Snake bone injection mold, snake bone manufacturing method and snake bone

Abstract

The invention discloses an injection mold of a snake bone, a manufacturing method and the snake bone. The injection mold comprises a first mold and a second mold, the first mold comprises a first mold body, a first concave cavity is formed in the top of the first mold body, a plurality of first arc-shaped structures and baffles are arranged in the first concave cavity, and connecting structure grooves and first protrusions are arranged at the bottoms of the first arc-shaped structures in the axial direction; the second die comprises a second die body, a second concave cavity is formed in the top of the second die body, a plurality of second arc-shaped structures are arranged in the second concave cavity side by side, second protrusions are arranged at the bottoms of the second arc-shaped structures, the second protrusions and the connecting structure grooves are the same in shape, and a metal wire groove is formed between every two second protrusions; the metal wire grooves and the first protrusions are the same in shape. The snake bone body is constructed through secondary injection molding of the first mold and the second mold, four-direction bending is achieved, the traction wire channel is constructed by pre-burying the metal wires, the cost of four-direction bending of the snake bone is reduced, and meanwhile the problem of burrs in the injection molding process is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to an injection mold of a snake bone, a manufacturing method and the snake bone. Background Art

[0002] An endoscope is a commonly used medical device. The front end includes an insertion part, which usually includes an endoscope head end and a snake bone. The endoscope head end is equipped with a camera and an LED light for easy observation of the inside of the human body. The snake bone can be used in a bent manner. There is a traction wire channel in the snake bone for the traction wire to pass through and drive the snake bone to bend. The insertion part can enter the human body through a human cavity or a surgical incision to observe the internal tissues of the human body and help doctors determine the location of the lesion in the patient's body and the tissue structure characteristics of the lesion location.

[0003] Currently, most common snake bones are bidirectionally bendable, that is, they can only bend in two radial directions, and a small number can achieve a four-way bending effect. Bidirectional bending snake bones are limited in use and cannot bend in multiple directions. Users can only rotate and adjust the direction to observe the location of the lesion, which brings inconsistencies to the operation.

[0004] At present, most of the commonly used snake bones are made of metal. The process of making metal snake bones is complicated and the processing cycle is long, resulting in high costs. At the same time, due to cost constraints, the snake bones are made by laser cutting of metal tubes. The walls of the metal tubes are thin, the degree of meshing between the joints is insufficient, and the bending life of the snake bones is low. The traction wire channel needs to be cut and then stamped to construct a jig, which further increases the process.

[0005] Some snake bones are also made by injection molding, which reduces the cost. However, due to the characteristics of plastic materials, the strength of this type of snake bone is weaker than that of metal snake bones, and the service life is lower. At the same time, due to the injection molding process, the traction wire channel is prone to flashing problems. Summary of the invention

[0006] The main technical problem solved by the present invention is to provide an injection mold, a manufacturing method and a snake bone for a snake bone, and use a new injection molding process to manufacture the snake bone to avoid all or some of the above-mentioned defects.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, a technical solution adopted by the present invention is: providing an injection mold of a snake bone, the injection mold comprising a first mold and a second mold;

[0008] The first mold comprises two first mold bodies symmetrically buckled, a first concave cavity is arranged on the top of the first mold body, a plurality of first arc-shaped structures are arranged side by side in the middle of the first concave cavity, and a first baffle is arranged between any two adjacent first arc-shaped structures; symmetrical raised platforms are arranged on both sides of the first arc-shaped structure along the axial direction, and a raised blocking member is provided on the raised platform, and the two ends of the blocking member are respectively connected to the adjacent first baffles, and a first arc-shaped bottom is arranged between the two raised platforms on the first arc-shaped structure; two axially symmetrical second baffles are arranged at the centers of two adjacent first baffles, and a first spacing space is formed between the two axially symmetrical second baffles;

[0009] The second mold includes two second mold bodies that are symmetrically interlocked, a second cavity is provided on the top of the second mold body, a plurality of second arc-shaped structures are arranged side by side in the second cavity, the spacing distance between the second arc-shaped structures is equal to the spacing distance between the first baffles, the second arc-shaped structure includes raised portions on both sides, wire grooves on the raised portions and a second arc-shaped bottom in the middle; two axially symmetrical third arc-shaped structures are provided at the centers of two adjacent second arc-shaped structures, and a second spacing space is formed between the two axially symmetrical third arc-shaped structures.

[0010] The widths of the first baffle plate and the second arc-shaped structure gradually increase from both axial sides to the center, and the widths of the first baffle plate and the second arc-shaped structure are the same.

[0011] The first baffle is symmetrical on both sides in the axial direction, including a first portion and a second portion, and the second baffle is symmetrical with the first portion or the second portion corresponding to the first portion in the axial direction about the center of the blocking member;

[0012] The second arc-shaped structure is symmetrical on both sides in the axial direction, and includes a third portion and a fourth portion. The third arc-shaped structure is symmetrical with the third portion or the fourth portion corresponding to the axial direction about the center of the wire groove.

[0013] Wherein, first end structures are also provided at both ends of the first cavity, and transition grooves are provided between each of the first end structures and the adjacent first arc-shaped structures, and the outermost ends of the first end structures form first injection ports; the first end structures include first arc-shaped connecting structures located on both sides and a first protruding structure located in the middle;

[0014] Second end structures are arranged at both ends of the second cavity, and head and tail grooves are arranged between each of the second end structures and the adjacent second arc-shaped structures, and the outermost end of the second end structure forms a second injection port; the second end structure includes a second arc-shaped connecting structure located on both sides and a second protruding structure located in the middle, and the second arc-shaped connecting structure also includes a connecting structure groove.

