Quick Connector Device for Replaceable Insertion Part of Endoscope

Abstract

The present invention relates to a quick connector device for a replaceable insertion part of an endoscope. The innovation lies in: it includes a plug part structure assembled and connected with a hose and a socket part structure assembled and connected with an endoscope main box. The plug part structure includes a plug protective sleeve, a protective sleeve housing, a plug fixing seat and a plug hook. The plug protective sleeve is arranged on the outer periphery of the protective sleeve housing, the plug fixing seat is arranged inside the protective sleeve housing, and the plug hook is arranged on the outer periphery of the plug fixing seat. The socket part structure includes an electrical socket fixing sleeve and a hook retaining ring. The plug hook is inserted into the electrical socket fixing sleeve, and the hook retaining ring is sleeved on the outer periphery of the electrical socket fixing sleeve and is integrated through a retaining ring positioning pin. The present invention can be applied to the quick plugging and unplugging connection of various different specifications of insertion parts and the endoscope main box, enabling an endoscope to be paired with insertion parts of different specifications for use, expanding the scope of use and reducing the use cost, as well as reducing the subsequent maintenance time and maintenance cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a quick connector device, and more particularly to a quick connector device for a replaceable insertion portion of an endoscope. Background Art

[0002] An industrial endoscope is a new type of non-destructive testing instrument that combines multiple technologies such as optics, precision machinery, and electronic technology. It is widely used in the manufacturing and maintenance of industries such as petroleum, chemical, aerospace, and automotive.

[0003] For example, when a power plant performs maintenance on a large generator. For the inspection of large holes, deep holes, and thick pipelines of the main steam related to the generator stator, or for retrieving lost parts, an endoscope with a working length of 8000 mm to 15000 mm and a longer insertion portion is required for inspection, or an endoscope with a relatively thick insertion portion with a diameter of 12 mm to 18 mm is required for inspection; for the inspection of cracks in small oil pipes and nozzles, and nozzle blockages in a large generator, an endoscope with a relatively thin insertion portion with a diameter of 4 mm to 8 mm is required for inspection, and an endoscope with a shorter insertion portion with a working length of 600 mm to 2000 mm is required for inspection. Therefore, for the non-destructive maintenance of a larger entire device, at least 2 sets to 6 sets of endoscopes with different specifications of insertion portions are required to complete the maintenance of the entire device.

[0004] Another example is that for the regular maintenance and inspection of aerospace-related aircraft and different parts using endoscopes, endoscopes with various specifications of insertion portions are required. For the non-destructive inspection of cracks in engine oil pipes and carbon deposits or blockages in fuel injectors of related fighter jets, an endoscope with a relatively thin insertion portion with a diameter of 3 mm to 5 mm is required for inspection, and an endoscope with a shorter insertion portion with a working length of 500 mm to 1000 mm is required for inspection; for the research and development, manufacturing process of a rocket engine, and for the regular inspection of the surfaces of aircraft turbines, blades, engines, welds, etc., and the interior of combustion chambers or the maintenance inspection of the airframe, an endoscope with a longer insertion portion with a working length of 1200 mm to 2000 mm is required for inspection, or an endoscope with a relatively thick insertion portion with a diameter of 5 mm to 8 mm is required for non-destructive inspection; therefore, for the non-destructive maintenance and inspection of aerospace-related aircraft, at least 3 sets to 8 sets of endoscopes with different diameters or length specifications of insertion portions are required to complete the maintenance of the entire device.

[0005] The disadvantages of existing endoscopes in the current art are as follows:

[0006] First, the main body part of the endoscope host and the insertion part are not interchangeable and are of a fixed design structure. The insertion part cannot be quickly unplugged, nor can another insertion part of a different specification be replaced and used immediately. In addition, for most endoscopes, there are defects of looseness and self-rotation at the connection between the rear joint (connector) of the existing insertion tube (hose) and the endoscope main body seat. The reason is that when the rear joint of the insertion tube is inserted into the joint hole of the endoscope host main body seat, and since there are 3 equally distributed screw holes on the side wall of the connection hole of the main body seat, and 3 taper-end pressing screws are designed, which are connected in the V-shaped annular groove in the middle of the outer diameter of the rear joint part of the insertion tube.

[0007] Second, there are obvious defects in this connection joint structure. One is that due to the small structural space at the connection between the insertion tube and the endoscope main body, the outer diameter of the thread of the designed fixing screw cannot be large. The fixing strength of the designed M2.0 or M2.5 taper-end pressing screws is not high. Also, because the insertion tube is relatively long, when the endoscope host main body is in use, the front end of the long insertion tube will surely sag due to its own weight. When operating the endoscope main body by hand, the sagging force of the insertion tube is transmitted from the front end of the insertion tube to the connection of the rear joint of the insertion tube, and then to the 3 M2.0 or M2.5 taper-end pressing screws. After repeated use dozens of times, the taper-end pressing screws are repeatedly stressed or vibrated. Even after applying thread sealant to the fixing screws, sometimes due to the weight sagging force of the insertion part, the deformation of the relatively small fixing screws in the V-shaped groove of the joint occurs, and looseness will also appear. If the 3 small taper-end pressing screws are slightly loose, the insertion tube will rotate with the rear joint. The looseness or rotation of the insertion tube of the endoscope during use directly affects the use quality of the endoscope. Seriously, the endoscope needs to be disassembled and overhauled.

[0008] Third, transportation vibration will also cause the problem of loose connection at the rear joint of the insertion tube.

