PLASTIC DEFORMATION METHOD OF TIGHTLY WOUND COIL SPRING

Abstract

A plastic deformation method of a tightly wound coil spring includes a regulating process and a plastic deformation process. In the regulating process, a tightly wound coil spring is inserted into a pipe, and deformation of the tightly wound coil spring in a tightly wound coil spring radial direction is regulated by the pipe. In the plastic deformation process, a compression force is applied to the tightly wound coil spring inserted into the pipe from one end or both ends in a tightly wound coil spring axial direction. Then, a rod is inserted into the pipe from a left-end opening portion of the pipe, and the compression force is applied to the tightly wound coil spring by a pressing force of the rod.

Claims

1. A plastic deformation method of a tightly wound coil spring disposed inside an endoscope insertion portion, comprising: a regulating step of regulating deformation of the tightly wound coil spring in a coil spring radial direction; and a plastic deformation step of plastically deforming the tightly wound coil spring by applying a compression force in a coil spring axial direction to the tightly wound coil spring in a state where deformation of the tightly wound coil spring in the coil spring radial direction is regulated.

2. The plastic deformation method of a tightly wound coil spring according to claim 1, wherein in the regulating step, the tightly wound coil spring is inserted into a cylindrical body, and the deformation of the tightly wound coil spring in the coil spring radial direction is regulated by the cylindrical body.

3. The plastic deformation method of a tightly wound coil spring according to claim 2, wherein a length of the cylindrical body in a cylindrical body axial direction is configured to be longer than a length of the tightly wound coil spring in the coil spring axial direction before the compression force is applied; and in the plastic deformation step, the compression force is applied to the tightly wound coil spring inserted into the cylindrical body from one end or from both ends in the coil spring axial direction.

4. The plastic deformation method of a tightly wound coil spring according to claim 1, wherein in the plastic deformation step, a step of applying the compression force in the coil spring axial direction to the tightly wound coil spring and a step of releasing the compression force to the tightly wound coil spring are repeated at least twice or more.

5. The plastic deformation method of a tightly wound coil spring according to claim 1, wherein the tightly wound coil spring is a tightly wound coil spring for hardness adjustment which adjusts hardness of an endoscope soft portion.

6. The plastic deformation method of a tightly wound coil spring according to claim 5, wherein a wire is inserted into the tightly wound coil spring, a tip end portion of the tightly wound coil spring is connected to a tip end portion of the wire directly or indirectly and is compressed in a coil spring axial direction by a change in a relative distance in a longitudinal axis direction of the endoscope insertion portion between a base end portion of the tightly wound coil spring and a base end portion of the wire.

7. The plastic deformation method of a tightly wound coil spring according to claim 1, wherein the compression force is at least five or more times a maximum compression force in the coil spring axial direction applied to the tightly wound coil spring when an endoscope soft portion is in a linear state and the hardness of the endoscope soft portion is maximized.

8. The plastic deformation method of a tightly wound coil spring according to claim 1, wherein the tightly wound coil spring is a tightly wound coil spring for a curving operation wire guide which guides a wire performing a curving operation of an endoscope curved portion.

9. The plastic deformation method of a tightly wound coil spring according to claim 8, wherein the tightly wound coil spring is a tightly wound coil spring into which a wire for curving operation of a curved portion of the endoscope insertion portion is inserted.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an endoscope;

[0034] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a plastic deformation method of an embodiment;

[0035] FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are explanatory views over time of the plastic deformation method of the embodiment;

[0036] FIG. 4A is a sectional view of an essential part of a tightly wound coil spring before plastic deformation and FIG. 4B is a sectional view of an essential part of the tightly wound coil spring after the plastic deformation; and

[0037] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an endoscope insertion portion showing the tightly wound coil spring which guides a curving operation wire.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0038] A plastic deformation method of a tightly wound coil spring according to the present invention will be described below by referring to the attached drawings.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an endoscope 10 having a tightly wound coil spring 28 plastically deformed by a plastic deformation method of an embodiment.

[Constitution of Endoscope 10]

[0040] The endoscope 10 of the embodiment includes an operation portion 12 and an insertion portion 14 which is an endoscope insertion portion provided consecutively to the operation portion 12.

[0041] A base end side of the insertion portion 14 is provided consecutively to a tip end side of the operation portion 12 through a cover member 16 which is a bending stopper. The insertion portion 14 includes a soft portion 18 which is an endoscope soft portion, a curved portion 20 which is an endoscope curved portion, and a tip-end hard portion 22 from the base end portion to the tip end portion of the insertion portion 14.

[0042] In the endoscope 10, a hardness adjusting apparatus is provided. The hardness adjusting apparatus includes a hardness adjusting device 24 which adjusts hardness of the soft portion 18 and a hardness adjusting portion 26 which operates the hardness adjusting device 24.

