Lift car for a lift installation and method for opening and closing a door opening

1. An elevator car for an elevator installation, the elevator car comprising:

a side wall having a doorway defined therein;

an elevator car door,

wherein for at least one of opening or closing the doorway, the elevator car door is movable at least partially parallel to the side wall on an outside of the side wall,

wherein for at least one of opening or closing the doorway, the elevator car door is movable at least partially in a direction perpendicular to the side wall,

wherein the elevator car door is configured to be at least partially sunk in the doorway when closing the elevator car door; and

a coupling element disposed one of in, or on, the elevator car door and configured to,

couple said elevator car door to a shaft door upon a movement of said elevator car door in a direction perpendicular to and towards the shaft door, during an opening of said doorway, and

decouple said elevator car door from the shaft door upon a movement of said elevator car door in a direction perpendicular to and away from the shaft door during a closing of said doorway.

2. The elevator car of claim 1 , wherein the outside of the side wall is an outside of the elevator car, and wherein the elevator car door is configured to be movable in a direction towards an inside of the elevator car remote from the outside of the elevator car, during closing of said doorway.

3. The elevator car of claim 1 wherein dimensions of the elevator car door are substantially equal to dimensions of the doorway.

4. The elevator car of claim 1 , wherein the elevator car door comprises at least two door leaves that are configured to be sunk in the doorway when closing, wherein the at least two door leaves together have dimensions that are substantially equal to dimensions of the doorway.

5. The elevator car of claim 1 wherein in a closed state the elevator car door is at least partially flush with the outside of the side wall.

6. The elevator car of claim 1 , wherein said doorway comprises a frame, wherein in a closed state the said elevator car door lies at least partially against the frame.

7. The elevator car of claim 1 , comprising a sealing element farmed disposed on at least one of said sidewall at or within the doorway or said elevator car door, and configured such that, when said elevator car door is wherein in a closed state, said sealing element is configured to at least partially form a seal between said elevator car door and said side wall.

8. The elevator car of claim 1 wherein the coupling element is elongated and extends at least partially parallel to a direction of travel of the elevator car.

9. The elevator car of claim 1 comprising a cabin and a cabin carrier, wherein the cabin is disposed on the cabin carrier such that the cabin carrier is disposed at least partially beneath the cabin and the cabin rests on the cabin carrier.

10. The elevator car of claim 9 , wherein the cabin carrier comprises at least two arm elements that are disposed beneath the cabin and extend at least partially horizontally.

11. A method for closing a doorway in a side wall of an elevator car of an elevator installation, the method comprising:

coupling an elevator car door to a moveable elevator shaft door;

moving the coupled elevator car door and elevator shaft door together at least partially parallel to the side wall of the elevator car on an outside of the side wall in a direction of the doorway until the elevator car door overlaps with the doorway;

moving the elevator car door at least partially perpendicularly to the side wall into the doorway and sinking at least part of the elevator car door into the doorway so as to be seated within a frame of the doorway thereby closing the doorway with the elevator car door; and

de-coupling the elevator car door from the elevator shaft door by the at least partially perpendicular movement of the elevator car door into the frame of the doorway.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the steps of moving the elevator car door at least partially parallel, and moving the elevator car door at least partially perpendicularly occur at least partially concurrently.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the steps of moving the elevator car door at least partially parallel, and moving the elevator car door at least partially perpendicularly occur consecutively.

14. A method for opening a doorway in a side wall of an elevator car of an elevator installation, the method comprising:

moving an elevator car door that is in a closed state sunk within the doorway in a direction at least partially perpendicular to the side wall and outwardly away from the elevator car, to a position outside of both the doorway and a plane spanned by the side wall;

coupling the elevator car door to an elevator shaft door by said moving of the elevator car door at least partially perpendicularly to the sidewall; and

moving the elevator car door and coupled elevator shaft door together at least partially parallel to the side wall of the elevator car on an outside of the side wall so that the elevator car door does not completely overlap with the doorway, thereby opening the doorway.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein moving the elevator car door at least partially parallel and moving the elevator car door at least partially perpendicularly occur at least partially concurrently.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein moving the elevator car door at least partially parallel and moving the elevator car door at least partially perpendicularly occur consecutively.