Color erasing apparatus and control method of the color erasing apparatus

Abstract

A color erasing apparatus includes a conveyance member to convey a sheet on which an image is formed of a color erasable coloring material, a color erasing part to erase a color of the coloring material of the image formed on the sheet conveyed by the conveyance member, a control part that counts the processed number of sheets images of which are color-erased by the color erasing part and determines whether the processed number of sheets exceeds a previously set threshold, and a notification interface to output a signal for notifying that cleaning of the color erasing part is required if the processed number of sheets exceeds the threshold.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A color erasing apparatus comprising:
 a conveyance member that conveys a sheet on which an image is formed of a color erasable coloring material;   a color erasing part that erases a color of the coloring material of the image formed on the sheet conveyed by the conveyance member;   an opening and closing structure that opens and closes the color erasing part;   a notification part that notifies a message for calling user's attention to open the color erasing part by the opening and closing structure; and   a control part that causes the notification part to notify the message for calling user's attention if a color erasing process of the color erasing part stops.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the notification part includes at least one of a light emitting part to emit light as a notification of the message and a display part to display a message screen as a notification of the message. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising:
 at least one sheet sensor that detects the sheet conveyed by the conveyance member, 
 wherein the notification part includes the display part, the control part determines a position of the sheet based on a signal from the sheet sensor if a sheet jam occurs, and displays the message on the message screen for calling user's attention to open the color erasing part if the color erasing part needs to be opened by the opening and closing structure to remove the jammed sheet. 
 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the control part causes the display part to display on the message screen indicating that the color erasing part is not required to be opened by the opening and closing structure if the opening of the color erasing part is not required when a sheet jam occurs to remove the jammed sheet. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the notification part includes the light emitting part, the control part causes the light emitting part to emit light if the color erasing process is ended and the erasing part is stopped. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , where the notification part includes the light emitting part, the control part causes the light emitting part to emit light if the color erasing process is ended and the erasing part is stopped. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control part causes the message to be notified until the temperature of the erasing part becomes lower than a predetermined specified temperature after the color erasing process by the erasing part is stopped, or until the measure time elapses a predetermined specified time after the color erasing process by the erasing part is stopped. 
     
     
         8 . A control method of a color erasing apparatus, comprising:
 erasing a color of an image formed on a sheet which is heated by a color erasing part;   determining whether the erasing process by the color erasing part is ended or not; and   outputting a message for calling user's attention to open the color erasing part through an opening and closing structure if the erasing process by the color erasing part is determined as ended   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 determining a position of the sheet conveyed by a sensor if the erasing process by the color erasing part is determined as ended; 
 determining whether the color erasing part needs to be opened or not though the opening and closing structure; and 
 displaying a message on the message screen for calling user's attention to open the color erasing part if determined as the color erasing part is required to be opened. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising:
 determining a position of the sheet conveyed by the sensor if the erasing process by the color erasing part is determined as ended; 
 determining whether the color erasing part needs to be opened or not through the opening and closing structure; and 
 displaying a message on the message screen for calling user's attention to open the color erasing part if determined as the color erasing part is not required to be opened. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 causing a light emitting part to emit light if the color erasing process by the color erasing part is determined as ended.