Endoscope Cap with Cantilever Piece for Deformation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscopes face challenges in preventing deformation of the cap due to loads applied during treatment tool elevation or guidewire extraction, while also ensuring easy removal of the cap.
Innovation Solution
The endoscope design incorporates a cap with a cantilever piece that elastically bends, featuring a stopper-target portion and a fulcrum portion, allowing for easy removal by applying a pressing force and preventing deformation under load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the cap is made rigid to prevent deformation under load, then the cap can withstand loads during treatment tool elevation, but the cap becomes difficult to remove by finger pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is segmented into a rigid main body and a flexible cantilever piece portion, allowing different regions to have different mechanical properties. The main body maintains rigidity to resist deformation under load, while the cantilever piece is designed to be flexible for easy removal by finger pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the cap have different local qualities: the main body is made rigid to withstand loads during treatment tool elevation and guidewire extraction, while the cantilever piece is made flexible to enable easy removal by finger pressing. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between strength and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If the cap is made flexible to enable easy removal, then the cap can be removed by finger pressure, but the cap deforms under load during treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into a rigid main body and a flexible cantilever piece. The main body maintains structural integrity and rigidity to prevent deformation under load, while the cantilever piece is designed to be flexible for easy removal operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap exhibits local quality differentiation where the main body is rigid to resist deformation during treatment, while the cantilever piece is flexible to allow easy removal by finger pressure. This resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and strength.
3Ease of operation
If the cap structure is simplified for easy removal, then the cap can be easily removed, but the cap cannot sufficiently suppress deformation under load
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is segmented into a rigid main body structure and a flexible cantilever piece structure. This segmentation allows the main body to provide sufficient strength to suppress deformation under load, while the cantilever piece provides easy removal capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different local qualities are assigned to different parts of the cap: the main body has high rigidity to suppress deformation under load, while the cantilever piece has low rigidity to enable easy removal. This resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and strength.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design effectively suppresses cap deformation due to applied loads and facilitates easy removal, enhancing the functionality and reliability of the endoscope.
Implementation Method 1
a cantilever piece 90 that is formed on the wall portion 34B and that elastically bends
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an endoscope including a cap that can suppress deformation due to a load and that is easily removable. The endoscope incudes a distal-end-portion body and a cap that is removably attached to the distal-end-portion body and that has an open window. The cap includes a cantilever piece that is formed on a wall portion on at least one of sides facing each other with the open window therebetween and that elastically bends, the cantilever piece having a fixed end and a free end and the cantilever piece including a stopper-target portion that is provided at the free end. The distal-end-portion body includes a stopper portion on a side facing the cantilever piece, the stopper portion engaging with the stopper-target portion. The stopper-target portion is removable from the stopper portion.