JPH074339B2 - Endoscope - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an endoscope, and more particularly to a node ring built in a bending portion formed on the distal end side of an insertion portion and a bending portion for operating the bending portion. The present invention relates to a connection structure with a bending portion operating wire.

[Conventional technology]

The bending portion formed on the distal end side of the insertion portion of the endoscope includes a large number of node rings that are connected in series with each other via a rotation fulcrum portion, and is disposed on the most distal side of the node rings. The distal end portion of the plurality of bending portion operating wires inserted in the insertion portion is connected to the node ring, and the bending portion is configured to be forcibly bent by pushing and pulling the wires. ing.

The conventional state-of-the-art connection structure between the node ring and the wire is shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 55-143806. That is, a plurality of wire fixing portions are formed by indenting the outermost surface of the frontmost node ring from the outer surface thereof, and tip ends of the wires are placed on the bottom surfaces of these fixing portions and connected by soldering.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In such a connection structure, the wire fixing portion projects inward of the tipmost node ring, but as described above, the tip end side portion of the wire and the wire fixing portion overlap each other, so that the tip end node of the wire fixing portion is overlapped. Large protrusion into the ring. For example, when the outer diameter of the curved portion of the endoscope is about 10 mm, the plate thickness of the node ring generally made of stainless steel is 0.3 mm,
Assuming that the wire diameter is 0.63 mm, the projecting height of the wire fixing part into the node ring is 1 mm when the clearance between the tip of this fixing part and the built-in curved part is 0.07 mm. there were.

As described above, in the related art, since the protrusions of the wire fixing portions are large, it is difficult to reduce the diameter of the bending portions in order to avoid the interference between the fixing portions and the built-in bending portion. It is necessary to increase the diameter.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope in which the curved portion can be made thinner.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention is brazed to the bottom of a wire fixing portion formed by denting the leading edge node ring in the bending portion from the outer surface to the inner side. A kerf into which the distal end portion of the bending portion operating wire enters is provided along the axial direction of the most distal node ring, and the kerf is less than the wire diameter of the wire.

[Action]

In the present invention, the distal end portion of the bending portion operating wire is provided by being inserted into the kerf formed in the bottom of the wire fixing portion formed on the most advanced node ring, and fixing the wire through the brazing material. Connected to the bottom of the section. In such a connection, since the wire diameter of the wire is larger than the width of the kerf, the wire does not drop from the kerf, and the brazing work can be easily performed. Then, as described above, the distal end portion of the wire is partially connected to the kerf, in other words, they are connected in an overlapping manner. The protrusion into the ring can be reduced. Therefore, the diameter of the node ring and the curved portion including the node ring can be reduced accordingly.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a bending portion formed on the distal end side of the insertion portion A,
This is a large number of node rings 3 (only two of which are shown in FIG. 1) connected in series to each other via a pivot fulcrum 2.
Built-in a, 3b, ..., it is configured to be able to bend freely. The tip end main body 4 is fixed to the node ring 3a located at the most front end by closing the tip end opening of the node ring 3a. The blade 5 is covered over the outer surface of each node ring 3a, 3b, ... And the outer surface 6 made of a curved rubber is covered over the outer surface of the blade 5 and the tip end body 4.
In FIG. 1, 7 is a tightening thread for fixing the tip of the outer cover 6 to the tip body 4, and 8 is a cover attached to the front surface of the tip body 4.

A plurality (for example, in the circumferential direction
Wire fixing portions 9 are formed at every 90 °).
As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, these fixing portions 9 are formed by denting inward from the outer surface of the node ring 3a and tapering the tip. And these wire fixing parts 9
A kerf 10 is provided at the bottom of the shaft along the axial direction of the node ring 3a. The width of the kerf 10 is set to be smaller than the wire diameter of the bending portion operating wire 11 described below.

