METHOD FOR FORMING A GUIDE STRUCTURE FOR GUIDING AN ELEVATOR CABIN IN AN ELEVATOR SHAFT

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method by means of which a guide structure can be formed in an elevator shaft of an elevator system, along which a elevator car can be guided.

[0002] In an elevator system, an elevator car can typically be moved vertically within an elevator shaft. During its vertical movement, the elevator car is guided by one or more guide structures to prevent the elevator car from deviating laterally from an intended vertical travel path.

[0003] For this purpose, one or more guide rails are traditionally installed in the elevator shaft. The guide rails can be designed, for example, as steel profiles, particularly with a T-shaped, L-shaped, U-shaped, or H-shaped cross-section. Such guide rails are typically manufactured in advance and then installed in the elevator shaft. For this purpose, individual guide rail segments are anchored to one of the shaft walls. In most cases, brackets, also known as brackets, are attached to the shaft wall, for example, using anchor bolts, and each guide rail segment is fixed to the shaft wall using the brackets.

[0004] In addition to anchoring the anchor bolts and attaching the brackets, a considerable amount of work and time is often required to position the guide rails precisely in the elevator shaft and to adjust them so that they are aligned with one another.

[0005] Such a method is described, for example, in WO 2018 / 095739 A1.

[0006] Various alternative approaches have been proposed for forming guide structures in an elevator shaft for guiding an elevator car. For example, EP 2754632 A1 describes a method for forming elevator guide rails, in which the guide rails are formed using a forming machine in or adjacent to the elevator shaft. JP 2008-207896 describes an elevator in which grooves are formed as guide rails.

[0007] There may be a need for a method of forming a guide structure in an elevator shaft by means of which the guide structure can be formed relatively quickly, easily, precisely and / or inexpensively.

[0008] Such a need can be met by the method according to one of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims and the following description.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the invention, a method for forming a guide structure in an elevator shaft is proposed. The guide structure is configured to guide an elevator car during a vertical travel in the elevator shaft. The method comprises displacing a tool vertically along the elevator shaft and forming the guide structure by removing material from a shaft wall of the elevator shaft using the tool during said vertical displacement of the tool along the elevator shaft. The tool is precisely positioned with regard to its horizontal position within the elevator shaft.

[0010] Possible features and advantages of embodiments of the invention may be considered, among other things and without limiting the invention, to be based on ideas and findings described below.

[0011] As briefly mentioned in the introduction, an elevator car in conventional elevators is usually moved along guide rails that guide the car along its vertical travel path. The guide rails are installed as separate components in the elevator shaft. Each guide rail typically consists of several segments that are mounted one above the other and aligned with each other along the travel path on one of the walls of the elevator shaft. For this purpose, the guide rail segments are usually anchored in the wall of the elevator shaft using brackets.

[0012] The described conventional method of creating guide structures for guiding the elevator car in an elevator shaft using guide rails is associated with high financial and labor costs, as well as other disadvantages. For example, the guide rail segments must be manufactured and then delivered to the elevator installation site. The guide rail segments must be adapted to the local conditions within the elevator system, particularly with regard to their geometry, especially their length. To install the guide rail segments, suitable brackets or holders must then usually be anchored in the elevator shaft.Traditionally, this involves drilling numerous holes into the walls of the elevator shaft, which requires considerable effort, especially in very high elevator shafts and given that no elevator car is available to be relocated within the shaft at that time. The guide rail segments must then be fixed to the respective elevator shaft walls using brackets, aligning them flush with each other. This also requires considerable labor and may have to be performed at great heights within the elevator shaft.

[0013] In order to overcome some or all of the disadvantages mentioned, it is proposed to form the guide structure for guiding the elevator car in the elevator shaft using a novel method.

[0014] The process can be designed in such a way that prior production and delivery of guide rails, as well as assembly and adjustment of the guide rails, can be dispensed with. Instead, the proposed process creates the guide structures directly on site, i.e., through machining within the elevator shaft.

[0015] In the proposed method, a special tool is successively moved vertically along the elevator shaft, always precisely positioning its horizontal position within the shaft. During this vertical movement of the tool along the shaft, material is removed from the shaft wall, thereby creating the guide structure.

[0016] The tool can, for example, be moved from a lowest point in the elevator shaft, at which the guide structure is to be provided in order to be able to move the elevator car to the lowest possible position within the elevator shaft, to a highest point to which the guide structure is to extend within the elevator shaft. The lowest point can be located near a floor of the elevator shaft, whereas the highest point can be located near a ceiling of the elevator shaft. In other words, a travel path along which the tool is moved during the process can correspond at least approximately to the travel path along which the guide structure to be formed is to later guide the elevator car.

