Work machine

Abstract

To provide a work machine capable of easily changing an installation path of a cable when switching installation locations of one antenna having a receiver with the other antenna.SOLUTION: An antenna is configured to be attachable to each of a first antenna support and a second antenna support. A branch point is provided on an upper surface of an upper rotating body, at a position between the first antenna support and the second antenna support in the fore-and-aft direction of the upper rotating body and between the first antenna support and the second antenna support in the right-and-left direction of the upper rotating body, for holding a portion of a power supply and communication cable between a vehicle system and an antenna-integrated receiver. The length of the power supply and communication cable from the branch point to the antenna-integrated receiver is set longer than the distance from the branch point to the first antenna support or the distance from the branch point to the second antenna support, whichever is longer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention particularly relates to a work machine having a function for acquiring a three-dimensional position using GNSS. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there are known work machines that are equipped with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) to determine and use their own position and orientation. The GNSS installed on a work machine includes a pair of antennas that receive radio signals emitted by GNSS satellites, and a receiver that calculates the position and direction of the work machine from the radio signals received by each of the pair of antennas. Some receivers are configured as a unit with one of the pair of antennas, taking into consideration ease of handling, etc. In a GNSS with this configuration, two antenna support parts are located in different positions on the vehicle body, and one antenna with a receiver is attached to the other antenna, respectively.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a hydraulic excavator including a counterweight disposed on an upper rotating body, an engine room and an equipment room disposed on the upper rotating body in front of the counterweight, a passage formed above the equipment room, and first and second antenna support parts disposed above the passage. The first and second antenna support parts are located near the outer edges of the passage when viewed from above. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2014 / 076760 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To improve measurement accuracy, it is preferable to position the two antenna support parts at different locations, as differences in the installation environment between the two antennas are unavoidable. Therefore, which of the two antenna support parts should one antenna with a receiver be installed on depends on the user's GNSS operational policy and operational form. For example, one antenna with a receiver whose parts cost more than the other antenna may be installed on an antenna support part that is more easily detachable, or, taking into account the possibility of contact with obstacles such as trees around the aircraft, one antenna with a receiver may be installed on an antenna support part that is less likely to come into contact with them. Therefore, it is desirable that the installation locations of one antenna with a receiver and the other antenna can be easily swapped according to the user's wishes. However, the other antenna must be connected to the receiver installed on the other antenna by electrical wiring (cable) for power supply and transmission and reception of observation information. One antenna with a receiver requires a cable connected to the other antenna as well as a cable connected to the vehicle controller on the work machine for power supply and output of positioning calculation results to the work machine. Therefore, since the number and types of cables connected to the two antennas are different, when the installation positions of the pair of antennas are swapped, the installation paths of the cables must also be changed. In particular, with regard to the cable connecting one of the antennas having a receiver to the vehicle controller, since the vehicle controller is usually fixed in a predetermined position on the vehicle body, it becomes necessary to significantly change the installation route of the cable to match the position of the one of the antennas having the receiver.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a work machine that can easily change the cable installation path when switching the installation locations of one antenna having a receiver with the other antenna. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a work machine comprising a first support section and a second support section provided on the top surface of a vehicle body, a pair of antennas installed on the first support section and the second support section, respectively, for receiving signals from positioning satellites, a receiver for performing positioning calculations using the signals from the positioning satellites received by the pair of antennas, a vehicle body controller for receiving the results of the positioning calculations of the receiver, and a first cable connecting the receiver and the vehicle body controller, wherein one of the pair of antennas is provided with a receiver, thereby forming an antenna-integrated receiver, and is connected to the receiver side of the first cable, and the antenna-integrated receiver and the pair of antennas are connected to each other. A work machine can be provided in which the other of the antennas is configured to be attachable to each of the first support part and the second support part, a branch part is provided on the top surface of the vehicle body at a position between the first support part and the second support part in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and between the first support part and the second support part in the lateral direction of the vehicle body, the branch part holding the portion of the first cable between the vehicle body controller and the antenna-integrated receiver, and the length between the branch part of the first cable and the antenna-integrated receiver is set longer than the distance between the branch part and the first support part and the distance between the branch part and the second support part, whichever is longer. In this case, a work machine can be provided in which the installation path of the cable can be easily changed when switching the installation locations of one antenna having a receiver and the other antenna.

