Endoscopy

Abstract

Provided is an endoscope having improved operability when the immobilization of an erect operation wire is released. An endoscope (10) comprises a wire-immobilizing mechanism (78) that immobilizes the base end-side of a wire (38), and a link member (88) that is provided to an operation part body (46) and operates in conjunction with the operation of an erect operation lever (20). The wire-immobilizing mechanism has a sliding lever (80) that can be detachably connected to the link member (88), and advances and retracts the wire (38) in the wire axis direction in conjunction with the operation of the erect operation lever (20), thereby rotating an erect base (36) between an erect position and a depressed position. The wire-immobilizing mechanism (78) has a control portion (302) that permits the sliding lever (80) to move from the link member (88) in a disengagement direction when the erect base (36) is in the depressed position, and prevents the sliding lever (80) from moving in the disengagement direction when the erect base (36) is not in the depressed position.

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 including a direction changer provided at the tip of the insertion section, a wire connected to the direction changer, a guide tube through which the wire is inserted and provided inside the operation section, a sliding member to which the wire is connected and which slides inside the guide tube, and a link member for moving the sliding member relative to the guide tube. The proximal end of the wire and the proximal end of the sliding member are detachably fixed by a collet chuck by tightening a cap. In addition, a latch provided on a slide equipped with a collet is clamped in a recess on the tip side of an arm connected to the lever to link the lever and the slide. [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] When the link between the lever and the slide is released, in the endoscope described in Patent Document 1, the clamp between the recess and the latch can be released regardless of the position of the slide. However, if the treatment tool is led out from the treatment tool lead-out section and the latch is released in a state where the direction change section is standing up, the tension of the wire is released, and there is a concern that the direction change section will move due to the stiffness (resilience) of the treatment tool, and the treatment tool will move in an unexpected direction. Therefore, in the endoscope described in Patent Document 1, the user must be aware of the state of the direction change section before releasing the fixation of the wire by the latch, which creates a problem of poor ease of handling when releasing the fixation of the wire.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide an endoscope with improved ease of handling when releasing the fixation of the erection operation wire. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the object of the present invention, an endoscope according to 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 part of the insertion section, a standing operation wire whose tip side is connected to the treatment tool stand and which is pushed and pulled in response to the operation of the operating member to operate the treatment tool stand, and a wire fixing mechanism which fixes the base end side of the standing operation wire, wherein the operating section has a link member which operates in conjunction with the operation of the operating member, and the wire fixing mechanism has a sliding lever which can be detachably connected to the link member, and which slides via the link member in conjunction with the operation of the operating member to move the standing operation wire forward and backward in the wire axial direction, thereby rotating the treatment tool stand between an upright position and a collapsed position, and the wire fixing mechanism has a regulating part which allows the sliding lever to move in a direction away from the link member when the treatment tool stand is in the collapsed position, and which regulates the movement of the sliding lever in the direction away from the link member when the treatment tool stand is not in the collapsed position.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the sliding lever has an abutment portion whose movement in the removal direction is restricted, and the sliding lever is slidable between a first lever position corresponding to a laid-down position and a second lever position corresponding to an upright position in conjunction with the operation of the operating member, and it is preferable that the restricting portion is located in a position where the abutment portion cannot abut against the restricting portion when the sliding lever is in the first lever position, and is located in a position where the abutment portion can abut against the restricting portion when the sliding lever is in the second lever position.

[0009] According to one form of the present invention, the wire fixing mechanism has a wire catch that removably engages and fixes the base end side of the standing operation wire, and a catch guide that guides the wire catch in the wire axial direction of the standing operation wire, and the wire catch is movable back and forth in the wire axial direction in conjunction with the sliding of the sliding lever, and it is preferable that the regulating portion has a regulating surface provided on the catch guide, and when the sliding lever is in the second lever position, the abutting portion abuts against the regulating surface, thereby regulating the movement of the sliding lever in the removal direction.

