Snake bone tube and endoscope

Abstract

The application provides a snake bone tube and an endoscope. The snake bone tube comprises a front fixing part, a rear fixing part and a plurality of snake bones. The first end of the snake bone is provided with two convex connecting parts. The second end of the snake bone is provided with two concave connecting parts. The convex connecting part comprises a first convex part, a second convex part and a connecting part. The first convex part protrudes from the end surface of the snake bone in the axial direction. The second convex part is connected to the first convex part through the connecting part and protrudes from the first convex part. The concave connecting part comprises a groove and two supporting plate parts. The two supporting plate parts are respectively arranged on the inner walls on the opposite sides of the groove. A clamping groove is arranged between the two supporting plate parts. The convex connecting part of the rear snake bone is movably connected to the concave connecting part of the front snake bone. The first convex part is arranged in the groove and on the supporting plate part. The connecting part is arranged in the clamping groove. The second convex part passes through the clamping groove and is adjacent to the inner wall of the front snake bone. The endoscope comprises the snake bone tube. The application has the advantages of convenient production and assembly and difficulty in disconnection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of endoscopy technology, specifically to a snake-bone tube and an endoscope. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the endoscopic tube typically consists of multiple serpentine bones, connected at a slight angle to each other, allowing relative rotation between adjacent bones. This connection method is not durable, as adjacent bones are prone to detachment, posing a safety hazard in clinical use. Existing technology also includes a serpentine tube where adjacent bones are riveted together. While this method provides a strong connection, it has higher processing costs and lower production and assembly efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The primary objective of this invention is to provide a snake-bone tube that is easy to process, manufacture, and assemble, and is not prone to disengagement.

[0004] A second objective of the present invention is to provide an endoscope comprising the aforementioned snake-bone tube.

[0005] To achieve the aforementioned first objective, the present invention provides a snake-bone tube comprising a front fixing member, a rear fixing member, and multiple snake bones, all connected between the front and rear fixing members, with adjacent snake bones being movably connected. The first end of each snake bone is provided with two protruding connecting portions, which are arranged opposite to each other. The second end of each snake bone is provided with two concave connecting portions, which are also arranged opposite to each other. Each protruding connecting portion includes a first protrusion, a second protrusion, and a connecting portion. The first protrusion protrudes axially from the end face of the snake bone, and the second protrusion is connected to the first protrusion via the connecting portion. The first protruding part protrudes from the free end of the first protrusion; the concave connecting part includes a groove and two support plates, which are respectively disposed on the inner walls of opposite sides of the groove. In the radial direction of the snake bone, the support plates are recessed into the outer peripheral wall of the snake bone, and a slot is provided between the two support plates; the convex connecting part of the rear snake bone is movably connected to the concave connecting part of the front snake bone. The first protruding part of the rear snake bone is disposed in the groove of the front snake bone and is disposed on the support plate. The connecting part of the rear snake bone is disposed in the slot of the front snake bone. The second protruding part of the rear snake bone passes through the slot of the front snake bone and is adjacent to the inner wall of the front snake bone.

[0006] As can be seen from the above solution, by setting the second protrusion to connect with the inner wall of the snake bone, it serves to prevent external detachment; by setting the first protrusion to connect with the support plate, it serves to prevent internal concavity. This invention prevents adjacent snake bones from separating through both internal and external mechanisms, especially preventing them from disengaging when the bending angle is too large or the bending force is too strong, thus ensuring the connection stability of the snake bones. Furthermore, the snake bone tube of this invention does not require rivet connections, which facilitates both the production and manufacturing of the snake bone and the assembly of the snake bone tube, helping to reduce production costs and improve production efficiency.

[0007] A further option is to arrange the convex and concave connecting parts along the axial direction.

[0008] A further option is to set the convex and concave connecting parts at a 90° interval in the circumferential direction of the snake bone.

