Endoscopy

Abstract

Provided is an endoscope in which a link member provided to an operation part, and a sliding lever can easily be connected. An endoscope (10) comprises: a link member (88) that is provided to a manual operation part (22), works in unison with an erect operation lever (22), and is provided with an opening (90); a sliding lever (80) that slides in conjunction with the erect operation lever (20), advances and retracts a wire (38) in the wire axis direction, and has a hook (92) that can engage with the opening (90); and a lock release member (98) for disengaging the opening (90) and the hook (92).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an endoscope, and more particularly to an endoscope provided with a stand at the distal end of an insertion section for changing the direction in which a treatment tool is led out. [Background technology]

[0002] In an endoscope, various treatment tools are introduced from a treatment tool introduction port provided in an operating section, and the treatment tools are led out from a treatment tool lead-out port opened at the tip of an insertion section for use in treatment. For example, a treatment tool such as a guide wire or an imaging tube is used in a duodenoscope. A treatment tool such as a puncture needle is used in an ultrasonic endoscope. A treatment tool such as forceps or a snare is used in other direct endoscopes and oblique endoscopes. Such treatment tools need to change the lead-out direction at the tip in order to treat a desired position in a subject. For this reason, a stand is provided on the tip body of the tip to change the lead-out direction of the treatment tool. The endoscope is provided with a treatment tool standing mechanism that changes the attitude of the stand between an upright position and a downright position.

[0003] As such an endoscope, for example, Patent Document 1 describes an endoscope that includes a direction changer provided at the tip of the insertion section, a wire connected to the direction changer, a guide tube provided inside the operation section and through which the wire is inserted, a sliding member to which the wire is connected and which slides within the guide tube, and a link member that moves the sliding member relative to the guide tube. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0168435 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, the base end of the wire and the base end of the sliding member are detachably fixed by a collet chuck by tightening a cap. Also, the slide and the arm are interlocked by clamping a latch provided on the slide equipped with a collet to a recess on the tip side of the arm connected to the lever, and there is a demand for an easier operation to interlock the lever and the slide.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an endoscope in which a link member provided in an operation section and a sliding lever can be easily connected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the object of the present invention, the endoscope of the present invention comprises an operating section provided with an operating member, an insertion section provided at the tip side of the operating section and inserted into a subject, a treatment tool stand provided at the tip of the insertion section, a standing operation wire whose tip side is connected to the treatment tool stand and which operates the treatment tool stand by being pushed and pulled in accordance with the operation of the operating member, a link member provided on the operating section and operating integrally with the operating member, the link member having an engaged portion, a sliding lever that slides in conjunction with the operating member and moves the standing operation wire forward and backward in the wire axial direction, the sliding lever having an engaging portion that can engage with the engaged portion, and a lock release member for releasing the engagement between the engaged portion and the engaging portion.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, the unlocking member is preferably provided on the sliding lever.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the unlocking member is movable between a locked position in which the engagement between the engaged portion and the engaging portion is maintained, and an unlocked position in which the engagement between the engaged portion and the engaging portion can be released.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to have a biasing member that biases the unlocking member in a direction from the unlocked position toward the locked position.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the sliding lever has a cantilever-shaped elastic piece, and the engaging portion is provided at a free end of the elastic piece.

[0012] According to one form of the present invention, it is preferable that the elastic piece has a pressable surface, and the unlocking member has a pressing surface capable of pressing the pressable surface, and when the unlocking member moves from the locked position to the unlocked position, the pressing surface presses the pressable surface, thereby enabling the engagement between the engaged portion and the engaging portion to be released.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, the pressing surface is preferably an inclined surface that is inclined obliquely with respect to the moving direction of the unlocking member.

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the engaged portion has an engaged hole penetrating the link member, and the engaging portion has an engaging protrusion engageable with the engaged hole.

[0015] According to one form of the present invention, it is preferable that the sliding lever has a lever insertion hole through which the link member can be inserted, and when the link member is inserted into the lever insertion hole, the engaging protrusion engages with the engaged hole, thereby connecting the link member and the sliding lever.

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, the engaging projection preferably has a tapered surface that is cut obliquely with respect to the insertion direction of the link member into the lever insertion hole.

[0017] In one form of the present invention, the operating portion includes a rotatable angle knob for bending the insertion portion, and it is preferable that at least the engagement portion where the engaging portion and the engaged portion engage is positioned in a position hidden by the angle knob. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, the link member provided in the operation portion and the sliding lever can be easily connected to each other. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an endoscope system including an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] An assembled perspective view of the tip of the endoscope shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a base end portion of the operation unit body; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a base end portion of the operation unit body; [Diagram 5] An explanatory diagram of attaching the wire fixing mechanism to the operation unit body. [Figure 6] An explanatory diagram of attaching the wire fixing mechanism to the operation unit body. [Figure 7] An explanatory diagram of attaching the wire fixing mechanism to the operation unit body. [Figure 8] An explanatory diagram of attaching the wire fixing mechanism to the operation unit body. [Figure 9] An explanatory diagram of how the sliding lever is connected to the standing operation lever. [Figure 10] A front view of the operating unit body in which the sliding lever is connected to the raising operation lever. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a front view of the operating unit body with the raising operation lever positioned at the raising operation position; [Figure 12] Front view of wire fixing mechanism [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the wire fixing mechanism shown in FIG. 12 with a cap removed; [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part showing the configuration of a sliding lever; [Figure 15] FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing how the wire fixing mechanism shown in FIG. 13 is attached to the operation unit body. [Figure 16] 16 is a cross-sectional view of the wire fixing mechanism taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a locked portion protrudes from a locking hole. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a wire protrudes from a locking hole. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the wire is locked in the second hole. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a front view of the wire catch in the state shown in FIG. 19; [Figure 21] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which the wire fixing mechanism is attached to the operation unit body. [Figure 22] A front view showing a state where the lever coupling operation has started. [Figure 23] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the locked portion is engaged with the recessed portion during the lever connecting operation. [Figure 24] A front view showing the state where the first half of the lever connecting operation is completed. [Diagram 25] 25 is a cross-sectional view of the wire fixing mechanism in the state shown in FIG. 24. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is a front view showing the state where the second half of the lever coupling operation has started. [Figure 27] A front view showing the state where the lever coupling operation is completed [Figure 28] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a wire fixing range and a driving range. [Figure 29] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration for connecting a sliding lever and a link member in the endoscope of the first embodiment. [Diagram 30] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration for connecting a sliding lever and a link member in the endoscope of the first embodiment. [Diagram 31] Cross-sectional view of the sliding lever [Diagram 32] Cross-sectional view of the sliding lever [Diagram 33] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the sliding lever and the link member are released from a connected state in the endoscope according to the first embodiment; [Diagram 34] 13 is a view showing a main part of a connecting portion between a sliding lever and a link member in an endoscope according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 35] FIG. 13 is a view showing a main part of a connecting portion between a sliding lever and a link member in an endoscope according to a third embodiment. [Diagram 36] FIG. 13 is a view showing a main part of a connecting portion between a sliding lever and a link member in an endoscope according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the endoscope of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] 1 is a configuration diagram of an endoscope system 12 including an endoscope 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The endoscope system 12 includes the endoscope 10, an endoscope processor device 14, and a display 18.

[0022] The endoscope 10 includes a hand-operated section 22 provided with a standing operation lever 20, and an insertion section 24 provided at the distal end of the hand-operated section 22 and inserted into a subject. The hand-operated section 22 functions as the operation section of the present invention.

[0023] The insertion section 24 has a long axis direction Ax from the base end to the tip end, and is provided with, in order from the base end side to the tip end side, a flexible section 26, a curved section 28, and a tip section 30. The detailed configuration of the tip section 30 will be described later, but first, the schematic configuration of the tip section 30 will be described.

[0024] Fig. 2 is an enlarged assembled perspective view of the tip portion 30. Here, the endoscope 10 (see Fig. 1) of the embodiment is a side-viewing endoscope used as, for example, a duodenoscope, and the tip portion 30 in Fig. 2 has the configuration of a side-viewing endoscope.