In addition, a plurality of bending portion operating wires are provided in the insertion portion A.
11 are inserted, and these distal end portions are brazed to the bottom of the wire fixing portion 9 with a brazing material 12 such as solder. In other words, the distal end portion of the wire 11 is inserted into the kerf 10 at the bottom of the wire fixing portion 9, so that the wire terminal 11 is overlapped with the wire fixing portion 9 from the outer surface side of the node ring 3a. Through the supplied brazing filler metal 12,
It is connected to the bottom of the wire fixing portion 9. In addition, B in FIG. 2 has shown the overlap dimension. In this way, the bending portion 1 is forcibly bent by pushing and pulling the plurality of wires 11 connected to the most advanced node ring 3a.

An imaging unit 13 is built in the bending portion 1. This unit 13 includes a solid-state image sensor 16 such as a CCD on the substrate 14 located on the front side of the plurality of substrates 14 and 15 connected to each other.
By attaching a transparent protective resin to the light-receiving side of this element 16.
An electric component 18 such as an amplifier is attached to the substrate 15 arranged on the rear side while being covered with 17, and these are housed in a case 19.

In FIG. 1, 20 is a coaxial cable which is inserted into the insertion portion A and whose tip is connected to the substrate 15, and 21 is the case 19 and the substrate.
15 shows the solder connecting the 15 and the coaxial cable 20.
Further, reference numeral 22 in FIG. 1 denotes an optical system for guiding an image to the solid-state image pickup device 16, and an image under the field of view of the optical system taken through the optical system 22 is photoelectrically converted by the device 16. It is amplified by the electrical component 18 and taken out to the coaxial cable 20. An optical fiber may be adopted instead of the image pickup unit 13 and the coaxial cable 20.

The connections between the substrates 14 and 15 are made as shown in FIG. That is, each of the substrates 14 and 15 is provided with a landless through hole 23, and a register 24 is provided on one surface. And both boards 14,1
5, the resist 24 is bonded to each other, and the landless through holes 23 are overlapped with each other so that they communicate with each other. By filling the solder 26 on
It is connected.

According to such a connection structure, since the connection is made through the metal pin 25, the connection strength between the substrates 14 and 15 can be increased. Then, with the connection structure as described above, the substrate 1
Since it is not necessary to connect 4, 5 to each other via the connector arranged between them, the length of the hard portion at the tip of the bending portion 1 can be shortened. Moreover, since the landless through holes 23 are used for the substrates 14 and 15, the through hole spacing can be narrowed (for example, in the case of a landless through hole having a diameter of 0.4 mm, the through hole spacing can be about 0.6 mm). As a result, the image pickup unit 13 can be configured with high density and a small space. The above resist 24
Is to prevent short circuit between the landless through holes 23 of the substrates 14 and 15.

In FIG. 1, 27 is a channel which is provided in the insertion portion and serves as a guide for inserting / removing forceps (not shown), air supply, or water supply, 28 is a channel tube, and 29 is this tube 28 and the tip portion main body 4 It shows the connecting pipe between and.

In the assembly of the endoscope according to the first embodiment as described above, the most distal side node ring 3a and the bending portion operating wire 11 are connected as follows. First, the distal end portion of the bending portion operating wire 11 is arranged so as to overlap with the bottom of the wire fixing portion 9 formed on the most distal node ring 3a. At this time, the distal end portion is provided so that a part thereof is inserted into the cut groove 10 formed in the bottom of the wire fixing portion 9. Regardless of such an overlap between the thickness of the wire fixing portion 9 and the end portion of the wire 11 on the tip side, the wire 11 has a wire diameter larger than the width of the kerf 10, so that the wire 11 falls off the kerf 10. There is nothing to do. Next, the brazing filler metal 12 is filled into the wire fixing portion 9 so that the wire 11 is connected to the bottom of the wire fixing portion 9 while maintaining the overlapped state.

