Articulated Endoscope Bending Section for Easier Bowden Cable Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscopes with dual bending sections have complex and complicated manufacturing due to the termination of Bowden cables deep inside the bending section body, which affects the ease of production and assembly.
Innovation Solution
An articulated bending section body with specialized interface segments that accommodate Bowden cables, featuring through passages and recesses for tube termination, allowing for easier manufacturing and integration of pull-wires, and ensuring harmonized material thickness for improved injection molding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tube of the Bowden cable is terminated deep inside the bending section body, then the structural integrity and maneuverability of the endoscope are maintained, but the manufacturing complexity and difficulty of molding as a single item increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The bending section body is divided into multiple segments (first bending section, second bending section, third bending section) with through passages for pull-wires. This segmentation allows the tube to be terminated at a specific interface segment rather than deep inside the entire bending section body, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining structural integrity through the segmented design that preserves force transmission pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
An interface segment is introduced as an intermediary component between the bending sections. This interface segment provides a dedicated location for terminating the tube of the Bowden cable, serving as a mediator that allows easy termination access without requiring deep penetration into the bending section body, thus reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If the tube is terminated deep inside the bending section body, then the pull-wire system functions properly, but the molding process becomes more complicated and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bending section body is segmented into multiple sections with through passages, allowing the tube termination to occur at an interface segment rather than deep inside. This segmentation maintains pull-wire functionality by preserving continuous pathways through the bending sections while simplifying the molding process by providing a accessible termination point.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface segment is designed with pre-formed features (such as recesses or attachment points) that accommodate tube termination before the final assembly. This preliminary preparation of the termination location simplifies the overall manufacturing process by eliminating the need for complex deep-hole molding operations while ensuring proper pull-wire system functionality.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
An endoscope with an articulated bending section body (1) comprising number of segments including a proximal end segment (2), a distal end segment (3) and a number of intermediate segments (4, 4', 4i) arranged between the proximal segment (2) and the distal segment (3). Each intermediate segment (4, 4', 4i) comprises at least one through passage for a pull-wire (7). The intermediate segments comprise (4, 4', 4i) at least one interface segment (4i) adapted to receive and retain the distal end of a tube (8) surrounding said at least one pull-wire (7).