JP4633439B2 - Endoscope flexible tube cleaning device and endoscope flexible tube manufacturing system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention provides an endoscope flexible tube suitable for, for example, manufacturing an endoscope flexible tube used in an endoscope apparatus for observing the inside of a living organ or the like, or used for treatment of an operation site. The present invention relates to a tube cleaning device and an endoscope flexible tube manufacturing system.

  Generally, this type of flexible tube for an endoscope forms a flexible tube material by covering the outer periphery of a spiral tube formed by spirally winding a metal strip and forming a flexible tube material. The outer periphery is formed by covering the outer skin. The outer tube of the flexible tube for an endoscope is prepared by, for example, heating the surface of the flexible tube material in advance using a heater or a small drying furnace, and extruding or heating the heated flexible tube material. And the outer periphery is put on the outer periphery to form (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The outer skin is attached with a strong bonding force to the flexible tube material, with the melting being accelerated by the preheating of the flexible tube material.

  As a means for covering the outer skin of the endoscope flexible tube, a mesh tube including a metal wire is formed, and the mesh tube is covered with a flexible tube and placed in a high-frequency magnetic field to cover the outer skin. A deposition method has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

By the way, in any of the flexible tubes for endoscopes, when an outer skin is attached to the outer periphery of the flexible tube material, if oil or dirt adheres to the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube material, Because it is difficult to coat with high quality, it is necessary for the operator to wash the outer circumference of the flexible tube material in advance using waste cloth, sylbon paper, etc. A silane coupling agent is applied, dried and heated to coat the outer skin.
JP-A-11-42204 JP 2002-209834 A

  However, in the above flexible tube for an endoscope, when the outer periphery of the flexible tube material is covered with an outer skin, if there is oil or dirt on the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube material, it is difficult to join the outer shell with high quality. Therefore, since high quality cleaning is required, the cleaning operation is very troublesome and the manufacturing is very complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a flexible tube cleaning device for an endoscope which has a simple configuration and can easily and easily realize high-quality cleaning. For the purpose.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a flexible tube manufacturing system for an endoscope which has a simple configuration and can be easily and easily realized with high quality.

According to claim 1 invention, the mesh tube is deposited on the outer periphery of the helical tube, there is the flexible tube material skin is coated is inserted into the outer periphery, sliding on the outer periphery of the tubular structure A cleaning part provided with a rotatable cleaning member in contact with the cleaning part, a cleaning liquid supply part for supplying a cleaning liquid to the cleaning member of the cleaning part, and a cleaning member of the cleaning part are rotationally driven so that the outer periphery of the flexible tube material is The endoscope flexible tube cleaning apparatus is configured to include a drive unit for cleaning.

According to the above configuration, the cleaning unit is rotationally driven via the drive unit with the flexible tube material inserted, and when the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning supply unit, the cleaning member is in a state in which the cleaning liquid is interposed. Then, the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube material is cleaned by being brought into sliding contact with the outer periphery of the flexible tube material. As a result, it is possible to automate the cleaning of the flexible tube material, and it is possible to easily and easily perform high-quality cleaning, which contributes to the promotion of speeding up while simplifying the manufacture of the flexible tube for an endoscope. It becomes possible.
The invention according to claim 5, a flexible tube for an endoscope cleaning device according to claim 1, the mesh tube is deposited on the outer periphery of the helical tube, the flexible outer skin on the outer periphery is covered the tube material was wound and held, and the flexible tube material feeding device for feeding sequentially the endoscope flexible tube cleaning device, a silane coupling agent to the outer periphery of the tubular structure that has been cleaned by the cleaning device overturned a coating apparatus for coating, a heating apparatus for heating an outer peripheral surface of the coated tubular structure of the silane coupling agent in the coating apparatus, the outer skin on the outer circumference of the heated tubular structure in the heating apparatus to be A flexible tube for an endoscope comprising: an outer skin coating device for forming an endoscope flexible tube; and a flexible tube take-up device for taking up the endoscope flexible tube formed by the outer skin coating device. Configured the system.