Then, as described above, according to the connection structure in which a part of the wire 11 is inserted into the kerf 10 and overlapped and connected, only the overlap dimension B is inserted into the node ring 3a of the wire fixing portion 9. The projecting dimension C (see FIG. 2) can be reduced. Therefore, accordingly, the diameters of the node rings 3a, 3b, ... And the curved portion 1 incorporating the node rings 3a, 3b, ... Can be made thin without affecting the dimensions of the tip.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention, and the constitution (not shown) other than the points described below is the same as that of the first embodiment. The wire fixing portion 9 in the second embodiment is
The bottom is not parallel to the axial direction of the node ring 3a, and the bottom is the node ring
As it goes from the rear end (right side in FIG. 5) of 3a toward the front end (left side in FIG. 5), it is gradually inclined so as to approach the peripheral wall of node ring 3a. Then, a kerf 10 extending along the axial direction of the node ring 3a is provided in the inclined bottom portion. Further, the wire 11 for bending portion is fixed to the wire fixing portion 9 at the end portion on the distal end side by brazing in a state where the tip of the wire 11 is positioned as shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. This is done by cutting and removing the two-dot chain line portion.

In the structure of the second embodiment as well, it is of course possible to achieve the intended object of the present invention, but the bottom of the wire fixing portion 9 is inclined, so that the wire fixing portion 9 overlaps more and a finer shape is obtained. The aging can be achieved. By the way, if the diameter of the endoscope tip is about 10 mm, the node ring 3a
When the present embodiment is applied to a sheet having a plate thickness of 0.3 mm, the overlap dimension B can be set to about 0.2 mm, and therefore, including the opposing wire fixing portion 9, 0.4 mm in the radial direction.
It is possible to achieve a small diameter.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show a third embodiment of the present invention, and the constitution (not shown) other than the points described below is the same as that of the first embodiment. In this third embodiment, the kerf 10 provided in the wire fixing portion 9 is tapered as shown in detail in FIG.

In the structure of the third embodiment as well, it is of course possible to achieve the intended object of the present invention, but since the kerf 10 has a taper shape, more overlap than in the case of the first embodiment is achieved. Can be made.

FIG. 9 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and the constitution (not shown) other than the points described below is the same as that of the first embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the wire fixing portion 9 is formed by the cut-and-raised walls 9a facing each other, and the kerf is formed between these walls 9a.
10 is provided, and the width of the tip of this groove 10 is smaller than the wire diameter of the wire 11.

It is needless to say that the intended purpose of the present invention can be achieved even with the configuration of the fourth embodiment.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention having the structure described in the claims, a kerf having a groove width less than the wire diameter of the bending portion operating wire to be brazed to the bottom of the wire fixing portion is provided. By providing the wire and the wire mounting portion to overlap each other, there is an effect that the brazing work of the wire does not become difficult and the diameter of the bending portion can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view of an essential portion, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a wire connecting portion taken along line II-II in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wire fixing portion, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the IV portion in FIG. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional side view of a wire connecting portion, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 7 and 8 show a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a wire connecting portion, and FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the tip side of a wire fixing portion. FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a wire connecting portion showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention. A ... insertion part, 1 ... curved part, 2 ... rotation fulcrum part, 3a ...
… Cutting edge joints, 3b …… Joint rings, 9 …… Wire fixing part, 10
…… Cross, 11 …… Wire.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A curved portion formed on the distal end side of an insertion portion and a frontmost node ring from the outer surface thereof, which incorporates a large number of node rings connected to each other in series via a pivot fulcrum portion. In an endoscope comprising a plurality of wire fixing portions formed by being recessed inward, and a bending portion operating wire that is provided inside the insertion portion and has a distal end portion brazed to the bottom of the wire fixing portion,
The bottom of the wire fixing portion is provided with a kerf into which the distal end portion of the wire enters along the axial direction of the node ring, and the width of the kerf is less than the wire diameter of the wire. Endoscope.