Patent Publication Number: US-2022234858-A1

Title: Medium processing device

Description:
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/693,922, filed Nov. 25, 2019, which is based on, and claims priority from JP Application Serial Number 2018-225702, filed Nov. 30, 2018, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a medium processing device processing a medium. 
     2. Related Art 
     In a medium processing device that performs predetermined processing on a medium, an end of a medium may be matched, that is aligned, with an end of another medium. A medium is basically aligned when the medium receiving a feeding force from a supply portion such as a feeding roller positioned upstream of a stacker of the medium in a transport direction slides along a path only by inertial force and gravity and a side of a lower end (tip) of the medium is brought into contact with an contact portion. Therefore, there is a problem that, depending on a state of the medium, the medium may be buckled and caught in the middle of a transport path and may fail to reach the contact portion. To resolve such a problem, a structure for facilitating the alignment of a medium is adopted in the related art (for example, JP-A-2010-001149). 
     JP-A-2010-001149 discloses a medium processing device having a structure in which a paddle provided with a wing is disposed on a lower side of a tray on which a medium is stacked and the paddle is rotated to bring the wing into sporadic contact with a surface of the medium so that the medium is moved to an contact portion positioned on a lower portion of the tray and is aligned. 
     However, in such a structure, since the paddle is positioned on the lower side of the tray, the medium may end up stagnating inside a transport path before reaching the paddle. Further, when the paddle is in an upper portion of the tray, the medium may end up bending in a case where circumferential speed of the wing generated by the rotation of the paddle is lower than the speed at which the feeding roller feeding the medium disposed upstream of the paddle feeds the medium. Therefore, there is a concern that the transport path of the medium to be fed next narrows and that the alignment is not possible. Further, when the circumferential speed of the wing by the rotation of the paddle is too high, the speed at which the medium is transported by the paddle may be too high and the lower end (tip) of the medium may bounce back when the medium is brought into contact with the contact portion, and alignment may not be possible. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a medium processing device includes a supply portion supplying a medium, a transporter transporting the medium supplied from the supply portion, an contact portion with which a tip of the medium transported by the transporter is brought into contact, a stacker in which the medium brought into contact with the contact portion is stacked, and a processor processing the medium stacked in the stacker, in which the transporter includes a gripper that is configured to move along the transport path of the medium and that grips the tip of the medium and moves. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a recording system including a medium processing device. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic sectional view of a medium processing device according to a first embodiment in a state where a transporter is in a standby position. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic sectional view of a medium processing device according to the first embodiment in a state where a transporter is in a position to start transport of a medium supplied from a supply portion. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic sectional view of a medium processing device according to the first embodiment in a state where a transporter is in a position to bring a medium into contact with a contact portion. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a medium processing device according to the first embodiment showing positional relationship between a track of a medium stacked in a stacker and a track of a medium transported by the transporter. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of a medium processing device according to a second embodiment in a position to start transport of a medium supplied from a supply portion. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of a medium processing device according to a third embodiment in a position to start transport of a medium by a belt transporter. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     First, the present disclosure will be schematically described. 
     A medium processing device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a supply portion supplying a medium, a transporter transporting the medium supplied from the supply portion, an contact portion with which a tip of the medium transported by the transporter is brought into contact in a transport direction, a stacker in which the medium brought into contact with the contact portion is stacked, and a processor processing the medium stacked in the stacker, in which the transporter includes a gripper configured to move in the extending direction of the stacker to grip the tip of the medium and moves. 
     In this specification, the processing in “a processor processing the medium stacked in the stacker” is meant to include both processing performed at a position where the medium is stacked in the stacker and processing performed at a position where a bundle of medium which is stacked in the stacker and of which the tips are arranged is moved to the processor. 
     According to the present aspect, the transporter transports the medium supplied from the supply portion to the contact portion, with the gripper included in the transporter gripping the tip of the medium, and a tip side of the medium is brought into contact with the contact portion to be aligned. Then, the medium is stacked in the stacker in a state where the sides of the tips of the mediums are arranged to be aligned by contacting operation. That is, according to the present aspect, since the paddle in the related art is not used, it is possible to alleviate the concern that the medium supplied from the supply portion may stagnate in the middle of a transport path, to transport the medium to the contact portion more reliably than the one having the paddle structure of the related art to align, and to stack in the stacker. 