[0025] 2, the distal end portion 30 is configured by attaching a cap 34 to a distal end portion main body 32. The cap 34 is provided with a treatment tool stand 36 (hereinafter referred to as the stand 36) having a treatment tool guiding surface 36A, and the stand 36 is shown in a state where it is positioned in a laid-down position.

[0026] In addition to the tip portion 30, various contents disposed inside the insertion portion 24 of the endoscope 10 (see FIG. 1) are shown in FIG. 2. That is, FIG. 2 shows a treatment tool channel 37 for guiding the tip portion of a treatment tool (not shown) to the tip portion main body 32, an upright operation wire 38 (hereinafter referred to as the wire 38) for performing an operation to change the lead-out direction of the tip portion of the treatment tool led out from the tip portion main body 32, a wire channel 40 formed of a tight-fitting spring and through which the wire 38 is inserted, an air / water supply tube 42, and a cable insertion channel 44. In addition, contents such as a light guide insertion channel 45 for guiding illumination light supplied from the light source device 15 (see FIG. 1) to the tip portion main body 32, and an angle wire (not shown) for bending the bending portion 28 (see FIG. 1) are also disposed inside the insertion portion 24.

[0027] In this specification, a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system of three axial directions (X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis) is used for explanation. That is, when the direction in which the treatment tool (not shown) is led out by the stand 36 is regarded as the upward direction when looking at the distal end 30 from the hand operation unit 22, the upward direction is regarded as the Z(+) direction, and the opposite downward direction is regarded as the Z(-) direction. The rightward direction at that time is regarded as the X(+) direction, and the leftward direction is regarded as the X(-) direction. The forward direction at that time (the direction toward the distal end in the direction of the long axis Ax of the insertion part 24) is regarded as the Y(+) direction, and the rearward direction (the direction toward the proximal end in the direction of the long axis Ax of the insertion part 24) is regarded as the Y(-) direction. The Y-axis direction, which includes the Y(+) direction and the Y(-) direction, is parallel to the direction of the long axis Ax of the insertion part 24 and the wire axis direction of the wire 38. The Y(+) direction indicates the distal end side in the wire axis direction, and the Y(-) direction indicates the proximal end side in the wire axis direction. The Z-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to the long axis direction Ax, and the X-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to both the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction.

[0028] 1, the hand-held operation section 22 is configured to have a generally cylindrical shape as a whole. The hand-held operation section 22 has an operation section main body 46 provided with the standing operation lever 20, and a grip section 48 connected to the operation section main body 46. The grip section 48 is a portion that is gripped by the surgeon when operating the endoscope 10, and the base end of the insertion section 24 is connected to the tip side of the grip section 48 via a break-proof tube 50.

[0029] A base end of a universal cable 52 is connected to the operation portion main body 46, and a connector device 54 is provided at the tip end of the universal cable 52. The connector device 54 is connected to the processor device 14 for the endoscope.

[0030] The endoscope processor 14 includes a light source device 15 and an image processing device 16. The light source device 15 includes a processor-side connector 15A to which the connector device 54 is connected. The image processing device 16 is connected to a display 18 that displays an image processed by the image processing device 16. The endoscope system 12 includes a configuration for non-contact transmission of power, optical signals, and the like between the endoscope 10 and the endoscope processor 14 via a connector unit including the connector device 54 and the processor-side connector 15A. As a result, light from the light source device 15 is transmitted via an optical fiber cable (not shown) and irradiated from an illumination window 74 (see FIG. 2) provided on the distal end surface of the distal end portion 30. The light captured through the observation window 76 (see FIG. 2) is imaged by an imaging element, and the optical signal is converted and image-processed by the image processing device 16, and displayed as an image on the display 18.

[0031] An air / water supply button 57 and a suction button 59 are provided in parallel on the operation unit main body 46. The air / water supply button 57 is a button that can be operated in two stages, and the first stage operation allows air to be supplied to the air / water supply nozzle 58 (see FIG. 2) via the air / water supply tube 42, and the second stage operation allows water to be supplied to the air / water supply nozzle 58 via the air / water supply tube 42. In addition, when the suction button 59 is operated, bodily fluids such as blood can be suctioned from the treatment tool outlet 60 (FIG. 2) via the treatment tool channel 37.

[0032] A pair of angle knobs 62, 62 for bending the bending portion 28 are disposed on the operation portion main body 46. The pair of angle knobs 62, 62 are provided so as to be rotatable on the same axis. The angle knobs 62, 62 and the bending portion 28 are connected by, for example, four angle wires (not shown), and by rotating the angle knobs 62, 62, these angle wires are pushed and pulled, thereby bending the bending portion 28 up, down, left and right.

[0033] The operation unit body 46 is provided with a freely rotatable raising operation lever 20 coaxially with the angle knobs 62, 62. The raising operation lever 20 is rotated by the hand of the surgeon holding the grip portion 48. This raising operation lever 20 functions as the operation member of the present invention.

[0034] A wire fixing mechanism 78 is provided outside the operation section main body 46. This wire fixing mechanism 78 has a sliding lever 80 and a fixing unit 82, and is configured to fix the base end side of the wire 38 (see FIG. 2) as described later. One end of the sliding lever 80 is detachably connected to the standing operation lever 20 side, and moves (slides) in conjunction with the rotation operation of the standing operation lever 20. The above-mentioned fixing unit 82 is provided on the other end of the sliding lever 80. This fixing unit 82 is attached to the operation section main body 46, and the base end side of the wire 38 is fixed to this fixing unit 82. As a result, the standing operation lever 20 and the wire 38 are connected via the wire fixing mechanism 78. The wire fixing mechanism 78 will be described later.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 1, the gripping portion 48 of the hand-held operation unit 22 has a treatment tool introduction port 64 for introducing a treatment tool. A treatment tool (not shown) introduced from the treatment tool introduction port 64 with its tip end in the lead is inserted into the treatment tool channel 37 shown in Fig. 2 and is led out from the treatment tool lead port 60. Examples of the treatment tool include biopsy forceps having a cup at the tip end capable of collecting biological tissue, an EST (Endoscopic Sphincterotomy) knife, an imaging tube, and the like.

[0036] Next, the structure of the tip portion 30 shown in FIG. 2 will be described.

[0037] First, the tip body 32 will be described.

[0038] The tip body 32 is made of, for example, a corrosion-resistant metal material, and has a partition wall 68 protruding in the Y(+) direction. When the cap 34 is attached to the tip body 32, the partition wall 68 and the wall portion 34B of the cap 34 define a stand accommodation space (not shown). A through hole 61 is formed in the tip body 32, and the wire 38 is inserted through the through hole 61.

[0039] An illumination window 74 and an observation window 76 are disposed adjacent to each other in the Y direction on an upper surface 68A on the Z(+) side of the partition wall 68. The illumination window 74 can irradiate illumination light onto a viewing area in the Z(+) direction, and the observation window 76 can observe the viewing area in the Z(+) direction. An air / water nozzle 58 is provided on the tip body 32 facing the observation window 76, and the observation window 76 is cleaned with air and water sprayed from the air / water nozzle 58.

[0040] Next, the cap 34 will be described.

[0041] The cap 34 is made of an elastic material, such as a rubber material or a resin material. Examples of the rubber material include fluororubber and silicone rubber, and examples of the resin material include polysulfone and polycarbonate.

[0042] The cap 34 has a wall portion 34B that is sealed at the tip end and formed in a generally cylindrical shape, and a generally rectangular opening window 34A is formed in a part of the wall portion 34B. The opening window 34A opens in the Z(+) direction.

[0043] A bearing 34C that rotatably supports the stand 36 is provided inside the cap 34. The bearing 34C is configured as a plate-like body that has a height in the Z(+) direction and extends in the Y(+) direction.

[0044] The stand 36 has a rotation shaft 36B along the X direction, and this rotation shaft 36B is rotatably supported in a through hole (not shown) of the bearing 34C. As a result, the stand 36 rotates about the rotation shaft 36B, and its posture is changed between a lying position (see FIG. 2) and an upright position.