[0010] According to one form of the present invention, the sliding lever is connected to the catch guide so as to be freely rotatable around a rotation axis perpendicular to the wire axial direction, and the detachment direction is preferably a rotation direction of the sliding lever around the rotation axis in which the end of the sliding lever connected to the link member moves in a direction away from the link member.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, the restriction surface is preferably located on a movement path of the contact portion when the sliding lever moves in the rotational direction.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, the catch guide has a catch guide body that houses the wire catch, and a cap that covers the catch guide body from the base end side in the wire axial direction, and the regulating surface is preferably provided on the cap.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the locked state between the base end side of the standing operation wire and the wire catch can be released by moving the sliding lever in the removal direction.

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the link member has a connected portion, and the sliding lever has a connecting portion that is detachable from the connected portion.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present invention, the sliding lever preferably has a lever insertion hole into which the link member can be inserted, and the connected portion and the connecting portion are connected together with the link member inserted into the lever insertion hole.

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, the sliding lever preferably includes an unlocking member for releasing the connection between the connected portion and the connecting portion. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the ease of handling when releasing the fixation of the standing operation wire. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [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. [Diagram 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 front view of an operating unit body in which a sliding lever is located at a first lever position; [Diagram 30] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an operating unit body in which a sliding lever is located at a first lever position; [Diagram 31] In FIG. 29, the sliding lever is rotated. [Diagram 32] FIG. 1 is a front view of the operation unit body with the sliding lever positioned at the second lever position; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the endoscope of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] Next, the structure of the tip portion 30 shown in FIG. 2 will be described.

[0036] First, the tip body 32 will be described.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] Next, the cap 34 will be described.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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. This allows the stand 36 to rotate about the rotation shaft 36B, and the posture of the stand 36 is changed between a lying position (see FIG. 2) and an upright position.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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).

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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."

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 9, the operation unit body 46 has a link member 88 connected to the standing operation lever 20 via a rotating drum (not shown). This link member 88 is provided rotatably around the rotation axis of the standing operation lever 20, and rotates 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. This opening 90 functions as the connected part of the present invention. The sliding lever 80 has a lever insertion hole 206 through which the link member 88 can be inserted. This lever insertion hole 206 is provided penetrating the end of the lever body 122. In addition, the sliding lever 80 has a cantilever-shaped elastic piece, and a claw portion 92 is provided at the tip (free end) of the elastic piece so as to protrude toward the lever insertion hole 206 side. This claw portion 92 functions as the connecting part of the present invention. By engaging a claw portion 92 provided on the sliding lever 80 with an opening 90 provided in the link member 88, the sliding lever 80 can be detachably connected to the standing operation lever 20 via the link member 88.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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 in 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 this 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.

[0061] 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 clockwise as indicated by 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 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 pushed in the Y(+) direction, and the posture of the raising platform 36 is changed from the raising position to the lowered position shown in Fig. 2.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] Next, a description will be given of the fixed unit 82. FIG.

[0065] 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 back and forth in the Y-axis direction by 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the main part of the catch guide 102 shown in FIG. 12 with the cap 107 removed.

[0068] 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.

[0069] Here, we will first explain the configuration of the sliding lever 80. Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the main part of the sliding lever 80.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] 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.

[0087] 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.

[0088] 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.

[0089] 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.

[0090] 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".

[0091] 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.

[0092] 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 .

[0093] 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.

[0094] 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.

[0095] 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.

[0096] The operating range of the wire fixing mechanism 78 in the first embodiment will be described below.

[0097] 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."

[0098] As described above, even if the wires 38 have the same length, the 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).

[0099] 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.

[0100] Therefore, according to the wire fixing mechanism 78 of the first embodiment, the wire 38 can be fixed reliably regardless of the protruding length of the wire 38.

[0101] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, 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, by the wire catch 100 operating within the "wire fixing range".

[0102] As a result, according to the wire fixing mechanism 78 of the first embodiment, the positional relationship between the position of the stand 36 and the position of the stand operation lever 20 can be kept constant regardless of the protruding length of the wire 38.

[0103] Next, a description will be given of a removal configuration for removing the wire 38 from the wire fixing mechanism 78. The wire 38 is removed from the wire fixing mechanism 78 during the process of removing the wire fixing mechanism 78 from the operation portion main body 46.