[0009] Fourthly, if the rear joint of the endoscope insertion tube becomes loose, the camera at the very front end of the endoscope will rotate left or right following the insertion tube. Even if the bending angle of the front bending part is operated, it is very difficult to find the position of the object to be inspected. Moreover, it will directly cause the image captured by the front camera of the endoscope to shift left or right or tilt on the display screen, affecting the observation or diagnosis of the image of the object to be inspected. That is because after the hose connector at the rear end of the insertion part equipped with the camera and the bending part becomes loose, since it is fixed in the annular groove on the outer diameter of the rear joint with small screws, every time it becomes loose, it will rotate around the axis. After the insertion part of the endoscope becomes loose or rotates, its bending part will also rotate (loose) and deviate from the direction (up and down, left and right) set by the design of the bending angle. When the bending angle operation is performed on the main unit, the bending angle direction will shift accordingly. The offset camera will not be aligned with the position to be detected and the object surface to be detected cannot be found; the angle of the camera at its very front end following the rotation of the rear joint of the insertion tube, and the image captured by the camera will also appear skewed on the display screen. Therefore, when the connection structure between the insertion part and the endoscope main body has obvious looseness and serious rotational displacement faults, it is very difficult for the endoscope to find the object surface to be inspected, and at this time it can no longer be used and needs to be returned to the manufacturer for major repairs.

[0010] Thus, it can be seen that if some faults occur in the insertion part of an industrial endoscope during the maintenance process of related production equipment (such as a generator set), such as the objective lens at the very front end of the insertion part being damaged, the CCD or CMOS being damaged, the skeleton of the bending part being damaged, the insertion tube being damaged and broken, etc., it will directly cause the endoscope to be unusable and must be quickly sent to the original manufacturer or a dedicated repair company for repair, otherwise it will directly affect the maintenance work of the equipment or the production of related equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide a quick-connect device for replaceable insertion parts of an endoscope that can be quickly plugged and unplugged for insertion parts of various different lengths and diameters and an endoscope main chassis, enabling one endoscope to be paired with insertion parts of different specifications for use, having good versatility, expanding the scope of use, reducing the use cost, and reducing the subsequent maintenance time and maintenance cost.

[0012] To achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is: a quick-connect device for replaceable insertion parts of an endoscope, and its innovation lies in: including a plug part structure assembled and connected with a hose and a socket part structure assembled and connected with an endoscope main chassis, and the plug part structure and the socket part structure are plugged and locked into one body after being inserted.

[0013] The structure of the plug part includes a plug protective sleeve, a protective sleeve housing, an electric plug fixing seat, a plug hook, and an electric plug assembly. The head of the plug protective sleeve is used to be sleeved on the outer periphery of the hose, and the tail is sleeved on the outer periphery of one end of the protective sleeve housing. The electric plug fixing seat is arranged inside one end of the protective sleeve housing, and one end of it is used to connect with the rear connection ring of the hose. The electric plug fixing seat is in sealed contact with both the rear connection ring of the hose and the protective sleeve housing. One end of the plug hook is sleeved on the outer periphery of the electric plug fixing seat. The electric plug assembly is used for electrical connection with the plug cable of the hose and is arranged inside the electric plug fixing seat.

[0014] The structure of the socket part includes an electric socket fixing sleeve, a hook retaining ring, and an electric socket assembly. A plurality of card holes are provided along the circumferential direction at one end of the electric socket fixing sleeve. The other end of the plug hook is provided with a plurality of elastic claws. The other end of the electric socket fixing sleeve is used for fixed connection with the endoscope main case. When the plug part structure is inserted into the socket part structure, after one end of the electric socket fixing sleeve is inserted into the inner hole of the plug hook, the other end of the electric plug fixing seat can be inserted into the inner hole of the electric socket fixing sleeve. The end of each elastic claw is snapped into the corresponding card hole to realize the quick docking of the electric socket fixing sleeve and the plug hook. The electric socket assembly is arranged in the inner hole of the electric socket fixing sleeve and is electrically connected with the electric plug assembly.

[0015] The plug part structure is locked with the socket part structure into one body through a joint locking mechanism. The joint locking mechanism includes a locking nut. The hook retaining ring is sleeved on the outer periphery of the electric socket fixing sleeve and is connected into one body through a retaining ring positioning pin. At the same time, the hook retaining ring is inserted into the inside of the other end of the protective sleeve housing and is pressed against the outer periphery of the elastic claws. The locking nut is arranged on the outer side of the other end of the protective sleeve housing, sleeved on the outer periphery of the hook retaining ring and threadedly connected with it.

[0016] In the above technical solution, the joint locking mechanism further includes a locking nut positioning pin and a fixing nut. The fixing nut is sleeved on the outer periphery of the electric socket fixing sleeve and threadedly connected with it. The fixing nut is located between the locking nut and the outer side surface of the endoscope main case and realizes the sealed contact of both side surfaces of the fixing nut with the locking nut and the endoscope main case respectively through corresponding sealing rings. The fixing nut is also fixed into one body with the electric socket fixing sleeve through a radially tapered end locking screw. An arc-shaped groove is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the electric socket fixing sleeve. The locking nut positioning pin is screwed into the locking nut and its end is located in the arc-shaped groove of the electric socket fixing sleeve.

[0017] In the above technical solution, a plurality of evenly arranged heat dissipation fins are provided in the circumferential direction of the locking nut.