[0009] A further design is to make the first protrusion arc-shaped and the second protrusion elongated, with the second protrusion extending along the axial direction of the snake bone and both sidewalls of the second protrusion recessed into the outer peripheral wall of the first protrusion.

[0010] A further option is to provide a guide slope at the closed end of the slot on the snake bone; or, to provide a guide slope at the free end of the second protrusion on the snake bone.

[0011] A further option is that the front fastener has two concave mating parts at its rear end, which are connected to the convex connecting parts, and the rear fastener has two convex mating parts at its front end, which are connected to the concave connecting parts.

[0012] A further design involves the snake-bone assembly having a first bulge on each of its two inner sides, the first bulge being offset from the convex and concave connecting parts, and the first bulge having a wire rope through hole along the axial direction; the front fixing member having two second bulges on its inner side, the second bulge having a front through hole and a front fixing groove along the axial direction, the front fixing groove being located at the front end of the front through hole, and both the front fixing groove and the front through hole correspondingly communicating with the wire rope through hole; and the rear fixing member having two third bulges on its inner side, the third bulge having a rear through hole along the axial direction, the rear through hole correspondingly communicating with the wire rope through hole.

[0013] A further design involves the snake-bone assembly having four first bulges on its inner side, arranged in a rectangular shape. These first bulges are staggered with the convex and concave connecting parts, respectively, and each first bulge has a wire rope through hole along its axial direction. The front fixing member has four second bulges on its inner side, each second bulge having a front through hole along its axial direction, which corresponds to and communicates with the wire rope through hole. The rear fixing member has four third bulges on its inner side, each third bulge having a rear through hole along its axial direction, which corresponds to and communicates with the wire rope through hole.

[0014] To achieve the second objective mentioned above, the present invention provides an endoscope comprising the aforementioned snake-bone tube. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the first embodiment of the snake-bone tube of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the first embodiment of the snake bone tube of the present invention when part of the snake bone is omitted.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the snake bone from a first perspective in the first embodiment of the snake bone tube of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the snake bone from a second perspective in the first embodiment of the snake bone tube of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the front fixing member in the first embodiment of the snake bone tube of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the front fixing member in the first embodiment of the snake bone tube of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of the rear fixing member in the first embodiment of the snake bone tube of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the second embodiment of the snake-bone tube of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of the second embodiment of the snake bone tube of the present invention when part of the snake bone is omitted.

[0024] Figure 10 This is a structural diagram of the snake bone from a first-view perspective in the second embodiment of the snake bone tube of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 11 This is a structural diagram of the snake bone from a second perspective in the second embodiment of the snake bone tube of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 12 This is a structural diagram of the front fixing member in the second embodiment of the snake bone tube of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 13 This is a structural diagram of the rear fixing member in the second embodiment of the snake bone tube of the present invention.

[0028] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0029] First embodiment of the snake bone tube:

[0030] See Figures 1 to 2 The snake bone tube provided in this embodiment can be bent and turned in two directions, left and right or up and down. The snake bone tube in this embodiment includes a front fixing member 2a, a rear fixing member 3a and multiple snake bones 1a. The multiple snake bones 1a are all connected between the front fixing member 2a and the rear fixing member 3a, and adjacent snake bones 1a are movably connected.

[0031] See Figure 3 and Figure 4The first end of the snake bone 1a is provided with two convex connecting parts, which are arranged opposite to each other. The second end of the snake bone 1a is provided with two concave connecting parts, which are arranged opposite to each other and on the same side. The convex connecting parts and the concave connecting parts are arranged axially.

[0032] The convex connecting portion includes a first protrusion 11, a second protrusion 12, and a connecting portion 13. The first protrusion 11 protrudes axially from the end face of the snake bone 1a. The second protrusion 12 is connected to the first protrusion 11 via the connecting portion 13 and protrudes axially from the free end of the first protrusion 11. The connecting portion 13 connects the first protrusion 11 and the second protrusion 12, such that the first protrusion 11 and the second protrusion 12 are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the radial direction.

