Endoscope with improved inserting portion

Claim 1

An endoscope comprising: an operating body; an inserting portion extending from said operating body, said inserting portion being provided with a bendable section at a forward end of said inserting portion remote from said operating body; and operating means for operating said bendable section to curve the same, said operating means including manipulating means mounted to said operating body for movement relative thereto, and at least one pair of manipulating wire means having their respective one ends operatively connected to said manipulating means, the other ends of the respective manipulating wire means being fixedly connected to substantially the vicinity of a forward end of said bendable section remote from said operating body, said bendable section including: a plurality of tubular members arranged in facing relation to each other along an axis of said inserting portion; connecting means arranged between each pair of adjacent tubular members for connecting them to each other for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the axis of said inserting portion; each of said tubular members being provided in its inner peripheral surface with a pair of recesses spaced 180 degrees from each other peripherally of the tubular member, each of the pair of recesses extending along an axis of the tubular member; and a plurality of pairs of wire guide members, each pair of wire guide members being mounted to a corresponding one of said tubular members, each pair of wire guide members being fixedly received respectively in the pair of recesses in a corresponding one of said tubular members, said pair of manipulating wire means extending respectively through the pair of wire guide members mounted to each of said tubular members.