[0018] In the above technical solution, the plug protective sleeve includes a conical sleeve section and a straight sleeve section that are integrally connected. Positioning steps are provided on the outer periphery and inside of one end of the protective sleeve housing. The conical sleeve section of the plug protective sleeve is used to be sleeved on the outer periphery of the hose, and the straight sleeve section is sleeved on the positioning step on the outer periphery of one end of the protective sleeve housing, and the straight sleeve section is in a tight fit with the protective sleeve housing. A limiting edge is provided on the outer periphery of the electrical plug fixing seat. One side of the limiting edge is tightly attached to the step surface of the positioning step inside the protective sleeve housing, and a sealing ring is provided between one side of the limiting edge and the step surface of the positioning step inside the protective sleeve housing. One end of the electrical plug fixing seat is sleeved on the rear connection ring of the hose and is fixed into one body by a radially tapered end locking screw, and a sealing ring is provided between the electrical plug fixing seat and the rear connection ring of the hose. The plug hook is sleeved on the outer periphery of the electrical plug fixing seat and is in contact with the other side of the limiting edge, and the plug hook and the electrical plug fixing seat are fixed into one body by a screw.

[0019] In the above technical solution, connection ears are provided inside the electrical plug fixing seat. The electrical plug assembly includes an electrical plug base, a pin socket core, and pins. The pins are installed on the pin socket core, and both ends of the pins are electrically connected to the plug cable of the hose and the electrical socket assembly respectively. The pin socket core is provided in the inner hole of the electrical plug base, and the connection heads provided at both ends of the electrical plug base are respectively fixedly connected to the connection ears by electrical plug screws. The heads of the electrical plug screws are close to the rear connection ring of the hose.

[0020] In the above technical solution, a claw head is provided at the end of the elastic claw of the plug hook, and radial protrusions are provided on the inner wall of the claw head. Guide slopes are provided on both the outer side and the inner side of the radial protrusions. The radial protrusions are snapped into the card holes.

[0021] In the above technical solution, a plurality of positioning guide grooves are provided on the outer periphery of one end of the electrical socket fixing sleeve and outside the card holes. The radial protrusions of the claw head slide along the positioning guide grooves and are snapped into the card holes.

[0022] In the above technical solution, a limiting plug is provided at the other end of the electrical plug fixing seat. When the plug part structure is plugged into the socket part structure, one end of the electrical socket fixing sleeve is inserted into the inner hole of the plug hook and the limiting plug is inserted into the inner hole of the electrical socket fixing sleeve.

[0023] In the above technical solution, a pressing head is provided at the end of the hook pressing ring. The pressing head is inserted into the inside of the other end of the protective sleeve housing and presses against the outer periphery of the elastic claw.

[0024] In the above technical solution, the electrical socket assembly includes electrical socket fixing screws, an electrical socket connector, and a socket cable. A connection block integrally connected therewith is provided in the inner hole of the electrical socket fixing sleeve. The socket cable is arranged on the electrical socket connector and is electrically connected to the electrical plug assembly. The electrical socket connector is fixedly connected to the connection block by the electrical socket fixing screws, and the head of the electrical socket fixing screw is close to the tail of the electrical socket connector.

[0025] The positive effect of the present invention is that after adopting the quick connector device for the replaceable insertion part of the endoscope of the present invention, since the present invention includes a plug part structure assembled and connected to the hose and a socket part structure assembled and connected to the endoscope main chassis, after the plug part structure and the socket part structure are inserted and locked together,

[0026] The plug part structure includes a plug protective sleeve, a protective sleeve housing, an electrical plug fixing seat, a plug hook, and an electrical plug assembly. The head of the plug protective sleeve is used to sleeved on the outer periphery of the hose, and the tail is sleeved on the outer periphery of one end of the protective sleeve housing. The electrical plug fixing seat is arranged inside one end of the protective sleeve housing, and one end thereof is used to connect to the rear connection ring of the hose. The electrical plug fixing seat is in sealing contact with both the rear connection ring of the hose and the protective sleeve housing. One end of the plug hook is sleeved on the outer periphery of the electrical plug fixing seat. The electrical plug assembly is used to be electrically connected to the plug cable of the hose and is arranged inside the electrical plug fixing seat.

[0027] The socket part structure includes an electrical socket fixing sleeve, a hook retaining ring, and an electrical socket assembly. A plurality of card holes are provided along the circumferential direction at one end of the electrical socket fixing sleeve. The other end of the plug hook is provided with a plurality of elastic claws. The other end of the electrical socket fixing sleeve is used to be fixedly connected to the endoscope main chassis. When the plug part structure and the socket part structure are inserted, one end of the electrical socket fixing sleeve is inserted into the inner hole of the plug hook and the other end of the electrical plug fixing seat can be inserted into the inner hole of the electrical socket fixing sleeve. The end of each elastic claw is snapped into the corresponding card hole to enable the quick docking of the electrical socket fixing sleeve and the plug hook. The electrical socket assembly is arranged in the inner hole of the electrical socket fixing sleeve and is electrically connected to the electrical plug assembly.

[0028] The plug part structure is locked to the socket part structure as a whole through a joint locking mechanism. The joint locking mechanism includes a locking nut. The hook retaining ring is sleeved on the outer periphery of the electrical socket fixing sleeve and is integrally connected by a retaining ring positioning pin. At the same time, the hook retaining ring is inserted into the inside of the other end of the protective sleeve housing and is pressed against the outer periphery of the elastic claws. The locking nut is arranged on the outside of the other end of the protective sleeve housing and is sleeved on the outer periphery of the hook retaining ring and is threadedly connected thereto.

