Snake bone assembly, insert, and endoscope

Abstract

The present application discloses a snake bone assembly, an insert, and an endoscope and relates to the technical field of medical instruments. The snake bone assembly disclosed in the present application is used for an endoscope. The snake bone assembly comprises a plurality of snake bones and a pivoting member. The plurality of snake bones are sequentially connected end to end, and the snake bones are provided with tongue pieces arranged at joint parts thereof. A rotary fit is achieved between adjacent snake bones by allowing the pivoting member to penetrate the tongue pieces. Mounting holes for the pivoting member to pass through are formed in the tongue pieces. In a set of tongue pieces that cooperate with each other, at least one mounting hole comprises a positioning pivoting groove, and the positioning pivoting groove is located on the side of the mounting hole away from a free end of the corresponding tongue piece, so that during the relative rotation of adjacent snake bones, the pivoting member moves into the positioning pivoting groove to achieve a positioning fit. The described solution can be used for solving at least the problem that an active bending section using riveted snake bones has poor bending accuracy.

Description

Snake bone assembly, insertion part and endoscope Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a snake bone assembly, an insertion part, and an endoscope. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of medical technology, endoscopes have been widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. When using an endoscope, the insertion part of the endoscope needs to be inserted into the patient's body, and the distal part of the insertion part is pulled by a traction rope to make the active bending segment bend, thereby adjusting the orientation of the distal part of the insertion part to obtain image information of the target area (such as lesions).

[0003] In related technologies, the active bending section typically employs a riveted serpentine assembly, where the serpentine members are riveted together and rotated approximately using the rivets as pivots. However, in practice, riveted serpentine assemblies are often found to cause poor bending accuracy in the active bending section due to misalignment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a snake bone assembly, an insertion part, and an endoscope, which can at least solve the problem of poor bending accuracy of the active bending section of a riveted snake bone.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a snake-bone assembly for use in an endoscope.

[0006] The snake bone assembly includes multiple snake bones and a pivot member. The multiple snake bones are connected end to end in sequence, and each snake bone has a tongue at its connecting part. Adjacent snake bones achieve rotational engagement by having a pivot member pass through the tongue. The tongue has a mounting hole for the pivot member to pass through. In a set of mating tongues, at least one mounting hole includes a positioning pivot groove. The positioning pivot groove is located on the side of the mounting hole away from the free end of the corresponding tongue, so that during the relative rotation of adjacent snake bones, the pivot member moves into the positioning pivot groove to achieve positioning engagement.

[0007] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an insertion part, including the adapter frame described in the embodiments of the first aspect of this application.

[0008] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an endoscope including the insertion portion described in the embodiments of the second aspect of this application.

[0009] The technical solution adopted in this application can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0010] Compared to related technologies, the snake bone assembly disclosed in this application provides a positioning pivot groove on the side of the tongue plate opposite to its free end through the mounting hole. This allows the pivot component to be positioned and constrained within the positioning pivot groove during endoscope insertion, preventing the pivot component from changing position due to internal forces. In other words, it avoids changes in the rotation axis between snake bones during the bending process of the active bending section, thereby improving the bending accuracy of the active bending section and optimizing the surgical quality of the endoscope. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The accompanying drawings, which are provided to further illustrate this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of this application and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application.

[0012] In the attached diagram:

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the central rotating component and the snake bone in the relevant technology;

[0014] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the snake bone assembly disclosed in some embodiments of this application;

[0015] Figure 3 is an exploded view of the snake bone component disclosed in the first embodiment of this application;

[0016] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the snake bone assembly disclosed in the first embodiment of this application;

[0017] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the pivot and the snake bone disclosed in the first embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pivot and snake bone disclosed in the first embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the engagement between the pivot and the snake bone disclosed in the second embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] To facilitate understanding of the snake bone assembly, insertion part, and endoscope provided in the embodiments of this application, the relevant technologies will first be introduced in conjunction with the application scenarios below.

