Locking mechanism for an endoscope

Claim 2

In an endoscope comprising an endoscopic pipe having a manipulating terminal thereon, said manipulating terminal having mounted thereon an eyepiece member, a light-guide mounting member, an instrument insertion member and a handling forceps insertion member, the improvement which comprises: said handling forceps insertion member has a gas injection member and a locking mechanism mounted thereon, said locking mechanism being adapted for locking a handling forceps in position, said locking mechanism comprising a casing through which extends said handling forceps insertion member, said casing and said handling forceps insertion member having slits in corresponding portions thereof which slits communicate with each other, a lever and pivot means mounting the middle portion of said lever on said casing between the sidewalls of the slit thereof, so that said lever can be pivoted into said handling forceps insertion member, said lever having a front end portion which is adapted to lock in position a handling forceps which has been inserted in said handling forceps insertion member.

Claim 3

In an endoscope comprising an endoscopic pipe having a manipulating terminal thereon, said manipulating terminal having mounted thereon an eyepiece member, a light-guide mounting member, an instrument insertion member and an elongated handling forceps insertion member, the improvement which comprises: said handling forceps insertion member has a gas injection member and a locking mechanism mounted thereon, said locking mechanism being adapted for locking a handling forceps in position, said locking mechanism comprising a casing through which extends said handling forceps insertion member, said casing and said handling forceps insertion member having lateral slits in corresponding portions thereof which slits communicate with each other and extend at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of said handling forceps insertion member, said slit in said casing having opposed side walls having arcuate grooves therein, a pin extending across said slit in said casing and having end portions slidably mounted in said grooves, a lever having a front end mounted on said pin for movement therewith, a pressing member mounted on said pin for pivotal movement so that said pressing member can be pivoted by said lever into said handling forceps insertion member, said lever having a pressing portion which is adapted to lock in position a handling forceps which has been inserted in said handling forceps insertion member.

Claim 4

In an endoscope comprising an endoscopic pipe having a manipulating terminal thereon, said manipulating terminal having mounted thereon an eyepiece member, a light-guide mounting member, an instrument insertion member and an elongated handling forceps insertion member, the improvement which comprises: said handling forceps insertion member has a gas injection member and a locking mechanism mounted thereon, said locking mechanism being adapted for locking a handling forceps in position, said locking mechanism comprising a casing through which extends said handling forceps insertion member, said casing and said handling forceps insertion member having lateral slits in corresponding portions thereof which slits communicate with each other and extend at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of said handling forceps insertion member, said slit in said casing having opposed side walls having arcuate grooves therein, a pin extending across said slit in said casing and having end portions slidably mounted in said grooves, a lever having a front end mounted on said pin for movement therewith, a pressing member mounted on said pin for pivotal movement so that said pressing member can be pivoted by said lever into said handling forceps insertion member, said lever having a pressing portion which is adapted to lock in position a handling forceps which has been inserted in said handling forceps insertion member.