[0015] Among them, the raised portion has the same shape as the raised platform, the second arc-shaped bottom has the same shape as the first arc-shaped bottom, the connecting structure groove and the metal wire groove are both the same shape as the blocking member, the connecting structure groove and the metal wire groove are axially corresponding, the second arc-shaped connecting structure has the same shape as the first arc-shaped connecting structure, the second protruding structure has the same shape as the first protruding structure, and the second spacing space is the same as the first spacing space.

[0016] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a snake bone, using the above-mentioned injection mold for the snake bone, the manufacturing method comprises the following steps:

[0017] S100: placing a core rod in the first mold, injecting molten plastic into the first mold, forming a continuous parallel annular structure, wherein a slot is provided on the parallel annular structure, and two ends of the parallel annular structure form a head end and a tail end;

[0018] S200: After the parallel annular structure is cooled and formed, a metal wire is placed in the slot;

[0019] S300: moving the mandrel and the parallel annular structure to a second mold, injecting molten plastic into the second mold, and forming a coating structure on the outer surfaces of the parallel annular structure and the metal wire;

[0020] S400: After cooling and shaping, the metal wire is pulled out to form a traction wire channel, and the mandrel is pulled out to obtain the snake bone body.

[0021] The card slots in step S100 are formed by molten plastic at the blocking member, and there are multiple card slots, which are symmetrically arranged around the center of the parallel annular structure.

[0022] Among them, the number of the card slots in step S100 is four, including the first card slot and the second card slot at the top, and the third card slot and the fourth card slot at the bottom; the number of the metal wires in step S200 is four, including the first metal wire, the second metal wire, the third metal wire and the fourth metal wire.

[0023] The placing of the metal wire in the card slot in step S200 includes the following steps:

[0024] S201: placing the third metal wire and the fourth metal wire in the connecting structure groove and the metal wire groove of the second mold along the axial direction;

[0025] S202: Open the first mold, and place the first metal wire and the second metal wire in the first slot and the second slot along the axial direction.

[0026] The manufacturing method further comprises the following steps:

[0027] S500: preparing a head end connection ring, a tail end connection ring and a traction wire adapted to the snake bone body, fixing one end of the traction wire to the head end connection ring as a whole, and then inserting the traction wire into the traction wire channel;

[0028] S600: Install the head end connection ring and the tail end connection ring on the two ends of the snake bone body respectively.

[0029] The present invention also provides a snake bone, the snake bone comprising a snake bone main body formed by applying the above-mentioned snake bone manufacturing method, the snake bone main body comprising a plurality of annular structures arranged in parallel, adjacent annular structures being connected as a whole by connecting ribs, and the annular structures being provided with a traction wire channel penetrating along the axial direction;

[0030] The snake bone also includes a head end connecting ring, a tail end connecting ring and a traction wire; the head end connecting ring and the tail end connecting ring are respectively installed at both ends of the snake bone body; the traction wire is passed through the traction wire channel, and one end is fixedly connected to the head end connecting ring.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the injection mold, manufacturing method and beneficial effects of the snake bone of the present invention are as follows: the snake bone can be produced by injection molding the first mold and the second mold respectively, realizing industrialization, automation and mass production, and the equipment cost is low and the efficiency is high; the snake bone body is constructed by secondary injection molding to achieve four-way bending, enhance the structural strength of the plastic snake bone, and pre-embed metal wires in the snake bone body to construct a traction wire channel, without the need for a subsequent stamping process, which not only reduces the cost of the four-way bending snake bone, but also avoids the problem of flashing during the injection molding process; the snake bone has a simple structure, achieves four-way bending, has high strength and low production cost, and has a high product yield. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0033] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the first mold in the injection mold of the snake bone of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of the middle A part;

[0035] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of the middle B part;

[0036] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of the middle C part;

[0037] Figure 5 2 is a schematic diagram of the side structure of the first mold;

[0038] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the second mold in the injection mold of the snake bone of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A partial enlarged view of the middle D part;

[0040] Figure 8 2 is a schematic diagram of the side structure of the second mold;

[0041] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the product formed after the first injection molding on the first mold;

[0042] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of transferring the product formed after the first injection molding to the second mold;

[0043] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the product formed after the second injection molding on the second mold;

[0044] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram of the product after the second injection molding is taken out from the second mold;

[0045] Fig.13 yes Fig.12 Schematic diagram of the product structure after the core rod and metal wire are pulled out;

[0046] Fig.14 yes Fig.13 Schematic side view of

[0047] Fig.15 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the snake bone of the present invention;

[0048] Fig.16 It is a schematic diagram of the split structure of the snake bone of the present invention;

[0049] Fig.17 yes Fig.16 A partial enlarged view of the middle E part;

[0050] Fig.18 is a schematic diagram of the snake bone of the present invention before bending;

[0051] Fig.19 It is a schematic diagram showing that the adjacent joints of the snake bone in one direction are bent to the maximum extent;

[0052] Fig. 20 is with Fig.19 A schematic diagram showing that the adjacent condyles of the snake bone in the other vertical direction are bent to the maximum extent;

[0053] Fig.21 It is a schematic diagram showing that all the joints of the snake bone of the present invention are bent to the maximum extent. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present invention, all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back ...) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication also changes accordingly. The terms "first", "second", etc. in this application are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device comprising a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, but optionally also includes steps or units that are not listed, or optionally also includes other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0056] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0057] See also Figures 1 to 8 , Figure 1It is a structural schematic diagram of the first mold in the injection mold of the snake bone of the present invention. The injection mold is used for injection molding and producing snake bones, specifically four-way curved snake bones, which are used for endoscopes. The injection molding is performed by two injection moldings. The injection mold includes a first mold 1 and a second mold 2. The two injection molding processes require the use of the first mold 1 and the second mold 2 in turn.

