The invention refers to an elevator shaft and a method of manufacturing this shaft.

European patent application 16 161 691.7 (not published yet) shows a elevator shaft a method of manufacturing the same. The shaft is built up by a number of beams. Panels can be attached to the beams. Usually a gap between the elevator shaft structure and the panels is sealed by an adhesive sealant.

In particular the sealant is to be applied to the outer side of the elevator shaft (the weather side), however the outer side may be difficult to access due to narrow installation space.

It is the object of the invention to provide an improved elevator shaft. The object of the invention is solved by an elevator shaft and a method according to the main claims; preferred

embodiments are subject of the subclaims and the description.

The inventive elevator shaft comprises

- a plurality of first, in particular vertical, beams,

- a plurality of second, in particular horizontal, beams,

- a plurality of panels (13), each located in a window between the plurality of beams.

The plurality of panels and the plurality of beams constitute side walls of the shaft. "Constituting" means in this context, that the side wall comprises these components and may comprise other components (not mentioned here) as well. A rubber gasket is arranged at least between one of the beams and one of the panels. The rubber gasket provides the capability of sealing a gap between the components of the shaft without the need to use any adhesive sealer like silicon sealant. The gasket can be fitted simply to the beams and the panel, material pollution by the sealant is reduced.

Preferably one of the beams comprises

- a first, in particular outer, bracket and

- a second, in particular inner, bracket, separate to the first bracket.

The first bracket and the second bracket form a receiving slot, wherein the panel is partially accommodated within said receiving slot (15). The slot in particular extends parallel to a main direction of the respective Brackets and/or the respective beam. In particular that the rubber gasket is partially accommodated within said receiving slot. Preferably the rubber gasket comprises a spring section. The spring section is compressed between one of said brackets and the panel. In particular the spring section is compressed between one of the outer brackets and a side face of the panel. The spring section is in particular elastically deformable. The spring section may provide a holding force to hold the gasket in between the panel and the one of the beams, in particular within the receiving slot or with a gap between the panel and one of the brackets. The spring section may compensate variations in the dimension of the panel and/or the brackets.

Preferably the rubber gasket comprises a roof section. A gap between the panel and one of the brackets is covered by the roof section. In particular the roof section has an overlapping extension, which is partially covering the respective panel. The roof section may be adapted to avoid any flow of water into the gap between the gasket and the brackets. Further the roof section may have a similar appearance as a silicone sealing.

Preferably the rubber gasket comprises a transverse plane section. The transverse plane is adapted to contact a circumferential edge of the panel. The circumferential edge of the panel and the transverse plane may have complementary surfaces, in particular planar surfaces. The transverse plane may be pressed between the circumferential edge and the beam, so that the gasket is securely fixed by the panel itself.

The transverse plane section may also be located vertically below the panel, if attached at a horizontal beam. Here the gasket may act as vertical spacer keeping the panel in a defined position relative to the beam against gravity.

Preferably the rubber gasket comprises parallel plane section. The parallel plane section is adapted to contact a side face of the panel, thus in particular providing a defined attachment between the plane side face and the gasket. The parallel plane section may be of a planar shape, i.e. complementary shaped to the side face of the panel. Preferably, the elevator shaft is adapted to provide one or more of the following features:

- the spring section is located parallel to the first second section;

- the transversal plane section is located rectangular to the parallel plane section;

- the parallel plane section is located adjacent to the roof section;

- that the spring section is located adjacent to the roof section;

- that the spring section and/or the parallel plane section is located between the roof section and the transversal plane section. Preferably the rubber gasket is glued to the panel. This is in particular for the purpose of prefixing the gasket to improve easy manufacturing; a durable fixation is in particular established by clamping the gasket between the panel and the beam.

The inventive Method comprising the following method steps:

- providing a plurality of first brackets of the beams attached to each other,

- subsequently attaching a panel and a rubber gasket to the first brackets,

- subsequently attaching a plurality of second brackets of the beams to the first brackets.

Fixing the panels and the gasket is thus a integral part of manufacturing the structure of the elevator shaft. By attaching the gasket between the panel and the brackets, the spacing between the panels and the beams are already sealed, without the need of using an adhesive sealant.

