PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the operation force of wire drawing means, to reduce the operation load of the wire drawing means so as to enable an operator to adjust the hardness of the wire drawing means by the fingers of one hand of the operator, and to provide a hardness state holding function to the wire drawing means.SOLUTION: The hardness adjusting device includes a close contact coil spring arranged in a soft part of an endoscope insertion portion and capable of altering the bending hardness of the soft part so as to make the flexibility of the soft part variable, the wire fixed to the tip part of the close contact coil spring and provided so as to permit the insertion of the close contact coil spring, fixing means for fixing the rear end part of the close contact coil spring, a wire drawing mechanism for drawing the wire, an operation member for operating the wire drawing mechanism, and the resilient body provided at the wire drawing mechanism so as to reduce the operation force required to draw the wire by operating the wire drawing mechanism by the operation member, by the resilient energy of the resilient body.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】ワイヤ牽引手段の操作力を軽減し、術者が片手の指で硬度調整できるようにその操作負荷を低減するとともに、ワイヤ牽引手段に硬度状態を保持する機能を持たせる。【解決手段】内視鏡挿入部の軟性部の可撓性を可変とするように、その曲げ硬度を変更することが可能な前記軟性部内に配置された密着コイルばねと、前記密着コイルばねの先端部と固定され、前記密着コイルばねを挿通するように設けられたワイヤと、前記密着コイルばねの後端部を固定する固定手段と、前記ワイヤを牽引するワイヤ牽引機構と、前記ワイヤ牽引機構を操作する操作部材と、前記操作部材が前記ワイヤ牽引機構を操作して前記ワイヤを牽引する際の操作力を、その弾性エネルギーにより軽減するよう、前記ワイヤ牽引機構に設けられた弾性体と、を備えたことを特徴とする硬度調整装置を提供することにより前記課題を解決する。【選択図】図5