[0045] A distal end of a wire 38 is connected to the stand 36. The wire 38 is connected to the distal end of the stand 36, on the opposite side to the side where the rotation axis 36B is formed, and at a position adjacent to the treatment tool guiding surface 36A.

[0046] The cap 34 configured in this manner is a type in which the stand 36 is attached in advance, and the wire 38 is also connected in advance to the stand 36. When the treatment with the endoscope 10 is completed, the cap 34 in this example is removed from the tip body 32 and discarded, for example, as a disposable item together with the stand 36 and the wire 38. Note that the stand 36 may be attached to the tip body 32 instead of the cap 34.

[0047] The following describes the wire fixing mechanism 78 shown in Fig. 1. The wire fixing mechanism 78 has the sliding lever 80 and the fixing unit 82 as described above.

[0048] First, a configuration and a procedure for mounting the fixing unit 82 to the operation portion main body 46 will be described with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 8. Fig. 3 to Fig. 8 are perspective views each showing an enlarged view of a portion on the base end side of the operation portion main body 46.

[0049] 3, a cylindrical connection part 25 having an outlet 23 for leading out the base end side of the wire 38 is provided on a base end surface 46A of the operation unit main body 46. This connection part 25 protrudes in the Y(-) direction from the base end surface 46A, and the base end side of the wire 38 protrudes in the Y(-) direction from the outlet 23. The wire 38 protrudes from a position eccentric with respect to the axis 25A of the connection part 25.

[0050] The wire 38 includes a long wire body 38A and a locked portion 39 that is located on the base end side of the wire body 38A and has a larger outer shape than the wire body 38A. Note that, although a cylinder is shown as an example of the shape of the locked portion 39 in Fig. 3, the shape is not limited to this and may be, for example, a sphere as long as it has a larger outer shape than the wire body 38A. Note that in the following description, when the wire 38 is described, it mainly refers to the wire body 38A.

[0051] Here, a brief explanation will be given of the protruding length of the wire 38 protruding from the connection portion 25. Fig. 4 shows a wire 38 having a longer protruding length than the wire 38 shown in Fig. 3. The wires 38 shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 both have the same length, but the reason why the protruding lengths of such wires 38 of the same length differ is due to the state of the flexible portion 26 or the curved portion 28 (see Fig. 1).

[0052] That is, when the flexible section 26 is in a loop state or when the bending section 28 is in a curved state, the wire channel 40 (see FIG. 2) through which the wire 38 is inserted extends, and the insertion path of the wire 38 becomes longer. As a result, the wire 38 becomes shorter relative to the insertion path of the wire 38, resulting in the shorter protruding length shown in FIG. 3. In contrast, when the flexible section 26 or the bending section 28 is in a straight state, the wire channel 40 does not extend, resulting in the longer protruding length shown in FIG. 4. The wire fixing mechanism 78 of this example has a configuration that allows the wire 38 to be fixed without being affected by the protruding length of the wire 38, and this configuration will be described later.

[0053] As an example, a case where the wire fixing mechanism 78 is attached to the operation portion main body 46 shown in FIG. 4 will be described below.

[0054] First, as shown in Fig. 5, the fixing unit 82 is opposed to the locked portion 39 of the wire 38. At this time, in the Y-axis direction parallel to the wire axial direction, an opening end 84A of a cam groove 84 provided in the fixing unit 82 is aligned with a cam pin 86 protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the connecting portion 25. This cam groove 84 is formed so as to incline from the opening end 84A toward the Y(-) direction.

[0055] 6, while advancing the fixing unit 82 in the Y(+) direction toward the connection portion 25, the wire 38 is accommodated inside the fixing unit 82, starting from the locked portion 39. Hereinafter, this operation will be referred to as the "wire accommodating operation."

[0056] Next, as shown in FIG. 7, when the cam pin 86 is accommodated in the open end 84A of the cam groove 84 (see FIG. 5), the fixed unit 82 is rotated in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow B from the state of FIG. 7 with the axis 25A (see FIG. 4) eccentric from the wire 38 as the rotation axis. In this case, it is preferable to rotate the fixed unit 82 using the sliding lever 80. Then, the fixed unit 82 is pushed in the Y(+) direction by the guide action of the cam groove 84 and the cam pin 86. Then, in the position of FIG. 8 where the cam pin 86 has reached the end of the cam groove 84, the fixed unit 82 is mounted to the operation unit body 46 via the connection part 25. Hereinafter, this operation is referred to as the "rotation mounting operation". Therefore, the fixed unit 82 is mounted to the operation unit body 46 by going through the above-mentioned "wire accommodation operation" and "rotation mounting operation". The "wire accommodation operation" and the "rotation mounting operation" are executed by one action.

[0057] Next, a configuration and a procedure for connecting the sliding lever 80 to the standing operation lever 20 side will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing the base end side of the operation portion main body 46.

[0058] 9, the operation unit body 46 has a link member 88. This link member 88 is connected to the standing operation lever 20 via a rotating drum (not shown) that is rotatably provided on the operation unit body 46. This link member 88 rotates (operates) integrally with the standing operation lever 20 in the same direction in conjunction with the rotation operation of the standing operation lever 20. An opening 90 is formed in the link member 88, and by engaging a claw portion 92 provided on the sliding lever 80 with this opening 90, the sliding lever 80 is detachably connected to the standing operation lever 20 via the link member 88. The configuration for connecting and disconnecting the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88 will be described later.

[0059] On the other hand, the sliding lever 80 is rotatably connected to the fixed unit 82 via a first shaft 94 and a second shaft 96 shown by a broken line, which can be selectively switched. As will be described in detail later, when the sliding lever 80 shown in FIG. 8 is pushed down in the direction indicated by the arrow C toward the link member 88, the sliding lever 80 first rotates about the first shaft 94 as a rotation axis and approaches the link member 88 as shown in FIG. 9. If the above-mentioned pushing action is continued after this, the sliding lever 80 rotates about the second shaft 96 as a rotation axis, and the claw portion 92 engages with the opening 90 (see FIG. 9) as shown in FIG. 10. Hereinafter, this action is referred to as the "lever connecting action." Therefore, the sliding lever 80 is connected to the standing operation lever 20 side through the above-mentioned "wire accommodation action," "rotation mounting action," and "lever connecting action." With the above, the wire fixing mechanism 78 is mounted to the operation unit main body 46. FIG. 10 is a front view of the operation unit body 46 as seen from the X(+) direction side.

[0060] In addition, FIG. 10 shows a state in which the raising operation lever 20 is located at the lowering operation position. That is, the wire fixing mechanism 78 of this example is connected to the raising operation lever 20 located at the lowering operation position via a link member 88. Also, as will be described in detail later, the engaged portion 39 of the wire 38 (see FIG. 4) is fixed to the fixed unit 82 through the above-mentioned "wire storing operation", "rotation mounting operation" and "lever connecting operation". In addition, in the embodiment, as one of the preferable aspects, the lever connecting operation is performed at the lowering operation position, but this is not limited thereto, and the lever connecting operation may be performed at a position other than the lowering operation position. For example, the lever connecting operation may be performed at the raising operation position, or between the raising operation position and the lowering operation position.

[0061] In Fig. 10, when the attitude of the stand 36 (see Fig. 2) is changed by rotating the standing operation lever 20, the standing operation lever 20 in Fig. 10, which is located at the lowering operation position, is rotated in the counterclockwise direction indicated by the arrow U (see Fig. 10) toward the standing operation position shown in Fig. 11. Then, the link member 88 rotates in the counterclockwise direction, the sliding lever 80 connected to the link member 88 moves (slides) in conjunction with the Y(-) direction, and the fixed unit 82 connected to the sliding lever 80 moves in the Y(-) direction. Since the engaged portion 39 of the wire 38 (see Fig. 2) is fixed to the fixed unit 82, the wire 38 is pulled in the Y(-) direction by the above-mentioned rotating operation of the standing operation lever 20. As a result, the attitude of the stand 36 connected to the tip of the wire 38 is changed from the lowering position in Fig. 2 to the standing position.