[0022] To address the issue of poor bending accuracy in the active bending section of riveted serpentine frames, the inventors discovered through research that this is caused by misalignment of the rivets within the riveting holes of the serpentine frame. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, riveted serpentine frames require a design with some play due to installation and usage requirements, resulting in significant play in the rivets after riveting. This manifests as a large gap between the rivet and the mounting hole wall on the tongue of the serpentine frame. During the bending process of the riveted serpentine frame, relative rotation occurs between adjacent serpentine frames, causing changes in the distribution of internal forces between adjacent serpentine frames and the rivets. Please refer to Figure 1. The rivet 200' is displaced due to the force and presses against the wall of the mounting hole 111' of the corresponding tongue 110'. The displaced rivet 200' can be referred to as the dashed circle in Figure 1. As the distribution direction of the internal force F changes, the rivet 200' will be subjected to an internal force F that is axially inclined relative to the snake bone 100'. This causes the rivet 200' to move misaligned along the wall of the mounting hole 111'. Figure 1 shows that internal forces F in different directions will cause the rivet 200' to move in different positions.

[0023] In other words, as the snake bone 100' rotates relative to the other side, the rivet 200' will continuously change position in the virtual space, which is equivalent to the rotation axis around which the snake bone 100' rotates constantly changing position. This results in the problem that the active bending section has too much flexibility but poor bending accuracy.

[0024] In view of this, some embodiments of this application provide a snake bone assembly for an endoscope.

[0025] Please refer to Figures 1 to 7. The snake bone assembly disclosed in this application includes multiple snake bones 100 and a pivot member 200. The multiple snake bones 100 are connected end to end in sequence, and each snake bone 100 has a tongue 110 provided at its connecting part. Adjacent snake bones 100 achieve rotational engagement by having a pivot member 200 pass through the tongue 110. The tongue 110 has a mounting hole 111 for the pivot member 200 to pass through. In a set of tongues 110 that cooperate with each other, at least one of the mounting holes 111 includes a positioning pivot groove 111a. The positioning pivot groove 111a is located on the side of the mounting hole 111 away from the free end of the corresponding tongue 110, so that during the relative rotation of adjacent snake bones 100, the pivot member 200 moves into the positioning pivot groove 111a to achieve positioning engagement.

[0026] The snake bone 100 is the main component of the snake bone assembly. Multiple snake bones 100 are connected end to end to achieve a certain extension length. Adjacent snake bones 100 rotate in coordination, thus achieving the bending action of the active bending section through the relative rotational movement between them. In typical applications, the snake bone assembly transmits force via a traction rope (not shown in the attached diagram) to drive the relative rotation between the snake bones 100. The traction rope passes through the rope groove 120 of the snake bone 100, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0027] Specifically, the tongue 110 of the snake bone 100 serves as a connecting structure. Adjacent tongues 110 of the snake bone 100 are connected via a pivot 200, allowing rotational movement to be achieved by using the pivot 200 as a rotation axis. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the pivot 200 includes a rod 210 and a limiting head 220. The rod 210 passes through the mounting hole 111 of the tongue 110, and the limiting head 220 provides axial limiting and stopping to the corresponding tongue 110 to prevent disengagement. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific type of the pivot 200; it can be a rivet, or a structure such as a pin that simultaneously functions as a connection and rotational engagement.

[0028] It should be understood that when the endoscope insertion part is inserted into the human cavity, due to the resistance to forward movement, the snake bones 100 will move closer together, as shown in Figure 5. The pivot member 200 will abut against the side wall of the mounting hole 111 opposite to the free end of the corresponding tongue 110, so as to bear the internal force through the wall of the mounting hole 111. As mentioned above, the rivet (equivalent to the pivot member 200 in this embodiment) of the related technology will change position after abutting against the wall of the mounting hole 111 due to the change in the direction of force, resulting in a decrease in bending accuracy.

[0029] In the embodiments of this application, the positioning pivot groove 111a is part of the mounting hole 111 and is located on the side of the mounting hole 111 away from the free end of the corresponding tongue 110. In this way, when the lens is inserted, the pivot member 200 will move into the positioning pivot groove 111a under the internal force between the snake bones 100. Due to the constraint of the internal force, the pivot member 200 will always be constrained in the positioning pivot groove 111a on the side of the tongue 110 away from its free end.

[0030] Note that the positioning pivot groove 111a in this embodiment can be positioned and engaged with the pivot member 200. In other words, the positioning pivot groove 111a can constrain and limit the pivot member 200, preventing the pivot member 200 from disengaging from the positioning pivot groove 111a. From the perspective of the entire mounting hole 111, it can be ensured that the pivot member 200 is always approximately in the same area of ​​the mounting hole 111, and will not change position within the mounting hole 111.