[0029] Since the elastic claws of the plug hook of the present invention have a certain elasticity and can open outward, during use, only need to snap the elastic claws of the plug hook of the plug part structure at the tail of the endoscope insertion part into the card holes of the socket fixing sleeve, and rely on the resilience of the elastic claws themselves, so that the elastic claws can embrace and hook in the corresponding card holes to achieve the insertion connection between the plug hook and the socket fixing sleeve. And the hook retaining ring is inserted into the interior of the other end of the protective sleeve housing and crimped on the outer periphery of the elastic claws to complete the assembly connection between the insertion part and the socket part structure of the endoscope main box;

[0030] Rotate the lock nut clockwise by 90 degrees, and the hook retaining ring moves forward along its axial direction and presses on the outer diameter of the elastic claws to achieve the locking of the plug part structure and the socket part structure. On the contrary, rotate the lock nut counterclockwise by 90 degrees, and the hook retaining ring moves backward to release the pressing on the elastic claws. Grab the plug protective sleeve and the protective sleeve housing as a whole and pull them out backward, and with an appropriate force, the elastic claws can be separated from the socket fixing sleeve;

[0031] When any faults or damages occur in the insertion part and its front section of the endoscope, as long as the endoscope insertion part is quickly unplugged and the insertion part is directly repaired, and the parts such as the endoscope main body behind the endoscope insertion part do not need to be disassembled, it can continue to be used for the inspection or repair work of related equipment, and it is fast, so as to achieve the purpose of facilitating the repair of the endoscope, reducing the repair workload, reducing the repair cost, improving the repair work efficiency, improving the repair quality of the endoscope, etc.;

[0032] The joint device of the present invention is to achieve that with the same flexible endoscope, the insertion parts with similar camera performance, thinner diameter and shorter specifications and the insertion parts with thicker diameter and longer specifications can be interchanged and quickly pulled out (replace the used or faulty one) the insertion part of an endoscope main body (the main body of the endoscope body), and then quickly connect a new insertion part to be replaced to the joint seat of the quick joint of the same endoscope main body (an insertion part of a spare accessory or a customized one with different specifications of diameter or length), so as to achieve the purpose that the same industrial flexible endoscope can replace the usage range of 2 or more endoscopes. That is, the same endoscope can complete the inspection of the deep internal cavity of a large equipment and the inspection of the inside of the small orifice and small gap of the same equipment; if a spare insertion part is equipped, such as when a fault occurs in the endoscope during the inspection, as long as a spare insertion part assembly is replaced, the inspection work can immediately resume the inspection work. It has the advantages of avoiding work stoppage and production suspension caused by the fault of the inspection instrument;

[0033] In summary, the quick-connect device of the present invention not only solves the problem that the insertion part of the endoscope cannot be interchangeably connected to its main body, but also achieves the purpose of unplugging the "quick plug" (connected with the "insertion part assembly") and then quickly plugging and connecting a (interchangeable and well-connected with the insertion part assembly) "quick plug" to the "quick socket". That is, it achieves the advantages of quickly plugging and connecting (several) n different specifications of the endoscope insertion parts to the "hose socket assembly" on the endoscope main body, and it is an interchangeable plugging combination. For example, for equipment with small holes or small gaps, the thicker insertion part of the endoscope cannot be inserted. Then, the endoscope with a thicker insertion tube can be quickly replaced with an endoscope with a thinner insertion tube, which can be immediately inserted into the equipment for operation and maintenance, achieving the purpose of expanding the scope of use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a schematic structural diagram of the assembly of the hose and plug parts in ;

[0036] Figure 3 is Figure 2 a schematic structural diagram of the connection of the plug fixing seat, plug hook and electrical plug assembly in ;

[0037] Figure 4 is Figure 3 a side view schematic diagram of the electrical plug base in ;

[0038] Figure 5 is Figure 1 a schematic structural diagram of the assembly of the socket part structure and the endoscope main box in ;

[0039] Figure 6 is Figure 5 a top view schematic diagram of the electrical socket fixing sleeve in ;

[0040] Figure 7 is Figure 5 a side view schematic diagram of the locking nut in. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0041] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the given embodiments, but it is not limited thereto.

[0042] As Figure 1 , 2As shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, a quick connector device for an endoscope replaceable insertion portion includes a plug portion structure 1 assembled and connected to a hose and a socket portion structure 2 assembled and connected to an endoscope main chassis. After the plug portion structure 1 and the socket portion structure 2 are inserted and locked together,

[0043] The plug portion structure 1 includes a plug protective sleeve 11, a protective sleeve housing 12, an electrical plug fixing seat 13, a plug hook 14, and an electrical plug assembly 15. The head of the plug protective sleeve 11 is used to fit over the outer periphery of the hose, and the tail is fitted over the outer periphery of one end of the protective sleeve housing 12. The electrical plug fixing seat 13 is provided inside one end of the protective sleeve housing 12, and one end of it is used to connect to the rear connection ring of the hose. The electrical plug fixing seat 13 is in sealed contact with both the rear connection ring of the hose and the protective sleeve housing 12. One end of the plug hook 14 is fitted over the outer periphery of the electrical plug fixing seat 13. The electrical plug assembly 15 is used to make electrical connection with the plug cable of the hose and is provided inside the electrical plug fixing seat 13.

[0044] The socket portion structure 2 includes an electrical socket fixing sleeve 21, a hook retaining ring 22, and an electrical socket assembly 23. A plurality of card holes 211 are provided along the circumferential direction at one end of the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21. A plurality of elastic claws 141 are provided at the other end of the plug hook 14. The other end of the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21 is used to be fixedly connected to the endoscope main chassis. When the plug portion structure 1 and the socket portion structure 2 are inserted, one end of the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21 is inserted into the inner hole of the plug hook 14 and the other end of the electrical plug fixing seat 13 can be inserted into the inner hole of the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21. The end of each elastic claw 141 is snapped into the corresponding card hole 211 to enable the quick docking of the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21 and the plug hook 14. The electrical socket assembly 23 is provided in the inner hole of the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21 and is electrically connected to the electrical plug assembly 15.