[0062] Conversely, when the raising platform 36 is to be lowered, the raising operation lever 20 in Fig. 11, which is located in the raising operation position, is rotated in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow D (see Fig. 11) toward the lowering operation position shown in Fig. 10. This causes the link member 88 (see Fig. 9) to rotate clockwise, the sliding lever 80 connected to the link member 88 to move (slide) in conjunction with the movement in the Y(+) direction, and the fixed unit 82 connected to the sliding lever 80 to move in the Y(+) direction. As a result, the wire 38 is advanced in the Y(+) direction, and the posture of the raising platform 36 is changed from the raising position to the lowered position in Fig. 2.

[0063] To release the connection between the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88, as shown in Fig. 10, the lock release member 98 protruding from the tip of the sliding lever 80 is pushed in the direction of arrow E toward the link member 88. This causes the claw portion 92 to be pushed by the lock release member 98 and retreat from the opening 90, making it possible to release the connection.

[0064] Furthermore, when removing the wire fixing mechanism 78 from the operation unit body 46, the "lever connecting operation", "rotation mounting operation" and "wire housing operation" can be performed in the reverse order.

[0065] Next, a description will be given of the fixed unit 82. FIG.

[0066] 12, the fixing unit 82 has a wire catch 100 that detachably engages and fixes the base end side of the wire 38, and a catch guide 102 that guides the wire catch 100 in the wire axial direction (Y-axis direction) of the wire 38. The wire catch 100 also has a catch main body 104 and a fixing member 106. Of the components of the fixing unit 82, the component that moves in the Y-axis direction due to the operation of the sliding lever 80 (the lever connecting operation and the driving operation of the stand 36) is the wire catch 100, and the catch guide 102 does not move, which will be described in detail later.

[0067] The catch guide 102 is provided with a cylindrical connecting part 108 having a cam groove 84 at its end on the Y(+) direction side, and this connecting part 108 is connected to the connecting part 25 of the operation unit main body 46 (see FIG. 6). In addition, a cap 107 is attached to the end on the Y(-) direction side of the catch guide 102. The cap 107 has claw parts 110, 110 formed on both walls, and is detachably attached to the catch guide 102 by engaging the claw parts 110, 110 with grooves 112, 112 on both walls of the catch guide 102.

[0068] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the main part of the catch guide 102 shown in FIG. 12 with the cap 107 removed.

[0069] 13, the catch guide 102 has a catch guide groove 114 formed in the center thereof, which extends in the wire axial direction, and the first shaft 94 is slidably engaged and guided along the catch guide groove 114. As described above, the first shaft 94 is one of the rotation shafts of the sliding lever 80, and is fixed to the catch body 104. The lever bearing hole 80A (see FIG. 14) of the sliding lever 80 is rotatably engaged with the first shaft 94.

[0070] Here, a description will be given of the configuration of the sliding lever 80. Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing a main part of the sliding lever 80.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 14, the sliding lever 80 has a pair of plate-like portions 120, 120 that sandwich and hold the fixed unit 82 (see FIG. 5), and a lever body 122 that is integrated with the plate-like portions 120, 120.

[0072] A second shaft 96, which is one of the rotation shafts of the sliding lever 80, is provided on the inner surfaces of the plate-like portions 120, 120 facing each other, and this second shaft 96 protrudes toward the surface 102A of the catch guide 102 shown in Fig. 13. Furthermore, a substantially L-shaped cam groove 124 is formed in the plate-like portions 120, 120 at positions facing each other, and a pin 126 provided on the fixed member 106 (see Fig. 13) is engaged with the cam groove 124. The cam groove 124 will be described later.

[0073] Furthermore, a boss 121 is provided on the inner surfaces of the plate-like portions 120, 120 facing each other, and this boss 121 protrudes toward the surface 102A of the catch guide 102 shown in Fig. 13. A boss hole 103 with which the boss 121 elastically engages is formed in the surface 102A. Therefore, by engaging the boss 121 with the boss hole 103, the sliding lever 80 is held in the position shown in Figs. 5 to 8. Furthermore, by releasing the engagement of the boss 121 with the boss hole 103, the sliding lever 80 is permitted to be rotated.

[0074] Further, a first restriction surface 105 against which a boss 121 shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 13 can come into contact is formed on the surface 102A of the catch guide 102. When the pin 126 is present in a first cam groove portion 125A (see FIG. 21) of the cam groove 124, which will be described later, the first restriction surface 105 comes into contact with the boss 121 to restrict the movement of the sliding lever 80. The first restriction surface 105 allows the sliding lever 80 to rotate about the first shaft 94. The first restriction surface 105 is formed of an arc-shaped surface centered on the first shaft 94. This allows the sliding lever 80 to rotate smoothly about the first shaft 94.

[0075] Further, a second restriction surface 116 is formed on the surface 102A of the catch guide 102. This second restriction surface 116 is a surface that can come into contact with the second shaft 96 when the above restriction of the sliding lever 80 by the first restriction surface 105 is released. That is, the first restriction surface 105 is formed only up to a position corresponding to the position where the second shaft 96 comes into contact with the second restriction surface 116, and the restriction is released at the position where the second shaft 96 comes into contact with the second restriction surface 116. Note that the restriction of the sliding lever 80 by the first restriction surface 105 may be released at the same time that the second shaft 96 comes into contact with the second restriction surface 116, or may be released before or after the second shaft 96 comes into contact with the second restriction surface 116. Furthermore, when the pin 126 is present in a second cam groove portion 125B (see FIG. 21 ) of the cam groove 124, which will be described later, the second restriction surface 116 abuts against the second shaft 96 to restrict the movement of the sliding lever 80. This second restriction surface 116 allows the sliding lever 80 to rotate about the second shaft 96 while moving the second shaft 96 along the second restriction surface 116.

[0076] The second regulating surface 116 is formed inclined in the Y(+) direction from the catch guide groove 114 toward the outside of the catch guide 102. When the second shaft 96 comes into contact with and moves against this second regulating surface 116, the rotation shaft of the sliding lever 80 is switched from the first shaft 94 to the second shaft 96 during the "lever coupling operation" of the sliding lever 80.

[0077] Here, the switching operation of the rotation axis will be explained. In the first half of the "lever coupling operation", the sliding lever 80 rotates around the first shaft 94 as the rotation axis. At this time, the second shaft 96 moves from a position on the left side of the second restriction surface 116 toward the second restriction surface 116 as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 13. Then, at the end of the first half of the "lever coupling operation", the restriction of the first shaft 94 by the first restriction surface 105 is released, and the second shaft 96 abuts against the second restriction surface 116, so that the second restriction surface 116 restricts the movement of the sliding lever 80. Then, in the second half of the "lever coupling operation", the sliding lever 80 becomes capable of rotating around the second shaft 96, so that the sliding lever 80 rotates around the second shaft 96 as the rotation axis. This is the switching operation.

[0078] Next, a description will be given of the catch body 104 of the wire catch 100. Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing a state immediately before the wire fixing mechanism 78 is attached to the operation portion body 46. Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the fixing unit 82 taken along the line XVI-XVI in Fig. 15.

[0079] As shown in Fig. 15 and Fig. 16, the catch body 104 has a cylindrical portion 130, a pair of first shafts 94, 94 protruding from the cylindrical portion 130 in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical portion 130 (coincident with the axis 25A which is the rotation axis of the fixed unit 82), and a guide portion 132 protruding from the cylindrical portion 130 in the Y(-) direction. A catch body groove 133 extending in the wire axis direction is formed in the guide portion 132. The catch body groove 133 is provided at a position overlapping with the catch guide groove 114, and a pin 126 (see Fig. 13) is inserted into the catch body groove 133. The pin 126 is a cam pin that engages with the cam groove 124 of the sliding lever 80, and is movable forward and backward along the catch body groove 133 by being guided by the cam groove 124.

[0080] 16, the columnar portion 130 has a locking hole 137 into which the locked portion 39 (see FIG. 17) can be inserted for locking. The locking hole 137 is formed as a through hole that penetrates the columnar portion 130 in the Y-axis direction.

[0081] The locking hole 137 has a first hole 134 large enough to insert the locked portion 39, and a second hole 136 larger than the outer shape of the wire body 38A and smaller than the outer shape of the locked portion 39, and the first hole 134 and the second hole 136 have a continuous opening shape.

