Endoscope Flexible Tube Production via Continuous Resin Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for producing endoscope flexible tubes face challenges in achieving high insertability, as the hardness adjuster's effectiveness is reduced if the use timing is incorrect.
Innovation Solution
A method involving continuous discharge of liquid resin onto a cylindrical substrate, followed by curing, to create a flexible tube with adjustable hardness, ensuring optimal insertability by controlling the thickness of the outer sheath through varying the speed of the substrate and using multiple resin layers for enhanced flexibility and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a hardness adjuster is used to enhance insertability, then ease of insertion is improved, but insertability is reduced if the use timing or application method is incorrect
Solution Approach 1:
The resin is applied to the substrate before the final assembly stage, ensuring the hardness-adjusting layer is already in place when the flexible tube is formed. This preliminary application eliminates timing errors and ensures consistent insertability across all products.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate moves continuously through the resin discharge and curing zones, ensuring uninterrupted application of the hardness-adjusting resin. This continuous process eliminates variations that could occur with batch processing, maintaining reliable insertability.
2Productivity
If the substrate moves faster through the resin discharge zone, then productivity is improved, but the thickness uniformity of the outer sheath deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the resin discharge rate to match the substrate speed, ensuring that faster substrate movement is compensated by increased resin flow. This dynamic balancing maintains thickness uniformity across varying production speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin viscosity and discharge parameters are optimized to allow for faster substrate movement while maintaining proper coating thickness. By changing the resin flow characteristics, the system achieves both high productivity and manufacturing precision.
3Reliability
If multiple resin layers are applied to enhance flexibility and durability, then product performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple resin layers with different functional properties are combined in a single continuous coating process. The first resin layer provides base protection while the second layer enhances flexibility, achieving improved durability without requiring separate processing steps for each layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-layer resin system serves multiple functions simultaneously: the first layer provides structural integrity and protection, while the second layer provides flexibility and enhanced durability. This multi-functional approach improves product performance without proportionally increasing process complexity.
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 method enables the production of endoscope flexible tubes with high insertability, allowing for adjustable hardness and flexibility, thereby improving the ease of insertion and durability of the endoscope.
Implementation Method 1
continuously discharging a liquid resin into a film shape from an annular discharge port surrounding an axis and a side surface of a cylindrical substrate
Implementation Method 2
curing the resin covering the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a method of producing an endoscope flexible tube and the like which can realize an endoscope with high insertability. A method of producing the endoscope flexible tube including: continuously discharging a liquid resin into a film shape from an annular discharge port surrounding an axis and a side surface of a cylindrical substrate; bringing the discharged film-shape resin into contact with the entire periphery of the substrate on the downstream side of the discharge port; covering a side surface of the substrate with the resin while moving the substrate in an axial direction to separate a portion where the resin and the substrate are in contact from the discharge port; and curing the resin covering the side surface of the substrate.