Storage unit for blanks and related method

Abstract

A blanks storage unit for storing a stack of blanks includes: inlet and outlet sections of the blanks; a feed device having a support device to restingly receive the blanks of the stack of blanks; and a feed element for moving the blanks along a feed trajectory from the inlet section towards the outlet section. The unit also includes a guide device. At least one of the support device or the guide device is movable with respect to the other along a lifting trajectory between a transport configuration, in which said support device defines in the section a feed plane of the blanks and the blanks rest on the support device, and a sliding configuration in which the guide device is at least partially lifted with respect to the support device and the blanks rest on the guide device to be guided, sliding along the section towards the outlet.

1 . Blanks storage unit, for storing a stack of blanks, comprising:
 an inlet section of said blanks and an outlet section of said blanks,   a feed device comprising a support device intended to restingly receive said blanks of said stack of blanks and a feed element for moving said blanks along a feed trajectory from said inlet section towards said outlet section;   a guide device configured to facilitate the sliding of the blanks in a section of the feed trajectory adjacent to the inlet section   wherein at least one of said support device or said guide device is movable with respect to the other along a lifting trajectory between a transport configuration in which said support device defines in said section a feed plane of said blanks and said blanks rest on said support device and a sliding configuration in which said guide device is at least partially lifted with respect to said support device and said blanks rest on said guide device to be slidingly guided along said section towards said outlet section.   
     
     
         2 . The blanks storage unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said support device comprises at least one feed belt configured to restingly receive said blanks, said at least one feed belt extending along said feed trajectory. 
     
     
         3 . The blanks storage unit according to  claim 2 , wherein said guide device comprises at least one slide configured to restingly receive said blanks in said sliding configuration, said at least one slide being made of a material having a lower coefficient of friction with respect to the coefficient of friction of said at least one feed belt to facilitate the sliding of said blanks on said at least one slide in said section of said feed trajectory. 
     
     
         4 . The blanks storage unit according to  claim 3 , wherein said at least one slide is positioned in said sliding configuration flanked by said at least one feed belt along said feed trajectory in said section. 
     
     
         5 . The blanks storage unit according to  claim 3 , wherein said guide device comprises a first slide and a second slide flanked in said section to said at least one feed belt in said sliding configuration said first slide and said second slide being positioned on opposite sides of said at least one feed belt with respect to said feed trajectory. 
     
     
         6 . The blanks storage unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said support device comprises at least a first feed belt and at least a second feed belt intended to support distinct portions of said blanks, said second feed belt being flanked to said first feed belt along said feed trajectory and spaced from said first feed belt in a direction perpendicular to the feed direction. 
     
     
         7 . The blanks storage unit according to  claim 5 , further comprising a movement device for moving said at least one slide with respect to said at least one feed belt along said lifting trajectory between said transport configuration and said sliding configuration, said movement device comprising an articulated parallelogram movement mechanism. 
     
     
         8 . The blanks storage unit according to  claim 7 , wherein said movement device comprises at least one connecting rod hinged at a first hinging end thereof to said at least one slide and at an opposite second hinging end thereof to a support structure of said storage unit, wherein said movement device is configured to rotate said second hinging end of said at least one connecting rod about a horizontal rotation axis in two rotation directions to move said at least one slide between said transport configuration and said sliding configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The blanks storage unit according to  claim 8 , wherein said movement device is configured to rotate said second hinging end so that in the passage between the transport configuration and the sliding configuration said at least one slide is moved with a lifting trajectory having at least one vertical lifting component and at least one transport component parallel to and opposite said feed trajectory. 
     
     
         10 . Apparatus for packaging boxed articles comprising a storage unit according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . Method for storing a stack of blanks comprising:
 loading a stack of blanks onto a support device of a storage unit of said blanks intended to support said blanks,   feeding the blanks of said stack of blanks along a feed trajectory from said an inlet section to said an outlet section of said storage unit,   arranging a guide device in a section of the feed trajectory adjacent to the inlet section to guide the sliding of said blanks in said section,   moving at least one blank between said support device and said guide device with respect to the other of said support device and said guide device along a lifting trajectory between a transport configuration in which said support device defines a feed plane of said blanks and said blanks rest on said support device and a sliding configuration in which, in said section, said guide device is at least partially lifted with respect to said support device and said blanks rest on said guide device to be guided in sliding towards said outlet section.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said support device comprises at least one feed belt and said guide device comprises at least one slide extending along said feed trajectory and said guide device comprises flanking in said sliding configuration along said section said at least one slide to said at least one feed belt so that said at least one slide is at least partially lifted with respect to said at least one feed belt, said at least one slide having a lower coefficient of friction with respect to the coefficient of friction of said at least one feed belt. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to claim  13 , wherein said guiding comprises flanking in said sliding configuration along said section to said at least one feed belt a first slide and a second slide positioned on opposite sides of said at least one feed belt with respect to said feed trajectory. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said moving comprises moving said guide device from said transport configuration to said sliding configuration along a lifting trajectory having at least one vertical lifting component and at least one transport component parallel to and opposite to said feed trajectory. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein a movement device is provided for moving said guide device between said transport configuration and said sliding configuration, said movement device comprising at least one connecting rod hinged at a first hinging end thereof to said at least one slide and at an opposite second hinging end thereof to a support structure of said movement device, said moving comprising rotating said second hinging end of said at least one connecting rod about a horizontal rotation axis in two rotation directions to move said at least one slide between said transport configuration and said sliding configuration.