Linear member transfer apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9827067-B2
Application number	US-201715592271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2017
Priority date	Feb 2, 2016
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A linear member transfer apparatus includes: a linear member housing portion having a bottomed cylindrical shape and including: a bottom portion; an opening; a side wall; a restriction portion that is a diaphragm disposed on a position at a predetermined distance from the bottom portion and that has an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the bottom portion; a first chamber configured to house a linear member in a wound state; and a second chamber configured to house the linear member in an extended state; a transfer portion configured to transfer the linear member; and a guide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A linear member transfer apparatus comprising:
a linear member housing portion having a bottomed cylindrical shape and comprising:
a bottom portion;
an opening disposed on a position at a predetermined distance from the bottom portion;
a side wall connecting the bottom portion and the opening;
a restriction portion that is a diaphragm disposed on a position at a predetermined distance from the bottom portion and that has an inner width smaller than an inner width of the bottom portion;
a first chamber formed by the bottom portion and the side wall, communicatively connected to the restriction portion, and configured to house a linear member in a wound state; and
a second chamber formed by the opening and the side wall, communicatively connected to the restriction portion, and configured to house the linear member in an extended state;
a transfer portion configured to transfer the linear member in a normal direction from the bottom portion toward the opening and in an opposite direction from the opening toward the bottom portion; and
a guide connecting the transfer portion and the opening and formed to expand from the transfer portion toward the opening.

2. The linear member transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer portion includes at least one roller.

3. The linear member transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a distance from the bottom portion to the restriction portion and a distance from the restriction portion to the transfer portion is 1:1 to 1:9.

4. The linear member transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
the linear member, wherein
a difference in level between the inner width of the restriction portion and the inner width of the bottom portion is equal to or greater than a radius of the linear member.

5. The linear member transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the bottom portion is formed in a round shape.

6. The linear member transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the guide houses a brush on a distal end of the linear member.

7. The linear member transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the linear member transfer apparatus can transfer the linear member to an endoscope channel, and
the linear member is a cleaning brush of an endoscope.

8. A linear member transfer apparatus comprising:
a linear member housing portion having a frustum shape and comprising:
a bottom portion;
a side wall, wherein an angle formed by the side wall and the bottom portion is smaller than 90 degrees; and
an opening disposed on a distal end of the side wall and having an inner width smaller than an inner width of the bottom portion; and

a transfer portion configured to transfer a linear member in a normal direction from the bottom portion toward the opening and in an opposite direction from the opening toward the bottom portion.

9. The linear member transfer apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the linear member housing portion has a frustoconical shape.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Iwasaki Tomokazu
• Onishi Hideto
• Ogawa Akihisa
• Tomita Masahiko
• Kim Young Chung

Classifications

• B08B9/0436 Primary

  provided with mechanical cleaning tools, e.g. scrapers, with or without additional fluid jets (B08B9/045, B08B9/047 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B2090/701

  for flexible tubular instruments, e.g. endoscopes · CPC title

• A61B90/70 Primary

  Cleaning devices specially adapted for surgical instruments · CPC title

• A61B1/012

  characterised by internal passages or accessories therefor · CPC title

• A61B1/00133

  Drive units for endoscopic tools inserted through or with the endoscope · CPC title