JPH0543089B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a connector device for an endoscope, and more particularly to an endoscope in which a plug at the rear end of a connecting portion extending from a manual operation portion is connected to a socket of a control device. The present invention relates to a connector device for use in a computer.

[Background of the invention]

In general, an endoscope consists of an insertion section into the body, a hand-operated section connected to this, which is equipped with buttons for the operator to operate air and water pipes, knobs for angle operation, etc., and a cable extending from the hand-operated section. A control device having a light source and various other control units that connect the ends of the connection portion, and a display device connected to the control device to display various displays.

Therefore, it is desired that the connecting portion extending from the hand operation portion can be easily attached to and removed from the control device, and that the connected state with the control device can be reliably maintained during operation.

Conventionally, as an endoscope connector device that connects such a connecting part and a control device, a locking member for preventing the plug from being removed is configured to be protrusive and retractable from the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the tip support tube of the plug of the connecting part. A configuration is used in which the lock member is engaged with an engagement recess formed on the inner surface of the socket of the control device. For example, in a conventional device, a locking member 10 shown in FIG.
1 is a C-ring-shaped spring whose diameter can be reduced, as shown in FIG.
is attached to. Then, the annular engagement recess 106 on the inner surface of the socket 105 of the control device 104 is engaged with an elastic force in the direction of diameter expansion. That is,
The plug 102 is inserted into the socket 1 with a pushing or pulling force exceeding a certain level that resists the elastic force of the spring.
It can be attached to and detached from the 05.

However, if a strong pulling force is generated during operation or the spring force is reduced, there is still a possibility that it may fall off inadvertently. Considering the importance of in-vivo observation, etc., it is desirable to have a more reliable locking function.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides reliability and reliability in that the plug of the connecting portion is securely connected and held in the socket of the control device so that there is no risk of it being accidentally disconnected, and that it can be easily connected and disconnected. The purpose is to propose an endoscope connector device with high operability.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a lock pin penetrating the peripheral wall of the support tube at the tip of the plug,
While this lock pin is normally biased inward by a spring, a cam driven by an operating ring attached to the support cylinder protrudes toward the outer circumference of the support cylinder against the urging force of the spring and is connected to the socket of the control device. This is what I did.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the endoscope connector device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the general structure of an endoscope, with reference numeral 10 indicating a hand-operated operating section, 12 a control device, and 14 a monitor television serving as a display section. A solid-state image sensor 18 is provided at the tip of the insertion section 16, and the control device 12 controls a lamp that supplies light to the light guide and the solid-state image sensor 1.
8 and the solid-state image sensor 18.
It is equipped with a processing unit that processes video signals obtained from the video signal, a power supply, etc. The monitor television 14 displays a video signal obtained from the solid-state image sensor 18 at the tip of the insertion section 16 on a screen via the control device 12.

The connecting part 20 includes an air/water pipe, a light guide, etc., and a plug 22 at the tip thereof is connected to the control device 1.
2 socket 24. Note that the other plugs 26 connected to the lead wires of the solid-state imaging device are as follows:
It is connected to the other socket 28 of the control device 12.

2 to 5, the plug 22 of the connecting portion 20
The connector device for connecting the control device 12 and the socket 24 of the control device 12 is shown in detail.

An annular engagement recess 30 extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the socket 24 of the control device 12 . On the other hand, a pair of lock pins 34 are attached to the distal end support tube 32 of the plug 22 in correspondence with the engagement recesses 30, and are capable of penetrating the peripheral wall and protruding and retracting in the radial direction. Note that 36 is a sleeve that holds the lock pin 34, and 38 is an O-ring for sealing. A collar 40 is provided protruding from the inner end side of each lock pin 34, and a compression coil spring 42 interposed between each collar 40 and the peripheral wall of the support tube 32 causes the lock pin 34 to
is biased inward on the plug. On the other hand, support tube 3
A rotary cam 44 is rotatably provided on the support tube 32 on the same axis. This rotating cam 44 has a pair of arcuate protrusions corresponding to the lock pin 34 attached to the cylindrical body 44.
This cylindrical body 44a protrudes from the support cylinder 32, and is in sliding contact with the inner surface of the support cylinder 32. And the support tube 32
A cam surface 4 whose radial distance changes with respect to the axis of
6 are brought into contact with the inner ends of the lock pins 34, respectively. Then, rotate the rotating cam 44 in the same direction (a in Fig. 4).
By rotating the lock pins 34 in the cam surface 46, the lock pins 34 that are in contact with the cam surface 46 are respectively projected toward the outer circumferential side of the support tube 32 against the spring 42.

