WORK MACHINE WITH ELECTRIC DRIVE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a working machine, in particular a cable excavator, according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] In electrically powered machines with crawler tracks, electric drive units or traction motors are typically mounted on the crawler supports, which drive the crawler tracks. Such machines often have an undercarriage with a central section on which the crawler supports are mounted, and a superstructure may be rotatably mounted on the central section.

[0003] The electric travel drives are usually supplied with power and, if necessary, coolant from the undercarriage. The travel drives are typically connected to the high-voltage (HV) electrical system of the work machine, whereby power electronics located on or in the undercarriage can handle communication with the travel drives and the modulation of current and voltage to supply the travel drives. The travel drives are powered via energy supply lines, typically three AC-phase power cables connected to inverters in the power electronics. In addition, there are often a number of other supply lines, such as coolant lines, control lines for controlling the travel drives, and / or signal lines for transmitting, for example, sensor signals.

[0004] On some known work machines, the crawler supports are removed from the center section for transport. In some cases, such work machines can lift the crawler supports, which are transported to the construction site on a separate low-loader, for example, and partially scaffolded, onto the undercarriage themselves in a self-assembly operation. If such work machines are to be electrically powered, i.e. if the crawler supports are to be equipped with corresponding electric travel drives, it must be possible to disconnect the supply lines of the travel motors from the travel drives in order to dismantle the crawler supports. However, this results in the potentially dangerous situation of open connections of supply lines that are still connected to the HV on-board network and are therefore subject to high voltage.

[0005] Against this background, the present invention is based on the object of increasing safety during the assembly and disassembly of the crawler supports in generic electrified work machines and, at the same time, simplifying the assembly and disassembly of the crawler supports. US 2022 / 074163 A1 discloses a work machine, in particular a cable excavator, with an undercarriage comprising a central section and two crawler supports connected to the central section with an electric travel drive, wherein at least one supply line runs from the central section to the travel drive.

[0006] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a work machine having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the subclaims and the following description.

[0007] Accordingly, a work machine is proposed which comprises an undercarriage with a central section and at least one crawler carrier connected to the central section. The work machine can be, for example, a cable excavator. The at least one crawler carrier has at least one electric drive, which in particular drives a crawler chain of the crawler carrier. The drive is in particular an electric motor. The drive is supplied with power from the central section of the work machine via at least one supply line, in particular with high voltage or current from an HV on-board network of the work machine. The supply line is connected to the drive via a connector and can therefore be disconnected from the drive, for example to dismantle the crawler carrier.

[0008] To eliminate the potential safety risk posed by the open end of the supply line after disconnection (for example, for personnel during assembly / disassembly of the crawler carrier), the work machine is provided with an electrical interlock circuit, which is connected to the travel drive via the first connection. In other words, the travel drive is included in the interlock circuit via the first connection. If the first connection of the supply line is disconnected, the interlock circuit is interrupted.

[0009] According to the invention, the work machine further comprises a mating connector module arranged on the undercarriage, having a first mating connection for connection to the first connection of the supply line previously disconnected from the traction drive (or a connection on the traction drive side). The mating connector module is designed to electrically bridge the interlock circuit interrupted by a disconnection from the traction drive by connecting the first connection to the first mating connection, i.e., to close the interlock circuit.

[0010] The interlock circuit represents, in particular, a separate, closed electrical circuit whose interlock line runs through the first connection or a connector having the first connection to the drive and back again. An interruption in the closed interlock circuit results in a change in a read parameter of the interlock circuit, which allows the interruption to be detected and, if necessary, appropriate action to be taken.

[0011] If the supply line is now disconnected from the drive system via its first connection, the interlock circuit is interrupted, which can be detected by appropriate evaluation electronics. In response, a power source (e.g., a battery) can be disconnected from the vehicle's electrical system, so that dangerous voltage is no longer present at the open first connection.

