PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope apparatus capable of bendingly deforming the whole of a bending section and capable of bending only a part of the bending section.SOLUTION: The endoscope apparatus includes: a plurality of bending pieces 17, 18, and 19 aligned in a prescribed one direction a bending wire 60 connected to the first bending piece 17 disposed at a first end 11 in the prescribed one direction out of the plurality of bending pieces 17, 18, and 19, and provided to extend toward a second end 12 at the opposite side of the first end 11 in the prescribed one direction an extension material 25 disposed between the pair of bending pieces 17 and 18 adjoined to each other in the prescribed one direction out of the plurality of bending pieces 17, 18 and 19 and, when no external force is applied thereto, separating the pair of bending pieces 17 and 18 from each other a linear rigid member 70 being engageable with the plurality of bending pieces 17, 18, and 19 so as to be attachable/detachable with respect to each of the plurality of bending pieces 17, 18, and 19.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2COPYRIGHT: (C)2017,JPO&INPIT【課題】湾曲部の全体を湾曲変形させることができるとともに湾曲部の一部のみを湾曲させることもできる内視鏡装置を提供すること。【解決手段】所定の一方向に並べて設けられた複数の湾曲駒17,18,19と、複数の湾曲駒17,18,19のうち所定の一方向における第一の端部11に配された第一湾曲駒17に連結され所定の一方向における第一の端部11と反対側の第二の端部12へ向かって延ばして設けられた湾曲ワイヤ60と、複数の湾曲駒17,18,19のうち所定の一方向に隣り合う一組の湾曲駒17,18の間に配され、外力がかかっていない状態では一組の湾曲駒17,18を互いに離間させる伸長材25と、複数の湾曲駒17,18,19の各々に着脱可能となるように複数の湾曲駒17,18,19に係合可能な直線状の剛性部材70と、を備える。【選択図】図2