The cylindrical body 44a serving as a boss portion that slides on the support cylinder 32 of each rotary cam 44 is connected to a common operating ring 52 fitted to the support cylinder 32 via a fixing screw 50. By rotating this operating ring 52 to the support cylinder 32 by a predetermined angle, each rotating cam 44
rotates, and the lock pin 34, which abuts against the cam surface 46 by the elastic force of the spring 42, protrudes and retracts from the outer peripheral surface of the support cylinder 32.

2 to 4 show a state in which the plug 22 is inserted into the socket 24 and the lock pin 34 is inserted into the engagement recess 30 and locked. Each lock pin 34 is pushed up by the cam surface 46 of the rotating cam 44, and its locked state will not be released unless the operating ring 52 is rotated. That is, simply plug 22
It will not come off from the socket 24 even if a pulling force is applied to it, and a reliable connection state can be obtained.

Only when the operating ring 52 is rotated from the illustrated state toward the small diameter side of the cam surface 46 (in the direction of arrow a in FIG. Immerse yourself inward. As a result, the plug 22 can be pulled out by moving the outer end of the lock pin 34 radially inward from the engagement recess 30 of the socket 24.

Note that the next insertion operation can be performed in this state. As described above, after insertion, the operating ring 52 can be rotated in the direction of arrow b to lock it.

According to this embodiment, the plug 22 can be attached and detached by simply rotating the operating ring 52, and once the plug 22 is locked in the socket 24, it cannot be removed unless the operating ring 52 is rotated. Never.

In the figure, numeral 54 denotes a light guide rod protruding from the tip of the plug 22, into which an optical fiber bundle 55 is inserted. Light emitted from a light source within the control device 12 is sent to the insertion section side. Also, 56 is an air and water supply pipe, through which air, water, etc. are supplied from within the control device 12.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the endoscope connector device according to the present invention, the locking pin is caused to protrude and retract from the plug using the cam rotated by the operation ring and is locked in the socket. Secure connection and high reliability. In addition, the lock pin can be pushed out and retracted by rotating, making it easy to operate.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a vertical cross-sectional view of the main part, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main part, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part.
The figures are a sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cam, FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view showing a conventional example, and FIG. 7 is a front view showing a conventional locking member. 10... Hand operation unit, 12... Control device, 20
... Connecting portion, 22 ... Plug, 24 ... Socket, 32 ... Support cylinder, 34 ... Lock pin, 42
...Spring, 44...Cam, 52...Operation ring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A plug at the rear end of a connecting part extending from a hand-operated operation part, which includes operation buttons for air supply and water supply, an angle operation knob, etc., can be attached to and detached from a socket of a control device, and the inner surface of the socket In the endoscope connector device, a locking member for preventing the plug from coming off, which protrudes retractably from the outer surface of the circumferential wall of the distal end support tube of the plug, is engaged with an engagement recess formed in the plug. A plurality of lock pins penetrate the peripheral wall of the support tube at the tip and protrude in the radial direction and are biased in the retraction direction by a spring. The lock pin is brought into contact with the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical rotating cam that is coaxially provided in the support cylinder so as to be rotatable integrally with an operating ring provided in the support cylinder, and by operating the operating ring. A connector device for an endoscope, characterized in that the connector device is adapted to be moved to protrude and retract into a mating recess.