Elevator car emergency ladder systems

1 . An elevator car comprising:

a front wall panel defining an opening for an elevator car door;

an elevator car door arranged to open and close within the opening;

a storage cavity defined within a portion of one of the front wall panel and the elevator car door and located behind a cab facing surface thereof, wherein the storage cavity is defined by the cab facing surface of the respective front wall panel or elevator car door and a side surface of the respective front wall panel or elevator car door, wherein the side surface defines a part of the opening when the elevator car door is in an open state; and

an emergency ladder assembly configured to be removably installed into the storage cavity,

wherein a storage opening is defined on the side surface of the respective front wall panel or elevator car door, and

wherein the emergency ladder assembly comprises:

a cover plate configured to be removably attached to the side surface and cover the storage opening; and

an emergency ladder removably stored on the cover plate, wherein the emergency ladder is housed within the storage cavity in a stowed state.

2 . The elevator car of claim 1 , wherein the emergency ladder comprises a set of ladder sections that are configured to be joined together to form an emergency ladder.

3 . The elevator car of claim 2 , wherein the emergency ladder comprises three ladder sections.

4 . The elevator car of claim 1 , further comprising one or more mounting elements arranged on the cover plate and configured to receive and support the emergency ladder thereon.

5 . The elevator car of claim 4 , wherein the one or more mounting elements comprise bolts and locking nuts.

6 . The elevator car of claim 1 , wherein the cover plate has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is configured to lockingly engage with a part of the side surface that defines the storage opening and the second end is configured to releasably engage with another part of the side surface that defines the storage opening.

7 . The elevator car of claim 6 , wherein the first end comprises a locking mechanism comprising a keyway and a rotating bracket, wherein the rotating bracket is configured to releasably engage with the side surface that defines the storage opening.

8 . The elevator car of claim 7 , wherein the rotating bracket is configured to releasably engage with a locking tab mounted to an interior surface of the side surface that defines the storage opening.

9 . The elevator car of claim 6 , wherein the second end comprises an engagement mechanism for engaging with the side surface that defines the storage opening.

10 . The elevator car of claim 9 , wherein the engagement mechanism comprises a fixture assembly that defines an installation gap for releasably engaging with a portion of the side surface that defines the storage opening.

11 . The elevator car of claim 1 , further comprising one or more support brackets arranged within the storage cavity and configured to support the emergency ladder when the emergency ladder is stored within the storage cavity.

12 . The elevator car of claim 11 , further comprising a frame element arranged on an interior surface of the respective front wall panel or elevator car door, wherein the one or more support brackets are mounted to the frame element.

13 . The elevator car of claim 11 , wherein the one or more support brackets are configured with padding or soft material to dampen movement and/or vibrations of the emergency ladder when stored in the storage cavity.

14 . The elevator car of claim 1 , further comprising a car operating panel arranged in the front wall panel opposite the storage cavity relative to the opening for the elevator car door.

15 . The elevator car of claim 1 , wherein the elevator car door is configured as a center opening elevator car door.

16 . The elevator car of claim 1 , wherein the elevator car door is configured as a center opening elevator car door, and the storage cavity is defined within the front wall panel.

17 . An elevator car comprising:

a front wall panel defining an opening for an elevator car door;

an elevator car door arranged to open and close within the opening;

a storage cavity defined within a portion of the elevator car door and located behind a cab facing surface thereof, wherein the storage cavity is defined by the cab facing surface of the elevator car door and a side surface of the elevator car door, wherein the side surface defines a part of the opening when the elevator car door is in an open state; and

an emergency ladder assembly configured to be removably installed into the storage cavity,

wherein a storage opening is defined on the side surface of the respective front wall panel or elevator car door, and

wherein the emergency ladder assembly comprises:

a cover plate configured to be removably attached to the side surface and cover the storage opening; and

an emergency ladder removably stored on the cover plate, wherein the emergency ladder is housed within the storage cavity in a stowed state,

wherein the elevator car door is configured as a side opening elevator car door comprising at least two door panels and the storage cavity is defined within one panel of the at least two door panels.

18 . The elevator car of claim 17 , wherein the emergency ladder comprises a set of ladder sections that are configured to be joined together to form an emergency ladder.

19 . The elevator car of claim 17 , further comprising one or more mounting elements arranged on the cover plate and configured to receive and support the emergency ladder thereon.

20 . The elevator car of claim 17 , wherein the cover plate has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is configured to lockingly engage with a part of the side surface that defines the storage opening and the second end is configured to releasably engage with another part of the side surface that defines the storage opening.