[0012] Since in certain situations it is desired to operate the work machine even when the crawler carrier is dismantled, for example during self-assembly or self-dismantling of the crawler carrier, the mating connector module according to the invention provides a way to safely stow or "park" the open end of the supply line. For this purpose, the open first connection is connected to the corresponding mating connection of the mating connector module. This means that the first connection no longer poses a danger, as it is no longer open but is securely connected to the mating connection. Once the connection has been established, the mating connector module bridges the interlock circuit, thereby enabling safe operation of the work machine in a partially equipped state. For this purpose, the mating connector module has, in particular, a corresponding interlock line that bridges or closes the interlock circuit. The interlock line of the mating connector module (i.e.The interlock circuit (including the mating connector module) is therefore only used if the supply line(s) of the electric drive is / are disconnected.

[0013] Since the mating connector module is located on the undercarriage, preferably in the center section in a position easily accessible to the operating personnel, the supply line can be quickly and easily stowed away after being disconnected from the drive system. There are no separate parts that could get lost and complicate operation.

[0014] In one possible embodiment, at least one supply line is designed as a power supply line for supplying power to the traction drive. The power supply line supplies the traction drive with power from the internal HV electrical system of the work machine. Preferably, three power supply lines are provided, which are designed in particular as AC phase cables. The at least one power supply line is preferably connected to at least one inverter. This is ideally arranged in or on the center section of the undercarriage.

[0015] InIn another possible embodiment, at least one supply line is designed as a signal line for transmitting control signals to the travel drive and / or for transmitting sensor signals. Said control unit can be an inverter or a separate control unit. Such a control line serves, in particular, to control the travel drive. Multiple control and / or signal lines can be provided to transmit different signals. One or more signal lines can be a resolver cable.

[0016] InIn a further possible embodiment, it is provided that the travel drive is detachably connected to at least one first supply line via a first connection and to at least one second supply line via a second connection. The first connection preferably serves to supply energy to the travel drive (i.e. it is connected to one or more energy supply lines) and the second connection to transmit signals, for example control signals for controlling the travel drive or sensor signals. Different supply lines are therefore detachably connected to the travel drive in parallel via corresponding connections. Of course, more than two connections and a corresponding number of counter connections can be provided per travel drive.

[0017] InIn another possible embodiment, the mating connector module comprises a first mating connection for connection to the first connection and a second mating connection for connection to the second connection. This allows each connection of a supply line that remains open after disconnection from the drive system to be releasably connected to a corresponding mating connection of the mating connector module in order to safely store the latter and to bridge the interlock circuit via the mating connector module.

[0018] Preferably, the first and second connections are connected to separate connectors and / or are configured differently. For example, multiple power supply lines can be connected to a common first connection. This can have a different shape than a second connection connected to one or more signal lines. A wide variety of configurations are conceivable here, with a corresponding mating connection on the mating connector module being provided for each connection of a power line, particularly in the form of a simple plug connection, regardless of the exact design.

[0019] Optionally, at least one locking device can be provided to fix the connections or supply lines connected to the mating connector module so that the connections cannot become loose unintentionally.

[0020] In a further possible embodiment, it is provided that a common interlock circuit is connected to the first and second mating connections and can be bridged in a current-conducting manner by simultaneously connecting the first and second connections to the first and second mating connections. In this embodiment, the interlock circuit can only be closed by both connections being connected to the corresponding mating connections. If one of the connections is not connected to its mating connection, the common interlock circuit is interrupted. This ensures that any operation of the work machine in a partially equipped state can only take place when all supply lines are safely stowed in the mating connector module, e.g. when both crawler supports are removed or attached.

[0021] In an alternative embodiment, several separate interlock circuits can be provided, with a first interlock circuit connected to the first mating terminal and a separate, second interlock circuit connected to the second mating terminal. Each interlock circuit can be bridged separately by connecting the respective terminal to the associated mating terminal. In this embodiment, each supply line is assigned its own interlock circuit, so that different connection or fault states can be determined by appropriate evaluation of the interlock circuits.

