure contact plate 62 is provided which is held on the fixed shaft 12 so as to be non-rotatable and movable up and down. This pressure contact plate 62 is pressed by the lower end of a boss portion 64 of a pushing body 63 that is rotatably screwed onto the fixed shaft 12, and is brought into pressure contact with the friction plate 59. In other words, the frictional force between the pressure contact plate 62 and the friction plate 59 can be adjusted by adjusting the screwing amount of the pushing body 63. Note that a sealing member 66 is provided between the press plate 62 and the pushing body 63, and the O-ring 65 provided on the inner circumferential surface is provided with an O-ring 65 on the inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface.
5 is in pressure contact with the outer circumferential surface of the boss portion 64, and the outer circumferential surface O
The ring 65 is in pressure contact with the inner peripheral surface of the second receiver 55. Further, a mounting ring body 67 is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the pushing body 63 by a plurality of setscrews 68, and a bag-shaped operating body 69 that covers the upper surface of the pushing body 63 is attached to the mounting ring body 67. They are integrally attached via a ring 67a. Therefore, by rotating the pushing body 63 using the operating body 69, the pressure contact plate 62 can be displaced. The operating body 69 is integrally molded from an electrically insulating material, such as plastic.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG.
A cover ring 67b made of electrically insulating material, for example rubber, is adhered and fixed to the outer periphery of the metal mounting ring 67.
covers the outer circumferential surface of. That is, since the metal attachment ring 67 is covered with the electrically insulating cover ring 67b, the operator does not touch it, thereby preventing electric shock.

In addition, this cover ring 67b and a second
As shown in Fig. 1, the operating knobs 82 of the operating knobs 82 and the operating knobs 82 are stacked one on top of the other, making it difficult to insert fingers or the like into the interior through the gap between them, thereby further preventing electric shock to the operator and improving safety. are doing.

Further, the above-mentioned fixed shaft 1 is provided on the upper surface of the above-mentioned pushing body 63.
A first tooth plate 70 that is held unrotatably on the fixed shaft 12 and a second tooth plate 71 that is rotatably held on the fixed shaft 12 are provided, and the second tooth plate 71 is screwed to the end of the fixed shaft 12. It is fixed with a nut 72. A large number of teeth 73 that engage with each other are formed at a predetermined pitch in the circumferential direction on the joining surfaces of the first tooth plate 70 and the second tooth plate 71. As shown in FIG. 4, the second tooth plate 71 has three tongue pieces 74a, 7 radially outward
4b and 74c are provided protrudingly. In other words, the first to third regulating grooves 75a, 75b, 75 separated in the circumferential direction are formed in the second tooth plate 71 by these tongue pieces.
c is formed. Each regulation groove 75a, 75b,
Angles A, B, and C of 75c are equal angles.
Further, the relationship between the angles D and E indicating the relative positions of each regulating groove 75a, 75b, 75c is that D is an integral multiple of the pitch of the teeth 73 + 1/3 pitch, and E is an integral multiple of the pitch of the teeth 73 + 2/3. It's tight. One of the above-mentioned regulating grooves, for example, the first regulating groove 75 with angle A
A rotation regulating pin 76 protruding from the upper surface of the pushing body 63 is located at a. Therefore, the pushing body 63 can be rotated within the range of the angle A of the first regulating groove 75a.

Next, the second tooth plate 71 relative to the first tooth plate 70
By changing the relative position of the rotation regulating pin 76, the rotation position of the rotation regulating pin 76 can be changed for each pitch of the teeth 73, so that the screwing amount of the pushing body 63 can be changed. That is, the friction force between the pressure contact plate 62 and the friction plate 59 can be adjusted for each pitch of the teeth 73. Furthermore, by positioning the rotation restriction pin 76 in the second restriction groove 75b or the third restriction groove 75c, the rotation position of the rotation restriction pin 76 can be adjusted every 1/3 of the pitch of the teeth 73. It can be changed. In other words, the screwing amount of the pushing body 63 is
It can be adjusted in 3 (number of teeth) x 3 stages.