[0045] The plug portion structure 1 and the socket portion structure 2 are locked together by a joint locking mechanism 3. The joint locking mechanism 3 includes a locking nut 31. The hook retaining ring 22 is fitted over the outer periphery of the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21 and is connected as a whole through a retaining ring locating pin 24. At the same time, the hook retaining ring 22 is inserted into the inside of the other end of the protective sleeve housing 12 and is pressed against the outer periphery of the elastic claws 141. The locking nut 31 is provided outside the other end of the protective sleeve housing 12 and is sleeved over the outer periphery of the hook retaining ring 22 and is threadedly connected to it.

[0046] As Figure 1 、 5As shown, in order to enable the quick plug and the quick socket to recognize whether they are locked in place after docking and improve the operation reliability, the joint locking mechanism 3 further includes a locking nut positioning pin 32 and a fixing nut 33. The fixing nut 33 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the electrical socket fixing sleeve 31 and is threadedly connected thereto. The fixing nut 33 is located between the locking nut 31 and the outer side surface of the endoscope main box and realizes the sealed abutment of the two side surfaces of the fixing nut 33 with the locking nut 31 and the endoscope main box respectively through corresponding sealing rings. The fixing nut 33 is also fixed integrally with the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21 by a radially tapered end locking screw. An arc-shaped groove 212 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21. The locking nut positioning pin 32 is screwed into the locking nut 31 and its end is located in the arc-shaped groove 212 of the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21. That is, after the plug part and the socket part are inserted, the locking nut 31 is rotated 90 degrees to the right (clockwise), and the hook pressing ring 22 runs forward about 5 mm along its axial direction with the power of its external thread and runs onto the outer diameter of the elastic claw, and tightly presses the multiple elastic claws 141 of the plug hook 14 to prevent the elastic claws from moving outward. On the contrary, when the locking nut 31 is rotated 90 degrees to the left (counterclockwise), the hook pressing ring 22 runs backward linearly about 5 mm, and the hook pressing ring will release the pressing on the elastic claws 141. The joint locking mechanism 3 can effectively prevent loosening or falling off of the quick joint connection caused by vibration or other reasons. The two extreme positions of the locking nut positioning pin 32 in the arc-shaped groove 212 of the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21 respectively represent the locking limit position and the unlocking and separating position. The double nut combination composed of the fixing nut 33 and the locking nut 31 plays a role in strengthening the firmness of the locking of the locking mechanism.

[0047] As Figure 7 shown, in order to enable the locking nut 31 to have a heat dissipation function and protect the internal circuit board, a plurality of uniformly arranged heat dissipation fins 311 are provided in the circumferential direction of the locking nut 31.

[0048] As Figure 2 、 3As shown in the figure, in order to make the structure more reasonable and facilitate the positioning connection of the plug protective sleeve with the hose and the protective sleeve housing, the plug protective sleeve 11 includes an integrally connected conical sleeve section 111 and a straight sleeve section 112. The outer periphery and the interior of one end of the protective sleeve housing 12 are provided with positioning steps. The conical sleeve section 111 of the plug protective sleeve 11 is used to be sleeved on the outer periphery of the hose, and the straight sleeve section 112 is sleeved on the positioning step on the outer periphery of one end of the protective sleeve housing 12, and the straight sleeve section 112 is in a tight fit with the protective sleeve housing 12. The outer periphery of the electrical plug fixing seat 13 is provided with a limiting edge 131. One side of the limiting edge 131 is tightly attached to the step surface of the positioning step inside the protective sleeve housing 12, and a sealing ring is provided between one side of the limiting edge 131 and the step surface of the positioning step inside the protective sleeve housing 12. One end of the electrical plug fixing seat 13 is sleeved on the rear connection ring of the hose and is fixed into one body by a radially tapered end locking screw, and a sealing ring is provided between the electrical plug fixing seat 13 and the rear connection ring of the hose. The plug hook 14 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the electrical plug fixing seat 13 and is in contact with the other side of the limiting edge 131, and the plug hook 14 is fixed to the electrical plug fixing seat 13 by a screw. The function achieved by the sub-assembly composed of the plug protective sleeve 11 and the protective sleeve housing 12 in the present invention is that the inner hole of the conical sleeve section 111 of the plug protective sleeve 11 can wrap the outer diameter of the hose and achieve a sealed connection therewith, which can play a role in sealing protection.

[0049] As Figure 2 、 3 shown, in order to facilitate direct connection with the wire ends of the front-end CCD or CMOS sensor or LED lighting lamp in the hose, a connection ear 132 is provided inside the electrical plug fixing seat 13. The electrical plug assembly 15 includes an electrical plug base 151, a pin socket core 152, and pins 153. The pins 153 are installed on the pin socket core 152, and both ends of the pins 153 are electrically connected to the plug cable of the hose and the electrical socket assembly 23 respectively. The pin socket core 152 is provided in the inner hole of the electrical plug base 151, and the connection heads provided at both ends of the electrical plug base 151 are respectively fixed to the connection ear 132 by electrical plug screws 154. The heads of the electrical plug screws 154 are close to the rear connection ring of the hose.

[0050] As Figure 4 shown, four through holes 1512 for the assembly of traction steel wire ropes for realizing bending angles in the up, down, left, and right directions or other perforations 1512 for assemblies are arranged in the circumferential direction of the electrical plug base 151, as well as threaded holes 1513 for four screws 154 for fixing the electrical plug. The four through holes 1512 and the four threaded holes 1513 are arranged in an alternating manner. A key pin 1511 for positioning connection with the electrical socket 232 is also provided on the electrical plug base 151.