[0022] In a further possible embodiment, the first terminal and the first mating terminal have interlock contacts that are electrically connected to one another when connected. If a second terminal and a second mating terminal are provided, as described above, these preferably also have corresponding interlock contacts.

[0023] In a further possible embodiment, an evaluation unit is provided which is connected to the interlock circuit and is set up to detect an interruption in the interlock circuit. If several interlock circuits are provided, these can be analyzed by a common evaluation unit or alternatively each by a separate evaluation unit. The evaluation unit is preferably further set up to disconnect a power source (for example a battery) from the on-board power supply of the work machine upon detection of an interruption in the associated interlock circuit, so that there is no longer any voltage at the open connections. If the interlock circuit is subsequently closed or bridged, the evaluation unit can also detect this and in particular reconnect the power source to the on-board power supply so that operation of the work machine is possible. The separation orConnection of the energy source can be initiated directly or indirectly by the evaluation unit, in the latter case, for example, by communication with a corresponding control unit that controls the disconnection or connection of the energy source.

[0024] In another possible embodiment, the first connection is accessible from outside the center section and the crawler support and, in particular, is located outside the center section and crawler support when connected. This allows the supply lines to be easily and quickly detached from the respective connection points on the crawler support and / or center section, for example, when disassembling the crawler support. A connection is also achieved smoothly and quickly.

[0025] In a further possible embodiment, it is provided that a section of the at least one supply line adjacent to the first connection runs outside the center section and crawler support, i.e., in particular, outside the steel structure of the undercarriage, and is in particular designed to be movable or flexible. The at least one supply line is preferably designed such that the first connection can be connected either to the first mating connection of the mating connector module or to a connection arranged on the crawler support and connected to the travel drive. This allows the supply line to be connected to the mating connection quickly and easily after being disconnected from the travel drive.

[0026] In another possible embodiment, at least two crawler supports connected to the central section are provided, which are arranged in particular on opposite sides of the central section. The crawler supports each have at least one drive system, which is powered via at least one supply line.

[0027] In a further possible embodiment, the mating connector module has two first mating connections for connection to the first connections of the respective supply lines. A common mating connector module is therefore provided for the various travel drives. The mating connector module can comprise several separate interlock circuits for the respective travel drives or several interlock circuit lines that can bridge the separate interlock circuits assigned to the respective travel drives separately from one another. This allows the work machine to be operated, for example, in a state in which one crawler carrier is mounted and its travel drive is connected, while the other crawler carrier is dismantled and the corresponding connections are still connected to the mating connector module.Alternatively, a common interlock circuit can be provided, so that all connections of the supply lines of all travel drives must be connected to the mating connector module at the same time in order to close the interlock circuit.

[0028] In an alternative embodiment, at least two separate mating connector modules, each with a first mating connector for connection to the first connector of the respective supply line, are arranged on the undercarriage. Thus, a separate mating connector module is provided for each travel drive. Preferably, the work machine has a corresponding number of interlock circuits, each of which is assigned a mating connector module.

[0029] In a further possible embodiment, it is provided that the at least one crawler support is detachably connected to the central section, wherein the work machine preferably comprises an upper carriage rotatably mounted on the undercarriage and is designed to carry out lifting work in self-assembly mode without mounted crawler supports using a boom or boom section mounted on the upper carriage, for example in order to lift the crawler supports from a low-loader to connection points on the central section. In self-assembly mode, a power supply for the work function is preferably only activated when the interlock circuit is closed via the mating connector module. If, on the other hand, the interlock circuit is interrupted, the work function (e.g. operating a boom, a hoist winch, etc.) cannot be used or the power supply is deactivated.

[0030] Further features, details, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the exemplary embodiments explained below with reference to the figures. They show: Fig. 1: a side view of the undercarriage and superstructure of the work machine according to the invention according to a preferred embodiment; Fig. 2: a side view of the work machine according to Figure 1 in self-assembly mode with dismantled crawler supports; Fig. 3: a perspective view of the undercarriage of the working machine according to Figure 1 ; and Fig. 4-6: schematic representations of the internal structure of the mating connector module based on three exemplary embodiments.