  According to the above configuration, the flexible tube material wound around the flexible tube material supply device is guided to the cleaning device and cleaned, and the silane coupling agent is applied by the coating device. The surface is heated and guided to the skin coating device to coat the skin, and is taken up by the flexible tube take-up device to complete the manufacture. As a result, it is possible to continuously perform a series of manufacturing processes including washing of the flexible tube material, application of the silane coupling agent, heat treatment, and skin coating treatment. Manufacturing becomes possible.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flexible tube cleaning device for an endoscope which has a simple configuration and can easily and easily realize high-quality cleaning. .

  The present invention can also provide a flexible tube manufacturing system for an endoscope which has a simple configuration and can be simply and easily realized with high quality.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  1 and 2 show an endoscope flexible tube cleaning device and an endoscope flexible tube manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 shows an arrangement state as seen from the side. FIG. 2 shows the arrangement as seen from above.

  That is, the endoscope flexible tube cleaning device cleans the flexible tube material 13 shown in FIG. 3, for example, and the endoscope flexible tube manufacturing system includes the cleaned flexible tube material 13. The endoscope flexible tube 10 is manufactured. Among these, the flexible tube material 13 is formed by spirally forming a spiral tube 11 constituting a tube body called a flex, for example, by spirally winding a metal strip such as stainless steel, and with respect to the outer periphery of the spiral tube 11. It is formed by attaching a mesh tube 12. The other endoscope flexible tube 10 is formed by covering the outer periphery of the flexible tube material 13 with a sheath 14 in which a sheath of a resin material, for example, an elastomer, is attached. Here, the reticulated tube 12 to be attached to the outer periphery of the flexible tube material 13 is formed by braiding a bundle of wires bundled using, for example, a metal wire such as a stainless steel wire or a beryllium copper wire at least partially. It is formed.

  The endoscope flexible tube 10 manufactured as described above is connected to an operation portion of an endoscope apparatus (not shown) at its base end portion to constitute an insertion portion. Then, for example, a bending portion and a hard tip portion (not shown) are attached and arranged in order on the tip portion of the endoscope flexible tube 10.

  First, the endoscope flexible tube manufacturing system will be described.

  That is, as will be described later, the cleaned flexible tube material 13 is formed to have a predetermined length, and a plurality of, for example, several tens, for example, are connected via the connecting member 15 to manufacture a flexible tube for an endoscope. It is wound and stored on a winding drum 20 constituting a flexible tube material supply device in the system (see FIGS. 1 and 2). And the flexible tube raw material 13 wound by this winding drum 20 is attached to the end part of the winding at the tip part transfer wire which is not shown in figure, and for endoscopes mentioned later in order one by one through this wire The surface is automatically cleaned by being guided to a cleaning device 30 which is a flexible tube cleaning device.

  Subsequent to the cleaning device 30, a coating device 21 for coating a silane coupling agent, for example, a dryer 22, for example, a heating device 23 having an IH (electromagnetic induction heating) structure, an extrusion molding machine 24 that is a skin coating device, and a possible The flexible tube take-up device 25 is sequentially arranged, and the flexible tube material 13 cleaned by the cleaning device 30 is first guided to the coating device 21. The coating device 21 is configured such that the silane coupling agent can be circulated and supplied via the circulation supply mechanism 211. The silane coupling agent is sprayed on the entire surface of the flexible tube material 13 to form the silane coupling agent. Apply. Subsequently, the flexible tube material 13 to which the silane coupling agent was applied was guided to the dryer 22, wound around the drying drum 221, and applied to the surface at a temperature of, for example, 100 ° C. or higher. The silane coupling agent is dried and then guided to a heating device 23 composed of, for example, an infrared heater, and the surface including the mesh tube 12 is heated to a temperature suitable for heating and melting.

  Next, the flexible tube material 13 whose surface was heated was guided to the extrusion molding machine 24, and when the outer skin was deposited, the outer skin was melted by the preheating and entered into the mesh tube 12. The outer skin 14 is formed by being coated in a state, and is taken up by the flexible tube take-up device 25 to complete a series of operations for manufacturing an endoscope flexible tube. The outer skin 14 coated on the surface of the endoscope flexible tube 10 in this way has the surface of the flexible tube material 13 cleaned with a high quality accuracy by the cleaning device 21. The mesh tube 12 on the surface of the material 13 is coated with a high quality bonding force. The take-up speed of the flexible tube take-up device 25 is set to, for example, 1.2 m / min to 2.0 m / min.

