Patent ID: 7621376

Claim:
A method of operating an elevator installation with vertical elevator shafts and with a plurality of individually movable elevator cars traveling in the shafts, wherein changeover zones are provided which enable displacement of the elevator cars between the elevator shafts, the elevator installation having at least three of the vertical elevator shafts arranged adjacent to one another and at least two of the changeover zones arranged directly adjacent to one another below or above a boarding zone, comprising the steps of: a. moving selected ones of the elevator cars to a boarding zone in the elevator shafts for loading and transporting; and b. moving another one of the elevator cars from one of the changeover zones to the boarding zone after one of the elevator cars has left the boarding zone to travel in one of the elevator shafts while preventing loading and unloading of the elevator cars in the changeover zones whereby a procedure of loading and unloading the elevator cars is decoupled from a procedure of a shaft change of the elevator cars.