[0031] In the Figure 1A preferred embodiment of the work machine 10 according to the invention is shown in a side view. The embodiment shown is a cable excavator 10 with a mobile undercarriage 12 and an upper carriage 14 mounted on the undercarriage 12 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation. The undercarriage 12 is in the Figure 3 shown in a perspective view. The boom of the cable excavator 10 is not shown here. The upper carriage 14 has a driver's cabin 17 and is connected to the crane by a slewing ring 15, which is Figure 3 can be seen, is rotatably connected to a central part 13 of the undercarriage 12.

[0032] Two crawler tracks 20 are attached to the side of the central section 13, so that the central section 13 is located centrally between the crawler supports 20 of the crawler track. The crawler supports 20 have electric drive units 22, which drive the crawler tracks and control their position in the Figure 3is only indicated by arrows. The drive systems 22 are primarily electric motors.

[0033] As in the Figure 3 As can also be seen, the cable excavator 10 can have a central ballast 16 mounted on the middle section 13 at the front and rear between the crawler supports 20. This can be optionally attached or removed, depending on the application.

[0034] The Figure 2shows a side view of the uppercarriage 14 mounted on the center section 13, with the crawler supports 20 removed from the center section 13. The work machine is in a self-assembly state in which several (here four) hydraulic jack-up cylinders 18, which are vertically aligned and arranged on the center section 13, are extended. The partially rigged duty cycle crawler excavator 10 stands on the jack-up cylinders 18, which function as support feet and hold the center section 13 in an elevated position in which the crawler supports 20 can be attached laterally to the center section 13. Via a boom (or in particular a linkage piece of the boom) not shown here, the partially rigged duty cycle crawler excavator 10 can lift and move the crawler supports 20 independently in a self-assembly operation.

[0035] The electric travel drives 22 are supplied and controlled from the center section 13 by an HV electrical system of the work machine 10. This can be a DC electrical system. The electrical system preferably extends from the center section 13 via slip ring contacts into the uppercarriage 14, where certain electrical drive components and consumers are also supplied. Therefore, electrical drive components and consumers in the uppercarriage 14 and the undercarriage 12, including the electric travel drives 22, are preferably supplied by the same electrical system.

[0036] To electrically supply the traction drives 22, three power supply lines in the form of AC phase cables can be provided per traction drive 22, which supply the respective traction drive 22 with power from the HV on-board network. The power supply lines 40 run between the traction drives 22 and one or more inverters (not shown), which are preferably arranged in the central section 13. The inverters handle communication with the traction drives 22 and the modulation of current and voltage to supply the traction drives 22.

[0037] Furthermore, the control of the travel drives 22 can be performed via one or more control lines. Communication with the travel drives 22 can also be performed via the inverters or a separate control module. Additionally, one or more signal lines can be provided, for example, to transmit sensor signals from the travel drives 22 to a controller (or the inverters) in the central section 13.

[0038] The electrical lines for supplying and controlling the travel drives 22 and, if applicable, for signal transmission are collectively referred to herein as supply lines 40. Preferably, the supply lines 40 are not routed to the travel drives 22 in the steel structure of the undercarriage 12, but run outside of the central section 13 and crawler supports 20, as shown in Figure 3 is indicated. The supply lines 40 are preferably designed to be movable or flexible.

[0039] The supply lines 40 are detachably connected to the travel drives 22 via connectors 41, 42. For this purpose, corresponding connectors in the form of sockets and plugs are provided, which are detachably connected to one another to form electrically conductive connections. The connectors 41, 42 are arranged, in particular, outside the crawler supports 20, so that they are easily accessible from the outside and can be unplugged (and connected) without great effort.