[0082] Further, the locking hole 137 is provided at a position eccentric to the axis 25A which is the rotation axis of the fixed unit 82, and the first hole 134 and the second hole 136 are formed continuously along a rotation trajectory centered on the axis 25A. Note that the amount of eccentricity of the locking hole 137 with respect to the axis 25A is set to be substantially equal to the amount of eccentricity of the wire 38 with respect to the axis 25A shown in FIG.

[0083] According to the catch body 104 configured as described above, during the "wire housing operation" (see FIG. 6), the locked portion 39 is housed in the first hole 134. Then, the locked portion 39 passes through the first hole 134 and protrudes to the outside from the first hole 134 as shown in FIG. 17. Then, at the end of the "wire housing operation" (see FIG. 7), the wire 38 protrudes from the first hole 134 in the Y(-) direction as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 18.

[0084] Thereafter, during the "rotational mounting operation" (see FIG. 7), the catch body 104 rotates together with the catch guide 102 in the direction of arrow B about the axis 25A, causing the first hole 134 to move away from the wire 38. Then, at the end of the "rotational mounting operation", the wire 38 is housed in the second hole 136, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 19. This allows the locked portion 39 to be locked in the second hole 136.

[0085] FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the catch body 104 and the fixing member 106 at the end of the "rotational mounting operation" shown in FIG.

[0086] 20, the fixing member 106 is disposed on the Y(-) direction side with respect to the catch body 104. A fixing hole 138 having an opening 135 capable of receiving the locked portion 39 is formed in an end face 106A on the Y(+) direction side of the fixing member 106.

[0087] The fixing hole 138 is formed at a position facing the second hole 136 shown in Fig. 19 in the Y-axis direction, and has a bottom 138A therein that engages with the locked portion 39. The fixing hole 138 also has a conical guide surface 139 that tapers from the opening 135 toward the bottom 138A. This guide surface 139 is not essential, but is preferably provided in the fixing hole 138 from the viewpoint of smoothly guiding the locked portion 39 to the bottom 138A. As shown in Fig. 20, at the end of the "rotational mounting operation" (i.e., before the start of the "lever connecting operation"), the locked portion 39 is not engaged with the bottom 138A, and is located at a position spaced from the bottom 138A toward the Y(+) direction side.

[0088] FIG. 21 is a front view of the wire fixing mechanism 78 at the end of the "rotational mounting operation" shown in FIG. 19, and shows a perspective view of the plate-shaped portion 120 of the sliding lever 80. FIG.

[0089] As shown in Figure 21, at the end of the "rotational mounting operation", the boss 121 fits into the boss hole 103, the second axis 96 is positioned above and to the left of the second regulating surface 116 in Figure 21, and the pin 126 is positioned at the right end 124A of the cam groove 124.

[0090] Here, the cam groove 124 will be described. The cam groove 124 has a shape in which a linear first cam groove portion 125A and a curved second cam groove portion 125B are continuous. The first cam groove portion 125A has a function of changing the relative distance between the catch main body 104 and the fixed member 106 by moving the fixed member 106 in the Y-axis direction in cooperation with the pin 126. The second cam groove portion 125B has a function of maintaining the relative distance between the catch main body 104 and the fixed member 106 by moving the fixed member 106 in the Y-axis direction integrally with the catch main body 104.

[0091] Specifically, when the "lever coupling operation" is started from the state shown in FIG. 21, as shown in FIG. 22, the boss 121 is released from the boss hole 103 and is guided by the first regulating surface 105, and the sliding lever 80 rotates clockwise in FIG. 22 around the first shaft 94 as the axis of rotation. This rotation causes the pin 126 to move along the first cam groove portion 125A. This movement causes the fixed member 106 to move in the Y(+) direction and approach the catch main body 104. Then, as shown in FIG. 23, the bottom portion 138A of the fixing hole 138 of the fixed member 106 engages with the locked portion 39 during the "lever coupling operation".

[0092] 22 and 23, the pin 126 moves along the first cam groove portion 125A, causing the fixed member 106 to move further in the Y(+) direction. As a result, the wire 38 is pushed in the Y(+) direction by the fixed member 106.

[0093] Then, as shown in FIG. 24, when the second shaft 96 abuts against the second restriction surface 116, that is, when the first half of the "lever connecting operation" is completed, the fixing member 106 abuts against the cylindrical portion 130 of the catch body 104 as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 25. At this time, the restriction of the boss 121 by the first restriction surface 105 is released. As a result, the locked portion 39 is locked in the second hole 136 of the catch body 104, and the locked portion 39 is sandwiched between the fixing hole 138 and the end face 130A on the Y(-) direction side of the cylindrical portion 130. By this operation, the locked state between the locked portion 39 and the second hole 136 is fixed by the fixing member 106, and the locked portion 39 is reliably fixed to the fixing unit 82. The position of the fixing member 106 shown in FIG. 25 is the fixed position, and the position of the fixing member 106 shown in FIG. 20 is the released position. The fixing member 106 is movable between a fixed position and a released position by rotating the sliding lever 80 .

[0094] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned fixed position, since locked portion 39 is engaged with bottom portion 138A of fixing hole 138, movement of wire 38 in a direction perpendicular to the wire axial direction is restricted by bottom portion 138A. As a result, in the above-mentioned fixed position, movement of wire 38 from second hole 136 to first hole 134 is prevented, so that the above-mentioned locked state is maintained.

[0095] On the other hand, when the latter half of the "lever coupling operation" is started from the position of Fig. 24, the restriction of the boss 121 by the first restriction surface 105 is released, so that the second shaft 96 moves along the second restriction surface 116 while the sliding lever 80 rotates clockwise around the second shaft 96 as the center of rotation, as shown in Fig. 26. This operation causes the catch body 104 to move in the Y(-) direction via the first shaft 94, and the pin 126 to move along the second cam groove portion 125B, so that the fixing member 106 moves in the Y(-) direction integrally with the catch body 104. This operation causes the wire 38, which had been pushed in the Y(+) direction, to be pulled up in the Y(-) direction.

[0096] Then, the "lever connecting operation" ends at the lowering operation position of FIG. 27 where the sliding lever 80 is connected to the link member 88 (see FIG. 10), and the above-mentioned movement of the catch body 104 and the fixed member 106 stops. This operation pulls the base end of the wire 38 up to the lowering operation position by the standing operation lever 20. At this time, the pin 126 is located at the left end 124B of the cam groove 124. The above is an overview of the operation of the catch body 104 and the fixed member 106. Note that the catch body 104 and the fixed member 106 reciprocate along the Y-axis direction while in contact with each other due to the subsequent rotation operation of the standing operation lever 20 (driving operation of the standing platform 36) (see FIG. 10 and FIG. 11). As a result, the wire 38 is pushed and pulled, and the standing platform 36 is raised and lowered.

[0097] The operating range of the wire fixing mechanism 78 will now be described.

[0098] The operating range of the wire fixing mechanism 78 has a "wire fixing range" in which the wire catch 100 operates due to the "lever connecting operation" of the sliding lever 80, and a "driving range" in which the wire catch 100 operates due to the rotation operation of the stand-up operation lever 20. Figure 28 is an explanatory diagram showing the above-mentioned "wire fixing range" and "driving range."

[0099] As described above, even if the wires 38 have the same length, the protruding length of the wires 38 protruding from the connecting portion 25 varies depending on the state of the flexible portion 26 or the curved portion 28 (see FIG. 1).

[0100] According to Figure 28, even if the protruding length of the wire 38 is long (see XXVIIIA in Figure 28) or short (see XXVIIIB in Figure 28), the wire catch 100 operates within the "wire fixing range", so that the wire catch 100 engages the engaged portion 39 with the engaging hole 137 and fixes the engaged state between the engaged portion 39 and the engaging hole 137, thereby securely fixing the wire to the wire fixing mechanism 78.

[0101] Therefore, the wire fixing mechanism 78 can reliably fix the wire 38 regardless of the protruding length of the wire 38.