<Hardness Adjusting Device 24, Hardness Adjusting Portion 26>

[0043] In FIG. 1, the insertion portion 14 is illustrated in a broken way and in order to avoid complicatedness of the drawing, the hardness adjusting device 24 including a tightly wound coil spring 28 and a wire 30 which are tightly wound coil spring for hardness adjustment is mainly illustrated.

[0044] As a method of the hardness adjusting portion 26 which changes a compressed state of the tightly wound coil spring 28, there are two methods, that is, a wire pulling method of pulling a base end portion 30A of the wire 30 to a base end side with respect to a base end portion 28A of the tightly wound coil spring 28 and a coil compression method of pushing in the base end portion 28A of the tightly wound coil spring 28 toward a tip end portion side. The tightly wound coil spring 28 used in the both methods has the wire 30 inserted inside, and the tip end portion of the tightly wound coil spring 28 is connected to a tip end portion of the wire 30 directly or indirectly as will be described later, and it is a tightly wound coil spring compressed in a coil spring axial direction by means of a change in a relative distance in a longitudinal axis direction of the insertion portion 14 between the base end portion 28A of the tightly wound coil spring 28 and a base end portion 30A of the wire 30. In the embodiment below, explanation will be made in the coil compression method.

[0045] The tightly wound coil spring 28 is provided from the soft portion 18 to the operation portion 12. Moreover, the wire 30 is provided from the soft portion 18 to the operation portion 12 and is inserted into a hollow portion of the tightly wound coil spring 28. Each of the tip end portions of the wire 30 and the tightly wound coil spring 28 is fixed to a base end portion of a relay fixture 32 by a fixing method such as brazing.

[0046] To a tip end portion of the relay fixture 32, the base end portion of the tightly wound coil spring 34 which has a short length and is a cushion member is connected, and a fixture 36 is fixed to the tip end portion of the tightly wound coil spring 34. The relay fixture 32, the tightly wound coil spring 34, and the fixture 36 are not fixed to the insertion portion 14 and thus, a tip end portion of the hardness adjusting device 24 is constituted as a free end.

[0047] On the other hand, the base end portion 30A of the wire 30 is extended to a base end side from the base end portion 28A of the tightly wound coil spring 28 and is inserted into a wire sleeve 38 and fixed. The wire sleeve 38 is fixed to a frame 42 of the operation portion 12 through a wire fixing block 40 provided on the operation portion 12 and is constituted as a fixed end.

[0048] The base end portion 28A of the tightly wound coil spring 28 is supported in contact by a compression portion 46 provided on a push ring 44. The compression portion 46 applies a compression force in a rightly wound coil spring axial direction to the tightly wound coil spring 28 by advancing the push ring 44 to the tip end side. That is, by advancing the push ring 44 to the tip end side, the tightly wound coil spring 28 is compressed in a tightly wound coil spring axial direction. Then, by retreating the push ring 44 to the base end side, the tightly wound coil spring 28 is returned to a natural length from the compressed state.

[0049] On an outer circumferential surface of the push ring 44, at least two cam pins 48 are projected. The cam pin 48 is engaged with a cam groove 54 in a cam ring 52 externally mounted on the frame 42 through a linear groove 50 provided in the frame 42. Therefore, when the cam ring 52 is rotationally moved, the push ring 44 can move forward/backward to the tip end side or to the base end side through the cam pins 48 guided by the linear grooves 50 and the cam grooves 54.

[0050] Outline constitution of the endoscope 10 and an action of the hardness adjusting apparatus have been described above. Subsequently, a plastic deformation method of the tightly wound coil spring 28 for hardness adjustment which adjusts the hardness of the soft portion 18 of the endoscope 10 will be described.

[Plastic Deformation Method of Tightly Wound Coil Spring 28]

[0051] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the plastic deformation method of the embodiment.

[0052] The plastic deformation method of the embodiment includes a regulating process (Step) S10 which regulates deformation of the tightly wound coil spring 28 in a tightly wound coil spring radial direction and a plastic deformation process S20 which plastically deforms the tightly wound coil spring 28 by applying the compression force in the tightly wound coil spring axial direction to the tightly wound coil spring 28 in a state where deformation of the tightly wound coil spring 28 in the tightly wound coil spring radial direction is regulated.

[0053] FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are explanatory views illustrating an example of the plastic deformation method of the embodiment over time.