[0058] See also Figures 1 to 5 , wherein the first mold 1 includes two first mold bodies 11 symmetrically buckled, a first cavity 12 is provided on the top of the first mold body 11, and the shapes of the various parts of the first cavity 12 are different. For the convenience of explanation, the direction between the first cavities 12 opposite to each other in the two first mold bodies 11 is referred to as the up and down direction. A first end structure 13 is provided at both ends of the first cavity 12, the first end structure 13 includes a first arc-shaped connecting structure 131 located on both sides and a first protruding structure 132 located in the middle, and the first end structure 13 is used to place a core rod during the injection molding process. It can be understood that the cross-sections of the core rod and the first end structure 13 are the same. A plurality of first arc-shaped structures 14 are arranged side by side in the middle of the first concave cavity 12, and a first baffle 15 is arranged between any two adjacent first arc-shaped structures 14. When injecting glue, the molten plastic gathers into an annular structure in the first arc-shaped structure 14. The first baffle 15 isolates each first arc-shaped structure 14 during injection, and a parallel and discontinuous annular structure is formed after injection molding, and the gap between the annular structures is formed by the first baffle 15. Specifically, in the present application, the first arc-shaped structure 14 is provided with symmetrical raised platforms 141 on both sides along the axial direction, and a raised blocking member 142 is provided on the raised platform 141. The two ends of the blocking member 142 are respectively connected to the adjacent first baffle 15. A first arc-shaped bottom 143 is arranged between the two raised platforms 141 on the first arc-shaped structure 14. After injection molding, a recessed portion is formed at the protruding blocking member 142, which is a slot structure, and an arc-shaped outer ring is formed at the first arc-shaped bottom 143. The shape of the interior of the annular structure is the same as that of the core rod, and the core rod has the same cross-section as the first end structure 13 .

[0059] In the present application, two axially symmetrical second baffles 16 are further provided at the center of two adjacent first baffles 15, and a first spacing space 17 is formed between the two axially symmetrical second baffles 16. During injection molding, the molten plastic forms a connecting rib at the first spacing space 17, and the connecting rib is used to connect adjacent annular structures, so that the discontinuous annular structures become one. At the same time, during injection molding, due to the presence of the second baffle 16, the first arc-shaped structure 14 is divided into two parts from the middle, and the above two parts are connected as one by the connecting rib.

[0060] A transition groove 18 is provided between each first end structure 13 and the adjacent first arc-shaped structure 14, and the transition groove 18 is used to form the head end and tail end of the snake bone body. In one embodiment, the transition groove 18 has the same structure as the first end structure 13, but the size of the transition groove 18 is larger than the size of the first end structure 13, so that a shell with the same shape as the core rod is formed at the transition groove 18 during injection molding, serving as the head end and tail end of the snake bone body.

[0061] After the first injection molding on the first mold 1, a continuous parallel annular structure is obtained after cooling, and the parallel annular structure also has a clamping groove.

[0062] The shape of the slot structure can be semicircular, square, rectangular, semi-elliptical or irregular.

[0063] The number of the slot structures in the present application is four, which are symmetrically arranged on the parallel annular structure. In one embodiment, the positions of the four slot structures are respectively arranged at a 45-degree angle of the first concave cavity 12. The slot structure is used to place the metal wire. During the injection molding process, the metal wire needs to be placed in the slot structure before a second injection molding. After the second injection molding, the slot structure and the metal wire are coated with plastic, and a through hole is formed after the metal wire is pulled out. The through hole is the traction wire hole of the endoscope snake bone.

[0064] The outermost end of the first end structure 13, that is, the end of the first end structure 13 away from the transition groove 18, forms a first injection port for injecting glue. Since the first arc-shaped structures 14 in the first cavity 12 are connected, the overall injection molding can be achieved by injecting glue from the end, and the molten plastic will flow to the middle part. Of course, in other embodiments, the injection port can also be set in the radial direction of the snake bone, and the glue can be injected at multiple points. Each first arc-shaped structure 14 is injected separately, which is more efficient and has a better injection effect.

[0065] During the first injection molding, a core rod needs to be placed in the first cavity 12 in advance. In order to adapt to the shape and function of the endoscope snake bone, the cross-sectional shape of the core rod used is a cross-like structure formed by cutting a triangular cone at four circularly symmetrical corners. The first arc-shaped connecting structure 131 of the first end structure 13 is the same as the structure of the triangular cone, and the first protruding structure 132 is the same as the circular boss structure formed after cutting.

