Endoscope having crimped and soldered cable terminator

• US 5,435,296 A
• Filed: 06/11/1993
• Issued: 07/25/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Inspection Technologies LP (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Vivenzio, Robert L., Krauter, Allan I., Kehoskie, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MULCAHY, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US08/075,330
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 140/76, 29/515, 228/132-135, 165/47, 74/502.3-502.6, 403/265, 403/274, 403/275, 128/4, 128/6, 604/95, 174/84 C
• US Class Current: 600/146
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0055 Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements

Abstract

An Endoscope having at least one control cable wherein a helically wound cylindrical spring is passed over one end of the cable and is crimped into deforming contact against the cable. Melted solder is flowed over and through the spring to wet the spring and the cable surfaces. The solder is allowed to solidify thus creating a strong joint between the cable and the spring.

Claims

1. An endoscope having an insertion tube with a bending section at its distal end, said insertion tube further including

a viewing head contained at the distal end of the insertion tube in front of the bending section,

a stop plate positioned between the viewing head and the bending section,

at least one control cable having a distal end that passes through both the bending section and the stop plate, and

terminating means mounted on the distal end of the cable adjacent the stop plate, the terminating means including a helically wound spring that is mounted entirely upon the distal end of the cable and is crimped inwardly along its entire axial length to form a first mechanical joint against the cable and open spaces between adjacent turns of the spring, and a flowable bonding material filling the spaces between the cable and the spring to form a fused bond second joint between the spring and the cable.

2. The endoscope of claim 1 that further includes an end plate having a central hole therein that is mounted on said cable between said spring and said stop plate, and said end plate being crimped into contact with said cable and being joined to said spring and said cable by said bonding material.

3. The endoscope of claim 1 wherein said spring is formed of a strand of wound stainless steel.

4. The endoscope of claim 1 wherein the distal end of the spring and the wire are trimmed to form a substantially flat end face.

5. The endoscope of claim 4 wherein the substantially flat end face is covered with said bonding material.

6. The endoscope of claim 1 that further includes a plurality of cables that pass through the bending section and the stop plate.

7. The endoscope of claim 1 wherein said bonding material is solder.

8. The endoscope of claim 1 wherein said cable is formed of wrapped wire strands and the bonding material fills the spaces between the wire strands to further enhance the joint between the cable and the spring.

9. The endoscope of claim 1 wherein the spring is crimped into a triangular cross sectional configuration.