[0102] Furthermore, by the wire catch 100 operating within the "wire fixing range", the wire fixing mechanism 78 can pull up the base end of the wire 38 to the lowering operation position by the raising operation lever 20 regardless of the protruding length of the wire 38.

[0103] As a result, the wire fixing mechanism 78 can keep the positional relationship between the position of the stand 36 and the position of the stand operation lever 20 constant regardless of the protruding length of the wire 38.

[0104] Next, the configuration of the connecting portion for connecting the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88 will be described.

[0105] <Connection part> 29 and 30 are diagrams for explaining a first embodiment of a connecting portion 200 for connecting the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88. Also, Fig. 31 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which an engaged portion 202 and an engaging portion 204, which will be described later, are engaged with each other, and is a cross-sectional view including an unlocking member 98, which will be described later. Note that in Figs. 29 and 30, in order to easily explain the states before and after the engagement of the engaged portion 202 and the engaging portion 204, the end portion 122A of the lever main body 122 is shown as a cross-sectional view cut along the opening direction indicated by the arrow H of a lever insertion hole 206, which will be described later.

[0106] 29, the link member 88 has an engaged portion 202. The engaged portion 202 is configured in a flat plate shape at the end of the link member 88. The engaged portion 202 also has the opening 90 described above. This opening 90 is formed as a through hole that penetrates the engaged portion 202, and functions as the engaged hole of the present invention. The opening 90 is formed in a rectangular shape as an example, but may be, for example, a circular shape as long as it has a shape that can engage with the claw portion 92 described above.

[0107] On the other hand, the end 122A of the lever body 122 has an engaging portion 204 that can engage with the engaged portion 202 of the link member 88. The engaging portion 204 has a lever insertion hole 206 into which the engaged portion 202 can be inserted. The lever insertion hole 206 is provided so as to penetrate the end 122A. The opening direction of the lever insertion hole 206 indicated by the arrow H coincides with the rotation direction indicated by the arrow C of the sliding lever 80 shown in FIG.

[0108] 29, the sliding lever 80 has an elastic piece 208. The elastic piece 208 is configured in a cantilever shape with one end fixed to the end portion 122A and the other end as a free end. The above-mentioned claw portion 92 is formed at the free end of the elastic piece 208, and the claw portion 92 protrudes toward the lever insertion hole 206. The claw portion 92 functions as an engagement protrusion of the present invention.

[0109] Incidentally, the operation of connecting the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88 is performed by executing the "lever connecting operation" as described above (see FIG. 10). That is, in the "lever connecting operation", for example, when the sliding lever 80 is pushed down in the Y(+) direction as shown in FIG. 22, the lever body 122 moves toward the link member 88. Then, just before the "lever connecting operation" is completed, the engaged portion 202 of the link member 88 is inserted into the lever insertion hole 206 (see FIG. 29) of the lever body 122 with the tip portion 202A at the front. Then, the tip portion 202A comes into contact with the claw portion 92 protruding toward the lever insertion hole 206, and then the claw portion 92 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow J against the biasing force of the elastic piece 208, that is, in the direction retracting from the lever insertion hole 206. This allows the engaged portion 202 to be inserted into the lever insertion hole 206. Then, when the above insertion is continued and the engaged portion 202 is completely inserted into the lever insertion hole 206, that is, when the "lever connecting operation" is completed, the opening 90 faces the claw portion 92, and the claw portion 92 moves to its original position by the biasing force of the elastic piece 208 and engages with the opening 90. By the above operation, the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88 are connected to each other.

[0110] Therefore, according to the connecting portion 200 of the first embodiment, simply by moving the sliding lever 80 toward the link member 88, the claw portion 92 engages with the opening 90 to connect the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88, making it easy to connect the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88.

[0111] In the first embodiment, in order to smoothly couple the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88, it is preferable that the claw portion 92 has a tapered surface 210. The tapered surface 210 is formed by cutting obliquely with respect to the insertion direction of the engaged portion 202 into the lever insertion hole 206 (which coincides with the opening direction H of the lever insertion hole 206). More specifically, the tapered surface 210 is formed at a position facing the tip portion 202A in the insertion direction of the engaged portion 202 into the lever insertion hole 206, and is formed as a tapered surface capable of applying a force component in the direction of arrow J to the elastic piece 208, i.e., a force that resists the urging force of the elastic piece 208, when the tip portion 202A abuts against the tapered surface 210.

[0112] According to the claw portion 92 having such a tapered surface 210, when the tip end 202A of the engaged portion 202 abuts against the tapered surface 210, the engaged portion 202 moves in the direction of the arrow J by the generated force without preventing the engaged portion 202 from being inserted into the lever insertion hole 206. In other words, the tapered surface 210 of the claw portion 92 functions as a surface that prevents the claw portion 92 from resisting the insertion when the engaged portion 202 is inserted into the lever insertion hole 206. This allows the opening 90 and the claw portion 92 to be smoothly engaged, so that the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88 can be smoothly connected. Note that it is not essential to form the tapered surface 210 on the claw portion 92, but it is preferable to form the tapered surface on the claw portion 92 from the viewpoint of smooth connection. The tapered surface 210 may be formed on the tip end 202A of the engaged portion 202, or may be formed on both the claw portion 92 and the engaged portion 202.

[0113] In the first embodiment, in order to smoothly insert the link member 88 into the lever insertion hole 206, it is preferable that the lever insertion hole 206 has tapered surfaces 209A, 209B, and 209C on the side where the link member 88 is inserted. The tapered surfaces 209A, 209B, and 209C are formed by cutting obliquely from the outside to the inside of the lever insertion hole 206 with respect to the insertion direction of the engaged portion 202 into the lever insertion hole 206. Although not shown in FIG. 29, it is preferable that the opposite side of the tapered surface 209C across the opening of the lever insertion hole 206 also has a tapered surface.

[0114] According to such tapered surfaces 209A, 209B, and 209C, when the tip 202A of the engaged portion 202 abuts against the tapered surfaces 209A, 209B, and 209C, the tip 202A moves along the tapered surfaces 209A, 209B, and 209C, and the engaged portion 202 is guided into the lever insertion hole 206. As a result, even if the positions of the engaged portion 202 and the lever insertion hole 206 are misaligned during the "lever connecting operation", the engaged portion 202 can be smoothly inserted into the lever insertion hole 206.

[0115] Furthermore, it is preferable that the free end side of the elastic piece 208 has a step portion 211 (see FIG. 31) recessed into the surface of the lever body 122 on the side opposite to the protruding direction of the claw portion 92. When the claw portion 92 engages with the opening 90, the claw portion 92 moves in the direction of the arrow J. Therefore, the free end side of the elastic piece 208 also moves in the direction of the arrow J. By providing such a step portion 211, it is possible to prevent the elastic piece 208 from contacting the angle knob 62 (see FIG. 33) even if the free end side of the elastic piece 208 moves in the direction of the arrow J.

[0116] <Unlocking parts> Next, a description will be given of a configuration for releasing the connected state between the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88. In the first embodiment, in order to release the above-mentioned connected state, an unlocking member 98 shown in Fig. 31 is provided. The unlocking member 98 will be described below.

[0117] Fig. 31 is an explanatory diagram showing that the lock release member 98 is in the locked position and the engagement between the engaged portion 202 and the engaging portion 204 is maintained. Also, Fig. 32 is an explanatory diagram showing that the lock release member 98 is in the unlocked position and the engagement between the engaged portion 202 and the engaging portion 204 is released.

[0118] 31 and 32, the unlocking member 98 has a button portion 212 that is pushed by the surgeon, and a slide portion 214 that is formed integrally with the button portion 212. The unlocking member 98 is attached to the end portion 122A of the lever body 122 so that the slide portion 214 is in sliding contact with a guide surface 216 formed on the end portion 122A of the lever body 122, thereby allowing the unlocking member 98 to move in the direction indicated by the arrow K relative to the end portion 122A. Here, the direction of the arrow K is a direction perpendicular to the directions of the arrow H and the arrow J described above. The unlocking member 98 can move between the locked position shown in FIG. 31 and the unlocked position shown in FIG. 32 by moving in the direction of the arrow K.