[0104] When the wire fixing mechanism 78 is removed from the operation unit main body 46, the "lever connecting operation", "rotational mounting operation", and "wire storage operation" performed during mounting can be performed in the reverse order. That is, first, the lock release member 98 is pushed toward the lever main body 122. Then, the claw portion 92 retreats from the opening 90, and the engagement between the opening 90 and the claw portion 92 is released, and the connection between the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88 is released. Next, the sliding lever 80 is rotated in the opposite direction (corresponding to the "detachment direction" of the present invention) to the rotation operation during the "lever connecting operation". Then, the pin 126 moves relatively along the cam groove 124, and the pin 126 moves to the terminal position (right end 124A) of the cam groove 124. At this time, the fixing member 106 moves in the Y(-) direction to the "release position" shown in FIG. 20. In the "release position", the fixing member 106 moves away from the cylindrical portion 130 of the catch body 104 (see FIG. 23) in the Y(-) direction, and the locked portion 39 of the wire 38 that is sandwiched between the fixing hole 138 and the end face 130A of the cylindrical portion 130 is released. This releases the fixation of the wire 38 to the wire fixing mechanism 78. In this manner, the fixation of the wire 38 to the wire fixing mechanism 78 can be released by rotating the sliding lever 80 in the opposite direction to the rotational operation during the "lever connecting operation".

[0105] Incidentally, the sliding lever 80 slidably moves within the driving range (see FIG. 28) as described above. Within the driving range, the position of the sliding lever 80 shown in FIG. 10 is the position located furthest in the Y(+) direction, where the stand 36 is in a lying position (corresponding to the "first lever position" of the present invention). Also, the position of the sliding lever 80 shown in FIG. 11 is the position located furthest in the Y(-) direction, where the stand 36 is in an upright position (corresponding to the "second lever position" of the present invention).

[0106] Next, a restricting portion for restricting the rotation of the sliding lever 80 will be described.

[0107] Fig. 29 is a front view of the operation unit main body 46 in this embodiment in which the sliding lever 80 is located at the "first lever position". Fig. 30 is a perspective view of Fig. 29. Fig. 31 is a view in which the sliding lever 80 has been rotated from the position of Fig. 29.

[0108] A wire fixing mechanism 78 is provided on the base end side of the operation unit main body 46, and the wire fixing mechanism 78 has a fixing unit 82. A restricting portion 302 that restricts the rotation of the sliding lever 80 is provided on the catch guide 102 constituting the fixing unit 82. The restricting portion 302 is provided on the end side of the catch guide 102 on the Y(-) direction side. The catch guide 102 is composed of a catch guide main body 109 that houses the above-mentioned wire catch 100 (see FIG. 12) and a cap 107 that covers the catch guide main body 109 from the base end side in the wire axial direction, and in this embodiment, the restricting portion 302 is disposed on the cap 107. The restricting portion 302 is provided so as to protrude from the catch guide main body 109 in the axial direction of the pin 126 (X-axis direction). The restricting portion 302 has a restricting surface 306 on the surface on the Z(+) direction side of the restricting portion 302 that is provided so as to protrude.

[0109] 14 and 29, the sliding lever 80 is provided with abutment portions 304 on the inner surfaces of the plate-like portions 120, 120 that face each other. When the abutment portions 304 abut against a restriction surface 306, the movement of the sliding lever 80 is restricted.

[0110] 29 and 30, when the sliding lever 80 is in the first lever position, the sliding lever 80 is positioned furthest in the Y(+) direction, and the regulating portion 302 is positioned furthest in the Y(-) direction from the contact portion 304. That is, in the first lever position, the regulating surface 306 does not exist on the movement trajectory of the contact portion 304. In other words, in the first lever position, when the sliding lever 80 rotates about the second shaft 96 as the rotation axis, the contact portion 304 cannot abut against the regulating surface 306. That is, in the first lever position, the sliding lever 80 is allowed to rotate about the second shaft 96 as the rotation axis.