[0008] Here, the branching portion may be provided at a position adjacent to a passage provided on the vehicle body, which makes it easier to switch the routing path of the first cable. Furthermore, the section from the branching portion of the first cable to the antenna-integrated receiver can be arranged along a passageway, which makes it even easier to change the routing path of the first cable. Furthermore, a second cable may be provided connecting the antenna-integrated receiver and the other antenna, with a portion of the second cable being routed along the rear of the vehicle body. In this case, the second cable is positioned so as not to impede access by the worker when he or she accesses the passageway, and therefore does not reduce the worker's work efficiency. The vehicle may also include a second cable connecting the antenna-integrated receiver and the other antenna, and the second cable may be arranged inside the vehicle body. In this case, the second cable is located in a position that does not obstruct access, and therefore does not reduce the worker's work efficiency. Furthermore, a second cable may be provided to connect the antenna-integrated receiver to the other antenna, and the second cable may be arranged along the first cable. In this case, the first cable and the second cable may be installed together. Furthermore, the first cable may be composed of a body controller-side cable connected to the body controller and an antenna-side cable connected to the antenna-integrated receiver, the body controller-side cable and the antenna-side cable being connected by fitting their respective connectors together, and the branching section may be configured to hold the connector of the body controller-side cable, making it easier to reconnect the first cable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, a work machine can be provided that can easily change the cable installation path when switching the installation locations of one antenna having a receiver with the other antenna. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a work machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the connection between the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver, the antenna, and the vehicle body system. [Figure 3]This is a top view of the upper rotating body showing the arrangement of power supply / communication cables and coaxial cables. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other examples of routing paths of coaxial cables. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the routing path of the power supply and communication cables. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] <Explanation of the overall configuration of the work machine> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a work machine according to this embodiment. The work machine shown in the figure is a hydraulic excavator 1. However, the work machine is not limited to this and can be a construction machine such as a wheel loader, bulldozer, or crane truck. The work machine can also be an agricultural machine such as a felling machine, lumbering machine, tractor, forest work vehicle, or logging machine.

[0013] The hydraulic excavator 1 comprises a lower running body 2 configured to travel on crawlers driven by a hydraulic motor for travel, an upper rotating body 3 which is an example of a vehicle body and is rotatably mounted on the lower running body 2, a front working device 6 which is an articulated working device, and a counterweight 3a which is used to maintain the balance of the vehicle body during excavation work etc.

[0014] The front working mechanism 6 and counterweight 3a are mounted on the upper rotating body 3. In addition, the upper rotating body 3 is equipped with devices such as an operator's cab 4 in which an operator sits, a swing hydraulic motor for swinging the upper rotating body 3 left and right, an engine, a hydraulic pump that is driven by the engine and supplies hydraulic oil (working fluid) to each hydraulic actuator, and a control valve that controls the hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic pump to each actuator.

[0015] The front working mechanism 6 is made up of multiple front members, such as a boom 6A, an arm 6B, and a bucket (attachment) 6C, and the boom 6A, arm 6B, and bucket 6C are driven by a boom cylinder 11A, an arm cylinder 11B, and a bucket cylinder 11C. The operator's cab 4 is provided with control levers (operating devices) that allow the operator to operate the front working mechanism 6, upper rotating body 3, and lower traveling body 2. By operating the control levers, the operator can drive the boom cylinder 11A, arm cylinder 11B, bucket cylinder 11C, swing hydraulic motor, and traveling hydraulic motor. A swing bearing device (slewing ring) is provided between the upper rotating body 3 and the lower traveling body 2. The upper rotating body 3 is rotatably attached to the lower traveling body 2 via the swing bearing device, and is driven by the swing hydraulic motor.

[0016] The upper rotating body 3 is provided with a GNSS antenna 50 that receives radio signals from a plurality of GNSS satellites (positioning satellites). The GNSS antenna 50 of the hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment includes a GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B and an antenna 50A. The GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B has a structure that integrates an antenna 50B1 that receives radio signals emitted by GNSS satellites in the sky, and a GNSS receiver 50B2 that calculates the position and orientation in a geographic coordinate system (global coordinate system) using signals received by the two GNSS antennas, antenna 50B1 and antenna 50A.