[0031] Of course, the snake-bone assembly in this application embodiment needs to ensure that the pivot member 200 can rotate smoothly within the positioning pivot groove 111a, while not restricting the way in which the pivot member 200 can rotate reliably. In some embodiments, a certain amount of play is also provided within the positioning pivot groove 111a, but this play is smaller than the play typically set in related technologies, that is, the rotational clearance of the pivot member 200 within the positioning pivot groove 111a is smaller, as long as it can rotate smoothly; in fact, this example can provide damping for the pivot member 200, reduce play, and also improve bending accuracy to a certain extent.

[0032] To ensure smooth relative rotation between the snake bones 100 while maintaining damping performance, in some embodiments, at least one of the contact surfaces of the pivot member 200 and the mounting hole 111 wall can be coated with a self-lubricating material. The pivot member 200 and the tongue 110 achieve rotational engagement through the self-lubricating material, thereby reducing friction and optimizing rotational performance. For example, the self-lubricating material can be graphite, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), etc.

[0033] Compared to related technologies, the snake bone assembly disclosed in this application provides a positioning pivot groove 111a on the side of the mounting hole 111 of the tongue 110 away from its free end. During the insertion of the endoscope, the pivot member 200 is positioned and constrained within the positioning pivot groove 111a, preventing the pivot member 200 from changing position due to internal forces. In other words, it can avoid changes in the rotation axis between the snake bones 100 during the bending process of the active bending section, thereby improving the bending accuracy of the active bending section and optimizing the surgical quality of the endoscope.

[0034] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the mounting hole 111 further includes a positioning pivot groove 111a located on the free end side of the corresponding tongue 110.

[0035] It should be understood that during the withdrawal of the endoscope insertion section from the body cavity, it will also encounter obstruction, and the snake bones 100 will tend to move away from each other. The pivot member 200 will typically abut against the side wall of the mounting hole 111 near the free end of the corresponding tongue 110, so as to bear the internal force through the wall of the mounting hole 111. In this example, the mounting hole 111 also has a positioning pivot groove 111a on the side near the free end of the corresponding tongue 110, which can ensure that the pivot member 200 can also be constrained and positioned on this side of the mounting hole 111, so as to prevent the pivot member 200 from changing position within the mounting hole 111 during the endoscope withdrawal operation, thereby improving the bending accuracy of the active bending section.

[0036] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the groove wall of the positioning pivot groove 111a includes two abutting surfaces 111b distributed opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the corresponding snake bone 100. The two abutting surfaces 111b are used to press against the pivot member 200 in opposite directions when the pivot member 200 is located in the positioning pivot groove 111a.

[0037] It should be understood that the structural layout of this example allows the pivot 200 to be interference-fitted with the wall of the mounting hole 111 on the tongue 110 (including the wall of the positioning pivot groove 111a) so that the pressing surface 111b provides a certain damping effect on the pivot 200, thereby preventing the pivot 200 from disengaging from the positioning pivot groove 111a. This ensures that the pivot 200 remains within the positioning pivot groove 111a and does not change position during the bending process between the snake bones 100, thereby ensuring better bending accuracy.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the pressure surface 111b is an arc-shaped surface. It should be understood that since the pressure surface 111b needs to press against the pivot 200 to provide damping, this arrangement can increase the contact area between the pressure surface 111b and the pivot 200, which can avoid significant wear caused by stress concentration, thereby ensuring the reliability of the damping effect provided by the pressure surface 111b.

[0039] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the abutment surface 111b smoothly transitions with the wall of the adjacent positioning pivot groove 111a. This arrangement avoids the formation of a sharp contact surface on the wall of the positioning pivot groove 111a, thereby reducing wear between the positioning pivot groove 111a and the pivot member 200 and extending the service life of the components of the snake-bone assembly, especially when the abutment surface 111b must contact and engage with the pivot member 200.

[0040] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7, the wall of the mounting hole 111 is provided with two stop protrusions 111c distributed opposite to each other in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the corresponding snake bone 100. The two stop protrusions 111c define a positioning pivot groove 111a. The stop protrusions 111c are used to stop and limit the pivot member 200 in the positioning pivot groove 111a.

[0041] It should be understood that in related technologies, the pivot member 200 changes position within the mounting hole 111, essentially because the pivot shaft slides along the hole wall of the mounting hole 111 due to internal forces. In this example, the positioning pivot groove 111a is defined between the hole walls of the mounting hole 111 by two stop protrusions 111c. When the relative rotation between the serpentine bones 100 causes a change in the direction of the internal force on the pivot member 200, resulting in a tendency for the pivot member 200 to slide along the hole wall of the mounting hole 111, the stop protrusions 111c can act as a barrier on both sides of the positioning pivot groove 111a to constrain the pivot member 200 to approximately the same position within the mounting hole 111. Thus, during the relative rotation between the serpentine bones 100, because the position of the pivot member 200 remains unchanged, superior bending accuracy can be ensured.

