Surgery – Endoscope – Universal cord connector device for endoscope functions
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-15
2004-03-02
Mulcahy, John (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Endoscope
Universal cord connector device for endoscope functions
C600S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06699181
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector device for an endoscope, and more particularly to a connector device for an endoscope provided at the distal end portion of a universal cable of an electronic endoscope, provided with a control cable to be connected to a processor, and a light guide bar to be connected to a light source device.
2. Description of the Related Art
At the distal end portion of an insertion portion of an endoscope, there is disposed an irradiation window, and inside the irradiation window, a light guide obtained by bundling extra-fine optical fibers is connected. The light guide is inserted from the insertion portion to an on-hand operating unit, and is further inserted into a universal cable which extends from the on-hand operating unit. Thus, the light guide is inserted into a light guide bar of a light guide connector (hereinafter, referred to as LG connector) provided at the distal end portion of the universal cable to be fixed. Therefore, the light guide bar is connected to a light source device, whereby an irradiation light from the light source device is transmitted through the light guide, and is irradiated toward a portion to be observed through an irradiation window. The electronic endoscope device picks up the portion to be observed with a solid state imaging device (e.g., charge-coupled device: CCD), and image-processes an electric signal to be outputted from the CCD by a processor to display an observed image on a monitor TV.
As shown in
FIG. 14
, a conventional LG connector is composed of a case body
1
having an aperture
1
A, a lid
2
which covers the aperture
1
A of the case body
1
, and the like. On the case body
1
, the light guide bar
3
which is connected to the light source device, is projectedly provided and an end portion of the universal cable
4
to be connected to the on-hand operating unit, and an end portion of a control cable
5
to be connected to the processor are fixed to the case body
1
. This LG connector is assembled by fastening a screw (not shown) to a threaded hole
1
B through a hole
2
A to secure the lid
2
to the case body
1
by screws. Since the endoscope is dipped in a liquid medicine and is washed after use, it is necessary to reliably maintain the watertightness of the LG connector. Thus, between the case body
1
and the lid
2
, there is provided packing
6
and the lid
2
is secured to the case body
1
by screws to thereby obtain the watertightness of the LG connector.
Since, however, the LG connector shown in
FIG. 14
has a large aperture
1
A of the case body
1
, there has been a problem that it is difficult to reliably obtain the watertightness because of fitting error of the packing
6
, manufacturing error of the case body
1
and the lid
2
and the like.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-66024 discloses a connector device for an endoscope which has solved the above-described problem. This connector device for an endoscope is, as shown in
FIG. 15
, composed of a proximal portion
7
equipped with a light guide bar
3
, a case body
8
having an aperture
8
A to be covered with the proximal portion
7
, and the like. The aperture
8
A is smaller than the aperture
1
A of
FIG. 14
, and the aperture
8
A is fitted in a groove formed at the proximal portion
7
. Thus, the problem can be solved concerning the watertightness caused by the connector of FIG.
14
. In this respect, a universal cable
4
and a control cable
5
are inserted into mounting holes
8
B,
8
C formed in a case body
8
respectively, and are connected to the proximal portion
7
. This connector is assembled by causing, after the case body
8
is caused to slide on the proximal portion
7
side, mounting rings
9
A,
9
B to threadedly engage end portions of the universal cable
4
and the control cable
5
respectively.
In the connector device for an endoscope specified in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-66024, however, when installing the case
8
to the proximal portion
7
, it is necessary to seal two cables: the universal cable
4
and the control cable
5
, and the case body
8
, but this sealing structure has not been disclosed.
Also, as shown in
FIG. 17
, a light guide bar
101
is projectedly provided on a case
102
for the LG connector. The light guide bar
101
is formed in a cylindrical shape, and at the distal end portion, there is disposed an LG window glass
103
. A light guide
104
is pushed into the light guide bar
101
through an insertion port
105
, and after inserted to the position of the LG window glass
103
, is fixed by a setscrew
106
.
Since, however, the insertion port
105
of the light guide bar
101
is located at a back position difficult to be recognized, the light guide
104
had to be pushed in by touch. For this reason, the conventional LG connector has a defect that it takes time to install the light guide
104
.
Also, when the distal end portion of the light guide
104
is not smoothly inserted into the light guide bar
101
, but strikes against the case
102
, there is a fear of the light guide
104
being damaged. When the light guide
104
has been damaged, there arises a disadvantage that a quantity of light of the irradiation light to be irradiated through the irradiation window decreases. Also, in an endoscope in which one light guide
104
is branched off into two to irradiate through two irradiation windows, the damage to the light guide
104
also causes a disadvantage that quantity of light of the irradiation light to be irradiated through these two irradiation windows will get out of balance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed in view of the above-described circumstances, and has as its object the provision of a connector device for an endoscope capable of obtaining the watertightness between the case body of the connector device and the cable, and improving the assembly workability.
Also, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector device for an endoscope capable of easily installing the light guide to the light guide bar without damaging the light guide.
In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention is directed to a connector device for an endoscope, wherein: a first cable to be connected to an endoscope on-hand operating unit and a second cable to be connected to a controller which processes a signal are coupled on a first side of a proximal portion of the connector device; a light guide bar to be coupled to a light source device is provided on a second side of the proximal portion of the connector device; the first side of the proximal portion is watertightly sealed with a case body which has an insertion port of the first cable and an insertion port of the second cable; the case body and one of the first cable and the second cable are sealed by a first sealing member provided on an outer peripheral surface of the one of the first cable and the second cable; and the case body and the other one of the first cable and the second cable are sealed by a second sealing member provided on a surface orthogonal to an axis of the other one of the first cable and the second cable.
According to the present invention, the structure is arranged such that of two cables: the first cable and the second cable, one cable and the case body are sealed by the outer peripheral surface of the one cable, and the other cable and the case body are sealed by a surface orthogonal to the axis thereof. With such a structure, the assembly property can be improved without deteriorating the watertightness.
Also, in order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention is directed to a connector device for an endoscope, having a light guide bar provided at the end portion of the endoscope cable, which is connected to the light source device, constructed such that the end portion of the light guide inserted into the endoscope cable is inserted into the light guide bar, wherein the connector device is provided with a guide member whi
Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
Harness & Dickey & Pierce P.L.C.
Mulcahy John
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