[0017] The tool is structurally and functionally configured to remove material from the shaft wall of the elevator shaft. In particular, the tool should be capable of removing material mechanically, for example, by milling, grinding, planing, machining, etc. For example, the tool can be configured to remove material directly from the shaft wall. The material can therefore be concrete. Alternatively, the tool can be configured to remove areas of a structure made of another material, such as metal, especially steel, plastic, wood, or similar, that is applied to the shaft wall.

[0018] While the tool is moved vertically through the elevator shaft, its horizontal position is always precisely controlled and controlled in such a way that the tool removes material at desired locations on the shaft wall.

[0019] Accordingly, with the help of the tool, structures can be created successively by removing material from the shaft wall, which structures are designed as guide structures for guiding the elevator car. The guide structure can thus be designed in particular as a groove running in the vertical direction in or on the shaft wall. The guide structure can also be formed from several, in particular two, such grooves, which are preferably formed on opposite shaft walls. Such guide structures can run, for example, along the elevator shaft. In particular, such guide structures can be linear and preferably run vertically. The guide structures can have surfaces along which the elevator car can be guided during its vertical travel. These surfaces can preferably run transversely to the horizontal, in particular perpendicular to the horizontal.

[0020] By moving the tool vertically through the elevator shaft and removing material from the shaft wall at a precise horizontal position, the guide structure can be created in a relatively simple and / or quick operation. In contrast to the conventional formation of the guide structure using guide rails that are additively mounted in the elevator shaft, the guide structure is formed by subtractively removing material already present in the elevator shaft.

[0021] Since the tool can be monitored and appropriately positioned with regard to its horizontal position during the removal of material, the guide structure formed by the removal can be formed with very precise location and / or with an almost perfectly vertical running pattern.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the displacement of the tool and the positioning of the tool can be carried out completely automatically or at least partially automatically.

[0023] For example, the tool can be moved along the elevator shaft using a motor. Such a motor can drive a cable winch or similar device, which can be used to raise and lower the tool within the elevator shaft. The motor, and thus the movement of the tool, can be controlled using a controller.

[0024] Furthermore, the tool can have an actuator or be displaced using an actuator. Using the actuator, the tool can be displaced in directions transverse to the horizontal, particularly in horizontal directions.

[0025] The actuator can work in conjunction with a sensor system. The sensor system can be configured to detect the current position of the tool within the elevator shaft, i.e., the absolute position of the tool or the position of the tool relative to other structures within the elevator shaft. Signals from the sensor system can be sent to the actuator. The actuator can then precisely position the tool at a desired location to remove material from the shaft wall.

[0026] For example, the tool can be positioned within the elevator shaft using a robot or a similar machine equipped with actuators and sensors. The robot or machine can then be moved vertically within the elevator shaft, along with the tool.

[0027] The tool and, where appropriate, the robot or machine may, for example, be part of an automated device as proposed by the applicant of the present application for carrying out other installations in an elevator shaft and as described, for example, in WO 2017 / 016783 A1.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the tool can have a milling head. To form the guide structure, a groove can then be created vertically along the shaft wall by removing material using the milling head.

[0029] In other words, the tool can be designed as a milling cutter. A milling head of such a milling cutter typically has a milling element that can be rotated by a motor and which has a structured or rough milling surface. The rotating milling element can then mechanically remove material from the shaft wall with its milling surface. The milling element can be a milling disk, for example. The milling disk can be rotated about a preferably horizontal axis of rotation that runs parallel to the shaft wall. Alternatively, the milling element can be a rotationally symmetrical body, for example, that is rotated about an axis of rotation that runs transversely to the shaft wall, preferably orthogonally to the shaft wall.

[0030] By successively moving the tool with the milling head vertically along the elevator shaft, the milling head removes material from the shaft wall, thereby forming a preferably linear and vertical groove. This groove can serve as a guide structure.

[0031] In particular, the groove can have side surfaces extending transversely to the shaft wall, along which, for example, a guide shoe attached to the elevator car can be guided. The side surfaces of the groove can run perpendicular to the surface of the shaft wall or obliquely or inclined to this surface. A cross-section of the groove can be constant along the vertical extent of the groove. In other words, the side surfaces of the groove can be arranged at a constant distance and in a constant position relative to one another along the entire length of the groove.