[0017] Here, the position obtained by the GNSS receiver 50B2 through GNSS measurement is a position on a geographic coordinate system (global coordinate system) determined based on the radio signal received by the antenna 50B1. Also, the orientation obtained by the GNSS receiver 50B2 through GNSS measurement is given by a vector connecting the two points, the positions of the antennas 50B1 and 50A. The upper rotating body 3 is also provided with a first antenna support 52a and a second antenna support 52b for supporting the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B and the antenna 50A. The first antenna support 52a and the second antenna support 52b function as a first support and a second support, respectively, provided on the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3, which is the vehicle body. The antenna 50A and the antenna 50B1 are installed on the first antenna support 52a, which is the first support, and the second antenna support 52b, which is the second support, respectively, and are an example of a pair of antennas that receive signals from GNSS satellites. The GNSS receiver 50B2 is an example of a receiver that performs positioning calculations using signals from GNSS satellites received by the pair of antennas. Furthermore, the upper rotating body 3 is provided with a body system 70 that supplies power to the GNSS and transmits and receives data, and a communication device 7 that receives, from a reference station 8, a correction signal that the GNSS receiver 50B2 uses to calculate the position of the upper rotating body 3. The body system 70 is an example of a body controller that receives the results of the positioning calculations of the GNSS receiver 50B2.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the connection between the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B, the antenna 50A, and the vehicle body system 70. The GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B is connected to the vehicle body system 70 via a power supply / communication cable 61, which is an example of a first cable. The power supply / communication cable 61 supplies power to the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B and transmits and receives signals. The GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B is also connected to the antenna 50A via a coaxial cable 65, which is an example of a second cable. The coaxial cable 65 supplies power to the antenna 50A and receives observation signals output by the antenna 50A. In this case, antenna 50B1, which is one of the pair of antennas, is provided with GNSS receiver 50B2 to form GNSS antenna integrated receiver 50B, and is connected to the GNSS receiver 50B2 side of power supply / communication cable 61, so that it can be said that GNSS antenna integrated receiver 50B and antenna 50A, which is the other antenna of antenna 50A and antenna 50B1, are configured to be attachable to each of first antenna support part 52a and second antenna support part 52b.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a top view of the upper rotating body 3 showing the arrangement of the power supply / communication cable 61 and the coaxial cable 65. An engine for driving a hydraulic pump that supplies hydraulic oil (working fluid) to each hydraulic actuator is mounted in an engine compartment of the upper rotating body 3. In FIG. 3, the engine is located below an openable engine hood 13a. The engine compartment is located in front of the counterweight 3a and houses the engine, exhaust gas treatment device, and other components (not shown). An equipment room is located on the upper rotating body 3 between the engine room and the front working implement 6. The equipment room includes a fuel tank 14a, a hydraulic oil tank 14b, and a lift platform 14c that allows workers to access the top surface of the upper rotating body. The engine room and the equipment room form a machinery room, and a passage 18 is provided on the upper surface 14s of the machinery room as an area where an operator can place his or her feet.

[0020] In this embodiment, the first antenna support 52a and the second antenna support 52b are designed to be able to mount both the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B and the antenna 50A. The second antenna support 52b is installed on the upper rotating body 3, for example, on the counterweight 3a. The first antenna support 52a is installed on the upper rotating body 3, for example, in the aisle 18. In this embodiment, the first antenna support 52a is installed in a location that is easier to access than the second antenna support 52b. Therefore, if a user desires easy access to the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B, the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B is installed on the first antenna support 52a. Conversely, if a user desires difficult access to the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B, the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B is installed on the second antenna support 52b, thereby achieving an arrangement that meets the user's requirements. A case where it is desired to make it difficult to access the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B may be, for example, a case where the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B is not to be removed for operational reasons.

[0021] Therefore, when the positions of the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B and the antenna 50A are switched, the cables connected to them are provided so that their routing can be easily changed. In this embodiment, the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B and the antenna 50A can be swapped using the first antenna support part 52a and the second antenna support part 52b, and when they are swapped, the routing of the power supply / communication cable 61 can be changed. First, the power supply and communication cable 61 includes a portion 61A fixed to the upper rotating body 3 and a portion 61B detachably held on the upper rotating body 3. A branch point 62, which is an example of a branch portion, is located on the upper rotating body 3 as the boundary between these two portions. The portion 61A is fixed to the upper rotating body 3 and routed from the vehicle body system 70 to the branch point 62. This can also be said to be the branch point 62 that holds the portion of the power supply and communication cable 61 between the vehicle body system 70 and the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B. In this embodiment, the branch point 62 is provided on the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3 between the first antenna support portion 52a and the second antenna support portion 52b in the longitudinal direction of the upper rotating body 3, and between the first antenna support portion 52a and the second antenna support portion 52b in the lateral direction of the upper rotating body 3. The branch point 62 is provided in a position accessible from the passage 18. This can also be said to mean that the branch point 62 is provided at a position adjacent to the passage 18 provided on the upper rotating body 3.