[0042] Furthermore, the stop protrusion 111c is an arc-shaped protrusion. It should be understood that because the stop protrusion 111c can prevent the pivot member 200 from disengaging from the positioning pivot groove 111a, it will press against the stop protrusion 111c during the process of the pivot member 200 moving in and out of the positioning pivot groove 111a. In this example, since the stop protrusion 111c is an arc-shaped protrusion, the wear is less during the process of the pivot member 200 spreading the two relatively distributed stop protrusions 111c, which helps to reduce the risk of damage to the components of the snake-bone assembly.

[0043] Meanwhile, since the arc-shaped protrusion exerts less resistance on the pivot 200, it is easier for the pivot 200 to pass through, which is beneficial for the pivot 200 to move in different positions to switch between different states. For example, as shown in FIG7, the mounting hole 111 is provided with positioning pivot grooves 111a on both sides near and away from the free end of the corresponding tongue 110. That is to say, during the lens advance and retraction operations, the pivot 200 will be located in different positioning pivot grooves 111a, and the stop protrusion 111c of the arc-shaped protrusion facilitates the movement of the pivot 200 in different positions.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the stop protrusion 111c smoothly transitions with the wall of the adjacent positioning pivot groove 111a. This arrangement avoids the formation of a sharp contact surface on the wall of the positioning pivot groove 111a, thereby reducing wear between the positioning pivot groove 111a and the pivot member 200 and extending the service life of the components of the snake-bone assembly.

[0045] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the tongue 110 has a thickness reduction region 112, which corresponds to the location of the positioning pivot groove 111a. It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, the positioning pivot groove 111a plays a positioning constraint role on the pivot member 200, and for the pivot member 200 to disengage from the positioning pivot groove 111a, it needs to overcome the constraint restrictions applied by the positioning pivot groove 111a, such as the pressure applied by the aforementioned pressure surface 111b, the limiting effect applied by the stop protrusion 111c, etc.

[0046] In this example, the thickness of the part where the positioning pivot groove 111a is located on the tongue 110 is reduced, that is, its thickness is smaller relative to other parts on the tongue 110. With this arrangement, the stiffness of the corresponding part of the positioning pivot groove 111a on the tongue 110 is reduced, which is conducive to the deformation of the part where the positioning pivot groove 111a is located.

[0047] It is worth noting that in the embodiments of this application, the presence of the positioning pivot groove 111a can improve the bending accuracy of the active bending section. However, the positioning constraint effect of the positioning pivot groove 111a on the pivot member 200 is not necessarily better the larger it is. If the positioning constraint effect is too large, it will be detrimental to the rotational engagement between the pivot member 200 and the tongue 110. Based on the structural layout of this example, when the pivot member 200 needs to detach from the positioning pivot groove 111a, it deforms by pressing against the groove wall of the positioning pivot groove 111a to a certain extent, and thus detaches smoothly. It is precisely because the part where the positioning pivot groove 111a is located is easier to deform in this example that the smoothness of the pivot member 200 detaching from the positioning pivot groove 111a can be optimized.

[0048] Furthermore, it is worth noting that the thickness reduction zone 112 actually reduces the contact area of ​​the tongues 110 of adjacent snake bones 100, thereby improving the smoothness of their relative rotation and compensating for the reduction in the smoothness of rotation between snake bones 100 caused by the positioning constraint effect of the positioning pivot groove 111a on the pivot member 200.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the thickness reduction zone 112 covers the entire mounting hole 111. It should be understood that the area corresponding to the mounting hole 111 is a region on the tongue 110 where the internal forces are relatively concentrated. With this arrangement, the structural stiffness distribution of various parts on the tongue 110 is more balanced, which can avoid the problem of stress concentration and reduce the probability of damage.