Preferably the rubber gasket is prefixed, in particular glued, to the panel prior to attaching the panel to the first brackets. This reduces working effort on site; the prefixing of gaskets can be done with machines in the factory more efficiently than manually on site. In particular the gasket may be prefixed before transporting the panel; here the gasket may also act as a transport protection for the panels. Prefixing the gasket on the beam structure is less advantageous, since the beams are assembled after the brackets are on site.

Preferably the rubber gasket, in particular a spring section of the rubber gasket, is compressed during attaching the panel to the brackets and/or during attaching the second brackets to the first brackets. Preferably no adhesive sealer is used to seal a spacing between the beams and the panel. Any adhesive between the gasket and panel is not suitable to seal a spacing between beams and panel; consequently this is according to the invention not considered as an adhesive sealer.

The invention is described in more detail with the help of the attached figures; it shows: figure 1 an inventive elevator shaft in perspective view;

figure 2 the beams of the shaft of figure 1 in exploded view;

figure 3 the attachment of a panel and the shaft beams in the shaft of figure 1 in cross section;

figures 4 and 5 the components of figure 3 separately;

figure 6 method steps in the process of manufacturing the inventive elevator of figure I . Figure 1 shows an inventive elevator shaft 10. The elevator shaft 10 comprises a plurality of first, vertical beams 11 and second, horizontal beams 12, which constitute mechanically carrying parts of the shaft 10. The beams 11, 12 are arranged in a foursquare formation and form windows there between, in which panels are embedded. In particular the panels 13 are glass panels 13 made of glass or other transparent material; alternatively the panels 13 may be of nontransparent material. In some positions a door assembly 17 may be installed of instead of panels 13. The beams 11, 12, the panels 13, and in some instances the door assemblies 17 form a sidewall 14 (here four sidewalls) of the elevator shaft 10. In this elevator shaft 10 a non- shown elevator cabin can travel in a vertical direction V. Figure 2 shows details of the elevator shaft 10. Each beam 11, 12 comprise a number of brackets 31 to 34. Each first, vertical beam 11 has a first, vertical outer bracket 31 and a second, vertical inner bracket 32. Each second, horizontal beam 12 has a first, horizontal outer bracket 33 and a second, horizontal inner bracket 34. The terms "inner" and "outer" indicates the relative orientation of the brackets with respect to the inner area I and the outer area 0 of the shaft, which are marked in the figures 3 to 6. Vertically adjacent vertical beams 11 are connected to each other by means of a connecting bracket 35. The brackets of one beam are fixed to each other by means of hooks or screws. The horizontal beams are fixed to the vertical beams by means of hooks or screws.

The panel 13 has a (main) side face 18 and a circumferential edge 19. In the following reference is made to figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 shows the arrangement of the brackets 31 to 34 and the panels 13 in cross section and fixed together in the shaft 10. Figures 4 and 5 show the components separately. The shape of the cross sections is in main similar for the bracket 31 ,32 of the first vertical beams 11 as well as the brackets 33, 34 for the second horizontal beams 12. So figure 3 is valid for both kinds of beams 11, 12. Here the first brackets 31, 33 are fixed to the second brackets 32, 34 in particular by a hooked or screwed connection. In the area of the circumferential edge 19 the brackets 31 - 34 are shaped to form a receiving slot 15 for the edge 19 of panel 13, which is in particular also arranged circumferentially around the panel 13. The receiving slot 15 is formed in particular by a first parallel surface 37 at the first bracket 31, 33 and a second parallel surface 38 at the second bracket 32, 34. The parallel surfaces 37, 38 are parallel to the side face 18 of the panel 13. Further a transverse surface 36 at least one of the brackets (here exemplary at the first bracket 11, 12), which is arranged parallel to the circumferential border 19 of the panel 13. It is preferred that the transverse surface 36 is provided at that bracket (here 31, 33), which is attached earlier to the panel 13 than the other bracket (here 32, 34).

