Patent ID: 8550989

Claim:
A flexibility/rigidity adjustable apparatus comprising: a flexible, long and thin member; a closing cover which covers an exterior of an outer circumference of the long and thin member, and which is able to expand/shrink around an axis of the long and thin member; a fluid inlet/outlet part connected to a closed space formed between the closing cover and the outer circumference of the long and thin member; a latching-member receiving part provided at the outer circumference of the long and thin member; a latching member which is able to, together with a shrinkage operation of the closing cover, engage with the latching-member receiving part; spacers fixed to the long and thin member along a lengthwise direction of the axis of the long and thin member with a clearance; and a holding member of the latching member having flexibility and restoring elastic force to return the holding member to a linear shape provided between the spacers for preventing the latching member from contacting the latching-member receiving part when the long and thin member is in a flexible state.