[0066] See also Figures 6 to 8The second mold 2 is required for the second injection molding. The second mold 2 includes two second mold bodies 21 that are symmetrically buckled. A second cavity 22 is provided on the top of the second mold body 21. The shape of the second cavity 22 is semicircular. A second end structure 23 is provided at both ends of the second cavity 22. The second end structure 23 includes a second arc-shaped connecting structure 231 located on both sides and a second protruding structure 232 located in the middle. The second arc-shaped connecting structure 231 also includes a connecting structure groove 233. The function of the second end structure 23 is the same as that of the first end structure 13. It is used to place the core rod during the second injection molding process. The difference from the first injection molding is that a metal wire is placed at the preset position of the core rod during the second injection molding. It can be understood that the second arc-shaped connecting structure 231 and the second protruding structure 232 correspond to the first arc-shaped connecting structure 131 and the first protruding structure 132 respectively and have the same cross-section. In addition to the cross-sections of the core rod and the first end structure 13, the second end structure 23 also adds a connecting structure groove 233 for placing the metal wire. The shape of the connecting structure groove 233 is the same as that of the blocking member 142. A plurality of second arc-shaped structures 24 are arranged side by side in the second cavity 22, and the second arc-shaped structures 24 correspond to the first baffle 15 in the first mold 1, and the spacing distance between the second arc-shaped structures 24 is equal to the spacing distance between the first baffles 15, and the second arc-shaped structure 24 includes raised portions 241 on both sides, a wire groove 242 on the raised portion 241, and a second arc-shaped bottom 243 in the middle. It can be understood that the raised portion 241 matches the raised platform 141, and the two have the same cross-section, and the wire groove 242 matches the blocking member 142, and the two have the same cross-section. The wire groove 242 is used to place the wire, and the second arc-shaped bottom 243 matches the first arc-shaped bottom 143, and the two have the same cross-section. The annular structure after injection molding of the first mold 1 matches the internal structure of the second mold 2, and the second injection molding process is to continue to coat a layer of plastic on the outside of the annular structure after the first injection molding, and coat the wire into the wire groove 242 to form a closed space. Two axially symmetrical third circular arc structures 25 are arranged at the center of two adjacent second circular arc structures 24, and a second spacing space 251 is formed between the two axially symmetrical third circular arc structures 25. The second spacing space 251 corresponds to the first spacing space 17, and the spacing distance between the two is equal. During the second injection molding, the molten plastic continues to be injected outside the connecting ribs at the second spacing space 251 to form the outer layer of connecting ribs. A head and tail groove 26 is also arranged between each second end structure 23 and the adjacent second circular arc structure 24, corresponding to the transition groove 18, and a layer of plastic continues to be coated on the head and tail ends of the snake bone body after the first injection molding. The cross-sectional shape of the head and tail grooves 26 is an arc shape. After the second injection molding, the head and tail ends of the snake bone body form circular structures on the outside.

[0067] The outermost end of the second end structure 23, i.e., the end of the second end structure 23 away from the head and tail grooves 26, forms a second injection port, which is also used for glue injection. Since the various parts in the second cavity 22 are connected, the overall injection molding can be achieved by injecting glue from the end, and the molten plastic will flow to the middle part. Of course, in other embodiments, the glue injection port can also be set in the radial direction of the snake bone, and the glue can be injected at multiple points, and each molding position can be injected separately, which is more efficient and has a better injection effect.

[0068] After the second injection molding on the second mold 2, a continuous parallel annular structure is obtained after cooling. The annular structures are connected by connecting ribs. The metal wire is wrapped in the metal wire groove 242 to form a closed space. The overall external shape is a hollow circle, and the internal shape is the same as the shape of the core rod. After the injection molding is completed and cooled, the plastic is separated from the core rod, and the core rod is pulled out. Since the metal wire is ductile, the metal wire is stretched from both sides, and the metal wire with a reduced diameter is pulled out to form the required endoscope snake bone body.

[0069] In the present application, the width of the first baffle 15 and the second arc-shaped structure 24 gradually increases from the two axial sides to the center, and the width of the first baffle 15 and the second arc-shaped structure 24 are the same. The first baffle 15 and the second arc-shaped structure 24 are used to form the gap between the annular structures on the endoscope serpentine body during injection molding. Since the injection mold of the present application is used to produce a four-way bending serpentine, it is necessary to bend in four different directions in the radial direction of the serpentine, so the gap between the annular structures is set to a gradual width. At the same time, the two first baffles 15 are also provided with a second baffle 16. The two sides of the first baffle 15 are symmetrical in the axial direction and are respectively the first part and the second part. The second baffle 16 is symmetrical with the first part or the second part corresponding to the axial direction with the center of the blocking member 142, that is, the second baffle 16 is symmetrical with the radial half of the first baffle 15. After the second baffle 16 is rotated 180 degrees, its shape is the same as the radial half of the first baffle 15. A third arc-shaped structure 25 is also provided between the two second arc-shaped structures 24. The two sides of the second arc-shaped structure 24 are symmetrical in the axial direction and are respectively the third part and the fourth part. The third arc-shaped structure 25 is symmetrical with the corresponding third part or fourth part in the axial direction about the center of the wire groove 242, that is, the third arc-shaped structure 25 is symmetrical with the radial half of the second arc-shaped structure 24. After the third arc-shaped structure 25 rotates 180 degrees, the shape is the same as the radial half of the second arc-shaped structure 24. In this way, after two injection moldings, the gaps between adjacent annular structures are also symmetrical in the center, that is, the width of the gaps between the annular structures is gradually changed, with a narrower end and a wider other end, while the corresponding adjacent gaps are opposite in shape, and the narrowest part of the gap is connected by a connecting rib. The three snake bone joints arranged in sequence in the axial direction are named the first joint, the second joint and the third joint in sequence, wherein the gap between the first joint and the second joint is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom on the projection plane, and the gap between the second joint and the third joint is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom on the projection plane, and the narrowest parts are connected by connecting ribs. In one embodiment, the snake bone has four directions when bending radially upward: up, down, left and right. When the snake bone is pulled to bend in the up and down directions, the wide gaps of the first joint and the second joint are enlarged, and the wide gaps between the second joint and the third joint are correspondingly squeezed and contacted, and the deformation amplitudes of the two gaps are the same. When the snake bone is pulled to bend in the left and right directions, the wide gaps of the first joint and the second joint in this direction are squeezed and contacted, and the wide gaps between the second joint and the third joint are correspondingly enlarged, and the deformation amplitudes of the two gaps are also the same. The above setting can make the snake bone bend only at the wider gap when bending, one of the adjacent gaps is enlarged and the other is squeezed and contacted, and when the angle is changed, the deformed gaps are interchanged, and the bending deformation space is reserved to meet the needs of four-way bending. Therefore, when the snake bone of the present application is bent, the three adjacent joints are combined in pairs, and when it is bent in the left-right direction, the first joint and the second joint are separated, and the second joint and the third joint are close to each other. When it is bent in the up-down direction, the first joint and the second joint are close to each other, and the second joint and the third joint are separated.If the distances between joints are set to be the same, the snake bone can only bend in the gap part where there is no connecting rib, and can only satisfy bidirectional bending.

