Bending device

A bending device comprising:

• (a) a frame having a generally cylindrical shape and having an internal space therein, the frame having annular portions disposed respectively in planes substantially perpendicular to an axial direction of said frame, and said annular portions being juxtaposed in the axial direction of said frame;
• (b) an elongated limitation member received in said internal space of said frame, engaging recesses being formed in each of opposite lateral edges of said limitation member in such a manner that said engaging recesses in one of said opposite lateral edges are generally in registry respectively with said engaging recesses in the other lateral edge to provide mating pairs, each of said annular portions of said frame being engaged in a respective one of said mating pairs of engaging recesses, so that adjacent ones of said annular portions are spaced a predetermined distance from each other, said limitation member having a plurality of arcuate portions disposed intermediate the opposite lateral edges of said limitation member, said arcuate portions being bulged substantially perpendicularly to the direction of the length of said limitation member, said arcuate portions being juxtaposed in the longitudinal direction of said limitation member, and said limitation member being mounted on said frame in such a manner that said arcuate portions are resiliently deformed, so that the opposite lateral edges of said limitation member are urged away from each other and resiliently held against an inner periphery of each of said annular portions,
• said limitation member comprising a single resilient thin plate and having a pair of flat portions disposed respectively adjacent to said opposite lateral edges of said resilient thin plate, said pair of flat portions disposed on a common plane and interconnected by said arcuate portions;
• and
• (c) operating wire means for bending said frame and said limitation member, said operating wire means extending along the longitudinal direction of said limitation member, said operating wire means having a proximal end portion adapted to receive an operating force, said operating wire means having a distal end portion substantially fixed to a distal end portion of said limitation member.