Patent ID: 8172748

Claim:
An electric bending endoscope comprising: an elongate insertion portion configured to be inserted into a lumen and provided with a bending portion configured to be actuated to be bent; a drive unit connected to a proximal end portion of the insertion portion and configured to generate a drive force to actuate the bending portion to bend; and an operation unit configured to be held by an operator and operate at least a bending actuation of the bending portion, wherein the drive unit and the operation unit respectively include a drive unit side electric contact portion and an operation unit side electric contact portion configured to be coupled to and separated from each other by moving the drive unit and the operation unit close to and apart from each other in a coupling and separating axial direction, and the drive unit and the operation unit includes a lock mechanism configured to lock and unlock the drive unit and the operation unit to and from each other with respect to the coupling and separating axial direction, wherein the lock mechanism includes: a lock portion provided in one of the drive unit and the operation unit; and a lock receiving mechanism provided in the other of the drive unit and the operation unit, the lock portion is configured to be inserted into and pulled out from the lock receiving mechanism by moving the drive unit and the operation unit close to and apart from each other in the coupling and separating axial direction, and the lock receiving mechanism is configured to lock the lock portion inserted into the lock receiving mechanism, and wherein the lock receiving mechanism includes: a lock receiving portion wherein the lock portion is configured to be inserted into and pulled out from the lock receiving portion; an engaing member configured to move between an engaing position where the engaging member engages with the lock portion and a retraction position where the engaging member enables the lock portion to be inserted into and pulled out from the lock receiving portion; a holding mechanism configured to be switched between a holdin state where the holdin mechanism holds the engaging member at the retraction position and a free state where the holding mechanism frees the engaging member wherein the holding mechanism is configured to be in the holding state when the lock portion is not inserted in the lock receiving portion; and an urging mechanism configured to urge the engaging member toward the engaging position; and the lock portion includes: a free mechanism configured to switch the holding mechanism from the holding state to the free state in conjunction with an inserting action of the lock portion.