[0070] In the present application, the protrusion 241 has the same shape as the protrusion platform 141, the second arc-shaped bottom 243 has the same shape as the first arc-shaped bottom 143, the connection structure groove 233 and the wire groove 242 have the same shape as the blocking member 142, the connection structure groove 233 and the wire groove 242 correspond axially, the second arc-shaped connection structure 231 has the same shape as the first arc-shaped connection structure 131, the second protruding structure 232 has the same shape as the first protruding structure 132, and the second spacing space 251 is the same as the first spacing space 17. The above settings are all to meet the consistency of the first injection molding and the second injection molding, and will not be repeated here.

[0071] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a snake bone, using the above-mentioned snake bone injection mold, and the snake bone is used for endoscopes. Figures 9 to 14 , the manufacturing method of the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0072] S100: placing a core rod 100 in a first mold 1, injecting molten plastic into the first mold 1, forming a continuous parallel annular structure 200, a slot 300 is provided on the parallel annular structure 200, and two ends of the parallel annular structure 200 form a head end 500 and a tail end 600. The specific structure is as follows Fig. 9 shown.

[0073] S200: After the parallel annular structure 200 is cooled and formed, a metal wire 400 is placed in the slot 300. The slot 300 may be in a semicircular, square, rectangular, semi-elliptical or irregular shape. Due to the structural characteristics of the first mold 1 and the second mold 2, the number of the slots 300 is 4. The cross-sectional shape of the metal wire 400 is the same as that of the slot 300. The material of the metal wire 400 may be stainless steel.

[0074] S300: Move the core rod 100 and the parallel annular structure 200 to the second mold 2. The above process can be placed manually or by setting a robot to move and place. Fig.10 During the movement, the gap between the adjacent parallel annular structures 200 needs to be aligned with the two third arc-shaped structures 25 in the second mold 2. Then, a second injection molding is performed to inject molten plastic into the second mold 2 to form a coating structure on the outer surface of the parallel annular structures 200 and the metal wire 400. The specific structure is as shown in FIG. Fig.11 and Fig.12 shown.

[0075] In one embodiment, the material of the molten plastic injected during the first injection molding and the second injection molding is the same, that is, PP.

[0076] S400: After cooling and shaping, the metal wire 400 is pulled out to form a traction wire channel, and the mandrel 100 is pulled out to obtain the snake bone body. The specific structure is as follows Fig.13 and Fig.14 shown.

[0077] In the step of pulling out the metal wire 400, a pulling mechanism can be used to stretch the metal wire 400. Since the metal wire 400 has a material property that its diameter decreases when stretched, the metal wire 400 can be pulled out from the injection molded part. After being pulled out, a through hole is formed that penetrates the metal wire 400 in the axial direction, which is the pulling wire channel.

[0078] In the step of pulling out the core rod 100 , manual core pulling, mechanical core pulling or pneumatic core pulling can be selected.

[0079] The snake bone body obtained by the above-mentioned two-time injection molding manufacturing method is made of plastic, which reduces the cost compared with the metal snake bone. During the second injection molding, a metal wire is placed in the card slot to isolate the contact of the two injection molding materials at the traction wire channel of the endoscope snake bone to avoid the formation of flashing and affect the quality of the injection molded product.

[0080] The core rod 100 in step S100 of the present application has the same shape as the first end structure 13. The specific shape and structure of the core rod 100 have been described in detail in the above-mentioned mold manual and will not be repeated here. The first end structure 13 is used to support the core rod 100 during the first injection molding, and the cross-sections of the two are the same.

[0081] In the present application, the card slots 300 in step S100 are formed by molten plastic at the blocking member 142 of the first mold 1 . There are multiple card slots 300 , and the multiple card slots 300 are symmetrically arranged around the center of the parallel annular structure 200 .