[0050] The embodiments of this application do not limit the formation method of the thickness reduction region 112. Exemplarily, the tongue 110 may have portions of different thicknesses, and the positioning pivot groove 111a is provided on the portion of the tongue 110 with a smaller thickness. In another embodiment, a hollowed-out groove is formed on the surface of the tongue 110, and the thickness reduction region 112 is formed by the hollowed-out groove. Exemplarily, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the hollowed-out groove can be a closed groove, which is beneficial to improving the overall strength of the tongue 110; in addition, the hollowed-out groove can also be an open groove. For example, the hollowed-out groove can extend from the edge of the tongue 110 to the part where the positioning pivot groove 111a is located. The open notch of the hollowed-out groove can be set at the position corresponding to the positioning pivot groove 111a to improve the deformation performance of the tongue 110 corresponding to the positioning pivot groove 111a.

[0051] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 to 6, the mounting hole 111 including the positioning pivot groove 111a is a strip-shaped hole extending axially along the corresponding snake bone 100. The strip-shaped hole satisfies: 0.01mm≤L1-L2≤0.03mm, where L1 is the maximum dimension distributed along the width direction of the strip-shaped hole, and L2 is the diameter of the rod 210 that mates with the pivot 200 and the strip-shaped hole.

[0052] It should be understood that the positioning pivot groove 111a of this application embodiment requires the pivot member 200 to be inserted in order to apply the positioning constraint effect. If the size of the mounting hole 111 in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the snake bone 100 is too large, it will cause the pivot member 200 to have too much play in that direction, which will increase the difficulty for the pivot member 200 to enter the positioning pivot groove 111a.

[0053] In this example, the mounting hole 111 is designed as a strip-shaped hole extending axially along the snake bone 100, and the maximum dimension of the strip-shaped hole in the width direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the snake bone 100) is configured to be 0.01mm to 0.03mm larger than the diameter of the rod 210 of the pivot member 200. This limits the movement clearance of the pivot member 200 in the width direction of the strip-shaped hole to a very small range, thereby almost eliminating the problem of play. As a result, the pivot member 200 will not have a significant positional change in the width direction of the strip-shaped hole, and will be approximately in the position corresponding to the positioning pivot groove 111a along the length direction of the strip-shaped hole, thus facilitating the reliable and smooth entry of the pivot member 200 into the positioning pivot groove 111a. Of course, the strip-shaped hole with such a layout has a smaller play in its width direction, which itself optimizes the connection stability and bending accuracy between the snake bones 100.

[0054] In some embodiments, the maximum size of the strip hole along its length (i.e., its axial direction) may be equal to or approximately the diameter of a typical circular mounting hole 111 in the related art.

[0055] The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific dimensions of the slotted hole and the pivot 200. For example, along the width direction of the slotted hole, the maximum dimension L1 of the slotted hole is 0.30mm to 0.34mm, and the diameter L2 of the rod 210 that mates with the mounting hole 111 is 0.28mm to 0.32mm. In addition, along the length direction of the slotted hole, its maximum dimension can be 0.43mm to 0.47mm.

[0056] Regarding the shape of the strip hole disclosed in the embodiments of this application, it can be a waist-shaped hole, an elliptical hole, etc.

[0057] In an embodiment where the mounting hole 111 with the positioning pivot groove 111a is a strip hole, the mating tongues 110 can be deflected relative to the pivot member 200 through the strip hole, which can further release internal force and improve the damage resistance between the snake bones 100.

[0058] In some embodiments, the tongue 110 has a guide surface 111d on the insertion side of the mounting hole 111, which is the side of the mounting hole 111 into which the pivot member 200 is inserted. Exemplarily, as shown in FIG3, the insertion side of the mounting hole 111 is located on the inner surface of the snake bone 100; of course, the insertion side of the mounting hole 111 may also be located on the outer surface of the snake bone 100.

[0059] It should be understood that the positioning pivot groove 111a in this embodiment of the application is a positioning constraint portion corresponding to the pivot member 200 within the mounting hole 111. This results in a reduction in the size of the portion of the mounting hole 111 initially used for mounting the pivot member 200, which increases the difficulty of inserting the pivot member 200 during installation. Alternatively, in some embodiments where the vacancy space of the mounting hole 111 is narrowed, the difficulty of inserting the pivot member 200 also increases. In this example, a guide surface 111d is provided on the insertion side of the mounting hole 111. The guide surface 111d facilitates the smooth insertion of the pivot member 200 into the mounting hole 111, thereby improving the ease of installation.

[0060] Note that a guide surface 111d may also be provided on the insertion side of the mounting hole 111 where the positioning pivot groove 111a is not provided.

