| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To variously set the bending shape of a bend by varying variously the length in the axial direction of plural nodal rings for constituting the bend without setting it to the same. CONSTITUTION:In this endoscope in which the bend is formed by connecting plural pieces of roughly cylindrical nodal rings so that the relative motion is executed freely, and also, an operating wire is inserted into a wire guide provided on the nodal ring, and the bend is curved by operating the operating wire, for instance, in the nodal rings 11, 11a, 11b,..., a distance between a tip side joint 15 and a rear end side joint 15a of the nodal ring 11a is set to the shortest one in the nodal rings 11a-11d for constituting this bend 4, and this distance is lengthened toward the rear end of the bend 4. That is, A1<B1<C1<D1. Consequently, when the tensile length of the operating wire 9 is made larger than an ordinary one in which the overall length of the bend and the number of joints are equal, and also, inter-joint distances of each nodal ring are all equal, the nearer the nodal ring is to the tip part 1, the smaller the radius of curvature of the bend becomes and a small turning is attained. |
