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:
Sep. 22, 2015
Filed:
Jul. 08, 2013
Fujifilm Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Takayuki Nakamura, Ashigarakami-gun, JP;
Tsuyoshi Ashida, Ashigarakami-gun, JP;
Yasunori Ohta, Ashigarakami-gun, JP;
Shinichi Yamakawa, Ashigarakami-gun, JP;
Charles Alan Brantingham, St. Paul, MN (US);
FUJIFILM Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An assist assembly for propulsion of a tip device of an endoscope in a body cavity includes an attachment sleeve and a support sleeve. A deformable circulation device is disposed to extend over inner and outer surfaces of the support sleeve, for endlessly moving in an axial direction of the tip device. Plural rollers are disposed on the support sleeve in a rotatable manner, for pressing an inner surface of the circulation device. An alignment projection is formed on the inner surface of the circulation device to project at a height L. A location offset prevention groove is formed in the rollers at a depth L, for receiving the alignment projection, and satisfying a condition L≧L, to prevent location offset of the circulation device from the rollers. Drive wheels tension the circulation device in cooperation with the rollers by deforming the alignment projection in the location offset prevention groove.