  Here, the cleaning device 30 which is a flexible tube cleaning device for an endoscope that automatically cleans the surface of the flexible tube material 13 will be described.

  That is, a support frame 31 is installed between the winding drum 20 and the subsequent coating device 21 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and the support frame 31 has a water-soluble detergent, a solvent, or the like. A liquid tank 32 for storing the cleaning liquid is installed. A drive motor 33 is installed on the liquid tank 32 via an installation member 34, and a drive gear 35 is fitted on the rotation shaft of the drive motor 33.

  A cleaning unit 36 is disposed in the liquid tank 32 via a support member 37. A cleaning brush portion 38 as a cleaning member is rotatably provided in the cleaning portion 36, and a gear 39 is fitted to the cleaning brush portion 38 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The drive chain 40 is wound between the gear 39 and the drive gear 35 so as to transmit the rotational force.

  In addition, the support member 37 is provided with a nozzle injection portion 41 that constitutes a cleaning liquid supply portion, facing the cleaning brush portion 38 of the cleaning portion 36. The nozzle injection unit 41 is provided with a SUS injection nozzle 42 having a plurality of small holes of about 1φ, for example, and the liquid supply port of the injection nozzle 42 is connected to the circulation pump 44 via a supply hose 43. Supply port is connected. The discharge port of the liquid tank 32 is connected to the suction port of the circulation pump 44 via a suction hose 45.

  Thus, when the cleaning liquid in the liquid tank 32 is supplied via the suction hose 45, the circulation pump 44, and the supply hose 43, the nozzle injection unit 41 supplies the cleaning liquid from the injection nozzle 42 to the cleaning brush 38 of the cleaning unit 36. Inject towards.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, for example, the cleaning brush portion 38 is a cleaning body such as a brush on the inner wall of a support channel 381 in which a metal material into which the flexible tube material 13 can be inserted is spirally wound. As described above, the rotational force of the drive motor 33 is transmitted to the gear 39 via the drive gear 35 and the drive chain 40 and is driven to rotate. The cleaning brush portion 38 is slidably brought into contact with the surface of the flexible tube material 13 in conjunction with the rotational drive of the support channel 381, so that oil and dirt adhering to the flexible tube material 13 are collected. Is washed (see FIG. 10). At this time, the cleaning liquid from the injection nozzle 42 of the nozzle injection unit 41 is supplied to the cleaning brush unit 38.

  The cleaning brush section 38 of the cleaning section 36 may be formed of a soft elastic body instead of the cleaning brush as a cleaning body.

  In the above configuration, the cleaning unit 36 of the cleaning device 30 is driven by the drive motor 33 in a state where the flexible tube material 13 wound around the winding drum 20 is inserted into the cleaning brush unit 38 and attached. Is done. Then, the drive gear 35 is rotationally driven, the rotational force is transmitted to the gear 39 via the drive chain 40, and the cleaning brush portion 38 is brought into sliding contact with the surface of the flexible tube material 13.

  At the same time, the circulation pump 44 is driven to suck the cleaning liquid in the liquid tank 32 through the suction hose 45 and supply it to the injection nozzle 42 of the nozzle injection unit 41 through the supply hose 43. It sprays toward the cleaning brush part 38 of the cleaning part 36. Accordingly, the cleaning brush unit 38 is slidably brought into contact with the surface of the flexible tube material 13 with the cleaning liquid from the spray nozzle 42 interposed therebetween, and cleaned so that oil and dirt on the surface of the flexible tube material 13 are removed from the surface. To do.

  The flexible tube material 13 that has completed this cleaning is then transferred through a flexible tube take-up device 25, applied with a silane coupling agent by a coating device 21, and then dried by a dryer 22 and heated. It is heated by the device 23, and the outer skin 14 is coated by the extrusion molding machine 24, so that the endoscope flexible tube 10 is manufactured.

  As described above, the endoscope flexible tube cleaning device is provided with the cleaning brush portion 38 that is slidably in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube material 13 in the cleaning portion 36, so that the cleaning brush portion 38 can be rotated. The cleaning liquid is automatically supplied through the injection nozzle 42 of the nozzle injection unit 41, and the cleaning brush unit 38 is rotationally driven to be brought into sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube material 13. On the other hand, the flexible liquid 13 was cleaned by supplying a cleaning liquid.