[0033] The recessed connection includes a groove 14 and two support plates 15. The two support plates 15 are respectively disposed on the inner walls of opposite sides of the groove 14. In the radial direction of the snake bone 1a, the support plates 15 are recessed into the outer peripheral wall of the snake bone 1a. A slot 16 is provided between the two support plates 15, and the slot 16 extends along the axial direction of the snake bone 1a.

[0034] When two adjacent snake bones 1a are connected, the convex connecting portion of the rear snake bone 1a is movably connected to the concave connecting portion of the front snake bone 1a. Specifically: the rear first protrusion 11 is disposed in the front groove 14 and on the support plate portion 15, the rear connecting portion 13 is disposed in the front slot 16, and the rear second protrusion 12 passes through the front slot 16 and abuts against the inner wall of the front snake bone 1a. In this embodiment, the first protrusion 11 is disposed on the support plate portion 15, which can limit the first protrusion 11 from shifting or deforming inward toward the snake bone 1a; the second protrusion 12 is inserted into the snake bone 1a and abuts against the inner wall of the snake bone 1a, which can limit the second protrusion from shifting or deforming outward toward the snake bone 1a. This helps to improve the connection reliability between two adjacent snake bones 1a, and even if the snake bone tube is bent at too large an angle or with too strong a bending force, it will not disengage or deform.

[0035] To facilitate the bending and movement of the snake-like tube, the first protrusion 11 is arc-shaped, and the groove 14 is arc-shaped to match the shape of the first protrusion 11. When the first protrusion 11 is inserted into the groove 14, the snake-like tube can bend and swing around the first protrusion 11 to both sides. The second protrusion 12 is elongated and extends along the axial direction of the snake bone 1a. Both side walls of the second protrusion 12 are recessed into the outer peripheral wall of the first protrusion 11, that is, the width of the second protrusion 12 is smaller than the width of the first protrusion 11. This helps to reduce the contact area between the second protrusion 12 and the inner wall of the snake bone 1a, reduce the friction between the two, and allow the snake-like tube to bend and swing easily and smoothly.

[0036] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 4The snake bone 1a has a guide slope 161 at the closed end of the slot 16, which extends obliquely from one end near the slot 16 toward the center of the snake bone 1a. During assembly, the rearmost second protrusion 12 can move forward along the guide slope 161 until the surface of the second protrusion 12 abuts against the inner wall of the snake bone 1a. In other embodiments, the guide slope 161 may also be provided at the free end of the second protrusion 12, and the guide slope 161 abuts against the inner wall of the snake bone 1a. During assembly, the inner wall edge of the snake bone 1a at the end of the slot 16 slides against the guide slope 161 until the surface of the second protrusion 12 abuts against the inner wall of the snake bone 1a.

[0037] Combination Figures 5 to 7 and combined Figure 3 and Figure 4 The front fixing member 2a has two concave mating parts 21 at its rear end, which engage with the convex connecting parts of the snake bone 1a. The rear fixing member 3a has two convex mating parts 31 at its front end, which engage with the concave connecting parts of the snake bone 1a. In this embodiment, the concave mating parts 21 and the concave connecting parts of the snake bone 1a have the same structure, and the convex mating parts 31 and the convex connecting parts of the snake bone 1a have the same structure, which will not be described again here.

[0038] The snake-bone tube is typically controlled for bending and turning by a steel wire rope. To better secure the steel wire rope, the snake-bone 1a has a first bulge 17a on its two opposing inner sides. The first bulge 17a is offset from the convex and concave connecting parts. Preferably, the first bulge 17a is spaced 90° apart from the convex and concave connecting parts in the circumferential direction of the snake-bone 1a. The first bulge 17a has a steel wire rope through hole 171 along the axial direction, and the steel wire rope is disposed within the steel wire rope through hole 171. The first bulge 17a, the convex connecting part, and the concave connecting part are all integrally formed with the snake-bone 1a.