[0111] As shown in Fig. 30, the restricting portion 302 is provided so as to protrude in the X direction from the surface of the cap 107, and is disposed with a step on the X direction side with respect to the surface of the catch guide main body 109. Here, when the sliding lever 80 rotates around the second shaft 96 as the rotation axis at the first lever position, the abutting portion 304 passes through a gap 308 formed between the surface of the catch guide main body 109 and the plate-like portion 120 of the sliding lever 80. This allows the sliding lever 80 to move in the removal direction. This movement switches the rotation axis of the sliding lever 80 from the second shaft 96 to the first shaft 94, and the wire fixation to the wire fixing mechanism 78 can be released.

[0112] On the other hand, FIG. 32 is a front view of the operation portion main body 46 when the sliding lever 80 is located at the "second lever position."

[0113] The state where the sliding lever 80 is located at the second lever position is the state where the sliding lever 80 is located furthest in the Y(-) direction, and the restricting portion 302 is closest to the abutting portion 304 in the Y direction. That is, at the second lever position, the restricting surface 306 exists on the movement trajectory of the abutting portion 304. In other words, at the second lever position, when the sliding lever 80 rotates around the second shaft 96 as the rotation axis, the abutting portion 304 can abut against the restricting surface 306. That is, at the second lever position, the rotation of the sliding lever 80 around the second shaft 96 as the rotation axis is restricted. This makes it possible to prevent the sliding lever 80 from rotating around the first shaft 94 as the rotation axis, and to prevent the fixation between the wire 38 and the wire fixing mechanism 78 from being released.

[0114] For example, if the wire 38 is released from the wire fixing mechanism 78 while the stand 36 is in an upright position, tension is applied to the base end of the wire 38, and this tension causes the stand 36 to move to an unexpectedly collapsed position.

[0115] In order to solve the above problem, in this embodiment, when the stand 36 is in the lowered position, the restricting portion 302 of the wire fixing mechanism 78 allows the sliding lever 80 to move in the detaching direction, thereby making it possible to release the fixation between the wire 38 and the wire fixing mechanism 78. Also, when the stand 36 is not in the lowered position, the abutting portion 304 abuts against the restricting surface 306, making it possible to restrict the movement of the sliding lever 80 in the detaching direction. As a result, the fixation between the wire 38 and the wire fixing mechanism 78 can be released only when the stand 36 is in the lowered position, with no tension being applied to the wire 38. Therefore, the fixation between the wire 38 and the wire fixing mechanism 78 can be released when the stand 36 is in the lowered position without being aware of the state of the stand 36, and the ease of handling when releasing the fixation of the stand 36 can be improved.

[0116] 29 to 31 illustrate the movement of the sliding lever 80 in the removal direction when the stand 36 is in the maximum reclined position. By allowing the sliding lever 80 to rotate only at the maximum reclined position, it is possible to prevent the wire 38 from being released from its fixed position due to unintended rotation of the sliding lever 80 not only at the maximum standing position but also at an intermediate position between the maximum standing position and the maximum reclined position.

[0117] In addition, the movement of the sliding lever 80 in the removal direction is not limited to when the position of the sliding lever 80 is at the maximum collapsed position. Considering the movement range from the maximum collapsed position to the maximum upright position of the stand 36, the movement range from the maximum collapsed position to 1 / 2 of the maximum collapsed position and the movement range from the maximum upright position to the maximum collapsed position may be set as the collapsed position, and the remaining 1 / 2 to the maximum upright position may be set as the upright position, and the sliding lever 80 may be allowed to rotate when the stand 36 is in the collapsed position. By setting the collapsed position within this range, the movement of the stand 36 due to the release of the fixation between the wire 38 and the wire fixing mechanism 78 is small, so that unexpected movement of the treatment tool can be prevented.

[0118] The range of movement of the collapsed position may be from the maximum collapsed position to 1 / 3. By setting the collapsed position in this range, the movement of the stand 36 caused by the release of the fixation between the wire 38 and the wire fixing mechanism 78 can be made smaller, and unexpected movement of the treatment tool can be prevented. In addition, by including the range of movement from the maximum collapsed position to 1 / 3, the position of the sliding lever 80 when the fixation between the wire 38 and the operation unit main body 46 is released can be given a certain range, and operability when releasing the fixation can be improved.

