Intermediate unit, post processing device, and printing apparatus

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a printing unit that performs printing on a medium by using liquid;
• a post processing unit that performs post processing on the medium on which printing has been performed by the printing unit;
• and
• a transportation path that transports the medium recorded by the printing unit to the post processing unit,
• wherein the transportation path is provided with a drying unit that accelerates drying of the medium,
• wherein the transportation path includes an inlet path, an outlet path, a first branch path, a second branch path, a first junction path, a second junction path, a switch-back type inversion path with a first inversion path and a second inversion path,
• wherein the first branch path and the second branch path branch off at a branch point from the inlet path,
• wherein the first junction path and the second junction path and the outlet path join each other at a junction point,
• wherein the first branch path and the first junction path and the first inversion path join each other at a first connection point,
• wherein the second branch path and the second junction path and the second inversion path join each other at a second connection point,
• wherein the medium that has been transported into the first inversion path is directly transported into the first junction path via the first connection point without passing through the branch point and the first branch path, and
• wherein the medium that has been transported into the second inversion path is directly transported into the second junction path via the second connection point without passing through the branch point and the second branch path.

An intermediate unit comprising:

• a transportation path that transports a medium recorded by a printing unit to a post processing unit that performs post processing on the medium,
• wherein the transportation path is provided with a plurality of drying units that accelerate the drying of the medium,
• wherein the transportation path includes an inlet path, an outlet path, a first branch path, a second branch path, a first junction path, a second junction path, a switch-back type inversion path with a first inversion path and a second inversion path,
• wherein the first branch path and the second branch path branch off at a branch point from the inlet path,
• wherein the first junction path and the second junction path and the outlet path join each other at a junction point,
• wherein the first branch path and the first junction path and the first inversion path join each other at a first connection point, and
• wherein the second branch path and the second junction path and the second inversion path join each other at a second connection point,
• wherein the drying units are provided in the second inversion path and are controlled independently of each other according to each of printing duty such that the drying units independently accelerate drying of different surfaces of the medium, respectively.