[0082] Furthermore, in the present application, the number of the card slots 300 in step S100 is four, including the first card slot and the second card slot at the top, and the third card slot and the fourth card slot at the bottom. The number of the metal wires 400 in step S200 is four, including the first metal wire, the second metal wire, the third metal wire and the fourth metal wire, and the first metal wire, the second metal wire, the third metal wire and the fourth metal wire correspond to the first card slot, the second card slot, the third card slot and the fourth card slot respectively.

[0083] Placing the metal wire 400 in the card slot 300 in step S200 in the present application includes the following steps:

[0084] S201: The third metal wire and the fourth metal wire are placed axially in the connection structure groove 233 and the metal wire groove 242 of the second mold 2. Then, during the second injection molding, the parallel annular structure 200 and the core rod 100 are moved to the second mold 2, and the third metal wire and the fourth metal wire are automatically inserted into the third and fourth grooves at the bottom.

[0085] S202: Open the first mold 1, and place the first metal wire and the second metal wire in the first slot and the second slot along the axial direction. The above process can be placed manually or by setting a robot to move and place.

[0086] After the first injection molding and the second injection molding, the two ends of the parallel annular structure 200 also form the head end 500 and the tail end 600 of the snake bone. After the first injection molding, the shape of the head end 500 and the tail end 600 is the same as the shape of the transition groove 18 at the two ends of the first mold 1. After the second injection molding, the shape of the head end 500 and the tail end 600 is the same as the shape of the head and tail grooves 26 at the two ends of the second mold 2.

[0087] The manufacturing method in this application also includes the following steps:

[0088] S500: Prepare a head end connection ring, a tail end connection ring and a traction wire that are compatible with the snake bone body. The shapes of the head end connection ring and the tail end connection ring are respectively compatible with the head end and the tail end of the snake bone body, and the material of the head end connection ring and the tail end connection ring is metal, such as stainless steel. A welding position is reserved on the inner wall of the head end connection ring, and one end of the traction wire is welded to the head end connection ring as a whole, and then the traction wire is inserted into the traction wire channel. The welding method can be brazing.

[0089] The manufacturing method in this application also includes the following steps:

[0090] S600: Install the head end connection ring and the tail end connection ring at the two ends of the snake bone body respectively. The connection method can be clamping or bonding.

[0091] See also Figures 15 to 21 , Fig.15 : is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the snake bone of the present invention. The snake bone of the present invention includes a snake bone body 3 formed by the manufacturing method of the snake bone described above, which can be bent in four directions for use with an endoscope. The snake bone body 3 includes a plurality of annular structures 31 arranged in parallel, and adjacent annular structures 31 are connected as a whole by connecting ribs 32. The annular structures 31 are provided with a traction wire channel 33 that penetrates along the axial direction.

[0092] The endoscope snake bone also includes a head end connection ring 4, a tail end connection ring 5 and a traction wire 6. The head end connection ring 4 and the tail end connection ring 5 are respectively installed at the head end and the tail end of the snake bone body 3. The traction wire 6 is inserted into the traction wire channel 33, and one end is fixedly connected to the head end connection ring 4. In one embodiment, the connection method of the two is welding. The number of traction wires 6 is four.

[0093] The snake bone body 3 is formed by two injection moldings using the above-mentioned snake bone manufacturing method, and the final structure is a connecting rib 32 connecting the annular structure 31. The connecting rib 32 is located on opposite sides of the annular structure 31 in the axial direction, and plays a connecting role. The peripheral shape width of the annular structure 31 is gradually changed, so the gap between adjacent joints has a widest point and a narrowest point. The connecting rib 32 is set at the narrowest point, and when the joint is bent, it is bent at the widest point. The connecting rib 32 is also arranged symmetrically at intervals, and the snake bone can bend at adjacent widest gaps in turn, thereby achieving four-way bending. For ease of explanation, one end of the snake bone body 3 is called the head end, and the other end is called the tail end. The head end is used to install the camera and LED light of the endoscope, and the tail end is used for the entry of electrical connection wires and instruments. In actual use, the head end enters the human body and is located at the end closer to the patient's body, and the tail end is close to the operator and is located at the end away from the patient.

[0094] like Figures 18 to 20 As shown, a bevel angle is designed between adjacent annular structures 31, and the bevel angle is θ. After the joints are fully bent, the two beveled surfaces between the joints near the bending angle coincide with each other. At this time, the snake bone bending angle is 2θ. Assuming the number of snake bone joints is n, and the full bending angle is α, the calculation formula for the full bending angle of the snake bone can be deduced as follows: α = θx (n-1). By setting the number of different annular structures 31 and the angle between adjacent annular structures 31, the maximum bending radius and bending angle of the endoscope snake bone can be controlled, and the parameters can be adjusted according to different usage scenarios, so that different market demands can be quickly responded to and met.

[0095] The width of the ring structure 31 is also positively correlated with the bending radius and bending angle of the endoscope snake. When the snake is bent to the maximum extent, the inner diameter of the circular ring is the sum of the lengths of the bevel angles of the cross section of the ring structure 31 divided by the value of π, and the outer diameter is twice the inner diameter. Fig.21 As shown, when the endoscope snake is bent to the maximum extent, the diameter of the arc formed by the outer circumference is D, and the diameter of the arc formed by the inner circle is d, and the value of D is twice d. Setting the width of the annular structure 31 can also affect the bending sequence and bending shape of the snake, and the parameters can be adjusted according to different usage scenarios, and different market demands can be quickly responded to and met.