     According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, the transporter grips the medium positioned in a range where a feeding force of the supply portion applies and moves the medium toward the contact portion. 
     In other words, the distance from the supply portion to a position where the transporter starts transport of the medium may be shorter than the length of the medium in a supply direction. 
     According to the present aspect, the transporter is configured to grip the medium positioned in a range where the feeding force of the supply portion applies and to move the medium toward the contact portion. In this way, since the transporter grips the medium and starts transport before the medium completely passes through the supply portion and does not receive the feeding force, it is possible to alleviate the concern that the medium may stagnate in the middle of the path. 
     According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, in the second aspect, in the processing in which the transporter transports the medium and stacks the medium in the stacker every time the medium is supplied from the supply portion, the region in which the transporter transports the medium does not overlap with the region in which the medium is stacked. 
     According to the present aspect, in the processing in which the transporter transports the medium and stacks the medium in the stacker every time the medium is supplied from the supply portion, the region in which the transporter transports the medium does not overlap with the region in which the medium is stacked. In this way, since the transporter can move the medium to the position where the medium is gripped without interfering with the medium already stacked in the stacker, the concern that the alignment state of the medium already stacked in the stacker may deteriorate is alleviated. 
     According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in the third aspect, the stacker has a stacking surface on which the medium is stacked and the stacking surface is configured to move in the normal direction of the stacking surface. 
     According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in the fourth aspect, a stacking surface is configured to move in accordance with the number of the mediums stacked in the stacker. 
     According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in the second aspect, when the last medium is supplied from the supply portion, the transporter moves, together with the medium stacked in the stacker, to the range where the feeding force of the supply portion applies, grips, with the gripper, the entire medium to which the last medium is added, and moves toward the contact portion. 
     Here, “the last medium” means the medium supplies last among a plurality of mediums constituting a batch to be processed by the processor. 
     The stacker has a stacking space of a stacking height at which a plurality of mediums can be stacked. The medium fed from the supply portion is brought into contact with the contact portion and is stacked in the stacker. At this time, since there is no obstacle in the stacking space for the first sheet, it is possible to reach the contact portion by the inertial force based on the feeding force of the supply portion and the gravity of the medium. From the second sheet onward, the stacking space gradually dwindles caused by the presence of the medium already in the stacking position. Therefore, the medium supplied from the supply portion with no feeding force may stop midway and fails to reach the contact portion. 
     However, when the next medium is fed from the supply portion toward the contact portion, the feeding force on the next medium is also transmitted to the medium fed immediately before. That is, since it is possible to indirectly receive the feeding force pressed on the next medium, the medium which was fed immediately before and stopped midway can reach the contact portion. 
     However, since there is no indirect feeding force for the last sheet, the last sheet may not be able to reach the contact portion. 
     According to the present aspect, the transporter moves, together with the medium stacked in the stacker, to the range where the feeding force of the supply portion applies, grips the entire medium to which the last medium is added, and moves toward the contact portion. In this way, the last sheet can also reach the contact portion. That is, even when other medium is stacked in the stacker and the stacking space dwindles, it is possible to align the last sheet with the other medium. 
     According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the processing performed by the processor includes saddle stitching processing in which a center of the medium in the transport direction is stitched in a state where the medium is stacked in the stacker with tips arranged and saddle folding processing in which the center of the medium is folded. 
     According to the present aspect, it is possible to effectively perform saddle stitching processing and saddle folding processing of the medium. 
     According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, in the seventh aspect, the medium stacked in the stacker is transported to the processor by the transporter and the processing is performed. 
     EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description shows examples of the aspects of the present disclosure and the technical scope of the present disclosure is not narrowly limited in this way. As for the drawings, the same or equivalent elements or members are assigned the same reference numerals and repetitive descriptions will be omitted. 
     Outline of Recording System 
     A recording system  100  shown in  FIG. 1  includes, from right to left in  FIG. 1  for example, a recording unit  110  and a processing unit  120  including a medium processing device  200 . 