[0040] Optionally, the travel drives 22 can be cooled. For this purpose, each travel drive 22 can be connected to a cooling circuit, with two coolant lines running between the central section 13 and the travel drives 22, which supply the coolant to the travel drives 22 and transport the heated coolant back to the central section 13. The coolant lines preferably run parallel to the supply lines 40. The coolant lines are also preferably detachably connected to the travel drives via corresponding connections.

[0041] In self-assembly operation of the work machine 10, such as in the Figure 2As shown, the working functions of the partially equipped work machine 10 must be functional, i.e., the corresponding drives and consumers must be supplied with current or voltage from the on-board power supply. In this state, however, the crawler supports 20 are removed from the center section 13, whereby the supply lines 40 have been disconnected from the corresponding connections on the crawler support 20 and are now exposed. Such open connections pose a potential hazard to personnel if high voltage from the on-board power supply is present there.

[0042] To eliminate this danger, the work machine 10 according to the invention is equipped with a high-voltage interlock loop (HVIL for short; hereinafter referred to as interlock loop 50). The interlock loop 50 serves to monitor the plug connections in the high-voltage circuit of the work machine 10 and is intended to prevent hazards caused by unintentional or improper disconnection of an HV plug connection (i.e., the connections 41, 42 of the supply lines 40). For this purpose, the interlock loop 50 is constructed as a closed electrical circuit that extends from the vehicle electrical system to the relevant electrical drives and consumers through the respective plug connections or connections 41, 42. For this purpose, the connections 41, 42 each have, in particular, special interlock contacts that are electrically connected to one another when the connections 41, 42 are connected.

[0043] Pins 41 and 42 do not necessarily have to be separate pins. In the simplest case, pins 41 and 42 can simply represent different pins, for example, "HVIL in" and "HVIL out."

[0044] If all plug connections or terminals 41, 42 are connected, the interlock circuit 50 is closed. If the interlock circuit 50 is interrupted, for example, by disconnecting a terminal 41, 42 of a supply line 40, this is detected by an evaluation unit (not shown) of the work machine 10 and, as a result, a power source (e.g., a battery) is disconnected from the vehicle electrical system. This de-energizes the system, and no voltage is present at the open terminal 41, 42.

[0045] In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the power supply lines of the right and left drive units 22 can be connected via first connections 41, 41', and the signal lines of the right and left drive units 22 can be connected via second connections 42, 42'. The three power supply lines can have a common connector. In principle, individual connectors are also conceivable.

[0046] During self-assembly operation of the work machine 10, the crawler supports 20 are removed and the first and second connections 41, 42 of the supply lines 40 are open. This interrupts the interlock circuit 50, meaning no power supply is available for self-assembly operation.

[0047] For this purpose, a mating connector module 30 is provided according to the invention, which in this exemplary embodiment is arranged on the middle part 13 in the region of the middle part-side connection points of the supply lines 40, cf. Fig. 3The mating connector module 30 has interfaces matching the connections 41, 42 of the supply lines 40, in this exemplary embodiment in the form of a first mating connection 31 for connection to the first connection 41 and a second mating connection 32 for connection to the second connection 42 of the supply lines 40. The open ends of the supply lines 40 are simply connected to the mating connections 31, 32 of the mating connector module 30 and "parked" there for partially assembled operation.

[0048] The mating connector module 30 is designed such that the interlock contacts of the connections 41, 42 are bridged in a conductive manner, thereby closing the interlock circuit 50. This ensures that the power supply of the on-board electrical system is available when the work machine 10 is partially assembled, for example, for self-assembly or disassembly of the crawler supports 20.

[0049] The Figures 4-6show three different examples of the basic design of the mating connector module 30. In the Figure 4 In the first exemplary embodiment shown, the mating connector module 30 comprises a single interlock circuit 50 (more precisely, interlock lines to a single interlock circuit 50 of the work machine 10) and two first mating connections 31, 31' for the first connections 41, 41' of the right and left crawler supports 20. The curved arrows indicate that the interlock lines of the interlock circuit 50 run through the connections 41, 41' and mating connections 31, 31' into the mating connector module 30 and out again from it and also outside as a closed circuit.