[0096] The length and width of the connecting rib 32 are positively correlated with the bending angle and bending amplitude of the endoscope snake bone. The longer the length of the connecting rib 32, the larger the bending angle and bending amplitude space of the snake bone, and vice versa. Taking the width of the connecting rib 32 as L as an example, the snake bone body 3 starts to bend from the head end when pulled by the traction wire 6. If L is larger, the deformation of the connection point between the snake bone joints is smaller, and the bending angle and bending amplitude of the snake bone are smaller. Conversely, the bending angle and bending amplitude of the snake bone are larger. Therefore, the bending angle and bending shape of the snake bone can be controlled by controlling the length and width of the connecting rib 32, and the parameters can be adjusted according to different usage scenarios, and different market demands can be quickly responded to and met.

[0097] Since the material of the snake bone body 3 is plastic, PP in one embodiment, the material is relatively soft and easily deformed, so the traction wire 6 cannot be directly fixed on the snake bone body 3, otherwise the snake bone body 3 will be directly stressed, and the snake bone body 3 will be easily deformed when the traction wire 6 is pulled, and material fatigue will cause damage to the snake bone body 3 after repeated use. Therefore, in this application, a head end connection ring 4 is set at the head end of the snake bone body 3, and the traction wire 6 is fixed on the head end connection ring 4. When the traction wire 6 is pulled, the head end connection ring 4 is subjected to tension, which prevents the snake bone body 3 from being stressed, and realizes that the traction wire 6 force is transmitted to the head end of the endoscope snake bone.

[0098] In the present application, the material of the head end connecting ring 4 is set to metal, such as stainless steel, which strengthens the end stress point of the plastic material snake bone body 3, can withstand the tensile force of multiple pulling of the traction wire 6, and avoid the snake bone body 3 from being deformed due to material strength problems, so that the endoscope snake bone can be reused many times, thereby improving the durability of the endoscope snake bone. The metal head end connecting ring 4 also improves the structural stability and integrity of the endoscope snake bone.

[0099] Specifically, a mutually nested structure is provided between the head end connection ring 4 and the snake bone body 3. For example, a protrusion is provided at the head end of the snake bone body 3, and a groove is provided at one end of the head end connection ring 4. The head end connection ring 4 can be quickly installed on the snake bone body 3 through the nesting of the protrusion and the groove, and the installation angle of the two is also limited. Then, glue is applied to the connection between the head end connection ring 4 and the snake bone body 3 to bond the head end connection ring 4 to the snake bone body 3. A welding point is provided on the inner wall of the head end connection ring 4, and the head end of the traction wire 6 is welded to the head end connection ring 4 after being bent 90 degrees.

[0100] Since the tail end of the endoscope snake bone is used to accommodate electrical connection wires and to allow other instruments to enter, such as sampling forceps, the tail end of the endoscope snake bone needs to play a role in connecting with other components and is required to have a certain strength. Therefore, in the present invention, a tail end connection ring 5 is provided at the tail end of the snake bone body 3, and the material of the tail end connection ring 5 is also metal, such as stainless steel. The tail end connection ring 5 is a hollow structure, and the inner wall size is larger than the outer diameter of the tail of the snake bone body 3. The installation method of the two is to set the tail end connection ring 5 outside the tail of the snake bone body 3, and then apply glue at the connection between the tail end connection ring 5 and the snake bone body 3, so that the head end connection ring 4 is bonded to the snake bone body 3.

[0101] Through the above arrangement, the head end connection ring 4 and the tail end connection ring 5 made of metal are respectively bonded to the two ends of the snake bone body 3 made of plastic material, and the end of the traction wire 6 is welded to the head end connection ring 4, so that the force of the traction wire 6 does not directly act on the snake bone body 3, avoiding the deformation of the endoscope snake bone due to material strength problems, and improving the structural stability and integrity of the snake bone. At the same time, in terms of processing technology, the traction wire 6 and the head end connection ring 4 are first welded, and then the traction wire 6 is inserted into the traction wire channel 33 of the snake bone body 3 to complete the snake bone threading assembly, thereby improving the assembly efficiency.

[0102] By using the injection mold, manufacturing method and snake bone of the snake bone of the present invention, the snake bone can be produced by injection molding the first mold and the second mold respectively, realizing industrialization, automation and mass production, and the equipment cost is low and the efficiency is high; the snake bone body is constructed by secondary injection molding to realize four-way bending, enhance the structural strength of the plastic snake bone, and pre-embed metal wires in the snake bone body to construct a traction wire channel, without the need for a subsequent stamping process, which not only reduces the cost of the four-way bending snake bone, but also avoids the problem of flashing during the injection molding process; the snake bone has a simple structure, realizes four-way bending, has high strength and low production cost, and has a high product yield.