     The recording system  100  is configured such that a setting can be input into the recording unit  110  and the processing unit  120  from an operation panel (not shown). The operation panel can be provided in the recording unit  110 , for example. 
     In the present embodiment, the medium  210  is a cut paper sheet and is a rectangular sheet-shaped body having sides of predetermined lengths, for example. A material of the medium  210  is flexible, and it is possible to record on the surface of the medium  210  by the recording unit  110 . A material characteristic of the medium  210  is a paper sheet, for example, and is not limited thereto. 
     The recording unit  110  records on the transported medium  210 . The processing unit  120  performs predetermined processing such as stapling processing on the medium  210  after recording in the recording unit  110 . In the following, the recording unit  110  and the processing unit  120  will be described. 
     The recording unit  110  is configured as a multifunctional machine including a printer section  130  recording on the medium  210  and a scanner section  140 . In the present embodiment, the recording method in the printer section  130  is a so-called ink jet recording in which liquid ink is ejected on the medium  210  to record. 
     A cassette storage unit  132  including a plurality of medium storage cassettes  131  is provided below the printer section  130 . The medium  210  stored in the medium storage cassette  131  is fed to the recording region  133  and the recording operation is performed. The medium  210  after recording is fed to a post-recording discharge tray  135 . 
     The recording unit  110  is provided with a controller  150  controlling an operation related to transport and recording of the medium  210  in the recording unit  110 . The recording system  100  is configured such that the recording unit  110  and the processing unit  120  are coupled to each other and the medium  210  is transported from the recording unit  110  to the processing unit  120 . The controller  150  can control various operations in the processing unit  120  coupled to the recording unit  110 . 
     The recording system  100  is configured such that a setting can be input into the recording unit  110  and the processing unit  120  from an operation panel (not shown). The operation panel can be provided in the recording unit  110 , for example. 
     Next, an outline of the processing unit  120  will be described with reference to  FIG. 1 . 
     The processing unit  120  includes a first receiver  121  receiving the medium, a first processor  122  performing a first processing on the medium received from the first receiver  121 , a feeder  123  feeding the medium  210  received from the first receiver  121  to the medium processing device  200  through the first processor  122 , and a processing unit housing  125  including the medium processing device  200 . 
     A first tray  124  receiving the medium discharged from the processing unit housing  125  after the first processing is provided outside the processing unit housing  125 . The first tray  124  is provided to protrude from the processing unit housing  125  which constitutes the appearance of the processing unit  120 . In the present embodiment, the first tray  124  includes a base  126  and an extender  127  and the extender  127  is configured to be stored in the base  126 . 
     First Embodiment 
     On Medium Processing Device 
     The medium processing device  200  according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
     The medium processing device  200  includes a supply portion  220  supplying a medium  210 , a transporter  230  transporting the medium  210  supplied from the supply portion  220  in a transport direction T, an contact portion  240  with which a tip  211  of the medium  210  transported by the transporter  230  is brought into contact, a stacker  250  in which the medium  210  brought into contact with the contact portion  240  is stacked, and a processor  260  processing the medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250 . 
     The medium  210  fed from the feeder  123  of the processing unit  120  is fed to the supply portion  220  through the supply surface  222  of the medium processing device  200 . A pair of supply rollers  221  is disposed in the supply portion  220  and the medium  210  is fed by the pair of supply rollers  221  in the transport direction T(+). 
     When the medium  210  fed from the supply portion  220  enters a transport path  201  and reaches the transport start position of the transport path  201 , a tip  211  of the medium  210  is gripped by a moving gripper  231  of the transporter  230  as shown in  FIG. 3 . Then, the transporter  230  transports, in the transport direction T(+), the tip  211  of the medium  210  in a state of being gripped by the gripper  231  to bring the tip  211  into contact with the contact portion  240 . The medium  210  transported by the transporter  230  to the stacker  250  direction T(+) is released from the gripping state of the gripper  231  as the tip  211  of the medium  210  is brought into contact with the abutting surface  241  of the contact portion  240  as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     Thereafter, the medium  210  is stacked in the stacker  250  in alignment with the position of the tips of other mediums. After a predetermined number of mediums  210  are stacked in the stacker  250 , the medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250  is transported by the transporter  230  in the processor  260  direction T(−) and predetermined processing is performed by the processor  260 . 