  According to this, since the cleaning of the flexible tube material 13 can be automated, it is possible to easily and easily perform high-quality cleaning. It can contribute to promotion.

  In the endoscope flexible tube manufacturing system, a plurality of flexible tube materials 13 are wound and held on a winding drum 20, guided one by one to a cleaning device 30, and then applied to a coating device 21. The silane coupling agent is applied by the above-described method, dried by the dryer 22, and then the outer peripheral surface is heated by the heating device 23, and the flexible tube 10 for the endoscope having the outer skin 14 covered by the extrusion molding machine 24 is formed. The flexible tube pulling device 25 is configured to complete the pulling manufacturing.

  According to this, it becomes possible to continuously perform a series of manufacturing processes including washing of the flexible tube material 13, application of the silane coupling agent, heat treatment, and skin coating treatment, so that the flexibility for the endoscope can be obtained. The simple and easy manufacture of the tube 10 can be performed quickly.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the resin coating machine 24 is used as the outer covering coating device has been described as a representative case. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the outer covering formed in a tube shape, for example. It is also possible to use a so-called dipping machine that inserts the flexible tube material 13 into the outer tube 14 and coats the outer periphery of the mesh tube 12 of the flexible tube material 13 with the same effect. The

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the case where the washing | cleaning part 36 was provided and comprised by providing the washing | cleaning brush part 38 in which the flexible tube raw material 13 is penetrated, it is not restricted to this, For example, for example, a flexible tube raw material Various configurations such as a cleaning structure for cleaning the surface in a state where the core member is inserted into the core 13 are possible.

  Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Further, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements.

  For example, even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment, the problem described in the column of the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and the effect described in the effect of the invention can be obtained. In some cases, a configuration from which this configuration requirement is deleted can be extracted as an invention.

  In addition, according to each of the embodiments described above, the present invention can also obtain the following configuration.

(Appendix 1)
A flexible tube material with a mesh tube attached to the outer periphery of the spiral tube and an outer skin coated on the outer periphery is inserted, and a cleaning member is slidably provided on the inner surface of the flexible tube material. A cleaning unit that is freely rotatable,
A cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to the cleaning unit;
A drive unit for rotating the cleaning unit to clean the outer periphery of the flexible tube material;
A flexible tube cleaning device for an endoscope, comprising:

(Appendix 2)
The endoscope flexible tube cleaning apparatus according to appendix 1, wherein the cleaning liquid supply unit includes a circulation mechanism that circulates and supplies the cleaning liquid.

(Appendix 3)
The cleaning member of the cleaning unit includes a spiral support body and a cleaning body attached to the inner surface of the support body and in sliding contact with the flexible tube material. Flexible tube cleaning device for endoscope.

(Appendix 4)
The flexible tube cleaning apparatus for an endoscope according to appendix 3, wherein the cleaning liquid supply unit supplies the cleaning liquid from an outer peripheral side of the cleaning unit.

(Appendix 5)
The flexible tube cleaning apparatus for an endoscope according to appendix 3 or 4, wherein the cleaning body is a brush.

(Appendix 6)
The flexible tube cleaning apparatus for an endoscope according to appendix 3 or 4, wherein the cleaning body is a soft elastic member.

(Appendix 7)
A flexible tube material supply device for winding and holding a plurality of flexible tube materials, in which a mesh tube is attached to the outer periphery of the spiral tube and an outer skin is coated on the outer periphery,
A cleaning device for sequentially cleaning the flexible tube material supplied from the flexible tube material supply device;
A coating device for applying a silane coupling agent to the flexible tube material cleaned by the cleaning device;
A heating device for heating the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube material coated with the silane coupling agent in the coating device;
An outer covering device that coats the outer cover of the flexible tube material heated by the heating device to cover the outer cover, and forms a flexible tube for an endoscope;
A flexible tube pulling device that pulls the flexible tube for an endoscope formed by the skin coating device;
A flexible tube manufacturing system for an endoscope, comprising:

(Appendix 8)
The flexible tube for an endoscope according to appendix 7, further comprising a drying device that dries the silane coupling agent prior to heating the flexible tube material coated with the silane coupling agent in the coating device. system.

(Appendix 9)
The flexible tube manufacturing system for an endoscope according to appendix 7 or 8, wherein the cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies a cleaning liquid.

