Method of molding elevator and endoscope

A method of molding an elevator integrally with an operation wire, the elevator being to be disposed in a distal-end-portion body provided on a distal end side of an insertion section of an endoscope, the method comprising:

• a step of disposing the operation wire to extend through a cavity, which is formed by a first die and a second die that are separable in a separation direction, in a state in which the first die and the second die are mated to each other and in which a direction perpendicular to the separation direction and a wire-axis direction of the operation wire coincide with each other;
• a step of integrally molding the elevator and the operation wire by injecting a molding material, which is a material of the elevator, into the cavity;
• and
• a step of separating the first die and the second die in the separation direction after molding the elevator.

An endoscope comprising:

• an operation section having an operation member;
• an insertion section that is provided on a distal end side of the operation section;
• a distal-end-portion body that is provided on the distal end side of the insertion section;
• an elevator that is provided in the distal-end-portion body and that is rotatably disposed;
• and
• an operation wire that rotates the elevator by being pushed and pulled in accordance with a movement of the operation member,
• wherein the elevator is an integrally molded body that is molded integrally with the operation wire by using a first die and a second die that are separable in a wire-axis direction of the operation wire.