[0119] The position or shape of the restricting portion 302 and the position or shape of the contact portion 304 are not particularly limited. As long as the restricting portion 302 and the contact portion 304 can be brought into contact with each other when the stand 36 is not in the lowered position, the position or shape can be appropriately determined based on the relative relationship between the restricting portion 302 and the contact portion 304.

[0120] In this embodiment, the connection between the sliding lever 80 and the link member 88 can be easily released by the lock release member 98, but even if the lock release member 98 is operated to release the connection, the movement of the sliding lever 80 is restricted by the restricting portion 302 when the stand 36 is in the upright state. This effectively prevents the fixation between the wire 38 and the wire fixing mechanism 78 from being released.

[0121] 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]

[0122] 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 109 Catch body guide 110 Claw part 112 Groove 114 Catch guide groove 116 Second Regulatory Surface 120 Plate-shaped part 121 Boss 122 Lever body 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 302 Regulatory Department 304 Contact part 306 Regulatory aspects 308 Gap

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 wire fixing mechanism for fixing a base end side of the erection operation wire; Equipped with The operation unit has a link member that operates in conjunction with the operation of the operation member, The wire fixing mechanism has a sliding lever that is detachably connectable to the link member, and slides via the link member in conjunction with the operation of the operating member to advance and retreat the raising operation wire in the wire axial direction, thereby rotating the treatment tool raising table between an upright position and a laid-down position, the wire fixing mechanism has a restricting portion which allows the sliding lever to move in a direction to separate from the link member when the treatment tool stand is in the lowered position, and restricts the movement of the sliding lever in the direction to separate from the link member when the treatment tool stand is not in the lowered position. Endoscope.

2. the sliding lever has an abutment portion that is restricted from moving in the removal direction, the sliding lever is slidable between a first lever position corresponding to the laid-down position and a second lever position corresponding to the upright position in response to an operation of the operating member, When the sliding lever is at the first lever position, the restricting portion is located at a position where the abutting portion cannot abut against the restricting portion, and when the sliding lever is at the second lever position, the abutting portion is located at a position where the abutting portion can abut against the restricting portion. The endoscope according to claim 1 .

3. The wire fixing mechanism includes: a wire catch that detachably engages and fixes the base end side of the standing operation wire; a catch guide that guides the wire catch in a wire axial direction of the erection operation wire; having The wire catch is movable back and forth in the wire axial direction in conjunction with the sliding of the sliding lever, The restricting portion has a restricting surface provided on the catch guide, When the sliding lever is in the second lever position, the abutment portion abuts against the restriction surface, thereby restricting the movement of the sliding lever in the removal direction. The endoscope according to claim 2.

4. The sliding lever is connected to the catch guide so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis perpendicular to the wire axial direction, the detachment direction is a rotation direction of the sliding lever about the rotation shaft, and is a rotation direction in which an end of the sliding lever connected to the link member moves in a direction away from the link member. The endoscope according to claim 3.

5. the restricting surface is located on a moving path of the contact portion when the sliding lever moves in the rotational direction. The endoscope according to claim 4.

6. The catch guide is a catch guide body that houses the wire catch; a cap for covering the catch guide body from a base end side in the wire axial direction; having The restriction surface is provided on the cap. The endoscope according to any one of claims 3 to 5.

7. The engagement between the base end side of the standing operation wire and the wire catch can be released by moving the sliding lever in the removal direction. The endoscope according to any one of claims 3 to 6.

8. The link member has a connected portion, The sliding lever has a connecting portion that is detachable from the connected portion. 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, The connected portion and the connecting portion are connected together in a state in which the link member is inserted into the lever insertion hole. The endoscope according to claim 8.

10. The sliding lever includes an unlocking member for unlocking the connection between the connected portion and the connecting portion.

10. The endoscope according to claim 8 or 9.

Images