[0050] If additional supply lines 40 are provided for signal transmission (e.g., control lines), these can optionally be connected to a separate mating connector module, which comprises interlock lines for the same or a separate interlock circuit 50, 50'. Alternatively, a common mating connector module 30 can comprise both first mating connections 31, 31' for the first connections 41, 41' and second mating connections 32, 32' for the second connections 42, 42' of the supply lines 40. This possibility is described in the Figures 5 and 6 shown, wherein in the second embodiment according to Fig. 5a single, common interlock circuit 50 is provided, which runs through all connections 41, 41', 42, 42' and mating connections 31, 31', 32, 32'. In this case, the interlock circuit 50 is only closed, and the work machine 10 is thus ready for use, if all supply lines 40 of the travel drives 22 are actually plugged into the mating connector module 30 via their first and second connections 41, 41', 42, 42'.

[0051] Alternatively, separate interlock circuits 50, 50' can be provided for the respective travel drives 22 (i.e. in particular for the right and left travel drives 22), which is described in the Figure 6is shown using a third exemplary embodiment. As a result, the work machine 10 is already ready for use when one of the crawler supports 20 is mounted on the central section 13 and the corresponding supply lines 40 are connected, while the other crawler support 20 is dismantled and the associated supply lines 40' are connected to the mating connector module 30. Here, too, instead of a single mating connector module 30, several separate mating connector modules could be provided for the respective interlock circuits 50, 50' or for the respective connection types 41, 42.

[0052] The first and second terminals 41, 42 or the corresponding connectors are preferably designed differently, but can also be identically constructed. The first terminal 41, 41' can comprise one or more plug interfaces (or sockets) for one or more power supply lines, in particular for three AC phase cables. The second terminal 42, 42' can comprise one or more plug interfaces (or sockets) for one or more signal lines.

[0053] Due to a movable design of the supply lines 40, they can be easily unplugged from the crawler supports 20 and plugged into the mating connector module 30 for disassembly. During the reconnection, the power supply of the on-board electrical system is deactivated, thus enabling a simple, fast, and safe assembly and disassembly process.

[0054] In summary, the inventive solution with interlock circuit 50 and mating connector module 30 offers the following advantages: With the interlock circuit-monitored mating connector module 30 for electrical supply and signal lines (short: supply lines 40), the work machine 10 can also be operated in a partial configuration. The live cable ends or connections 41, 42 of the supply lines 40 are parked in a contact-safe manner and protected against incorrect operation. In the event of incorrect operation, the on-board electrical system is immediately disconnected from its power source. Self-assembly of the crawler supports 20 can only be realized by closing the interlock circuit 50, 50' of the work machine 10. List of reference symbols:

[0055] 10Working machine 12Undercarriage 13Center section 14Uppercarriage 15Slewing ring 16Central ballast 17Driver's cab 18Jack-up cylinder 20Crawler carrier 22Travel drive 30Mating connector module 31First counter connection (left crawler carrier) 31First counter connection (right crawler carrier) 32Second counter connection (left crawler carrier) 32Second counter connection (right crawler carrier) 40Supply line (left crawler carrier) 40Supply line (right crawler carrier) 41First connection (left crawler carrier) 41First connection (right crawler carrier) 42Second connection (left crawler carrier) 42Second connection (right crawler carrier) 50Interlock circuit 50Interlock circuit

Claims

1. Work machine (10), in particular cable excavator, having an undercarriage (12) which comprises a middle part (13) and at least one crawler carrier (20) which is connected to the middle part (13) and comprises at least one electric traction drive (22), wherein at least one supply line (40) extends from the middle part (13) to the traction drive (22); characterized in that the at least one supply line (40) is connected to the traction drive (22) in a disconnectable manner via a first connection (41), the work machine (10) being further characterized by an electrical interlock loop (50) which is connected to the traction drive (22) via the first connection (41), and a mating plug connector module (30), which is arranged on the undercarriage (12) and has a first mating connection (31) for connecting to the first connection (41) of the supply line (40) and is configured to bridge the interlock loop (50), which is interrupted by a disconnection from the traction drive (22), in a current-conducting manner by connecting the first connection (41) to the first mating connection (31).