     The medium  210  after predetermined processing is discharged to a second tray  129 A. The second tray  129 A includes a restrictor  129 B at a tip portion in the medium discharge direction, restricting a medium bundle discharged to the second tray  129 A from sticking out from the second tray  129 A in the medium discharge direction or falling off from the second tray  129 A. Reference numeral  128  denotes a guide portion  128  guiding the medium  210  discharged from the processing unit housing  125  to the second tray  129 A. On Supply portion 
     The supply portion  220  in the present embodiment will be described with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
     The supply portion  220  plays a role of feeding the medium  210  fed from other parts of the processing unit  120  into the medium processing device  200 . Accordingly, it is sufficient if the medium  210  can be fed into the medium processing device  200 , and the specific structure is not limited to the following description. 
     In the first embodiment, the supply portion  220  is configured with a pair of supply rollers  221  and a supply surface  222 . The pair of supply rollers  221  is configured such that one is a driving roller and the other is a driven roller and the driving roller of the pair of supply rollers  221  is disposed to contact with and nip the medium  210  on the same surface as the supply surface  222 . 
     On Stacker 
     The stacker  250  in the present embodiment will be described with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
     The stacker  250  plays a role of sequentially stacking the medium  210  which is transported by the transporter  230  in the transport direction T(+) and of which the tip  211  is brought into contact with the contact portion  240 . The stacker  250  is configured such that the medium  210  brought into contact with the contact portion  240  is stacked without generating positional deviation in the direction T along the surface thereof. 
     The stacker  250  is configured with a stacking surface  251  on which the rear surface of the medium  210  is stacked and a defining plate  252  defining the downstream T(+) position of the stacked medium  210  in the transport direction T. Further, the stacker  250  may have a side defining plate  253  defining the side surface position of the stacked medium  210  in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction T among the two-dimension directions of the surface. The stacker  250  may have a structure restricting the movement of the medium  210  in the stacked state in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction T. 
     In the present embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 3 to 5 , the transporter  230  may be configured to move to the transport start position for each sheet of the medium  210  and to grip the tip  211  with the gripper  231  to carry the tip  211  to the contact portion  240 . Therefore, in order to make possible the move of the transporter  230  to the transport start position in a state where the medium  210  is stacked on the stacking surface  251 , the stacker  250  is configured such that the stacked medium  210  is positioned away (retreats) from the transport region  232  in which the transporter  230  moves. That is, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the stacking surface  251  is provided at a position separated from the transport region  232 . 
     Further, in the present embodiment, the stacker  250  is configured such that the stacking surface  251  can move in the normal direction of the stacking surface  251 . By this movement in the normal direction, the bundle of a predetermined number of mediums  210  aligned and stacked in the stacker  250  can be positioned on the moving path to the processor  260 . In this way, it is possible to move the bundle of media  210  to the processor  260  by the transporter  230 . 
     The stacking surface  251  has a surface of a size larger than the size of the surface of the medium  210 . It is desirable that the stacking surface  251  is a flat and smooth surface having low frictional resistance against the medium  210  in the transport direction T. The stacking surface  251  may have a rib structure that does not interfere with the move in the transport direction T. Now that the stacking surface  251  has a rib structure, the medium  210  can avoid sticking to the stacking surface  251 . 
     The stacking surface  251  may be enabled to change the stacking height of the medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250  as the number of mediums stacked in the stacker  250  increases. In this way, it is possible to avoid dwindling of the stacking space in the stacker  250  caused by the medium  210  transported by the transporter  230 . 
     The defining plate  252  plays a role of defining the position of the tip  211  of the medium  210  stacked on the stacking surface  251  in the transport direction T among the directions along the surface thereof. The defining plate  252  is provided at the lower end position of the stacker  250  and the height of the defining plate  252  with respect to the stacking surface  251  is at least equal to or higher than the thickness of the medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250 . The surface of the defining plate  252  with which the tip  211  of the medium  210  contacts is a smooth surface. 