On the other hand, an outer circumferential spline 80 and a male screw 81 are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the second receiving body 55 from the lower side in the axial direction.
is formed. A second operating knob 82 having an inner spline 82a formed on the inner circumferential surface is fitted onto the outer circumferential spline 80, and a presser ring 83 is screwed onto the male thread 81.
3 prevents the second operating knob 82 from being pulled out. Therefore, the second operation knob 8
If the second receiver 55 is rotated by 2,
By interlocking the first sleeve 15 with this rotation, the bending tube 6 of the insertion section 3 can be bent in the left-right direction, and at this time, the frictional force between the friction plate 59 and the pressure contact plate 62 is applied to the second operating knob. 82. Therefore, if the frictional force is adjusted by the operating body 69, the second operating knob 82 can be fixed,
It is possible to minutely change the rotation angle.

Further, the retaining ring 83 may be formed of an electrically insulating material, but is preferably made of metal in order to increase the mounting strength. As shown in FIG. 1, this retaining ring 83 is positioned downwardly inside the operation knob 82, and the operation knob 83 is an electrical insulator.
covered by. Therefore, the operator will not be electrocuted by touching this presser ring 83.

Note that a first tooth plate 7 is provided on the upper surface of the pusher 63.
a positioning spring 85 that prevents misalignment between the second tooth plate 71 and the second tooth plate 71; and a click that elastically engages with the rotation regulating pin 76 at the end of the rotation when the pusher body 63 rotates within a predetermined range. A spring 86 is provided.

According to the bending operation device 8 configured in this way, the rotational resistance of the first operation knob 40 is caused by the relative relationship between the first receiver 26 and the adjustment body 36 screwed thereto during the assembly process. By rotating it, the force with which the leaf spring 29 biases the first mounting plate 28 can be adjusted, so that the frictional force between the friction plate 27 provided on the first mounting plate 28 and the first receiver 26 can be adjusted. can be changed. In other words, the braking force can be adjusted simply by rotating the first receiver 26 and the adjuster 36 relative to each other. After adjusting the braking force in this manner, the first outer circumferential spline 35 of the first receiving body 26 and the second outer circumferential spline 37 of the adjusting body 36 are aligned, and the first operation knob 40 is then adjusted. If the splines 35 and 37 are attached by fitting the inner circumferential splines 41,
41 prevents relative rotation between the first receiving body 26 and the adjusting body 36, so that the adjusted state of the braking force does not deviate.

Furthermore, when adjusting the braking force described above, this adjustment can be performed by relatively rotating the first receiver 26 and the adjusting body 36 in units of one pitch of each of the outer circumferential splines 35, 37, and in this embodiment, the above-mentioned Since the splines 35 and 37 are divided into 36 equal parts, very small adjustments can be made. Furthermore, the rotational torque of the first operating knob 40 is
1, the operating knob 40 is not easily damaged due to stress concentration, as would be the case when the operating knob 40 is connected to the first receiver 26 with, for example, a single knob pin.

This bending operation device 8 includes a first operating knob 40, an operating lever 52, and a second operating knob 40, which are operating members of a bending operating section 8a protruding from the casing main body 10.
are operated by touching the operating knob 82 and the operating body 69, respectively. However, they are made of or coated with electrically insulating materials, and
The metal parts are inside these and are covered with their electrically insulating material. Therefore, when using a high-frequency treatment instrument, the operator will not be exposed to electric shock due to high-frequency leakage current due to direct contact with metal parts.

Note that the operating lever 52 itself in the above embodiment may be formed of an electrically insulating material. At this time, there is no need to provide the tube 54.

Further, at least the surface of the metal presser ring 83 exposed to the outside may be coated with an electrically insulating material.

[Effect of idea]

As is clear from the above embodiments, according to the present invention, electric shock due to high-frequency leakage current can be prevented when the operator operates the bending operation device, and the device can be used safely.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the bending operating device, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the entire endoscope, and Fig. 3 is a portion of the first operating knob of the bending operating device. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the second operation knob of the bending operation device. 2... Operating unit, 12... Fixed axis, 15... First
sleeve, 26...first receiver, 27...friction plate, 29...leaf spring, 35...first outer circumference spline, 36...adjustment body, 37...second outer circumference spline, 40... ...First operating knob, 41...Inner peripheral spline, 52... Operating lever, 54...Tube, 67b...Covering, 69... Operating body, 82... Second operating knob.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] (1) In an endoscope in which a bending operation device is provided in the operation section and the bending operation section of the device is exposed to the outside, the casing body of the operation section is electrically insulated. An endoscope characterized in that the metal parts exposed to the outside in the bending operation section are covered with an electrically insulating member. (2) The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the electrically insulating member is a thick member that covers the metal component. (3) The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the electrically insulating member is an insulating coating coated on the surface of the metal component.