[0032] According to a more specific embodiment, material can be milled out of the shaft wall using the milling head.

[0033] In other words, with the proposed method, the milling head can be designed and positioned in such a way that it can be used to remove material directly from the shaft wall. The material to be removed is therefore material that is already present in the elevator shaft, as it is part of its shaft wall, so that no additional material needs to be brought into the elevator shaft to form the guide structure. This material is usually hard concrete, which is often reinforced with reinforcement. Using a suitably designed milling head, a groove can be milled into this concrete, which can then serve as a stable guide structure for the elevator car.

[0034] When milling the groove, the tool or its milling head can be guided in such a way that only concrete above the reinforcement is removed, avoiding damage to the reinforcement and thus reducing its reinforcing function. For example, the milling head can mill the groove to a maximum depth less than the thickness of a concrete covering layer above the reinforcement. Typically, the groove can be milled to a depth of significantly less than 10 cm, for example, a depth in the range of 1 cm to 5 cm.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the proposed method can be used to preform a convex structure on the shaft wall that protrudes from the shaft wall into the interior of the elevator shaft. The guide structure can then be formed by removing material from this convex structure using the tool.

[0036] In other words, a convex, protruding structure can be formed on the shaft wall of the elevator shaft even before the tool is used, from which material can then be removed using the tool to form the guide structure. In the area of ​​the convex structure, the shaft wall thus arches or bulges out towards the interior of the elevator shaft. The convex structure thus forms an area on the shaft wall in which, for example, a covering layer located above a concrete reinforcement is locally thickened. The convex structure can, for example, protrude beyond neighboring areas of the shaft wall into the interior of the elevator shaft over a thickness of a few millimeters to several centimeters, for example a thickness of 0.5 cm to 10 cm, preferably a thickness of 1 cm to 5 cm. The convex structure can have a rectangular, part-circular, or other geometrically shaped cross-section.

[0037] Using the tool, a groove can then be milled into this convex structure, for example, as a guide structure. The guide structure can extend only within the area of ​​the convex structure or deeper into a volume of the shaft wall located beneath the convex structure. Overall, the guide structure can thus be deeper, i.e., form larger guide surfaces, than would be the case if the guide structure were simply milled into a concrete cover layer above reinforcement in the concrete forming the shaft wall.

[0038] According to a specific embodiment, the convex structure can be integrated with the shaft wall.

[0039] In other words, the shaft wall and the convex structure formed on it can be integral. Both can be made of a common material, in particular concrete. Preferably, any reinforcement provided in the concrete does not extend into the convex structure. The convex structure can be formed during the formation of the shaft wall, i.e., in particular, during the pouring of the concrete to form the shaft wall. The shaft wall provided with the convex structure can thus be manufactured particularly easily.

[0040] Alternatively, according to a specific embodiment, the convex structure can be attached at least partially to the shaft wall.

[0041] In other words, the convex structure can be formed completely or at least partially using a supplementary component that is subsequently attached to the shaft wall, i.e., after the concrete has been poured. The originally preferably flat shaft wall can thus be locally thickened using the component forming the convex structure.

[0042] In this case, the convex structure can be made of the same or a different material as the shaft wall. For example, the convex structure can be made of concrete, but also of other materials such as plastic, metal, wood, composite materials, etc. The convex structure can be composed of several component segments. The component segments can be arranged vertically one above the other. The component segments only need to be roughly aligned with each other. The guide structure can then be subsequently incorporated into the roughly aligned component segments, in particular by milling a continuous groove along the multiple component segments.

[0043] The additional convex structure can, for example, be glued to the shaft wall.

[0044] For this purpose, for example, an adhesive can be applied in a flowable form to a surface of the shaft wall and then solidified. Preferably, the adhesive can be applied automatically, for example, using a robot moving vertically through the elevator shaft. The adhesive can adhere to the shaft wall in a material-to-material and / or form-fitting manner. The adhesive can be applied with a considerable thickness so that, after curing, it can itself act as the convex structure. Alternatively, an additional component or component segment forming the actual convex structure can be pressed onto the adhesive, so that this component or component segment is bonded to the shaft wall via the adhesive.

[0045] Alternatively or additionally, the convex structure can be screwed to the shaft wall.

[0046] For example, a separate component forming the convex structure can be fixed to the shaft wall using screws. It may be preferable to fix the component with a large number of small screws rather than a few large ones. The small screws can, for example, be screwed only into the concrete cover layer of the shaft wall, thus avoiding the risk of damaging the underlying reinforcement and preventing problems when screwing in the screws.