[0039] The front fixing member 2a has a second bulge 22a on its two opposite inner sides. In the circumferential direction of the front fixing member 2a, the second bulge 22a is arranged at a 90° interval from the recessed mating part 21, and extends from the rear end of the front fixing member 2a towards its middle. The second bulge 22a has a front through hole 221a and a front fixing groove 222 along its axial direction. The front fixing groove 222 is located at the front end of the front through hole 221a. Both the front fixing groove 222 and the front through hole 221a are correspondingly connected to the wire rope through hole 171. The front end of the wire rope is located in the front fixing groove 222 and is restricted by the front fixing groove 222, preventing the front end of the wire rope from disengaging from the front fixing groove 222.

[0040] The rear fixing member 3a has a third bulge 32a on its two opposite inner sides. In the circumferential direction of the rear fixing member 3a, the third bulge 32a is spaced 90° from the convex mating part 31, and the third bulge 32a is located at the front end of the rear fixing member 3a. The third bulge 32a has a rear through hole 321a along the axial direction. The rear through hole 321a is connected to the wire rope through hole 171, and the wire rope is disposed in the rear through hole 321a.

[0041] Second embodiment of the snake bone tube:

[0042] See Figures 8 to 13 Based on the structure and principle of the above embodiments, the snake-bone tube provided in this embodiment can bend and turn in four directions: up, down, left, and right. Specifically:

[0043] In this embodiment, the convex connecting portion 1b1 and the concave connecting portion 1b2 of the snake bone 1b are offset in the axial direction, that is, in the circumferential direction of the snake bone 1b, the convex connecting portion 1b1 and the concave connecting portion 1b2 are spaced 90° apart. When two adjacent snake bones 1b are connected, one of the snake bones 1b needs to be rotated 90° around its own axis before connecting with the other snake bone 1b.

[0044] To enable steering in four directions (up, down, left, and right), the snake bone 1b has four first bulges 17b on its inner side. These four first bulges 17b are arranged in a rectangular shape and are offset from the convex connecting part 1b1 and the concave connecting part 1b2. Preferably, the first bulges 17b are positioned in the middle between the convex connecting part 1b1 and the concave connecting part 1b2. Each first bulge 17b has a wire rope through hole 171b along its axial direction.

[0045] The front fixing member 2b has four second bulges 22b on its inner side, which are corresponding to the first bulges 17b. Each second bulge 22b has a front through hole 221b along its axial direction, which is connected to the wire rope through hole 171b. The front fixing member 2b also has a pipe clearance groove 23 on one side, which is connected to the inside of the snake-bone pipe.

[0046] The rear fixing member 3b has four third bulges 32b on its inner side. The third bulges 32b are corresponding to the first bulges 17b. The third bulges 32b have a rear through hole 321b along the axial direction. The rear through hole 321b is correspondingly connected to the wire rope through hole 171b.

[0047] In this embodiment, the rear end of the front fixing member 2b is provided with a convex mating part, which is mated and connected with the concave connecting part 1b2 of the snake bone 1b; the front end of the rear fixing member 3b is provided with a concave mating part, which is mated and connected with the convex connecting part 1b1 of the snake bone 1b. The structure of the convex mating part in this embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment described above, and the structure of the concave mating part in this embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment described above, and will not be described again here.

[0048] Endoscopic Example:

[0049] The endoscope provided in this embodiment includes a snake-like tube as described in any of the above embodiments and at least two steel wire ropes. The steel wire ropes are arranged inside the snake-like tube and are used to control the bending and turning of the snake-like tube. Generally, the number of steel wire ropes can be set to two or four. When there are two steel wire ropes, the snake-like tube can bend and turn in two opposite directions. When there are four steel wire ropes, the snake-like tube can bend and turn in four directions: up, down, left, and right.