[0051] As Figure 3As shown in the figure, in order to facilitate positioning and connection, a claw head 1412 is provided at the end of the elastic claw 141 of the plug hook 14. A radial protrusion 1413 is provided on the inner wall of the claw head 1412. Guide inclined surfaces 1414 are provided on both the outer side and the inner side of the radial protrusion 1413, and the radial protrusion 1413 is snapped into the card hole 211. The guide inclined surface 1414 on the outer side of the radial protrusion 1413 is for facilitating the insertion of the radial protrusion 1413 into the corresponding card hole on the electric socket fixing sleeve 21, and the guide inclined surface 1414 provided on the inner side is for facilitating the extraction and disengagement of the radial protrusion 1413 from the card hole of the electric socket fixing sleeve 21.

[0052] As Figure 6 shown in the figure, in order to enable the radial protrusion 1413 to accurately snap into the corresponding card hole, a plurality of positioning guide grooves 213 are provided on the outer periphery of one end of the electric socket fixing sleeve 21 and outside the card hole 211, and the radial protrusion 1413 of the claw head 1412 slides along the positioning guide groove 213 and snaps into the card hole 211.

[0053] As Figure 3 shown in the figure, in order to enable the quick positioning and assembly of the electric plug fixing seat and the electric socket fixing sleeve, a limit plug 134 is provided at the other end of the electric plug fixing seat 13. When the plug part structure 1 is inserted into the socket part structure 2, one end of the electric socket fixing sleeve 21 is inserted into the inner hole of the plug hook 14 and the limit plug 134 is inserted into the inner hole of the electric socket fixing sleeve 21. Between the limit plug 134 and the electric socket fixing sleeve 21 of the present invention, there is a precise dimensional fit connection with no gap, and the limit plug 134 can also be inserted into and extracted from the inner hole of the electric socket fixing sleeve 21. That is, after the plug part structure 1 and the socket part structure 2 are inserted or before they are extracted, the limit plug 134 can play a role in positioning the interface during front and rear connection, will not loosen after connection, and can achieve the role of positioning or fixing. It is the reference point for ensuring the mechanical strength of the connection and is also a high-strength combination after plug-and-play connection. The advantages of such a design of the present invention are: first, it can ensure the coaxiality of the axis after the quick connector is connected; second, it ensures that the plug structure at the front and the socket structure at the rear have sufficient strength after connection, that is, it ensures the stability of the electrical signal of the electric plug assembly after the quick connector is connected, effectively ensuring the reliability, durability of the product, and extending the service life of the product.

[0054] As Figure 5 shown in the figure, in order to be able to press the elastic claw so that the elastic claw can tightly snap into the card hole 211 of the electric socket fixing sleeve 21 and strengthen the firmness of the connection between the elastic claw and the electric socket fixing sleeve, a pressing head 221 is provided at the end of the hook pressing ring 22, and the pressing head 221 is inserted into the interior of the other end of the protective sleeve housing 12 and pressed against the outer periphery of the elastic claw 141.

[0055] AsFigure 5 As shown, in order to facilitate direct connection with the circuit board for image processing, monitor, power supply for LEDs, and other related circuits within the main chassis, the electrical socket assembly 23 includes electrical socket fixing screws 231, electrical plug sockets 232, and socket cable wires 233. A connecting block 214 integrally connected therewith is provided in the inner hole of the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21. The socket cable wires 233 are provided on the electrical plug sockets 232 and are electrically connected to the electrical plug components 15. The electrical plug sockets 232 are fixedly connected to the connecting block 214 by the electrical socket fixing screws 231, and the head of the electrical socket fixing screw 231 is close to the tail of the electrical plug socket 232. A key pin 1511 for positioning connection with the key groove 234 of the electrical plug socket 232 is further provided on the electrical plug base 151.

[0056] The working principle of the present invention:

[0057] As Figure 1 shown, the plug part structure 1 is assembled and connected with the hose: The insertion part 4 of the endoscope includes a camera assembly 41, a bending part assembly 42, and a hose 43. The camera assembly 41 includes a front objective lens group, a CMOS image sensor assembly, and an LED lighting group. The head of the bending part assembly 42 is equipped with the camera assembly 41, and the tail is connected to the front part of the hose 43. A rear connection ring 431 is provided at the tail of the hose 43. The plug part structure 1 is assembled and connected with the hose, that is, the head of the plug protective sleeve 11 is used to sleeved on the outer periphery of the hose 43, and one end of the electrical plug fixing seat 13 is connected to the rear connection ring 431 of the hose 43 by a radial taper-end set screw 133.

[0058] The socket part structure 2 is assembled and connected with the endoscope main chassis: The endoscope main chassis assembly 5 includes a main chassis 51 and a liquid crystal display screen 52 installed on the main chassis 51. The main chassis 51 has a square hole for preventing the rotation of the socket part structure. The other end of the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21 has a connecting flange 215. The connecting flange 215 is located in the square hole of the main chassis 51 and abuts against the inner wall of the main chassis 51. The advantage of such a design is that when subjected to torsion or left-right rotation force, the joints and the insertion part on the outside thereof will not rotate left and right accordingly, so that the entire quick connector and the insertion part are fixedly connected to the rear main chassis in a directional and positioning manner.

