Joint structure composed of flexible tubing and a handling apparatus comprising such a joint structures
First Claim
1. A joint structure consisting of flexible tubing and another member;
- the flexible tubing is constructed of a metal wire element wound in to a coil;
the joint structure comprises;
1) a welded joint joining the end of the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tubing to the end of the other member by welding all or part of the joint; and
2) spot welds joining together adjoining turns of the coil in the vicinity of the welded joint by irradiating a laser beam onto a number of separate spots extending over the adjoining turns.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The joint structure of the present invention includes a flexible tube constructed of a coil-wound metal wire element and of another member. This other member includes 1) a main joint joining the end of the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube to the end of the other member by laser welding either part or all of the main joint; and 2) spot welds joining together adjacent turns of the coil in the vicinity of the main joint by irradiating a laser beam onto a plurality of separate spots extending over the adjacent turns. A handling device for use in endoscopes having such a structure and a similar structure, in which the other member is also a flexible tube either softer or harder than the above flexible tube, is also discussed. Adjacent turns of the coil in the vicinity of each of the welded joints are laser spot-welded at a number of spots, thereby strengthening the thermally affected regions during the laser welding of the joints and increasing the rigidity of the region. This compensates for the lowering of the elastic limit in the vicinity of the welded joints, thereby preventing plastic deformation or buckling in the flexible tubes in the thermally affected regions under a strong bending force.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A joint structure consisting of flexible tubing and another member;
- the flexible tubing is constructed of a metal wire element wound in to a coil;
the joint structure comprises;
1) a welded joint joining the end of the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tubing to the end of the other member by welding all or part of the joint; and
2) spot welds joining together adjoining turns of the coil in the vicinity of the welded joint by irradiating a laser beam onto a number of separate spots extending over the adjoining turns. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- the flexible tubing is constructed of a metal wire element wound in to a coil;
- 8. A handling device for use in endoscopes, comprising one soft flexible tube and one hard flexible tube, each constructed of a metal wire element wound into a coil, the outer peripheral-surface ends of the flexible tubes being connected together by laser welding, adjoining turns of the coil of at least the soft flexible tube being joined together by means of laser spot welding at a number of spots, the adjacent turns including the turn at the joined ends.
- 15. A handling device for use in endoscopes, comprising a flexible tube constructed of a metal wire element wound into a coil and a leading metal member, the outer peripheral-surface end of the flexible tubing and the leading metal member being joined together by laser welding, adjoining turns of the coil of the flexible tubing being joined together by means of laser spot welding at a number of spots, the adjoining turns including the turn at the connected surface end of the flexible tubing
Specification