Image processing device and image processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9477186-B2
Application number	US-201514942440-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2015
Priority date	Mar 9, 2010
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

An image processing device has a first supplying portion that supplies a sheet on which an image is fixed previously. A removing portion removes the image formed on the sheet. A first storing portion stores the sheet from which the image is removed by the removing portion. The first supplying portion and the first storing portion are integrally formed as a unit capable of detaching from the main body of the image processing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image processing device comprising:
a first supplying portion configured to supply a sheet on which an erasable image has been previously fixed;
an erasing portion configured to erase the image formed on the sheet supplied by the first supplying portion;
a first storing portion configured to store the sheet on which the image was erased by the erasing portion; and
a second storing portion configured to store the sheet on which the image is formed by an image forming portion,
wherein the first supplying portion, the first storing portion, and the second storing portion are integrally formed together as a tray unit that is detachable from a main body of the image processing device.

2. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second supplying portion configured to supply a sheet on which an image is not formed;
the image forming portion configured to form an image on the sheet supplied by the second supplying portion, wherein
the erasing portion is a heating portion further configured to heat the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming portion to thereby fix the image on the sheet.

3. The device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a carrying path-switching portion positioned downstream in a sheet conveying direction of the heating portion and configured to switch a carrying path such that a carried destination of the sheet from the heating portion is either of the first storing portion and the second storing portion.

4. The device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the second storing portion is positioned downstream in the sheet conveying direction of the first supplying portion.

5. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first supplying portion is positioned higher than the first storing portion in a vertical height direction of the image processing device.

6. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a read portion configured to read the image formed on the sheet,
wherein the tray unit includes the read portion.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the erasing portion is configured to heat the sheet supplied by the first supplying portion to a predetermined erasing temperature.

8. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to control the image processing device to convey the sheet supplied by the first supplying portion to the erasing portion and then the first storing portion when the tray unit is attached to the main body of the image processing device.

9. An image processing device comprising:
a first supplying portion configured to supply a sheet on which an erasable image has been previously fixed;
an erasing portion configured to erase the image formed on the sheet supplied by the first supplying portion; and
a first storing portion configured to store the sheet subjected to erasing by the erasing portion,
wherein the first supplying portion and the first storing portion are integrally formed together as a tray unit that is detachable from a main body of the image processing device.

10. The device according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a second supplying portion configured to supply a sheet having no image formed thereon;
an image forming portion configured to form an image on the sheet supplied by the second supplying portion;
a second storing portion configured to store the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming portion; and
a carrying path-switching portion positioned downstream in a sheet conveying direction of the erasing portion and configured to switch a carrying path such that a carried destination of the sheet from the erasing portion is either of the first storing portion and the second storing portion.

11. The device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the second storing portion is positioned downstream of the first supplying portion in the sheet conveying direction.

12. The device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the first supplying portion is positioned higher than the first storing portion in a vertical height direction of the image processing device.

13. The device according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a read portion configured to read the image formed on the sheet, wherein the tray unit includes the read portion.

14. The device according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a second supplying portion configured to supply a sheet on which an image is not formed to the image forming portion,
wherein the erasing portion is a heating mechanism configured to heat the sheet supplied by the first supplying portion at a predetermined erasing temperature to erase the image on the sheet, and to heat the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming portion to a predetermined fixing temperature lower than the predetermined erasing temperature to fix the image on the sheet.

15. The device according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a controller configured to control the image processing device to convey the sheet supplied by the first supplying portion to the erasing portion and then the first storing portion when the tray unit is attached to the main body of the image processing device.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Yahata Isao
• Iguchi Ken
• Kawaguchi Takahiro
• Taguchi Hiroyuki
• Tsuchihashi Hiroyuki
• Taki Hiroyuki

Classifications

• G03G15/6502 Primary

  Supplying of sheet copy material; Cassettes therefor · CPC title

• G03G2215/00421

  Discharging tray, e.g. devices stabilising the quality of the copy medium, postfixing-treatment, inverting, sorting · CPC title

• G03G15/6573

  Feeding path after the fixing point and up to the discharge tray or the finisher, e.g. special treatment of copy material to compensate for effects from the fixing · CPC title

• G03G15/2039 Primary

  with means for controlling the fixing temperature · CPC title

• B41J2/335

  Structure of thermal heads · CPC title