[0054] In the regulating process S10 (see FIG. 2), as illustrated in the sectional views in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the tightly wound coil spring 28 is inserted into a pipe 60 made of metal, which is a cylindrical body, so as to regulate deformation of the tightly wound coil spring 28 in the tightly wound coil spring radial direction by an inner circumferential surface of the pipe 60. That is, only by inserting the tightly wound coil spring 28 into the pipe 60, deformation of the tightly wound coil spring 28 in the tightly wound coil spring radial direction can be regulated. Thus, the regulating process S10 can be performed with simpler facility.

[0055] The member is not limited to the pipe 60 as long as it can regulate the deformation of the tightly wound coil spring 28 in the tightly wound coil spring radial direction. For example, the deformation of the tightly wound coil spring 28 in the tightly wound coil spring radial direction may be regulated by dividing a die member including an insertion hole of the tightly wound coil spring 28 into two parts in the tightly wound coil spring axial direction and by using a semicircular groove which becomes an insertion hole, provided in each of facing surfaces of the die members. Moreover, the pipe 60 is not limited to a cylindrical shape but may be a rectangular or square tube.

[0056] Moreover, the pipe 60 is configured to have a length L1 in the cylindrical body axial direction longer than a length L2 of the tightly wound coil spring 28 in the tightly wound coil spring axial direction (X-direction in FIGS. 3A and 3B) before the compression force is applied.

[0057] Then, in the plastic deformation process S20 (see FIG. 2) subsequent to the regulating process S10, the compression force is applied from one end or both ends in the tightly wound coil spring axial direction to the tightly wound coil spring 28 inserted into the pipe 60. As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the tightly wound coil spring 28 is inserted into the pipe 60 and a right-end opening portion of the pipe 60 whose both ends are open is closed by a cap 62. Then, a rod 64 is inserted into the pipe 60 from a left-end opening portion of the pipe 60, and the compression force is applied to the tightly wound coil spring 28 by a pressing force indicated by an arrow of the rod 64. Since an outer diameter of the rod 64 is substantially equal to an outer diameter of the tightly wound coil spring 28, the tightly wound coil spring 28 can be favorably compressed in the tightly wound coil spring axial direction. The compression force may be applied to the tightly wound coil spring 28 by inserting two rods 64 from the opening portions on the both ends of the pipe 60.

[0058] According to the plastic deformation process S20 in FIG. 3B, since a whole length of the tightly wound coil spring 28 can be inserted into the pipe 60, the compression force can be applied to the tightly wound coil spring 28 in a state where meandering deformation is prevented in the whole length of the tightly wound coil spring 28.

[0059] After that, as illustrated in FIG. 3C, the cap 62 is removed from the pipe 60, and the tightly wound coil spring 28 is taken out of the pipe 60. The plastic deformation process S20 is finished as above.

[0060] As described above, the plastic deformation method of the embodiment applies the compression force in the tightly wound coil spring axial direction to the tightly wound coil spring 28 in the state where the deformation of the tightly wound coil spring 28 in the tightly wound coil spring radial direction is regulated with respect to the single body tightly wound coil spring 28. As a result, since the compression force is applied to the tightly wound coil spring 28 in the state where the meandering deformation is regulated, a high compression force can be efficiently applied to the tightly wound coil spring 28.

[0061] Thus, according to the plastic deformation method of the embodiment, durability of the tightly wound coil spring 28 can be improved with good workability with simple facility which only regulates the deformation in the tightly wound coil spring radial direction.

[0062] Moreover, it is preferable that, in the plastic deformation process S20, the compression force applied from the rod 64 to the tightly wound coil spring 28 is at least five or more times a maximum compression force in the tightly wound coil spring axial direction applied to the tightly wound coil spring 28, that is, a compression force of 1000 N or more, for example, when the soft portion 18 in FIG. 1 is brought into a linear state and hardness of the soft portion 18 is maximized by the hardness adjusting apparatus. As a result, the tightly wound coil spring 28 can be plastically deformed effectively to a deformation amount with which durability of the tightly wound coil spring 28 can be sufficiently obtained.

[0063] On the other hand, in the plastic deformation method of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-258828 or the like in which the compression force is applied to the tightly wound coil spring by pulling the wire, if the compression force at 1000 N or more is applied, the wire is disconnected due to the size of the compression force in some cases. Thus, since it is difficult for the plastic deformation method of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-258828 or the like to apply the compression force at 1000 N or more to the tightly wound coil spring, the tightly wound coil spring cannot be plastically deformed effectively.

[0064] On the other hand, according to the plastic deformation method of the embodiment, the tightly wound coil spring 28 before the plastic deformation illustrated in the sectional view of the essential part in FIG. 4A can be plastically deformed effectively as shown in the tightly wound coil spring 28 after the plastic deformation illustrated in the sectional view of the essential part in FIG. 4B.