     The side defining plate  253  plays a role of defining the side surface position of the medium  210  stacked on the stacking surface  251  in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction T among the two-dimension directions of the surface. The side defining plate  253  is provided at a position where the medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250  contacts with the side end portion of the stacking surface  251  in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction T. Further, the side defining plate  253  may be configured to move the position in accordance with the size of the medium  210  in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction T. The side defining plate  253  may be structured to move in the transport direction T and move together with the transporter  230 . 
     In the first embodiment, the stacking surface  251  of the stacker  250  is provided to be inclined such that the transport direction T(+) is downward. The defining plate  252  and the side defining plate  253  are also provided to be inclined in accordance with the inclination of the stacking surface  251 . Further, the defining plate  252  is provided on the same surface as the contact portion  240  to be described below. 
     The medium  210  brought into contact with the contact portion  240  by the transporter  230  moves in parallel toward the stacking surface  251  while contacting with the defining plate  252  and the side defining plate  253  and is stacked. In this way, after being brought into contact with the contact portion  240 , the medium  210  is stacked without generating positional deviation in the direction along the surface of the medium  210 . That is, the medium  210  is stacked in an aligned state with another medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250 . 
     On Contact Portion 
     The contact portion  240  in the present embodiment will be described with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the contact portion  240  is provided at the lower end of the stacker  250 . The contact portion  240  plays the role of a target with which the tip  211  of the medium  210  transported by the transporter  230  is brought into contact. 
     The tip  211  of the medium  210  is brought into contact with the contact portion  240  and the medium  210  released from the transporter  230  is stacked in the stacker  250 . That is, the contact portion  240  serves as a positional reference for aligning the tip  211  of the medium  210  with the tip  211  of another medium  210 . The contact portion  240  is positioned at the lower end of the stacker  250  and is positioned on the transport path  201  of the medium  210  transported by the transporter  230 . The contact portion  240  includes a surface with which the tip  211  of the medium  210  is brought into contact and has a slit structure through which the transporter  230  can pass. Specifically, the contact portion  240  is configured with a plate-shaped body in which a slit is formed. The contact portion  240  may be structured into a plurality of divisions. 
     In the first embodiment, the contact portion  240  is positioned at the lower end of the stacker  250  having an inclination and is positioned on the transport region  232  of the transporter  230 . The height of the contact portion  240  with respect to the stacking surface  251  is at least the height at which the medium  210  transported by the transporter  230  is brought into contact with the contact portion  240 . The stacking surface  251  of the stacker  250  and the defining plate  252  are integrally formed and the surface of the contact portion  240  with which the tip  211  of the medium  210  is brought into contact is formed of a flat smooth surface like the defining plate  252 . 
     The medium  210  transported by the transporter  230  moves in parallel along the defining plate  252  toward the stacking surface  251  after the tip  211  of the medium  210  is brought into contact with the contact portion  240  and is stacked. Further, since the portion of the contact portion  240  through which the transporter  230  passes in the transport direction T has a slit structure, the transporter  230  can pass through the contact portion  240 . 
     On Transporter 
     The transporter  230  in the present embodiment will be described with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
     As described above, the transporter  230  plays a role of transporting to the contact portion  240  the medium  210  supplied from the supply portion  220  and transporting the medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250  to the processor  260 . That is, the transporter  230  grips the tip  211  of the medium  210  supplied from the supply portion  220  with a gripper  231 , transports the medium  210  in the transport direction T(+) to bring the medium  210  into contact with the contact portion  240 , and transport the medium  210 , stacked in the stacker  250  and bundled, toward the processor  260  in the transport direction T(−). 
     In the first embodiment, based on an instruction from the controller  150 , the transporter  230  transports the medium  210  supplied from the supply portion  220 , gripping the tip  211  of the medium  210  with the gripper  231 . 
