Medium conveying unit and medium processing system

Abstract

A medium conveying unit is configured to be attached to a medium processing unit. The medium conveying unit includes: a first conveying portion configured to convey a medium toward the medium processing unit along an upstream path; a receiving portion configured to receive the medium processed by the medium processing unit; and a second conveying portion configured to convey the medium toward the receiving portion along a downstream path different from the upstream path.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medium conveying unit configured to be attached to a medium processing unit, the medium conveying unit comprising:
 a first conveying portion configured to convey a medium toward the medium processing unit along an upstream path;   a receiving portion configured to receive the medium processed by the medium processing unit; and   a second conveying portion configured to convey the medium toward the receiving portion along a downstream path different from the upstream path.   
     
     
         2 . The medium conveying unit according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to control the first conveying portion and the second conveying portion,   wherein the controller is configured to execute:
 a first conveying operation to cause the first conveying portion to convey the medium along the upstream path toward the medium processing unit in a direction including a first direction component; and 
 a second conveying operation to cause, after the first conveying operation, the second conveying portion to convey the medium along the downstream path toward the receiving portion in a direction including a second direction component opposite to the first direction component, to allow the receiving portion to receive the medium. 
   
     
     
         3 . The medium conveying unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to execute the first conveying operation in response to receiving a medium supply instruction from an external device. 
     
     
         4 . The medium conveying unit according to  claim 3 , wherein the external device is the medium processing unit. 
     
     
         5 . The medium conveying unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to execute the second conveying operation in response to receiving a medium discharge instruction from an external device. 
     
     
         6 . The medium conveying unit according to  claim 5 , wherein the external device is the medium processing unit. 
     
     
         7 . The medium conveying unit according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a sensor configured to output a signal indicating a presence or absence of the medium in the upstream path,   wherein the controller is configured to notify, in response to receiving the signal indicating the presence of the medium from the sensor, an external device that the signal indicating the presence of the medium is received from the sensor.   
     
     
         8 . The medium conveying unit according to  claim 7 , wherein the external device is the medium processing unit. 
     
     
         9 . The medium conveying unit according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a sensor configured to output a signal indicating a presence or absence of the medium in the upstream path,   wherein the controller is configured to notify, in response to receiving the signal indicating the absence of the medium from the sensor, an external device that the signal indicating the absence of the medium is received from the sensor.   
     
     
         10 . The medium conveying unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the external device is the medium processing unit. 
     
     
         11 . The medium conveying unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the medium processing unit is configured to cut the medium. 
     
     
         12 . A medium processing system comprising:
 a medium conveying unit comprising:
 a first conveying portion configured to convey a medium along an upstream path; 
 a second conveying portion configured to convey the medium along a downstream path different from the upstream path; and 
 a receiving portion configured to receive the medium conveyed by the second conveying portion; 
   a medium processing unit configured to allow the medium conveying unit to be attached thereto, the medium processing unit comprising:
 a third conveying portion configured to convey the medium along a merging path in which the upstream path and the downstream path are to be merged; and 
 a medium processing portion configured to process the medium conveyed by the third conveying portion at a processing position provided in the merging path; and 
   an arithmetic unit comprising a controller configured to control the first conveying portion, the second conveying portion, the third conveying portion, and the medium processing portion,   wherein the controller is configured to execute:
 a first conveying operation to cause the first conveying portion to convey the medium along the upstream path toward the merging path in a direction including a first direction component; 
 a second conveying operation to cause, after the first conveying operation, the second conveying portion to convey the medium from the merging path toward the downstream path in a direction including a second direction component opposite to the first direction component, to allow the receiving portion to receive the medium; and 
 a medium processing operation to cause the medium processing portion to process the medium while the third conveying portion conveys the medium in a state in which the medium is positioned over the merging path and the downstream path.