[0065] The tightly wound coil spring 28 before the plastic deformation in FIG. 4A has its element wire 29 with a circular section in contact with the adjacent element wire 29. On the other hand, the tightly wound coil spring 28 after the plastic deformation in FIG. 4B is plastically deformed to a shape in which a part of the circular shape of its element wire 29 is crushed by the applied large compression force, and the adjacent element wires 29 are pressed into contact with each other. The sectional shape of the tightly wound coil spring 28 in FIG. 4B is an oval but it is not limited to an oval but can be plastically deformed to a flat circular shape or a long circular shape in some cases. Thus, a length L3 of the tightly wound coil spring 28 in the tightly wound coil spring axial direction after the plastic deformation illustrated in FIG. 3C is shorter than the length L2 before the plastic deformation by a portion of plastic deformation of the element wire 29 from a circular shape to an oval shape, and favorable plastic deformation is achieved.

[0066] Moreover, it is preferable that the plastic deformation process S20 repeats the process of applying the compression force in the tightly wound coil spring axial direction to the tightly wound coil spring 28 and the process of releasing the compression force to the tightly wound coil spring 28 at least twice or more. As a result, since the compression force can be efficiently applied to the tightly wound coil spring 28, the tightly wound coil spring 28 can be plastically deformed efficiently. In this case, it is preferable that the compression force is also 1000 N or more.

[0067] In the aforementioned embodiment, the plastic deformation method of the tightly wound coil spring 28 in which hardness of the endoscope soft portion is adjusted is described, but the plastic deformation method of the present invention can be also applied to a plastic deformation method of a tightly wound coil spring for curving operation wire guide which guides a wire for curving operation of the endoscope curved portion.

[0068] Here, the tightly wound coil spring for curving operation wire guide will be described in brief.

[0069] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the insertion portion 14 illustrating a tightly wound coil spring for curving operation wire guide (hereinafter referred to as a tightly wound coil spring) 72 which guides a curving operation wire 70.

[0070] A curved portion 20 includes a base 74 connected to a tip end side of the soft portion 18 and a plurality of angle rings 76 provided consecutively to the base 74. The base 74 and the angle rings 76 are consecutively connected rotatably through a pin 78, respectively, and are curved/operated by a pulling operation of the curving operation wire 70. A tightly wound coil spring 72 guides the curving operation wire 70 by being arranged on the tip end side of the soft portion 18 from the operation portion 12 and having the curving operation wire 70 inserted therein.

[0071] The aforementioned plastic deformation method of the present invention is applied to the tightly wound coil spring 72 constituted as above. That is, with respect to the single body tightly wound coil spring 72, the compression force in the tightly wound coil spring axial direction is applied to the tightly wound coil spring 72 in a state where deformation of the tightly wound coil spring 72 in the tightly wound coil spring radial direction is regulated. As a result, since the compression force is applied to the tightly wound coil spring 72 in the state where meandering deformation is regulated, a high compression force can be efficiently applied to the tightly wound coil spring 72.

[0072] Thus, according to the plastic deformation method of the embodiment, durability of the tightly wound coil spring 72 can be improved with good workability and with simple facility which only regulates the deformation in the tightly wound coil spring radial direction.

[0073] A tip end portion 72A of the tightly wound coil spring 72 is fixed to a flange portion 75 of the base 74, and a tip end portion 70A of the curving operation wire 70 is fixed to the angle ring 76 arranged on the tip end side of the curved portion 20. That is, the tip end portion 72A of the tightly wound coil spring 72 is indirectly connected to the tip end portion 70A of the curving operation wire 70 through the base 74 and the plurality of angle rings 76. Moreover, to the tightly wound coil spring 72, the compression force is applied by curving operation of the curved portion 20 by a pulling operation of the curving operation wire 70 to the base end side.

[0074] On the other hand, the tightly wound coil spring 28 for hardness adjustment and the wire 30 illustrated FIG. 1 have their respective tip end portions directly fixed to the base end portion of the relay fixture 32 by a fixing method such as brazing. Moreover, to the tightly wound coil spring 28, the compression force in the tightly wound coil spring axial direction is applied by advancing the push ring 44 to the tip end side.

[0075] That is, the tightly wound coil spring 28 for hardness adjustment illustrated in FIG. 1 and the tightly wound coil spring 72 for curving operation illustrated in FIG. 5 are common in the structure in which the wire is inserted into the tightly wound coil spring and the tip end portion of the tightly wound coil spring is connected to the tip end portion of the wire directly or indirectly and in the action of applying the compression force to the coil.

[0076] Thus, the plastic deformation method of the embodiment can be applied to the tightly wound coil spring 72 for curving operation having the common structure and action with the tightly wound coil spring 28 for hardness adjustment, and durability of the tightly wound coil spring 72 can be improved with good workability with simple facility similarly to the tightly wound coil spring 28.