[0059] When the insertion part 4 of the endoscope needs to be inserted and assembled with the endoscope main chassis assembly 5, that is, the plug part structure 1 and the socket part structure 2 achieve rapid plugging. Since the elastic claws 141 of the plug hook 14 have a certain elasticity and can open outward, under the action of the guiding inclined surface 1414 on the outer side of the radial protrusion 1413 of the plug hook 14, the radial protrusion 1413 slides along the positioning guiding groove 213 and then snaps into the locking hole 21 of the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21. Relying on the self-elasticity of the elastic claws 141, the elastic claws 141 can embrace and hook in the corresponding locking holes 211, realizing the plugging of the plug hook 14 and the electrical socket fixing sleeve 21. And the pressing head 221 of the hook retaining ring 22 is inserted into the interior of the other end of the protective sleeve housing 12 and pressed against the outer periphery of the elastic claws 141, then the rapid plugging of the two parts can be completed. At the same time, the pins 153 of the electrical plug assembly 15 are inserted into the corresponding pin holes on the electrical plug socket 232 of the electrical socket assembly 23 to achieve electrical connection.

[0060] In order to strengthen the reliable, firm locking of the two parts, it is locked by the joint locking mechanism 3: the locking nut 31 rotates 90 degrees to the right (clockwise), and the hook retaining ring 22 runs forward about 5 mm along its axial direction under the power of its external thread, runs to the outer diameter of the elastic claws 141, and tightly presses the multiple elastic claws 141 of the plug hook 14 to prevent the elastic claws from moving outward. On the contrary, the locking nut 31 rotates 90 degrees to the left (counterclockwise), and the hook retaining ring 22 runs backward linearly about 5 mm, and the hook retaining ring will release the pressing on the elastic claws 141. The joint locking mechanism 3 can effectively prevent the loosening or falling off that may occur after the quick connector is connected due to reasons such as vibration.

[0061] The advantages of the present invention are as follows: When any faults or damages occur in the insertion part of the endoscope and its front section part, as long as the insertion part of the endoscope is quickly unplugged and directly repaired, the parts such as the endoscope main body behind the insertion part of the endoscope do not need to be disassembled and can continue to be used for checking or repairing related equipment, and it is fast, so as to facilitate the repair of the endoscope, reduce the repair workload, reduce the repair cost, improve the repair work efficiency, improve the repair quality of the endoscope, and so on.

[0062] The connector device of the present invention aims to achieve the following. With the same flexible endoscope, the insertion parts with similar camera performance, thinner diameter and shorter specifications, and the insertion parts with thicker diameter and longer specifications can be interchanged, and the used or faulty insertion part can be quickly removed from an endoscope main body (the body of the endoscope), and then a new insertion part to be replaced can be quickly connected to the connector seat of the quick connector of the same endoscope main body (an insertion part of a spare accessory or a customized insertion part with different specifications of diameter or length), so as to achieve the purpose that the same industrial flexible endoscope can replace the usage scope of two or more endoscopes. That is, the same endoscope can complete the maintenance of the deep internal cavity of a large device and the inspection of the small orifice and small gap inside the same device. If a spare insertion part is equipped, in case of a fault of the endoscope during maintenance, as long as a spare insertion part assembly is replaced, the inspection work can immediately resume. It has the advantage of avoiding shutdown and production suspension caused by the fault of the inspection instrument.

[0063] In summary, the quick connector device of the present invention not only needs to solve the problem that the insertion part of the endoscope cannot be interchangeably connected with its main body, but also needs to achieve the purpose of quickly removing the "quick plug" (connected with the "insertion part assembly"), and then quickly replacing it with a "quick plug" (connected with the insertion part assembly and having good interchangeability) and quickly plugging it into the "quick socket". That is, a main chassis of an endoscope can be quickly replaced and connected with multiple replaceable (interchangeable) insertion parts, that is, to achieve the advantage of quickly plugging and connecting (several) n different specifications of endoscope insertion parts with the "hose socket assembly" on the endoscope main body, and the plugging combination is interchangeable. For example, for equipment with small holes or small gaps, the thicker insertion part of the endoscope cannot be inserted. Then, the endoscope with a thicker insertion tube can be quickly replaced with an endoscope with a thinner insertion tube, which can be immediately inserted into the equipment for operation and maintenance, achieving the purpose of expanding the usage scope.

[0064] Inspired by the ideal embodiments of the present invention described above, through the above description, relevant workers can make various changes and modifications within the scope not deviating from the technical idea of the present invention. The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the content in the specification, and its technical scope must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A quick-connect device for an endoscope replaceable insertion portion, characterized in that: It includes a plug part structure (1) assembled and connected to a hose and a socket part structure (2) assembled and connected to an endoscope main chassis. After the plug part structure (1) and the socket part structure (2) are inserted and locked together, The plug part structure (1) includes a plug protective sleeve (11), a protective sleeve housing (12), an electrical plug fixing seat (13), a plug hook (14), and an electrical plug assembly (15). The head of the plug protective sleeve (11) is used to sleeved on the outer periphery of the hose, and the tail is sleeved on the outer periphery of one end of the protective sleeve housing (12). The electrical plug fixing seat (13) is arranged inside one end of the protective sleeve housing (12), and one end of it is used to connect to the rear connection ring of the hose. The electrical plug fixing seat (13) is in sealed contact with both the rear connection ring of the hose and the protective sleeve housing (12). One end of the plug hook (14) is sleeved on the outer periphery of the electrical plug fixing seat (13). The electrical plug assembly (15) is used to be electrically connected to the plug cable of the hose and is arranged inside the electrical plug fixing seat (13). The socket part structure (2) includes an electrical socket fixing sleeve (21), a hook retaining ring (22), and an electrical socket assembly (23). A plurality of card holes (211) are provided along the circumferential direction at one end of the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21). A plurality of elastic claws (141) are provided at the other end of the plug hook (14). The other end of the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21) is used to be fixedly connected to the endoscope main chassis. When the plug part structure (1) and the socket part structure (2) are inserted, one end of the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21) is inserted into the inner hole of the plug hook (14), and the other end of the electrical plug fixing seat (13) can be inserted into the inner hole of the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21). The end of each elastic claw (141) is snapped into the corresponding card hole (211) to enable the quick docking of the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21) and the plug hook (14). The electrical socket assembly (23) is arranged in the inner hole of the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21) and is electrically connected to the electrical plug assembly (15). The plug part structure (1) is locked to the socket part structure (2) as a whole through a joint locking mechanism (3). The joint locking mechanism (3) includes a locking nut (31). The hook retaining ring (22) is sleeved on the outer periphery of the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21) and is connected as a whole through a retaining ring locating pin (24). At the same time, the hook retaining ring (22) is inserted into the inside of the other end of the protective sleeve housing (12) and is pressed against the outer periphery of the elastic claws (141). The locking nut (31) is arranged on the outer side of the other end of the protective sleeve housing (12), sleeved on the outer periphery of the hook retaining ring (22), and is threadedly connected to it. A plurality of evenly arranged heat dissipation fins (311) are provided in the circumferential direction of the locking nut (31). The end of the hook retaining ring (22) is provided with a pressing head (221). The pressing head (221) is inserted into the inside of the other end of the protective sleeve housing (12) and is pressed against the outer periphery of the elastic claws (141).

