An endoscope including an insertion portion having a bendable bending portion, and an operation section connectively provided at a proximal end side of the insertion portion, and including, in the operation section, a bending operation apparatus which is operated when the bending portion is caused to perform a bending operation,
- wherein the bending operation apparatus includes a bending operation mechanism section and a bending portion braking mechanism section,
- the bending operation mechanism section comprises
- a bending lever which is rotatably disposed at an operation section main body of the operation section, and is rotated when the bending portion is caused to perform the bending operation,
- a first bearing member that pivotally and rotatably supports a bending operation shaft body which has the bending lever integrally fixed to one end of the bending operation shaft body, and transmits a rotation force of the bending lever, and is fixed to a support panel integral with the operation section main body, and
- a cylindrical member that is fixedly provided integrally at an other end of the bending operation shaft body, is rotated with a rotational operation of the bending lever, and pulls and loosens an operation wire which is disposed in an outer circumferential groove, and
- the bending portion braking mechanism section comprises
- a bending state keeping lever that is rotatably disposed at the operation section main body of the operation section, and is operated when a bending state of the bending portion which is bent is kept,
- a braking shaft body that has the bending state keeping lever integrally fixed to one end, and transmits a rotation force of the bending state keeping lever,
- a second bearing member that pivotally and rotatably supports the braking shaft body, and is fixed to the support panel,
- a rotation pressing member that includes a bearing hole in which the first bearing member is rotatably disposed and a cam hole in which a convex portion of the braking shaft body is movably disposed, rotates around an axis of the first bearing member with a rotational operation of the braking shaft body, and has a plurality of inclined projection portions,
- a slide pressing member that is disposed slidably in an axial direction of the first bearing member, and has a plurality of inclined projection portions opposed to the inclined projection portions of the rotation pressing member,
- a friction member that is slidable in the axial direction of the first bearing member, is disposed between the slide pressing member and the cylindrical member, and is capable of abutting on the cylindrical member,
- a regulation member that is disposed between the rotation pressing member and the support panel, is slidable in the axial direction of the first bearing member, and is capable of regulating a gap in which the rotation pressing member, the slide pressing member and the friction member are disposed, the regulation member including at least a first braking plate configuring a first layer and a second braking plate configuring a second layer, the first braking plate being made of a metal and configured to transmit application of a load without being deformed, and the second braking plate being made of a resin and configured to secure slippage and prevent occurrence of dragging, and
- a plurality of positioning members that are disposed at the support panel by screwing, separate the regulation member from the support panel by changing an abutment state on the regulation member, and regulate a braking force of the friction member to the cylindrical member.