[0061] As shown in Figure 3, the guide surface 111d is an arc-shaped surface; of course, the guide surface 111d can also be a slope or other surface shapes with guiding functions.

[0062] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, one of the mating tongues 110 is fixedly assembled with the pivot 200. With this configuration, there is no play between one of the snake bones 100 and the pivot 200, thus preventing misalignment due to play, which can improve the bending accuracy of the active bending section to a certain extent.

[0063] The corresponding tongue 110 and the pivot 200 can be fixedly assembled by means of interference fit, riveting, thread fit, etc.

[0064] In another embodiment, in a set of mating tongues 110, neither is fixedly assembled with the pivot member 200, and both have positioning pivot grooves 111a. With this arrangement, there are similar or nearly identical loose spaces on both sides of the pivot member 200 along its axial distribution, and the force distribution tends to be uniform. This can effectively avoid problems such as skeletal deviation and stress concentration caused by uneven force distribution, thereby preventing damage to the internal components of the snake-bone assembly.

[0065] Please refer to Figures 1 to 7. Some embodiments of this application provide an insertion part that includes the snake bone component mentioned in any of the foregoing solutions, thereby possessing the beneficial effects of the aforementioned snake bone component, which will not be described in detail here.

[0066] Please refer to Figures 1 to 7. Some embodiments of this application provide an endoscope that includes the aforementioned insertion portion, thereby possessing the beneficial effects of the aforementioned insertion portion, which will not be described in detail here.

[0067] The endoscopes involved in the embodiments of this application may be bronchoscopes, pyeloscopes, esophagoscopes, gastroscopes, colonoscopes, otoscopes, rhinoscopes, oral endoscopes, laryngoscopes, colposcopes, laparoscopes, arthroscopes, etc. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the types of endoscopes.

[0068] The above embodiments of this application focus on describing the differences between the various embodiments. As long as the different optimization features between the various embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form a better embodiment. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0069] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A snake-bone assembly for an endoscope, characterized in that, The snake bone assembly includes multiple snake bones and a pivot, wherein: The multiple snake bones are connected end to end in sequence, and each snake bone has a tongue at its connecting part. The adjacent snake bones achieve rotational engagement by the pivot passing through the tongue. The tongue has a mounting hole for the pivot member to pass through. In a set of mating tongues, at least one of the mounting holes includes a positioning pivot groove. The positioning pivot groove is located on the side of the mounting hole away from the free end of the corresponding tongue, so that the pivot member moves into the positioning pivot groove to achieve positioning and mating during the relative rotation of adjacent snake bones.

2. The snake bone assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The groove wall of the positioning pivot groove includes two abutting surfaces distributed opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the corresponding snake bone. The two abutting surfaces are used to press against the pivot member in opposite directions when the pivot member is located in the positioning pivot groove. And / or, the wall of the mounting hole is provided with two stop protrusions distributed opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the corresponding snake bone, the two stop protrusions defining the positioning pivot groove, and the stop protrusions being used to stop and limit the pivoting member in the positioning pivot groove.

3. The snake bone assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pressing surface is an arc-shaped surface, and / or the pressing surface smoothly transitions to the wall of the adjacent positioning pivot groove.

4. The snake bone assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The stop protrusion is an arc-shaped protrusion, and / or the stop protrusion smoothly transitions with the wall of the adjacent positioning pivot groove.

5. The snake bone assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The tongue has a thickness reduction area, which is provided at the location of the positioning pivot groove.

6. The snake bone assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The mounting hole, including the positioning pivot groove, is a strip-shaped hole extending axially along the corresponding snake bone. The strip-shaped hole satisfies the following: 0.01mm≤L1-L2≤0.03mm, where L1 is the maximum dimension distributed along the width direction of the strip-shaped hole, and L2 is the diameter of the rod body that mates with the pivot member and the strip-shaped hole.

7. The snake bone assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The mounting hole also includes the positioning pivot groove located on the free end side of the corresponding tongue piece; And / or, at least one of the contact surfaces of the pivot and the mounting hole wall is coated with a self-lubricating material.

8. The snake bone assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The tongue has a guide surface on the insertion side of the mounting hole, and the insertion side of the mounting hole is the side of the mounting hole into which the pivot is inserted; And / or, in a set of mutually cooperating tongues, one of them is fixedly assembled with the pivot.

9. An insertion part, characterized in that, The snake bone assembly includes any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. An endoscope, characterized in that, Includes the insertion portion as described in claim 9.

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