[0047] The screwing of the component can preferably be automated. For example, a specially designed robot can be moved vertically through the elevator shaft, screwing the component or segments forming the convex structure to the elevator shaft wall.

[0048] According to one embodiment, a plastic layer can be subsequently applied to a running surface on the guide structure formed during the formation of the guide structure.

[0049] In other words, a running surface can be created on the guide structure that was formed by removing material from or in the shaft wall. A guide shoe of an elevator car, for example, can later roll or slide along this running surface. This running surface can be further processed to give it specific properties. In particular, the running surface can be subsequently provided with a plastic layer. The plastic layer can smooth the running surface. This can, for example, reduce rolling resistance or sliding resistance when the guide shoe moves along the running surface. Alternatively or additionally, the plastic layer can seal the running surface and / or protect it against environmental influences. The plastic layer can be applied mechanically. In particular, the plastic layer can be applied fully automatically or semi-automatically.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the tool can position its horizontal position within the elevator shaft relative to a vertical reference line maintained in the elevator shaft.

[0051] In other words, the horizontal position of the tool within the elevator shaft can be determined by referring to a reference line. The reference line can, for example, extend where the guide structure is to be created on the elevator shaft wall. Alternatively, the reference line can extend in a predefined spatial relationship to the position where the guide structure is to be created. The tool or a positioning device interacting with it can, for example, have a sensor or detector that can detect the reference line. Once the reference line has been detected, the tool can then be precisely positioned relative to this reference line.

[0052] The reference line can be embodied in a material form, i.e., implemented by a material structure provided within the elevator shaft. For example, the reference line can be implemented using a plumb line provided in the elevator shaft. Such a plumb line can, for example, comprise a weighted cord, which thus extends vertically within the elevator shaft. The plumb line can thus serve as a vertical reference line, allowing the position of the tool to be determined relative to this plumb line.

[0053] Alternatively, the reference line can also be formed without any material. For example, the reference line can be designed to be purely visually perceptible. In particular, the reference line can be generated using a laser beam that runs straight and preferably vertically in the elevator shaft. The laser beam can be detected, and the position of the tool can be determined relative to this laser beam.

[0054] An elevator shaft in which the guide structure was formed using an embodiment of the method presented here can offer various advantages for the elevator system formed thereby compared to conventional elevator shafts. For example, the advantages of the method proposed here already outlined above also lead to analogous advantages for the elevator shaft. In particular, the advantage that the guide structure can be formed particularly quickly, precisely, and / or cost-effectively using the proposed method can lead to corresponding advantages for the elevator shaft. Furthermore, the possible positionally accurate formation of the guide structure can lead to the guide structure in the finished elevator shaft being more straight and / or almost exactly vertically aligned compared to conventional guide rails constructed from multiple segments.This can, among other things, improve ride comfort for the elevator car, which is guided along the guide structure. The space required for the guide rail within the elevator shaft can also be eliminated or reduced, especially if the guide structure is designed as a groove on or in one of the shaft walls. This allows the cross-section of the elevator shaft available for the elevator car to be increased.

[0055] Finally, it should be noted that in addition to the design described in detail above, in which the guide structure is created by milling a groove, other removal processes using the position-guided tool are also conceivable. For example, the tool can be used to remove material from a previously only roughly predefined structure, in particular a structure that protrudes convexly from the shaft wall, in order to form flat, vertical surfaces on this structure, which can then, for example, represent the running surfaces of the desired guide structure.

[0056] Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein neither the drawings nor the description are to be construed as limiting the invention. Fig. 1 shows an elevator shaft in which a guide structure is formed by means of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows a sectional view through a guide structure formed according to the invention. Fig. 3 shows a sectional view through an alternative guide structure formed according to the invention.

[0057] The figures are merely schematic and not to scale. The same reference numerals designate the same or equivalent features in the various figures.

[0058] Fig. 1 shows an elevator shaft 1. The elevator shaft 1 is formed by a substantially cuboid-shaped volume, which is formed in a building and is bounded laterally by shaft walls 3. The shaft walls 3 extend vertically, i.e., in a z-direction. At the top and bottom, the elevator shaft 1 is bounded by a ceiling and a floor, respectively, which extend horizontally, i.e., in a plane spanned by an x-direction and a y-direction.

[0059] At a later point in time, an elevator car (not shown) is to be moved vertically in elevator shaft 1. The elevator car is to be guided along one or more guide structures 5 within elevator shaft 1.

