Flexible Advancing Tip for Endoscope Cable Connector
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cable connectors for endoscope apparatuses face difficulties in safely navigating the elongated tube during assembly, as the terminal and land patterns are prone to damage due to collisions with the inner surface, making it challenging to connect signal lines to the control unit effectively.
Innovation Solution
A cable connector with a circuit board featuring an advancing tip that is flexible and tapers in width, allowing safe passage through the elongated tube, along with a tear line for easy removal after insertion, and cutouts to prevent interference with the socket connector, ensuring the conductive land and terminal patterns are protected and correctly aligned.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cable connector is made rigid for structural stability, then the terminal pattern and land pattern are more stable, but the connector cannot safely navigate the elongated tube during assembly without collision damage
Solution Approach 1:
The cable connector is divided into two functional segments: a rigid body containing the terminal pattern and land pattern for structural stability, and a separate flexible advancing tip for safe navigation through the elongated tube. This segmentation allows each part to fulfill its specific function without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible advancing tip acts as an intermediary element between the rigid cable connector body and the elongated tube. It absorbs collision forces and protects the terminal pattern and land pattern from damage during the assembly process while allowing the rigid body to maintain its structural integrity.
2Length of moving object
If the cable connector width is reduced to pass through the elongated tube, then the connector can be inserted, but the terminal pattern and socket connector cannot be properly connected
Solution Approach 1:
The cable connector is designed with differential dimensional characteristics: the advancing tip has reduced width in the lateral dimension to pass through the elongated tube, while the rigid body maintains sufficient width in the same dimension to enable proper connection with the socket connector. The tear line provides a dimensional transition mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible advancing tip performs the preliminary action of navigating through the elongated tube first, protecting the terminal pattern during insertion. After successful passage, the tear line is severed to remove the tip, allowing the terminal pattern to be properly connected with the socket connector without interference.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the cable connector is designed with flexible material for safe passage, then the connector can navigate the tube without collision, but the terminal pattern and land pattern lose structural stability
Solution Approach 1:
The cable connector is segmented into a flexible advancing tip for collision-free navigation and a rigid body for structural stability of the terminal pattern and land pattern. Each segment is optimized for its specific function through material and structural differentiation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the cable connector have different material properties: the advancing tip is made of flexible material localized for safe passage, while the body containing the terminal pattern and land pattern is made of rigid material for structural stability. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between flexibility and rigidity requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscope apparatus includes an elongated tube, a imaging unit in the elongated tube, and a cable structure, including plural signal lines, having first and second ends, the first end being connected to the imaging unit. A cable connector is connected with the second end, and couplable with a socket connector connectively. The cable connector includes a circuit board having a width in a manner passable through the elongated tube in an axial direction. A conductive land is formed on the circuit board, and coupled to the second end. A terminal pattern is formed on the circuit board, for connective coupling by reception in the socket connector. An advancing tip is formed on a front side of the circuit board in the axial direction, for initially advancing upon entry of the circuit board in the elongated tube, to enable the conductive land and the terminal pattern to pass safely.