[0119] In addition, the slide portion 214 of the lock release member 98 has a pressing surface 218 and a first stopper surface 220.

[0120] The pressing surface 218 is formed as a surface that protrudes toward the elastic piece 208 side in Figs. 31 and 32. The first stopper surface 220 is located on the opposite side of the button portion 212 (the left side in Figs. 31 and 32) across the pressing surface 218, and is formed along the direction of the arrow J. In other words, when the side of the lock release member 98 where the button portion 212 is formed is defined as the tip side, and the side where a spring 226 described later is disposed is defined as the base side, the first stopper surface 220 is formed on the base side of the pressing surface 218. In addition, the slide portion 214 has a convex portion 224 for forming the first stopper surface 220, and this convex portion 224 is also used as a support portion for the above-mentioned spring 226.

[0121] On the other hand, the elastic piece 208 has a pressed surface 228 and a second stopper surface 230 .

[0122] 31 and 32, the pressed surface 228 is formed as a surface that protrudes toward the sliding portion 214. When the lock release member 98 moves from the locked position in Fig. 31 to the unlocked position in Fig. 32, the pressed surface 228 is pressed by the pressing surface 218. This causes the elastic piece 208 to elastically deform in the direction of arrow J, causing the claw portion 92 to retreat from the opening 90, and the engagement between the engaged portion 202 and the engaging portion 204 can be released.

[0123] From the viewpoint of smoothly pressing the pressed surface 228 by the pressing surface 218, it is preferable that the pressing surface 218 is formed as an inclined surface that is inclined obliquely with respect to the movement direction of the unlocking member 98 indicated by the arrow K. More specifically, the pressing surface 218 is configured as an inclined surface formed by cutting obliquely with respect to the movement direction of the unlocking member 98 from the locked position in Fig. 31 to the unlocked position in Fig. 32. In other words, the pressing surface 218 is configured as an inclined surface that can apply a force component in the direction of the arrow J to the elastic piece 208, i.e., a force that resists the biasing force of the elastic piece 208, when the pressing surface 218 abuts against the pressed surface 228.

[0124] The second stopper surface 230 is located on the opposite side of the claw portion 92 across the pressed surface 228 (the left side in Figs. 31 and 32), and is formed along the direction of arrow J. In other words, when the side of the elastic piece 208 on which the claw portion 92 is formed is defined as the tip side, and the one end side fixed to the end portion 122A of the lever body 122 is defined as the base side, the second stopper surface 230 is formed on the base side of the pressed surface 228. As shown in Fig. 31, the first stopper surface 220 abuts against the second stopper surface 230, and the second stopper surface 230 functions as a surface that maintains the unlocking member 98 in the locked position shown in Fig. 31.

[0125] The spring 226 is disposed on the base end side of the lock release member 98. The spring 226 is accommodated in a space between the recess 123 formed in the end 122A of the lever body 122 and the protrusion 224 of the slide portion 214 with a biasing force applied (the spring 226 is in a contracted state). The biasing force of the spring 226 biases the lock release member 98 in a direction from the unlocked position in Fig. 32 toward the locked position in Fig. 31. The spring 226 functions as a biasing member of the present invention.

[0126] With the unlocking member 98 configured in this manner, when the button portion 212 is pushed to move the unlocking member 98 from the locked position in Fig. 31 toward the unlocked position in Fig. 32, the pressing surface 218 presses the pressed surface 228, causing the elastic piece 208 to move in the direction of arrow J, and the engagement between the claw portion 92 and the opening 90 is released at the unlocked position in Fig. 32. In other words, with the unlocking member 98, the connection between the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88 can be released by the simple operation of moving the unlocking member 98 from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0127] In this way, even when the engagement between the claw portion 92 and the opening 90 is released, the elastic piece 208 moves in the direction of the arrow J. By providing the step portion 211 in the elastic piece 208, even when the engagement between the claw portion 92 and the opening 90 is released, it is possible to prevent the elastic piece 208 from contacting the angle knob 62 (see FIG. 33).

[0128] When the sliding lever 80 is to be disengaged from the link member 88, the sliding lever 80 may be rotated in the unlocked position of FIG. 32 in the opposite direction to the "lever coupling operation".

[0129] In addition, in the connecting portion 200 of the first embodiment, when the operating unit body 46 is viewed from the X(+) direction side as shown in FIG. 33, the engaging portion 203 where the engaged portion 202 (see FIG. 30) and the engaging portion 204 (see FIG. 30) are engaged is positioned in a position hidden from the angle knob 62.

[0130] In this way, by arranging the above-mentioned engagement portion 203 in a position hidden from the angle knob 62, it is possible to prevent the engagement portion 203 from being exposed to the outside from the operation unit main body 46. This makes it possible to protect the engagement portion 203 from external members. Note that the part to be arranged in a position hidden from the angle knob 62 is not limited to the engagement portion 203, and a part of the lever main body 122 including the engagement portion 203 may be arranged in the above-mentioned hidden position. In other words, by arranging at least the engagement portion 203 in the above-mentioned hidden position, it is possible to protect the engagement portion 203 from external members.

[0131] 3, in a configuration in which the sliding lever 80 is not connected to the link member 88, it is preferable that the engaged portion 202 of the link member 88 is also disposed in a position hidden from the angle knob 62. This makes it possible to prevent the engaged portion 202 from coming into contact with an external member (not shown), thereby making it possible to protect the engaged portion 202 from the external member.

[0132] <Second embodiment> FIG. 34 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a connecting portion 250 for connecting the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88. As shown in FIG.

[0133] According to the connecting portion 250 of the second embodiment, the engaged portion 202 of the link member 88 has a protrusion 232. This protrusion 232 protrudes in the X(+) direction from the flat portion of the engaged portion 202, and has a cylindrical shaft portion 234 and a locking portion 236 that is located on the tip side of the shaft portion 234 and has an outer shape larger than that of the shaft portion 234. As one example, this locking portion 236 is configured in a disk shape.

[0134] Furthermore, according to the connecting portion 250 of the second embodiment, the engaging portion 204 of the sliding lever 80 has an engaging groove 238 engageable with the locking portion 236 , and a cylindrical locking member 240 movable along the lever body 122 .

[0135] The width of the engagement groove 238 is larger than that of the shaft portion 234 but smaller than that of the locking portion 236. An engagement groove 242 is also formed in the locking member 240, and this engagement groove 242 is formed along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the engagement groove 238. Like the width of the engagement groove 238, the width of this engagement groove 242 is also larger than that of the shaft portion 234 but smaller than that of the locking portion 236.

[0136] In the connecting portion 250 of the second embodiment, when the sliding lever 80 is moved toward the link member 88, the shaft portion 234 of the protruding portion 232 of the link member 88 is inserted into the engagement groove 238 of the sliding lever 80. Then, after the insertion is completed, when the locking member 240 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow F in FIG. 34, the shaft portion 234 is inserted into the engagement groove 242, and the engaging portion 236 is engaged with the engagement groove 242. At this time, the movement of the protruding portion 232 in the Y-axis direction is restricted by the engagement groove 238, and the movement of the protruding portion 232 in the Z-axis direction is restricted by the engagement groove 242. According to the connecting portion 250 of the second embodiment, the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88 can be connected to each other by restricting the movement in two directions as described above. Note that, when the connected state between the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88 is to be released, it is only necessary to move the locking member 240 in the connected state in the direction indicated by the arrow G. In the second embodiment, the locking member 240 functions as an unlocking member.

[0137] <Third embodiment> FIG. 35 is a diagram illustrating a third embodiment of a connecting portion 270 for connecting the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88. As shown in FIG.

[0138] According to the connecting portion 270 of the third embodiment, the engaged portion 202 of the link member 88 has a protrusion 252. This protrusion 252 protrudes in the Z(+) direction from the tip 202A of the engaged portion 202, and has a rectangular column portion 254 and a locking portion 256 that is located on the tip side of the rectangular column portion 254 and has a larger outer shape than the rectangular column portion 254. As an example, this locking portion 256 is configured in a disk shape. Moreover, the locking portion 256 is made of an elastically deformable material, such as rubber, and can be contracted in diameter by an external force.

