Abstract: An endoscope including an inserting passage for accommodating a roller chain which operates a bendable portion located at the end of the endoscope. The endoscope also includes a loose-roller-chain accommodating chamber in which the loosened roller chain section is gathered. The accommodation chamber has a length from one corner to another corner measured in the longitudinal direction of the roller chain which is slightly larger than an integer times the length of the pitch between adjoining rollers of the roller chain. The pitch is the distance between rollers when link plates of the roller chain are alternatively bent in opposite directions. This occurs when the roller chain is compressed and shrunk lengthwise in order to prevent the roller chain from being jammed between opposite corners of the accommodation chamber.

Abstract: An endoscope includes a main body for holding an operating mechanism in place and a casing within which the main body is enclosed. The casing includes a hollow body-like casing body with one of its end portions serving to stabilize a base end of the main body and its other end portion having an opening portion permitting a protruded portion of the main body to be extended of the casing and a cylindrical gripping cover having an end portion allowed to abut against the other end portion of the casing body and covering the protruded portion of the main body. The main body includes a nut screwing engagement with an external thread of the main body and engaged with a protruded portion of the gripped cover, whereby the nut acts to urge the gripping cover toward the casing body and, at the same time, to urge the casing body toward the gripping cover, thereby pressing the end portion of the gripping cover and the other end portion of the casing body against each other.