Bending structural body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12296467-B2
Application number	US-202118034047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2021
Priority date	Oct 30, 2020
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

The bending structural body comprises: an inner cylinder that is formed from a first inner coil part and a first outer coil part, and in which wound parts corresponding to the first inner coil part are respectively fitted to pitches between adjacent wound parts of the first outer coil part; an outer cylinder that covers at least some of the outer circumference of the inner cylinder with a space therebetween, that is formed from a second inner coil part and a second outer coil part, and in which wound parts corresponding to the second inner coil part are respectively fitted to pitches between adjacent wound parts of the second outer coil part; and drive wires and guide wires that are guided and axially inserted into the space between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bending structural body, comprising:
an inner cylinder which comprises a first inner coil part and a first outer coil part, and in which wound parts corresponding to the first inner coil part are fitted to spaces between adjacent wound parts of the first outer coil part;
an outer cylinder which covers at least part of an outer circumference of the inner cylinder with a space therebetween and comprises a second inner coil part and a second outer coil part, and in which wound parts corresponding to the second inner coil part are fitted to spaces between adjacent wound parts of the second outer coil part; and
wires which are inserted into and guided by the space between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder in an axial direction; and
edge members attached to both ends of either one or both of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder,
wherein each of the edge members has a first insertion hole penetrated therethrough for inserting the wires.

2. The bending structural body according to claim 1 , comprising a flexible member inserted through the first inner coil part of the inner cylinder,
wherein each of the edge members has a second insertion hole for inserting the flexible member.

3. The bending structural body according to claim 2 , wherein the wires comprise a drive wire for driving one of the edge members with respect to another one of the edge members, and a guide wire provided on both sides of the drive wire in a circumferential direction to limit a path of the drive wire.

4. The bending structural body according to claim 2 , wherein the first inner and outer coil parts of the inner cylinder and the second inner and outer coil parts of the outer cylinder are reversely wound to each other.

5. The bending structural body according to claim 1 , wherein the wires comprise a drive wire for driving one of the edge members with respect to another one of the edge members, and a guide wire provided on both sides of the drive wire in a circumferential direction to limit a path of the drive wire.

6. The bending structural body according to claim 5 , wherein the first inner and outer coil parts of the inner cylinder and the second inner and outer coil parts of the outer cylinder are reversely wound to each other.

7. The bending structural body according to claim 5 , wherein either one or both of the drive wire and the guide wire are current-carrying paths.

8. The bending structural body according to claim 5 , wherein the first inner and outer coil parts of the inner cylinder and the second inner and outer coil parts of the outer cylinder are reversely wound to each other.

9. The bending structural body according to claim 1 , wherein the first inner and outer coil parts of the inner cylinder and the second inner and outer coil parts of the outer cylinder are reversely wound to each other.

Assignees

• Nhk Spring Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hirata Takafumi
• Hotoda Yuki
• Inaba Masahiro
• Hayakawa Yuki

Classifications

• B25J9/104

  with cables, chains or ribbons · CPC title

• A61B34/71

  Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms · CPC title

• A61B34/30

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• B25J18/06 Primary

  flexible · CPC title