[0103] The above description is only an implementation mode of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An injection mold for snake bones, characterized in that: The injection mold comprises a first mold and a second mold; The first mold comprises two first mold bodies symmetrically buckled, a first concave cavity is arranged on the top of the first mold body, a plurality of first arc-shaped structures are arranged side by side in the middle of the first concave cavity, and a first baffle is arranged between any two adjacent first arc-shaped structures; symmetrical raised platforms are arranged on both sides of the first arc-shaped structure along the axial direction, and a raised blocking member is provided on the raised platform, and the two ends of the blocking member are respectively connected to the adjacent first baffles, and a first arc-shaped bottom is arranged between the two raised platforms on the first arc-shaped structure; two axially symmetrical second baffles are arranged at the centers of two adjacent first baffles, and a first spacing space is formed between the two axially symmetrical second baffles; The second mold includes two second mold bodies that are symmetrically interlocked, a second cavity is provided on the top of the second mold body, a plurality of second arc-shaped structures are arranged side by side in the second cavity, the spacing distance between the second arc-shaped structures is equal to the spacing distance between the first baffles, the second arc-shaped structure includes raised portions on both sides, wire grooves on the raised portions and a second arc-shaped bottom in the middle; two axially symmetrical third arc-shaped structures are provided at the centers of two adjacent second arc-shaped structures, and a second spacing space is formed between the two axially symmetrical third arc-shaped structures.

2. The injection mold of the snake bone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The widths of the first baffle plate and the second arc-shaped structure gradually increase from both axial sides to the center, and the widths of the first baffle plate and the second arc-shaped structure are the same.

3. The injection mold of the snake bone according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first baffle is symmetrical on both sides in the axial direction and is respectively a first part and a second part, and the second baffle is symmetrical with the first part or the second part corresponding to the axial direction about the center of the blocking member; The second arc-shaped structure is symmetrical on both sides in the axial direction and are respectively a third portion and a fourth portion. The third arc-shaped structure is symmetrical with the third portion or the fourth portion corresponding to the axial direction about the center of the wire groove.

4. The injection mold of the snake bone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first concave cavity is also provided with first end structures at both ends, and transition grooves are provided between each of the first end structures and the adjacent first arc-shaped structures, and the outermost ends of the first end structures form first injection ports; the first end structures include first arc-shaped connecting structures located on both sides and a first protruding structure located in the middle; Second end structures are arranged at both ends of the second cavity, and head and tail grooves are arranged between each of the second end structures and the adjacent second arc-shaped structures, and the outermost end of the second end structure forms a second injection port; the second end structure includes a second arc-shaped connecting structure located on both sides and a second protruding structure located in the middle, and the second arc-shaped connecting structure also includes a connecting structure groove.

5. The injection mold of the snake bone according to claim 4, characterized in that: The raised portion has the same shape as the raised platform, the second arc-shaped bottom has the same shape as the first arc-shaped bottom, the connecting structure groove and the metal wire groove have the same shape as the blocking member, the connecting structure groove and the metal wire groove correspond axially, the second arc-shaped connecting structure has the same shape as the first arc-shaped connecting structure, the second protruding structure has the same shape as the first protruding structure, and the second spacing space is the same as the first spacing space.

6. A method for manufacturing a snake bone, using the injection mold of the snake bone according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The manufacturing method comprises the following steps: S100: placing a core rod in the first mold, injecting molten plastic into the first mold, forming a continuous parallel annular structure, wherein a slot is provided on the parallel annular structure, and two ends of the parallel annular structure form a head end and a tail end; S200: After the parallel annular structure is cooled and formed, a metal wire is placed in the slot; S300: moving the mandrel and the parallel annular structure to a second mold, injecting molten plastic into the second mold, and forming a coating structure on the outer surfaces of the parallel annular structure and the metal wire; S400: After cooling and shaping, the metal wire is pulled out to form a traction wire channel, and the mandrel is pulled out to obtain the snake bone body.

7. The method for manufacturing snake bones according to claim 6, characterized in that: The card slots in the step S100 are formed by molten plastic at the blocking member. There are multiple card slots, and the multiple card slots are symmetrically arranged around the center of the parallel annular structure.

8. The method for manufacturing snake bones according to claim 7, characterized in that: In step S100, the number of the card slots is four, including the first card slot and the second card slot at the top, and the third card slot and the fourth card slot at the bottom; in step S200, the number of the metal wires is four, including the first metal wire, the second metal wire, the third metal wire and the fourth metal wire.

9. The method for manufacturing snake bones according to claim 8, characterized in that: Placing the metal wire in the card slot in step S200 includes the following steps: S201: placing the third metal wire and the fourth metal wire in the connecting structure groove and the metal wire groove of the second mold along the axial direction; S202: Open the first mold, and place the first metal wire and the second metal wire in the first slot and the second slot along the axial direction.

10. The method for manufacturing snake bones according to claim 6, characterized in that: The manufacturing method further comprises the following steps: S500: preparing a head end connection ring, a tail end connection ring and a traction wire adapted to the snake bone body, fixing one end of the traction wire to the head end connection ring as a whole, and then inserting the traction wire into the traction wire channel; S600: Install the head end connection ring and the tail end connection ring on the two ends of the snake bone body respectively.

11. A snake bone, characterized in that: The snake bone comprises a snake bone body formed by applying the method for manufacturing a snake bone according to any one of claims 6 to 10, the snake bone body comprises a plurality of annular structures arranged in parallel, adjacent annular structures are connected as a whole by connecting ribs, and the annular structures are provided with a traction wire channel penetrating along the axial direction; The snake bone also includes a head end connecting ring, a tail end connecting ring and a traction wire; the head end connecting ring and the tail end connecting ring are respectively installed at both ends of the snake bone body; the traction wire is passed through the traction wire channel, and one end is fixedly connected to the head end connecting ring.

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