PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope for eliminating discomfort in insertion due to the meander of a coil spring.SOLUTION: A soft part of an endoscope incorporates a hardness variable member 35 for changing bending hardness. The hardness variable member 35 includes a wire 31 and a coil spring 33 to be relatively moved in response to the operation of a hardness adjustment knob, so as to change the bending hardness by applying compression force to the coil spring 33. When the compression force is increased, the coil spring 33 meanders. When the coil spring 33 meanders, the soft part changes radial-directional bending hardness at multiple positions in an axial direction at the same position in the axial direction. A hardness adjustment range capable of changing the bending hardness of the soft part is allowed to be equal to or less than the hardness immediately before the coil spring starts meandering in the soft part. Then, the coil spring does not meander so as to eliminate discomfort in insertion.COPYRIGHT: (C)2016,JPO&INPIT【課題】コイルバネの蛇行に起因する挿入時の違和感を解消する内視鏡を提供する。【解決手段】内視鏡の軟性部は、曲げ硬さを変えるための硬度可変部材35を内蔵する。硬度可変部材35は、硬度調整ノブの操作に応じて相対的に移動するワイヤ31とコイルバネ33を有し、コイルバネ33に圧縮力を加えて曲げ硬さを変える。圧縮力を高めるとコイルバネ33に蛇行が生じる。コイルバネ33が蛇行すると、軟性部は、軸方向の同じ位置において軸周り方向の複数位置での半径方向の曲げ硬さが変化する。軟性部の曲げ硬さを変えることが可能な硬度調整範囲を、コイルバネが蛇行を開始する軟性部の直前の硬さ以下にする。コイルバネに蛇行が生ずることがなく、挿入時の違和感を無くすことができる。【選択図】図8