2. The quick-connect device for the replaceable insertion part of the endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that: The joint locking mechanism (3) further includes a locking nut positioning pin (32) and a fixing nut (33). The fixing nut (33) is sleeved on the outer periphery of the electrical socket fixing sleeve (31) and is threadedly connected thereto. The fixing nut (33) is located between the locking nut (31) and the outer side of the endoscope main case, and the two sides of the fixing nut (33) are respectively in sealing contact with the locking nut (31) and the endoscope main case through corresponding sealing rings. The fixing nut (33) is also fixed integrally with the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21) by a radially tapered end locking screw. An arc-shaped groove (212) is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21). The locking nut positioning pin (32) is screwed into the locking nut (31), and its end is located in the arc-shaped groove (212) of the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21).

3. The quick connector device for the replaceable insertion part of the endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plug protective sleeve (11) includes a tapered sleeve section (111) and a straight sleeve section (112) connected integrally. Positioning steps are provided on the outer periphery and inside of one end of the protective sleeve housing (12). The tapered sleeve section (111) of the plug protective sleeve (11) is used to sleeve on the outer periphery of the hose, and the straight sleeve section (112) is sleeved on the positioning step on the outer periphery of one end of the protective sleeve housing (12), and the straight sleeve section (112) is in a tight fit with the protective sleeve housing (12). A limiting edge (131) is provided on the outer periphery of the electrical plug fixing base (13). One side of the limiting edge (131) is tightly attached to the step surface of the positioning step inside the protective sleeve housing (12), and a sealing ring is provided between one side of the limiting edge (131) and the step surface of the positioning step inside the protective sleeve housing (12). One end of the electrical plug fixing base (13) is sleeved on the rear connecting ring of the hose and is fixed integrally by a radially tapered end locking screw, and a sealing ring is provided between the electrical plug fixing base (13) and the rear connecting ring of the hose. The plug hook (14) is sleeved on the outer periphery of the electrical plug fixing base (13) and is in contact with the other side of the limiting edge (131), and the plug hook (14) is fixed integrally with the electrical plug fixing base (13) by a screw.

4. The quick connector device for an endoscope replaceable insertion section according to claim 1, characterized in that: A connecting ear (132) is provided inside the electrical plug fixing base (13). The electrical plug assembly (15) includes an electrical plug base (151), a pin socket core (152), and pins (153). The pins (153) are installed on the pin socket core (152), and the two ends of the pins (153) are electrically connected to the plug cable of the hose and the electrical socket assembly (23) respectively. The pin socket core (152) is provided in the inner hole of the electrical plug base (151), and the connecting heads provided at both ends of the electrical plug base (151) are respectively fixedly connected to the connecting ear (132) by electrical plug screws (154). The heads of the electrical plug screws (154) are close to the rear connecting ring of the hose.

5. The quick connector device for an endoscope replaceable insertion portion according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end of the elastic claw (141) of the plug hook (14) is provided with a claw head (1412), and a radial protrusion (1413) is provided on the inner wall of the claw head (1412). Guide slopes (1414) are provided on both the outer side and the inner side of the radial protrusion (1413), and the radial protrusion (1413) is snapped into the card hole (211).

6. The quick-connect device for an endoscope replaceable insertion section according to claim 5, characterized in that: A plurality of positioning guide grooves (213) are provided on the outer periphery of one end of the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21) and located outside the card hole (211). The radial protrusion (1413) of the claw head (1412) slides along the positioning guide groove (213) and is snapped into the card hole (211).

7. The quick-connect device for an endoscope replaceable insertion portion according to claim 1, characterized in that: The other end of the electrical plug fixing base (13) is provided with a limiting plug (134). When the plug part structure (1) is inserted into the socket part structure (2), one end of the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21) is inserted into the inner hole of the plug hook (14), and the limiting plug (134) is inserted into the inner hole of the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21).

8. The quick connector device for an endoscope replaceable insertion section according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrical socket assembly (23) includes an electrical socket fixing screw (231), an electrical plug socket (232), and a socket cable (233). A connecting block (214) integrated with the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21) is provided in the inner hole of the electrical socket fixing sleeve (21). The socket cable (233) is provided on the electrical plug socket (232) and is electrically connected to the electrical plug assembly (15). The electrical plug socket (232) is fixedly connected to the connecting block (214) by the electrical socket fixing screw (231), and the head of the electrical socket fixing screw (231) is close to the tail of the electrical plug socket (232).

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