PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope including an insertion section with high insertion property by making the insertion section hard to break by preventing a bending part of the insertion section from being bent as if being broken.SOLUTION: The endoscope includes: a distal hard part 7 provided at a distal end of an insertion section 4 a bending part 8 provided at a proximal end of the distal hard part 7 of the insertion section 4 and bending according to a bending operation in an operation part a flexible tube part 10 provided at a proximal side of the bending part 8 and a cylindrical elastic part 9 that is provided between the bending part 8 and the flexible tube part 10, does not bend in response to the bending operation in the operation part, and has rigidity against the bending that is higher than the rigidity of the bending part 8 against the bending and lower than the rigidity of the flexible part 10 against the bending.COPYRIGHT: (C)2015,JPO&INPIT【課題】挿入部の湾曲部が折れるように曲がらないようにして、挿入部を壊れ難くして、挿入部の挿入性のよい内視鏡を提供する。【解決手段】内視鏡は、挿入部4の先端部に設けられた先端硬性部7と、挿入部4の先端硬性部7の基端側に設けられ、操作部における湾曲操作に応じて湾曲する湾曲部8と、湾曲部8の基端側に設けられた可撓管部10と、湾曲部8と可撓管部10の間に設けられ、操作部における湾曲操作に応じて湾曲せず、さらに湾曲部8の曲げに対する硬さよりも高くかつ可撓管部10の曲げに対する硬さよりも低い、曲げに対する硬さを有する筒状弾性部9と、を有する。【選択図】図2