[0060] To form such a guide structure 5 in the elevator shaft 1, according to embodiments of the method described herein, a tool 7 can be accommodated in the elevator shaft 1. Provisions are made to displace the tool 7 vertically within the elevator shaft 1 and, at the same time, to precisely position it with regard to its horizontal position within the elevator shaft 1. The tool 7 is configured to form the desired guide structure 5 in the form of a vertically extending groove on one of the shaft walls 3 by removing material during the aforementioned vertical displacement within or along the elevator shaft.

[0061] To implement these functionalities, for example, as in the Figur 1 As illustrated in simplified form in the embodiment shown, a displacement device 9 may be provided which is configured to raise or lower the tool 7 vertically along the elevator shaft 1 in a controlled manner. Such a displacement device may, for example, be a cable winch 11 which can wind and unwind a cable 13 in order to displace a frame 15 or elevator car attached to one end of the cable 13 within the elevator shaft 1. The tool 7 may be held on or in the frame 15 or elevator car.

[0062] A lateral position of the tool 7 or the frame 15 holding it can be influenced by means of a positioning device 17. For this purpose, the positioning device 17 can, for example, have an actuator system with control elements 19, with the aid of which the punches 21 can be displaced in the horizontal direction. A plurality of control elements 19 and punches 21 can be provided, which can be displaced in different directions in order to be able to displace the overall lateral position of the tool 7 or the frame 15 in the x-direction and / or the y-direction. The control elements 19 and punches 21 can also be designed and operated in such a way that they can be used to support the tool 7 or the frame 15 on opposite side walls 3 and thus spread and fixed within the elevator shaft 1.

[0063] Furthermore, a detection device 23 is provided. With the aid of the detection device 23, the current lateral position of the tool 7 or the frame 15 within the elevator shaft 1 can be detected. For this purpose, the detection device 23 can, for example, detect a vertical reference line 25 provided in the elevator shaft 1, the position and / or orientation or course of which within the elevator shaft 1 are known. The reference line 25 can, for example, be formed by a plumb line 27 installed in the elevator shaft 1. Detection signals from the detection device 23, which indicate where the tool 7 is currently located relative to the reference line 25, can be transmitted to the positioning device 17, so that the latter can then laterally displace the frame 15 with the tool 7 attached thereto into a desired target position.

[0064] Both the displacement of the tool 7 using the displacement device 9 and the lateral positioning of the tool 7 using the positioning device 17 can be carried out fully or at least partially automated. For this purpose, for example, sub-controls of the displacement device 9, the positioning device 17, and possibly the tool 7 itself can communicate with each other or be coordinated by a central control system.

[0065] In order to be able to remove material from a shaft wall 3 in a targeted manner using the tool 7, it can be designed, for example, as a milling tool. For example, the tool 7 can have a milling head 29 on which a milling disk 31 is provided. The milling disk 31 can, for example, be circular and driven in rotation. In this case, the tool 7 corresponds to or is similar to a slot cutter or wall chaser.

[0066] By moving the tool 7 with its rotating milling disk 31 vertically through the elevator shaft 1 and keeping its lateral position precisely at a desired lateral position, e.g., by moving it along a desired vertical line through the elevator shaft, the milling disk 31 can mill the material out of the shaft wall 3 or out of a structure provided on the shaft wall 3. In this way, a preferably linearly extending groove 33 can be created on the shaft wall 3.

[0067] A mechatronic installation component, such as an industrial robot, can also be mounted on the frame, which can pick up and guide the tool. In this case, the frame can be positioned and fixed at different heights in the elevator shaft. When fixed, the tool is moved along a shaft wall in such a way that the guide structure is formed by removing material from the shaft wall.

[0068] In Fig. 2 is a horizontally sectioned view through the tool 7 and the groove 33 created in the shaft wall 3 with its aid. The milling disk 31 removes material directly from the shaft wall 3. The shaft wall 3 is typically made of concrete into which reinforcements 35 are embedded. The reinforcements 35 are typically covered by a concrete covering layer 37 several centimeters thick. When forming the groove 33, the tool 7 can preferably be positioned such that the groove 33 extends sufficiently deep into the shaft wall 3, while at the same time the reinforcements 35 located beneath the concrete covering layer 37 are not damaged.