[0050] In summary, this invention prevents external detachment by connecting the second protrusion to the inner wall of the snake bone; and prevents internal concavity by connecting the first protrusion to the support plate. This invention prevents adjacent snake bones from separating through both internal and external mechanisms, particularly preventing disengagement when the bending angle or force is too large, thus ensuring the stability of the snake bone connection. Furthermore, the snake bone tube of this invention does not require rivet connections, which facilitates both the manufacturing of the snake bone and the assembly of the snake bone tube, thereby reducing production costs and improving production efficiency.

[0051] Finally, it should be emphasized that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can have various changes and modifications. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A snake-bone tube, comprising a front fixing member, a rear fixing member, and a plurality of snake bones, wherein the plurality of snake bones are connected between the front fixing member and the rear fixing member, and adjacent snake bones are movably connected, characterized in that: The first end of the snake bone is provided with two convex connecting parts, which are arranged opposite to each other; the second end of the snake bone is provided with two concave connecting parts, which are arranged opposite to each other. The convex connecting portion includes a first protrusion, a second protrusion, and a connecting portion. The first protrusion protrudes axially from the end face of the snake bone. The second protrusion is connected to the first protrusion through the connecting portion and protrudes from the free end of the first protrusion. The first protrusion is designed with a superior arc shape. The connecting portion connects the first protrusion and the second protrusion, such that the first protrusion and the second protrusion are spaced by a preset distance in the radial direction. The recessed connecting part includes a groove and two support plates. The two support plates are respectively disposed on the inner walls of opposite sides of the groove. In the radial direction of the snake bone, the support plates are recessed into the outer peripheral wall of the snake bone. A slot is provided between the two support plates, with one end of the slot closed and the other end open. The convex connecting portion of the rear snake bone is movably connected to the concave connecting portion of the front snake bone. The first protrusion of the rear is disposed in the groove of the front and on the support plate portion. The connecting portion of the rear is disposed in the slot of the front. The second protrusion of the rear passes through the slot of the front and abuts against the inner wall of the front snake bone. The snake bone is provided with a first bulge on its two opposite inner sides. The first bulge is offset from the convex connecting part and the concave connecting part. The first bulge is provided with a wire rope through hole along the axial direction. The second protrusion is elongated and extends along the axial direction of the snake bone. Both side walls of the second protrusion are recessed into the outer peripheral wall of the first protrusion. The snake bone is provided with a guide slope at the closed end of the slot, or the snake bone is provided with a guide slope at the free end of the second protrusion.

2. The snake-bone tube according to claim 1, characterized in that: The convex connecting portion and the concave connecting portion are arranged axially.

3. The snake-bone tube according to claim 1, characterized in that: The convex connecting portion and the concave connecting portion are arranged at a 90° interval in the circumferential direction of the snake bone.

4. The snake-bone tube according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The front fastener has two concave mating parts at its rear end, which are connected to the convex connecting parts. The rear fastener has two convex mating parts at its front end, which are connected to the concave connecting parts.

5. The snake-bone tube according to claim 2, characterized in that: The snake bone is provided with the first bulge on its two opposite inner sides, and the first bulge is misaligned with the convex connecting part and the concave connecting part. The front fixing member has two second bulges on its inner side. The second bulges are provided with a front through hole and a front fixing groove along the axial direction. The front fixing groove is located at the front end of the front through hole. The front fixing groove and the front through hole are connected to the wire rope through hole. The rear fixing member has two third bulges on its inner side, and the third bulges have rear through holes along the axial direction. The rear through holes are connected to the wire rope through holes.

6. The snake-bone tube according to claim 3, characterized in that: The snake bone has four first bulges on its inner side. The four first bulges are arranged in a rectangular shape. The first bulges are respectively offset from the convex connecting part and the concave connecting part. The front fixing member has four second bulges on its inner side. The second bulges are provided with front through holes along the axial direction. The front through holes are connected to the wire rope through holes. The rear fixing member has four third bulges on its inner side, and each third bulge has a rear through hole along the axial direction. The rear through hole is connected to the wire rope through hole.

7. An endoscope, characterized in that: Includes the snake bone tube as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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