     Further, the force with which the gripper  231  of the transporter  230  grips the medium  210  is weak enough to release the medium  210  from the grip of the transporter  230  when the transporter  230  brings the medium  210  into contact with the contact portion  240  in a state where the tip  211  of the medium  210  is gripped. In this way, the transporter  230  can bring the transported medium  210  into contact with the contact portion  240  only by moving in the transport direction T(+). Of course, the force with which the gripper  231  grips the medium  210  may be configured such that the medium  210  is gripped more strongly and firmly and the grip is released when the medium is carried to the position of the contact portion  240 . 
     On Transport Start Position 
     The transport start position at which the transporter  230  starts transport of the medium  210  supplied from the supply portion  220  will be described with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
     The transport start position is a position at which the transporter  230  starts transport of the medium  210  supplied from the supply portion  220 . When the gripper  231  of the transporter  230  grips the tip  211  of the medium  210  to transport, the distance from the supply portion  220  to the transport start position is shorter than the length of a side of the medium  210  in the transport direction T. In this way, at the transport start position, a rear end  212  of the medium  210  is at a position where the feeding force can be received from the supply portion  220 . Therefore, at the transport start position, the medium  210  receives the feeding force from the supply portion  220 . 
     By the start of the transport at the transport start position, the medium  210  can receive at least one of the feed force from the pair of supply rollers  221  of the supply portion  220  and the transport force by the transporter  230 . In this way, a state in which no external force applies to the medium  210  does not arise, so that the medium  210  does not stagnate inside the transport path  201 . That is, the tip  211  of the medium  210  can be reliably brought into contact with the contact portion  240  by the transporter  230 . 
     The transport start position is basically a position at which the medium  210  receives the feeding force from the supply portion  220  but may be immediately after the rear end  212  of the medium  210  is discharged from the supply portion  220 . 
     Second Embodiment 
     A medium processing device  200  according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to  FIG. 6 . 
     In the first embodiment, the transporter  230  is configured to move to the transport start position for each sheet of the medium  210  and grip the tip  211  by the gripper  231  to carry the tip  211  to the contact portion  240 . However, depending on conditions such as the structure of the stacking space of the stacker  250 , the type of the medium  210 , and the like, only the last one among the predetermined number of the mediums  210  may be gripped by the transporter  230  and transported to the contact portion  240 . The case will be described next. 
     That is, the stacker  250  has a stacking space of a stacking height in which a plurality of mediums  210  can be stacked. The medium  210  fed from the supply portion  220  is brought into contact with the contact portion  240  and is stacked in the stacker  250 . At this time, since there is no obstacle in the stacking space for the first sheet, it is possible to reach the contact portion  240  by the inertial force based on the feeding force of the supply portion  220  and the gravity of the medium  210 . From the second sheet onward, the stacking space gradually dwindles caused by the presence of the medium  210  already in the stacking position. Therefore, the medium  210  supplied from the supply portion  220  with no feeding force may stop midway and fails to reach the contact portion  240 . 
     However, when the next medium  210  is fed from the supply portion  220  toward the contact portion  240 , the feeding force from the supply portion  220  on the next medium  210  is also transmitted to the medium  210  fed immediately before. That is, since it is possible to indirectly receive the feeding force pressed on the next medium  210 , the medium  210  which was fed immediately before and stopped midway can reach the contact portion  240 . 
     However, since there is no indirect feeding force for the last sheet of medium  210 , the last sheet may not be to reach the contact portion  240 . 
     In the present embodiment, when the last sheet of medium  210  is supplied from the supply portion  220 , the transporter  230  is configured to move, together with the medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250 , to the range where the feeding force of the supply portion  220  applies, grip the entire medium to which the last sheet of medium  210  is added with the gripper  231 , and move toward the contact portion  240 . In this structure, the stacking surface  251  does not retreat as in the first embodiment. The bundle of medium  210  stacked on the stacking surface  251  is positioned inside the transport region  232  of the transporter  230 . 
     Here, the “last medium” means the medium  210  supplied last among the plurality of mediums  210  forming a batch to be processed by the processor  260 . 
     Though partially repetitive, specific description will follow. 