[0022] Furthermore, a portion 61B of the power supply and communication cable 61, which extends from the branching point 62 to the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B, is provided at a position accessible from the passageway 18. That is, when the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B is provided at the first antenna support portion 52a, a portion 61A of the power supply and communication cable 61 passes from the body system 70 through the path 61a to the branching point 62. Then, a portion 61B of the power supply and communication cable 61 passes from the branching point 62 through the path 61b to the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B provided at the first antenna support portion 52a. On the other hand, when the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B is provided at the second antenna support portion 52b, a portion 61A of the power supply and communication cable 61 passes from the body system 70 through the path 61a to the branching point 62. Then, a portion 61B of the power supply and communication cable 61 passes from the branching point 62 through the path 61c to the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B provided at the second antenna support portion 52b. In this case, it can also be said that the section from the branch point 62 of the power supply / communication cable 61 to the GNSS antenna integrated receiver 50B is arranged along the passage 18.

[0023] With this configuration, when the installation position of the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B is changed from one of the two antenna support parts, the first antenna support part 52a and the second antenna support part 52b, to the other, the routing path of the power supply / communication cable 61 can be changed simply by switching between path 61b and path 61c. Because both path 61b and path 61c are provided through locations accessible from the passageway 18, switching the routing path is easy. However, the length between the branch point 62 of the power supply / communication cable 61 and the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B must be set longer than the longer of the distance between the branch point 62 and the first antenna support part 52a and the distance between the branch point 62 and the second antenna support part 52b. This distance is not a straight-line distance, but the distance of the path along which the power supply / communication cable 61 is actually routed. If the length between the branch point 62 of the power supply / communication cable 61 and the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B were the same as or shorter than this distance, switching the routing path would be difficult. With the above configuration, the wiring route switching operation can be performed more easily.

[0024] In the above embodiment, the power supply / communication cable 61 is described as a single component. However, the power supply / communication cable 61 may be configured to be separable into multiple components as long as the required performance can be maintained. For example, in FIG. 3 , a connector 63 may be provided at the branch point 62, and one cable may be a portion 61A fixed to the upper rotating body 3 and routed from the branch point 62 to the vehicle body system 70, while the other cable may be a portion extending from the connector 63 to the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B. The power supply / communication cable 61 may be configured by connecting these two cables via the connector 63. Alternatively, the portion 61A routed along the path 61a may be a single cable, and three cables may be installed, one for each of the paths 61b and 61c, and the other for each of the paths 61b and 61c may be reconnected via the connector 63.

[0025] This means that the power supply / communication cable 61 is composed of a vehicle body controller side cable connected to the vehicle body system 70 and an antenna side cable connected to the GNSS antenna integrated receiver 50B, and the vehicle body controller side cable and the antenna side cable are connected by fitting together the connectors 63 provided on each, and the branch point 62 can also be said to hold the connector 63 of the vehicle body controller side cable.

[0026] In this embodiment, when the cable extending from the connector 63 to the GNSS antenna integrated receiver 50B needs to be replaced due to damage / deterioration, etc., the replacement work can be carried out while the portion 61A of the cable that is routed from the branching point 62 to the vehicle body system 70 remains fixed, thereby reducing the labor required for the replacement work compared to when the power supply / communication cable 61 is a single component.

[0027] Note that, for example, a portion of the coaxial cable 65 is routed along the rear of the vehicle body. In this case, the coaxial cable 65 is routed through the upper surface 14s of the machinery room excluding the engine hood 13a and the counterweight 3a, avoiding the passage 18, as shown in FIG. 3. In this case, the coaxial cable 65 is located in a position that does not obstruct access when an operator accesses the passage 18, and therefore does not reduce the operator's work efficiency. The coaxial cable 65 may also be routed inside the upper rotating body 3, i.e., passing below the upper surface 14s of the machinery room (not shown). In this case, the coaxial cable 65 does not obstruct the operator's access to the passage 18. The routing path of the coaxial cable 65 is not changed even when the coaxial cable 65 is replaced.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the routing path of the coaxial cable 65. In FIG. 4, the coaxial cable 65 may be routed through the path 61b and the path 61c. That is, at least a portion of the coaxial cable 65 is routed along the power supply / communication cable 61. In this case, the coaxial cable 65 passes through a position accessible from the passage 18, which has the advantage that when the coaxial cable 65 needs to be replaced due to damage / deterioration, the replacement work can be easily performed.