[0139] According to the connecting portion 270 of the third embodiment, the engaging portion 204 of the sliding lever 80 includes an insertion hole 258 through which the protrusion 252 is inserted and which can engage with the locking portion 256. When the locking portion 256 is inserted into the insertion hole 258, it is pressed against the inner wall surface of the insertion hole 258 to reduce its diameter, and after passing through the insertion hole 258, it returns to its original disk-like shape by elastic force. At this time, the locking portion 256 is locked by a stopper piece 259 provided at the exit of the insertion hole 258. As a result, the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88 are connected by the connecting portion 270 of the third embodiment.

[0140] Furthermore, the engagement portion 204 of the sliding lever 80 has a peel-off portion 262 on which a knob portion 260 is formed. The peel-off portion 262 has cut lines 264, 264 formed on both sides thereof, and the peel-off portion 262 is attached so as to be peelable from the lever body 122 along the cut lines 264, 264. An example of the material for the peel-off portion 262 is a breakable material such as rubber.

[0141] When releasing the connection between the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88, the knob portion 260 is gripped and the peel-off portion 262 is peeled off from the lever body 122 along the cut lines 264, 264. This causes the peel-off portion 262 to be peeled off from the lever body 122, and thereafter, the projection 252 is pulled out of the insertion hole 258, thereby releasing the connection between the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88. In the third embodiment, the peel-off portion 262 functions as an unlocking member.

[0142] <Fourth embodiment> FIG. 36 is a diagram illustrating a fourth embodiment of a connecting portion 280 for connecting the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88. In FIG.

[0143] According to the connecting portion 280 of the fourth embodiment, the engaged portion 202 of the link member 88 has a pair of narrowed portions 272, 272 for reducing the width of a portion of the engaged portion 202.

[0144] According to the connecting portion 280 of the fourth embodiment, the engaging portion 204 of the sliding lever 80 has a bent portion 274 formed by bending it into an L shape toward the engaged portion 202. The bent portion 274 has an accommodating groove 276 that accommodates the engaged portion 202, and the accommodating groove 276 has protrusions 278, 278 that engage with the narrowed portions 272, 272, respectively.

[0145] In the connecting portion 280 of the fourth embodiment, when the engaged portion 202 is inserted into the accommodating groove 276, the narrowed portions 272, 272 of the link member 88 are positioned at the positions of the convex portions 278, 278 of the accommodating groove 276, and the narrowed portions 272, 272 corresponding to the convex portions 278, 278 are engaged, thereby connecting the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88.

[0146] When the connection between the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88 is to be released, the engaging portion 204 is pulled out from the engaged portion 202, whereby the connection between the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88 can be released.

[0147] Although an example in which the endoscope according to the present invention is applied to a duodenoscope has been described above, the technology of the present invention is not limited to duodenoscopes, but can also be applied to other endoscopes, such as colonoscopes and small intestine scopes. In addition, the present invention may be improved or modified in several ways without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 10 Endoscopy 12 Endoscope System 14. Processor device for endoscope 15 Light source device 15A Processor side connector 16 Image processing device 18 Display 20 Standing operation lever 22 Handheld operation unit 23 Outlet 25 Connection 25A shaft center 24 Insertion section 26 Soft part 28 Curved section 30 Tip 32 Tip body 34 Cap 34A Opening window 34B Wall section 34C Bearing 36 Treatment tool stand (stand) 36A Treatment tool guide surface 36B Rotating shaft 37 Treatment tool channel 38 Standing Wire (Wire) 39 Locked part 40 Wire Channel 42 Air and water supply tube 44 Cable Pass-Through Channel 45 Insertion Channel 46 Operation unit body 46A Proximal surface 48 Gripping part 50 Anti-break tube 52 Universal Cable 54 Connector device 57 Air / water supply button 58 Air and water supply nozzle 59 Suction button 60 Treatment tool outlet 61 Through hole 62 Angle knob 64 Treatment tool inlet 68 Bulkhead 68A Top 74 Lighting window 76 Observation window 78 Wire fixing mechanism 80 Sliding lever 80A Lever bearing hole 82 Fixed Unit 84 Cam groove 84A Open end 86 Campin 88 Link member 90 Opening 92 Claw 94 1st axis 96 2nd axis 98 Unlocking member 100 Wire Catch 102 Catch Guide 102A surface 103 Boss hole 104 Catch body 105 First Regulatory Surface 106 Fixing member 106A End face 107 Cap 108 Connection 110 Claw part 112 Groove 114 Catch guide groove 116 Second Regulatory Surface 120 Plate-shaped part 121 Boss 122 Lever body 122A End 123 Recess 124 Cam groove 124A Right end 124B Left end 125A First cam groove 125B Second cam groove 126 pins 130 Cylinder 132 Guide part 133 Catch body groove 134 Hole 1 135 Opening 136 2nd hole 137 Locking hole 138 fixing hole 138A bottom 139 Guide Surface 200 Connection part 202 Engaged part 202A Tip 203 Engagement part 204 Engagement part 206 Lever insertion hole 208 Elastic piece 209A Tapered surface 209B Tapered surface 209C Tapered surface 210 Tapered surface 211 Multilayered section 212 Button section 214 Slide section 216 Guide surface 218 Pressing surface 220 First stopper surface 224 Convex 226 Spring 228 Pressed surface 230 Second stopper surface 232 Protrusion 234 Shaft 236 Locking part 238 Engagement groove 240 Locking member 242 Engagement groove 250 Connection section 252 Protrusion 254 Square column 256 Locking part 258 Insertion hole 259 Stopper piece 260 Knob 262 Peeling part 264 Cutting line 270 Connection section 272 Waist 274 Bend section 276 Storage Groove 278 Convex 280 Connection section

Claims

1. an operation unit provided with an operation member; an insertion section provided at a distal end of the operation section and inserted into a subject; A treatment tool stand provided at a distal end of the insertion section; a raising operation wire whose distal end side is connected to the treatment tool raising stand and which is pushed and pulled in response to the operation of the operation member to operate the treatment tool raising stand; a link member provided on the operating portion and configured to operate integrally with the operating member, the link member having an engaged portion; a sliding lever that slides in conjunction with the operating member to move the standing operation wire forward and backward in a wire axial direction, the sliding lever having an engaging portion that can engage with the engaged portion; an unlocking member for releasing the engagement between the engaged portion and the engaging portion; An endoscope comprising:

2. The lock release member is provided on the sliding lever. The endoscope according to claim 1 .

3. the unlocking member is movable between a locked position at which the engagement between the engaged portion and the engaging portion is maintained and an unlocked position at which the engagement between the engaged portion and the engaging portion can be released.

3. An endoscope according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a biasing member that biases the unlocking member in a direction from the unlock position toward the lock position, The endoscope according to claim 3.

5. The sliding lever has a cantilever-shaped elastic piece, and the engagement portion is provided at a free end of the elastic piece.

5. The endoscope according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The elastic piece has a pressure-receiving surface, the unlocking member has a pressing surface capable of pressing the pressed surface, When the unlocking member moves from the locked position to the unlocked position, the pressing surface presses the pressed surface, thereby making it possible to release the engagement between the engaged portion and the engaging portion. The endoscope according to claim 5.

7. The pressing surface is an inclined surface inclined obliquely with respect to the moving direction of the unlocking member. The endoscope according to claim 6.

8. The engaged portion has an engaged hole penetrating the link member, The engaging portion has an engaging protrusion that can engage with the engaged hole. An endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. the sliding lever has a lever insertion hole through which the link member can be inserted, With the link member inserted into the lever insertion hole, the engaging protrusion engages with the engaged hole, thereby connecting the link member and the sliding lever. The endoscope according to claim 8.

10. The engagement projection has a tapered surface that is cut obliquely with respect to an insertion direction of the link member into the lever insertion hole. The endoscope according to claim 9.

11. The operation unit includes an angle knob that is rotatably provided to bend the insertion unit, At least an engagement portion where the engaging portion and the engaged portion are engaged is disposed at a position hidden from the angle knob. An endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images