Watertight cap for endoscope

• US 6,582,361 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirano, Sota
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda C. M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAM, JOCELYN DEBRA
• Application Number:
  US09/960,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20020040180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 600/133, 600/132, 600/154, 600/155, 215/246, 215/307, 215/310
• US Class Current: 600/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00137 End pieces at either end of the endoscope, e.g. caps, seals or forceps plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/121 provided with means for cleaning post-use

Abstract

When washing the electronic endoscope, a cleaning liquid that has flowed into a space between a shell of an electric connector and an external cylinder of a watertight cap does not reach a connector pin that resides inside the shell since an O-ring seals an internal cylinder of the watertight cap and the shell. The cleaning liquid is discharged to the outside of the watertight cap through discharge holes, which are formed between the external cylinder and the internal cylinder.

Claims

1. A watertight cap which is detachably attached to a connector of an endoscope, the watertight cap comprising:

an external cylinder having an engaging part being detachably engaged with an outer periphery of a shell member provided around a connector pin of the connector; and

an internal cylinder arranged inside the external cylinder, an end of the internal cylinder being closed, the internal cylinder having a seal member being pressed against an inner periphery of the shell member,

wherein a discharge hole opening to outside is formed between the external cylinder and the internal cylinder when the watertight cap is attached on the connector.

2. The watertight cap as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the shell member of the connector comprises a release sleeve arranged outside thereof for releasing an engagement between the shell member and the engaging part of the external cylinder;

the external cylinder has an external form having a small diameter part except the engaging part; and

a discharge passage is formed between the small diameter part and the release sleeve.