The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 21, 1984
Filed:
Oct. 05, 1981
Susumu Oshiro, Iwatsuki, JP;
Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd., Omiya, JP;
Abstract
An articulated tube structure for use in an endoscope or the like consists of a number of elementary tubes connected in end-to-end relationship. Between the adjacent elementary tubes are provided springs to urge the articulated tube to bend in one direction. The endoscope is provided with a manipulating box to bend the articulated tube in a desired direction. The articulated tube is spring urged in one direction and is manipulated to bend as desired by operation of pull wires extending through the articulated tube and fixed at their end to the head of the endoscope. The springs may be composed of a series of coil springs provided around one pull wire between adjacent elementary tubes. The spring constant of the coil springs may be increased from the manipulating box to the head so as to bend the articulated tube to more extent in the portion closer to the head than the portion remote from the head.