     First, when the last sheet of medium  210  is supplied from the supply portion  220 , the tip  211  of the bundle of the medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250  is gripped by the gripper  231  of the transporter  230 . The bundle of medium  210  is transported toward the supply portion  220  by the transporter  230  and stops at the transport start position, and the transporter  230  releases the gripper  231 . At this time, the rear end  212  (upper end) of the medium  210  retreats to a retreat path  202 . 
     Next, when the last medium  210  is supplied from the supply portion  220  and the tip  211  thereof reaches the region of the gripper  231  of the transporter  230 , the respective tips of the last sheet of medium  210  and the bundle of medium are collectively gripped by the gripper  231 . At this time, the gripper  231  has a function of the contact portion  240  and may align the last sheet, once brought into contact, with the tip (lower end) of another medium  210 . Thereafter, the transporter  230  transports the entire medium 210  toward the contact portion  240  brings the tip  211  of the entire medium  210  into contact with the contact portion  240 . In this way, the medium  210  is aligned and stacked in the stacker  250 . Here, the side defining plate  253  may move together with the transporter  230 . 
     According to the present embodiment, the transporter  230  moves, together with the medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250 , to the range where the feeding force of the supply portion  220  applies, grips the entire medium  210  to which the last medium  210  is added, and moves toward the contact portion  240 . In this way, the last sheet can also reach the contact portion  240 . That is, even when the other medium  210  is stacked in the stacker  250  and the stacking space dwindles, it is possible to align the last sheet with the other medium  210 . 
     On Processor 
     The processor  260  performs stitching processing by a stitcher  270  stitching the medium  210  and folding processing by a folder  280  saddle-folding the medium  210 . The processed medium  210  is discharged to the second tray  129 A of the processing unit  120 . 
     The processor  260  will be described in further detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     The processor  260  includes the stitcher  270  stitching a plurality of mediums  210  stacked in the stacker  250  and the folder  280  folding the medium  210 . The processor  260  is provided between the supply portion  220  and the stacker  250  in the transport direction T(+) of the supply portion  220 . 
     The stitcher  270  is provided on the transport path  201  in the transport direction T(+) of the supply portion  220 . An example of the stitcher  270  is a stapler. In the present embodiment, a plurality of stitchers  270  are provided at intervals in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction T of the medium  210 . The stitcher  270  is configured to stitch the medium  210  at the center of the medium  210 . The stitching position by the stitcher  270  in the present embodiment is a central portion of the bundle of the medium  210 , aligned in the stacker, in the transport direction T. 
     The folder  280  is provided adjacent to the stitcher  270  in the transport direction T(+). The folder  280  includes a pair of folding rollers  283  and a blade  282  nipping the medium  210  at the stitching position with the pair of folding rollers  283 . Reference numeral  281  denotes a folding hole, formed through the stacking surface  251 , through which the blade  282  advances and retreats. 
     The folder  280  is provided with a pair of folding rollers  283  on the surface facing the transport path  201 , and an approach path  284  is formed between the transport path  201  and a nipping position N of the pair of folding rollers  283 . A slope (not shown) may be formed at the entrance to the approach path  284  to guide the stitching position from the stacker  250  to the nipping position N. 
     The stitching processing and the folding processing in the processor  260  will be described below. Here, the case where the central portion of the medium  210  is stitched by the stitching processing and then the central portion of the medium  210  is folded by the folding processing is presented. 
     After a predetermined number of mediums  210  are stacked in the stacker  250 , the bundle of medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250  is transported in the direction T(−) of the supply portion  220  by the transporter  230  based on an instruction from the controller  150 . The bundle of medium  210  comes to a position where the central portion of the medium  210  overlaps with the stitching position of the stitcher  270 , the transporter  230  stops transport, and the stitching processing is performed by the stitcher  270 . Here, the rear end  212  of the medium  210  transported by the transporter  230  retreats to the retreat path  202  (refer to  FIG. 6 ). 