[0029] In the above embodiment, the coaxial cable 65 is a single component, but like the power supply / communication cable 61, the coaxial cable 65 may be configured to be separable into a plurality of components.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another example of the routing path of the power supply / communication cable 61. In FIG. 5, the vehicle body system 70 is positioned at the branch point 62. This allows the power supply and communication cable 61 to be routed without providing a portion 61A that is a fixed portion.

[0031] GNSS systems come in two forms: one in which a pair of GNSS antennas and a GNSS receiver are configured as independent components, and one in which some of the three components are integrated into a single component. Of the latter, a GNSS system including the above-described GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B is configured with two components: one GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B and one antenna 50A. In a GNSS system with this configuration, as described above, a power and communication cable 61 that supplies power and transmits and receives signals is connected to the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B. The GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B and the other antenna 50A are also connected by a coaxial cable 65. This allows power to be supplied to the other antenna 50A from the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B, and observation information from the other antenna 50A is transmitted to the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B. A GNSS configured in this way from one GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B and one antenna 50A has the advantage of being able to simplify the configuration due to the fewer parts required compared to a GNSS configured with one GNSS receiver and two GNSS antennas, each of which is independent.

[0032] On the other hand, because the two antenna support parts provided on the upper rotating body 3 of the hydraulic excavator 1 are arranged in different positions, it is inevitable that the installation environments (for example, accessibility during maintenance, obstruction of sky visibility, which is important for GNSS positioning, etc.) will be different between the two antenna support parts, and therefore the fact is that which of the two antenna support parts, the first antenna support part 52a and the second antenna support part 52b, the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B should be installed on will differ depending on the user's GNSS operation policy and operation mode. Therefore, it is desirable that the installation locations of the GNSS antenna-integrated receiver 50B and the antenna 50A can be easily swapped according to the user's wishes, but as described above, the cables connected to the two are different, and therefore, when swapping them, the cable routing route must be changed. 3 to 5, the coaxial cable 65 has a fixed routing path, while the power / communication cable 61 has a changeable routing path. This makes it possible to easily change the cable routing path when swapping the installation locations of one antenna having a receiver with the other antenna.

[0033] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. It is clear from the claims that various modifications and improvements to the above embodiment are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1...hydraulic excavator, 2...undercarriage, 3...upper rotating body, 50...GNSS antenna, 50A, 50B1...antenna, 50B...GNSS antenna integrated receiver, 50B2...GNSS receiver, 52a...first antenna support part, 52b...second antenna support part, 61...power supply / communication cable, 61a to 61c...path, 61A to 61B...part, 62...branch point, 63...connector, 65...coaxial cable, 70...vehicle body system

Claims

1. The car body and a first support portion and a second support portion provided on an upper surface of the vehicle body; a pair of antennas respectively installed on the first support portion and the second support portion for receiving signals from positioning satellites; a receiver that performs positioning calculations using signals received by the pair of antennas from positioning satellites; a vehicle body controller that receives the result of the positioning calculation of the receiver; a first cable connecting the receiver and the vehicle body controller, one of the pair of antennas is provided with the receiver to constitute an antenna-integrated receiver, and is connected to the receiver side of the first cable; the antenna-integrated receiver and the other antenna of the pair of antennas are configured to be attachable to the first support part and the second support part, respectively; a branch portion is provided on an upper surface of the vehicle body, the branch portion holding a portion of the first cable between the vehicle body controller and the antenna-integrated receiver, at a position between the first support portion and the second support portion in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and between the first support portion and the second support portion in the lateral direction of the vehicle body; a length of the first cable from the branching portion to the antenna-integrated receiver is set to be longer than the longer of the distance from the branching portion to the first support portion and the distance from the branching portion to the second support portion.

2. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein the branch portion is provided at a position adjacent to a passage provided on the vehicle body.

3. The work machine according to claim 2 , wherein a section from the branched portion of the first cable to the antenna-integrated receiver is arranged along the passage.

4. a second cable connecting the antenna-integrated receiver and the other antenna; The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the second cable is arranged along a rear portion of the vehicle body.

5. a second cable connecting the antenna-integrated receiver and the other antenna; The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein the second cable is arranged inside the vehicle body.

6. a second cable connecting the antenna-integrated receiver and the other antenna; The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein the second cable is arranged along the first cable.

7. the first cable is composed of a vehicle controller side cable connected to the vehicle controller and an antenna side cable connected to the antenna-integrated receiver, the vehicle-body controller-side cable and the antenna-side cable are connected by fitting connectors provided on the respective cables together; The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein the branching portion holds the connector of the vehicle body controller side cable.

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