Image erasing apparatus and image erasing method
An image erasing apparatus includes a scanning unit; a memory unit; an erasing unit; a first conveying unit includes a first conveying direction as a conveying direction of the sheet; a storage unit that stores the sheet which is scanned by the scanning unit and is not conveyed to the erasing unit by the first conveying unit; a second conveying unit that once conveys the sheet from the first conveying unit to the storage unit, then return the sheet to the first conveying unit; and an interface unit that displays the image data stored in the memory unit and receives an instruction from a user, when the instruction for erasure is received, the interface unit operates the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit so as to conveys to the erasing unit, the sheet stored in the storage unit.
1. An image erasing apparatus comprising:
a sheet insertion opening configured to receive a sheet;
a sheet discharging unit configured to discharge the sheet;
a scanning unit configured to convert an image formed on the sheet into image data;
a memory unit configured to store the image data;
an erasing unit configured to erase the image formed on the sheet;
a first conveying unit that includes a conveying path from the sheet insertion opening to the sheet discharging unit and is configured to convey the sheet in a first conveying direction first to the scanning unit and then to the erasing unit;
a second conveying unit that branches from the first conveying unit at a downstream side of the scanning unit and an upstream side of the erasing unit in the first conveying direction;
a storage unit arranged on the second conveying unit and configured to store a sheet which is scanned by the scanning unit; and
an interface unit configured to display the image data stored in the memory unit and to receive an instruction from a user, wherein, when an instruction for erasure is received in the interface unit, the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit convey a sheet stored in the storage unit to the erasing unit.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a switching unit configured to switch a conveying direction to one of the first conveying direction and a direction opposite the first conveying direction.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the switching unit is disposed between the erasing unit and the scanning unit.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a stack unit that comprises a plurality of cassettes that holds sheets subjected to an image erasure by the erasing unit.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an image side determining unit configured to determine which side of the sheet that the image is formed on.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when a plurality of the sheets is collectively processed, the interface unit displays the image data of only an initial single sheet, and
when the erasure instruction only for the initial single sheet is received by the interface unit, the first conveying unit conveys all of the sheets stored in the storage unit to the erasing unit.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when an instruction for cancelling erasure is received by the interface unit, the first conveying unit conveys the sheet stored in the storage unit in a direction opposite to the first sheet conveying direction.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, the first conveying unit conveys the sheets so that the sheets subjected to the image erasure are held by different cassettes depending on the sheet size.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the scanning unit scans both a front side and a rear side of the sheet.
10. An image erasing method comprising:
receiving a sheet through a sheet insertion opening;
conveying, with a first conveying unit that includes a conveying path from the sheet insertion opening to a sheet discharge unit, the sheet in a first conveying direction to a scanning unit;
converting, in the scanning unit, an image formed on a sheet into image data;
storing the image data in a memory unit;
conveying a sheet, which is subjected to the conversion and not subjected to the erasure, to a storage unit with a second conveying unit that branches from the first conveying unit at a downstream side of the scanning unit and an upstream side of an erasing unit in the first conveying direction;
displaying the image data stored in the memory unit on a display unit;
receiving an instruction from a user via an input unit; and
when the instruction is an erasure instruction, conveying the sheet from the storage unit to the erasing unit for erasing the image formed on the sheet.
11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising determining which side of the sheet that the image is formed on.
12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein when image data of a plurality of sheets are collectively generated, image data of only an initial single sheet is displayed on the display unit, and
when the erasure instruction only for the initial single sheet is received via the input unit, all of the stored sheets are conveyed from the storage unit to the erasing unit and all the images thereon are erased.
13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein when the instruction is an erasure cancel instruction, the stored sheet is conveyed to the sheet insertion opening.
14. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising conveying the sheets subjected to the erasure to different cassettes depending on the sheet size.