     Subsequently, the bundle of medium  210  subjected to stitching processing by the stitcher  270  is moved by the transporter  230  in the direction T(+) of the stacker  250 . When the central portion of the bundle of medium  210  reaches a position (folding hole  281 ) where the blade  282  passes through the transport path  201 , the transport is stopped. Next, the blade  282  is advanced to the folding hole  281 . In this way, when the position of the medium  210  subjected to the stitching processing by the stitcher is nipped by the pair of folding rollers  283 , the medium  210  is folded by the rotation of the pair of folding rollers  283  into a booklet  215  and is discharged toward the second tray  129 A. A plurality of folding roller pairs  283  may be provided. When a plurality of folding roller pairs  283  are provided, it is possible to reliably perform folding processing. 
     The medium processing device  200  can be provided with a crease forming mechanism forming a crease at the stitching position of the medium  210  on the transport path  201 . Since the stitching position is the folding position by the pair of folding rollers  283 , it is possible to easily fold the medium  210  at the stitching position by adding a crease to the stitching position. 
     In the present embodiment, the processing performed by the processor  260  may include at least one of the stitcher  270  stitching the medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250  and the folder  280  folding the medium  210  at the center. The processor  260  may perform stitching processing of stitching the ends of the medium  210  with a stapler or may perform punching processing of boring holes at predetermined positions of the medium. 
     Third Embodiment 
     A medium processing device  200  according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to  FIG. 7 . 
     Belt Transporter 
     In the present embodiment, the medium  210  is adsorbed and transported by the belt transporter  290  instead of being transported by the transporter  230  in the first embodiment. 
     Also in the present embodiment, it is possible to transport the medium  210  to the contact portion  240  by adsorbing and holding the surface  213  of the medium  210  with the belt transporter  290 . That is, it is possible to align the medium  210  with another medium. 
     The belt transporter  290  of the present embodiment will be described. 
     The belt transporter  290  is configured with a loop belt  291  formed in an annular shape, three belt rollers  292  disposed inside the ring of the loop belt  291  to pull the loop belt  291 , and a suction chamber  293  sucking by negative pressure. The loop belt  291  is provided with holes  294  for causing the negative pressure from the suction chamber  293  to communicate to the surface side of the loop belt  291 . The belt transporter  290  is positioned between the supply portion  220  and the stacker  250 , and the suction chamber  293  and the holes  294  are disposed in parallel to the stacking surface  251 . 
     The belt rollers  292  can be rotated forward and backward by a driving force (not shown) based on an instruction from the controller  150 , and the loop belt  291  is driven. In this way, it is possible to move the holes  294  provided in the loop belt  291  toward the transporter or toward the supply portion  220  on the track of the loop belt  291 . Further, the belt transporter  290  can switch the pressure supplied from the suction chamber  293  to the holes  294  in accordance with an instruction from the controller  150 . That is, it is possible to adsorb the surface  213  of the medium  210  to the loop belt  291  by supplying the negative pressure from the suction chamber  293  to the holes  294 , and it is possible to be released the surface  213  of the medium  210  by supplying the positive pressure. In this way, with the surface  213  of the medium  210  sucked by the holes  294  of the belt transporter  290 , the medium  210  is held and transported. 
     In the present embodiment, the contact portion  240  is configured to move the bundle of medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250  in both direction T(+) and the reverse direction T(−) of the processor  260 . Then, the medium  210  transported by the belt transporter  290  and stacked in the stacker  250  is transported in the direction of the processor  260  by the contact portion  240  configured to move and is processed by the processor  260  in the same manner as in the first embodiment. 
     OTHER EMBODIMENTS 
     The medium processing device  200  according to the present disclosure is basically based on the configuration as described above, and the configuration can be partially modified or omitted without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. 
     For example, also in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the contact portion  240  may be configured to move the bundle of medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250  in both direction T(+) and the reverse direction T(−) of the processor  260 . When the bundle of medium  210  is carried to the processor  260 , it becomes possible to carry the bundle of medium  210  in a stable state by moving the contact portion  240  together with the gripper  231  of the transporter  230 . 
     It is possible to move the contact portion  240  in the direction of stacker  250  and in the direction of the transporter  230 , using a rack and pinion mechanism, a belt and pulley mechanism, a guide and screw mechanism, and the like, for example. 
     Further, the contact portion  240  may include a movable second contact portion (not shown) that the rear end  212  of the medium  210  stacked in the stacker  250  can be brought into contact with.