Between the outer bracket (here the first brackets 31, 33) and the panel a rubber gasket 20 is provided to seal a gap 16 between the panel 13 and the beam 11, 12. The rubber gasket 20 has several sections:

A transversal plane section 21, which is parallel to the circumferential edge 19: The first, transversal section 21 may glued to the edge 19 before the panel 13 is attached to on the brackets 31-34. As apparent from figure 3 the transversal plane section 21 acts as a spacer located vertically between the panel 13 and a horizontal beam (here constituted by the brackets 33, 34), located vertically below the panel 13.

A parallel plane section 22, which is parallel to the side face 18. The parallel plane section 22 may be glued to the side face 18.

A spring section 23 is arranged parallel to the parallel plane section 22. The spring section 23 is adapted to be compressed during manufacturing between the side face and one of the brackets, here first bracket 31, 33. The compression produces a resilient clamping of the gasket 20 within the slot 15, which keeps the panel 13 in place. In main the spring section 23 is spaced apart from the parallel plane section 22 to enable deformation of the spring section 23. The spring section 23 may have protrusions 25 on its bracket facing surface. These protrusions 25 locally increase the surface pressure, thus increasing the holding force of the gasket 20 against the bracket 31, 33. The spring section 23 comprises on its other side, facing the parallel plane section 22, cutouts 26. These cutouts 26 selectively increase a flexibility of the spring section 23.

A roof section 24, covering a gap 15 between the panel 13 and the first bracket 31, 33. The roof section 24 connects the parallel plane section 22 with the spring section 23. In the direction of the bracket 31, the roof section has an overlapping extension 24o, which prevents an access of water into the gap area 15 between the first bracket 31, 33 and the spring section 23.

Figure 6 illustrates method steps during manufacturing the elevator shaft 10. At first several first brackets 33a, 33b, 32c are connected to each other to form a window. Figure 6 shows exemplarily a first bracket 33a of an upper beam 12a, a first bracket 33b of a lower beam 12b and in the background in dotted lines a first bracket 31c of a vertical beam 11c, in a cross section according to section line VI-VI of figure 1. Highlighted are also the respective transversal surfaces 36a, 36b, 36c and the first parallel surfaces 37a, 37b, 37c of the first brackets 31a, 31b, 33c.

In a subsequent step (arrow A) the panel 13 is attached to the first bracket 33a, 33b, 31c. Here a number of gasket (only two 20a and 20b are shown) are already prefixed to the panel 13 as described above e.g. by gluing. Thus the spring sections 23 of the gaskets 20 get in contact with the respective first parallel surfaces 37a, 37b, 37c of the first brackets 33a, 33b, 32c.

Additionally the transversal surfaces 36 a, 36b 36c of the gaskets 20 get in contact with the transverse surfaces 36a, 36.

In a subsequent step (arrows B) the second brackets 34a, 34b 32c of the respective beam 12a, 12b, 11c are attached to the respective first brackets 33a, 33b 31c of the respective beam 12a, 12b, 11c. The second beams are fixed e.g. by hooks or a screwed connection. Consequently the panel 13 is pressed by the second brackets 34a, 34b, 32c against the first brackets 33a, 33b, 31c.

The panels 13 are attached to brackets from the inside I of the shaft. This is advantageous, since the shaft may be located in a narrow environment; so access to the shaft from the outside can not be ensured at all positions. In particular the shaft may be located in a building shaft, which is merely slightly larger than the elevator shaft. Attaching a panel from the outside 0 is completely impossible.

List of reference signs

10 elevator shaft

11 first, vertical beam

12 second, horizontal beam

13 panel, in particular glass panel

14 side wall

15 receiving slot

16 gap

17 door assembly

18 side face of panel

19 circumferential edge of panel

20 rubber gasket

21 transverse plane section

22 parallel plane section

23 spring section

24 roof section

24o overlapping extension

25 protrusion

31 first, vertical outer bracket

32 second, vertical inner bracket

33 first, horizontal outer bracket

34 second, horizontal inner bracket

35 connecting bracket

36 transverse surface

37 first parallel surface

38 second parallel surface

V vertical direction