(Appendix 10)
The flexible tube manufacturing system for an endoscope according to appendix 9, wherein the cleaning liquid supply unit includes a circulation mechanism that circulates and supplies the cleaning liquid.

(Appendix 11)
11. The flexible tube manufacturing system for an endoscope according to any one of appendices 7 to 10, wherein the outer skin coating apparatus covers the outer skin by applying an outer skin to the outer circumference of the mesh tube by extrusion molding.

(Appendix 12)
11. The flexible tube manufacturing system for an endoscope according to any one of appendices 7 to 10, wherein the outer sheath coating apparatus coats the outer sheath by attaching a tubular outer sheath to an outer periphery of the mesh tube.

It is the top view which showed the state which looked at the arrangement configuration of the flexible tube manufacturing apparatus system for endoscopes which concerns on one embodiment of this invention from the side part. It is the top view which showed the state which looked at the arrangement structure of FIG. 1 from the upper part. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a main part of the endoscope flexible tube manufactured in FIG. 1. It is the top view which showed the state which looked at the washing | cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 from the side part. It is the top view which showed the state which looked at the washing | cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 from the line. FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view illustrating an arrangement configuration of a liquid tank and a drive motor in FIG. 5. It is the top view which expanded and showed the arrangement configuration of the liquid tank of FIG. 4, and a drive motor. It is the perspective view which took out and showed the washing brush part of FIG. It is the figure which showed the AA cross section of FIG. It is the figure which showed typically the washing | cleaning state of the washing | cleaning brush part and flexible tube raw material of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Endoscopic flexible tube, 11 ... Spiral tube, 12 ... Reticulated tube, 13 ... Flexible tube raw material, 14 ... Outer skin, 15 ... Connecting member, 20 ... Winding drum, 21 ... Coating device, 211 ... Circulating supply mechanism, 22 ... dryer, 221 ... drying drum, 23 ... heating device, 24 ... extrusion molding machine, 25 ... flexible tube take-up device, 30 ... cleaning device, 31 ... support frame, 32 ... liquid tank, 33 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Drive motor, 34 ... Installation member, 35 ... Drive gear, 36 ... Cleaning part, 37 ... Support member, 38 ... Cleaning brush part, 381 ... Support channel, 382 ... Brush, 39 ... Gear, 40 ... Drive chain, 41 ... Nozzle injection unit, 42 ... injection nozzle, 43 ... supply hose, 44 ... circulation pump, 45 ... suction hose.

Claims (6)

Mesh tube on the outer periphery of the helical tube is deposited, the outer circumference be one crust is coated flexible tube material is inserted, rotatable cleaning member which is in sliding contact with the outer circumference of the tubular structure is provided A cleaning section,
A cleaning liquid supply section for supplying a cleaning liquid to the cleaning member of the cleaning section;
A drive unit for rotating the cleaning member of the cleaning unit to clean the outer periphery of the flexible tube material;
A flexible tube cleaning apparatus for an endoscope, comprising: The endoscope flexible tube cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid supply unit includes a circulation mechanism that circulates and supplies the cleaning liquid to the cleaning member .   3. The cleaning member of the cleaning unit includes a spiral support and a cleaning body that is attached to the inner surface of the support and is slidably contacted with the flexible tube material. Flexible tube cleaning device for endoscope. The cleaning liquid supply unit, a flexible tube for an endoscope cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the supplying cleaning liquid from the outer periphery of the cleaning member. The flexible tube cleaning device for an endoscope according to claim 1,
Mesh tube is deposited on the outer periphery of the helical tube, the flexible tube material of the flexible tube material skin is covered and held wound on the outer periphery, is sequentially supplied to the endoscope flexible tube cleaning device A feeding device;
A coating device for applying a silane coupling agent to the outer periphery of the flexible tube material cleaned by the cleaning device;
A heating device for heating the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube material to which the silane coupling agent is applied in the coating device;
A skin covering device overturned hull object to form a flexible tube for an endoscope to the outer periphery of the heated tubular structure in the heating device,
A flexible tube pulling device for pulling an endoscope flexible tube formed by the skin coating device;
A flexible tube manufacturing system for an endoscope, comprising:   The flexible tube for an endoscope according to claim 5, further comprising a drying device that dries the silane coupling agent prior to heating of the flexible tube material coated with the silane coupling agent by the coating device. Manufacturing system.

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