2. Work machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein at least one supply line (40) is configured as an energy supply line for supplying energy to the traction drive (22), wherein preferably three energy supply lines are provided, which are configured in particular as AC phase cables.

3. Work machine (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one supply line (40) is configured as a signal line for transmitting control signals to the traction drive (22) and / or for transmitting sensor signals to a controller.

4. Work machine (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the traction drive (22) is connected to at least one first supply line (40) via a first connection (41) and to at least one second supply line (40) via a second connection (42) in a disconnectable manner, wherein preferably the first connection (41) serves to supply energy to the traction drive (22) and the second connection (42) serves to transmit signals for the traction drive (22).

5. Work machine (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein the mating plug connector module (30) comprises a first mating connection (31) for connecting to the first connection (41) and a second mating connection (32) for connecting to the second connection (42), wherein the first and second connections (41, 42) preferably configured as separate connectors and / or differently.

6. Work machine (10) according to claim 5, wherein a common interlock loop (50) is connected to the first and second mating connections (31, 32) and can be bridged in a current conducting-manner by simultaneously connecting the first and second connections (41, 42) to the first and second mating connections (31, 32).

7. Work machine (10) according to claim 5, wherein a first interlock loop (50) is connected to the first mating connection (31) and a second interlock loop (50), which is separate therefrom, is connected to the second mating connection (32), and each interlock loop (50) can be bridged separately in a current-conducting manner by connecting the respective connection (41, 42) to the associated mating connection (31, 32).

8. Work machine (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first connection (41) and the first mating connection (31) comprise interlock contacts which in the connected state are connected to one another in a current-conducting manner.

9. Work machine (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an on-board power supply system coupled to an energy source, and an evaluation unit, which is connected to the interlock loop (50) and is configured to detect an interruption of the interlock loop (50), wherein the evaluation unit is preferably further configured to disconnect an energy source from an on-board power supply system of the work machine (10) when an interruption of the interlock loop (50) is sensed.

10. Work machine (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first connection (41) is accessible from outside the middle part (13) and the crawler carrier (20) and, in particular in the connected state, is arranged outside the middle part (13) and the crawler carrier (20).

11. Work machine (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein a portion of the at least one supply line (40) adjoining the first connection (41) runs outside the middle part (13) and crawler carrier (20) and, in particular, is configured to be movable, wherein the supply line (40) is preferably configured in such a way that the first connection (41) can be connected selectively to the first mating connection (31) of the mating plug connector module (30) or to a connection arranged on the crawler carrier (20) and connected to the traction drive (22).

12. Work machine (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising at least two crawler carriers (20) connected to the middle part (13), each comprising at least one traction drive (22) with in each case at least one supply line (40, 40').

13. Work machine (10) according to claim 12, wherein the mating plug connector module (30) comprises two first mating connections (31, 31') for connecting to the first connections (41, 41') of the respective supply lines (40, 40').

14. Work machine (10) according to claim 12, wherein at least two mating plug connector modules (30), each having a first mating connection (31) for connecting to the first connection (41, 41') of the respective supply line (40, 40'), are arranged on the undercarriage (12).

15. Work machine (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one crawler carrier (20) is detachably connected to the middle part (13), wherein the work machine (10) preferably comprises a superstructure (14) rotatably mounted on the undercarriage (12) and is configured to perform lifting operations in a self-assembly mode without mounted crawler carriers (20) with a boom or boom section mounted on the superstructure (14), wherein in the self-assembly mode an energy supply of the working function is activated in particular only with the interlock loop (50) closed via the mating plug connector module (30).