Suction control device for an endoscope

Claim 1

In an endoscope having a suction control device for selectively connecting a passageway and a suction tube of said endoscope, comprising: a control device having a channel; an outer cylinder connected with said channel at one end thereof and having an opening at the other end thereof to and communicating with the atmosphere; an inner cylinder having two faced; said cylinder open at either end face thereof and inserted in and coupled to said outer cylinder so as to have one end thereof located inside said outer cylinder and being movable longitudinally between a first position and a second position, a space being defined between an outer peripheral surface of said inner cylinder and an inner peripheral surface of said outer cylinder; a first engaging portion including a first tapered portion formed on one end face of said inner cylinder; a second engaging portion means including a second tapered portion formed on said inner peripheral surface of said outer cylinder so as to come into angular abutting contact with the first tapered portion of said inner cylinder to cut off the communication between said space and said channel when said inner cylinder is moved to said first position; a coupling member disposed on said other end of said outer cylinder so as to cut off said space from the atmosphere and supporting said inner cylinder so as to allow said space to communicate with said channel in said second position; and means for connecting said suction tube with said space between said coupling member and said first engaging portion, said outer cylinder having a communication hole for connecting said space with the atmosphere between said coupling member and said first engaging portion.