[0069] In Fig. 3 an alternative embodiment for forming the groove 33 on the shaft wall 3 is shown. In this embodiment, the tool 7 does not mill material directly out of the shaft wall 3. Instead, a convex structure 39 protruding into the interior of the elevator shaft 1 is provided on the shaft wall 3. The convex structure 39 can, for example, have an approximately rectangular cross-section. The convex structure 39 can, for example, protrude a few centimeters beyond a flat surface 41 of the shaft wall 3. Material can then be removed from this convex structure 39 with the aid of the tool 7. In this way, for example, a vertically running groove 33 can be created in the convex structure 39. The groove 33 can in this case run more precisely, i.e., for example, straighter and / or more exactly in line with the vertical, than is the case for the convex structure 39.

[0070] The convex structure 39 can, as in Fig. 3 As shown, the convex structure 39 can be formed directly during the formation of the shaft wall 3. For example, the convex structure 39 can be cast in the shaft wall 3 when concrete is poured. In this case, the convex structure 39 can be formed integrally with the shaft wall 3.

[0071] Alternatively, the convex structure 39, as in Fig. 4 shown, may have been added to the shaft wall 3 only after it had been completed. For this purpose, the convex structure 39 can be formed, for example, using a plurality of component segments 42 with a rectangular cross-section. The component segments 42 can be fixed to the shaft wall 3. For example, the component segments 42 can be screwed to the shaft wall 3 using a large number of relatively small screws 46. Alternatively or additionally, the component segments 42 can be glued to the shaft wall 3. A plurality of such component segments 42 can be fixed vertically one above the other, for example along substantially the entire length of the elevator shaft 1, to the shaft wall 3 in order to form the convex structure 39 extending vertically along the shaft wall 3.

[0072] The groove 33 formed in the shaft wall 3 or in the convex structure 39 can later serve as a guide structure 5 for guiding the elevator car. For example, a roller of a guide shoe provided on the elevator car can roll in the groove 33 and be guided by the opposing lateral flanks 43 of the groove 33.

[0073] In order to smooth, harden and / or protect a running surface 45 of a guide structure 5 formed in this way from abrasion, for example, the running surface 45 can be coated with a plastic layer 47 (see Fig. 2). The running surface 45 can, for example, be formed by a base and / or the flanks 43 of the groove 33. The plastic layer 47 can also have damping properties. For example, the plastic layer can be a few hundred µm up to a few millimeters thick. The plastic layer can, for example, be applied directly after milling the groove 33. For this purpose, a suitable application device can be provided on the tool 7. Alternatively, the plastic layer can be applied using a separate device and / or at a different time.

[0074] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "having," "comprising," etc., do not exclude other elements or steps, and terms such as "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps described with reference to one of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims are not to be considered as limitations.

Claims

1. Method for forming a guide structure (5) in an elevator shaft (1), wherein the guide structure (5) is configured to guide an elevator car during vertical travel in the elevator shaft (1), wherein the method comprises: moving a tool (7) vertically along the elevator shaft (1), wherein the tool (7) is precisely positioned with respect to its horizontal position within the elevator shaft (1), and forming the guide structure (5) by removing material from a shaft wall (3) of the elevator shaft (1) by means of the tool (7) during said vertical movement of the tool (7) along the elevator shaft (1).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein moving the tool (7) and positioning the tool (7) are carried out automatically.

3. Method according to any of claims 1 and 2, wherein the tool (7) comprises a milling head (29), and a groove (33) is produced vertically along the shaft wall (3) by material being removed by means of the milling head (29).

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein material is milled out of the shaft wall (3) by means of the milling head (29).

5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a convex structure (39) projecting from the shaft wall (3) into an interior of the elevator shaft (1) is formed on the shaft wall (3) in advance, and the guide structure (5) is formed by removing material from the convex structure (39) by means of the tool (7).

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the convex structure (39) is integrated with the shaft wall (3).

7. Method according to any of claims 5 and 6, wherein the convex structure (39) is at least partially also attached to the shaft wall (3).

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein the convex structure (39) is glued to the shaft wall (3).

9. Method according to any of claims 7 and 8, wherein the convex structure (39) is screwed to the shaft wall (3).

10. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a plastics layer (47) is subsequently applied to a running surface (45) on the guide structure (5), which running surface was formed when the guide structure (5) was formed.

11. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the tool (7) positions its horizontal position within the elevator shaft (1) relative to a vertical reference line (25) provided in the elevator shaft (1).

12. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the tool (7) positions its horizontal position within the elevator shaft (1) relative to a plumb line (27) provided in the elevator shaft (1).