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:
Mar. 30, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 04, 1997
Rudolf Heimberger, Oberderdingen, DE;
Richard Wolf GmbH, Knittlingen, DE;
Abstract
A control device serves the steering of the distal end of an endoscope, this being by operating control cables running to the distal end of the endoscope by way of a handle. The control device is accomodated by a control housing at the proximal end of the endoscope and has an adjusting and braking mechanism for adjusting and fixing the distal endoscope end as well as further as a handle, a lever which is to be operable with one hand and which serves as a combined braking and control member. This lever, from a first position, can be rotated about an axis wherein it acts upon the control cables via a shaft connected to the handle as well as via an insert rotatably mounted in the housing and connected to the shaft, and in a second position together with the insert can be fixed against rotation by way of a friction fit via a brake effective between the control housing and the insert. The lever comprises a locking member which is operable by hand and which effects an axial offset of the shaft and the insert in the direction of the mentioned axis, wherein on operating the locking member in one direction, the insert can be brought into frictional engagement with a stationary braking element and by way of this the distal endoscope end is fixed in its respective position.