# US 10,369,816 B2 · Sheet processing device, and sheet manufacturing apparatus

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- Number: US 10,369,816 B2
- Document ID: US10369816B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/117,299
- Filed: 2018-08-30
- Published: 2019-02-28
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-08-31
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Shunichi Seki; Hiroki Kurata; Shinichi Kato; Kaneo Yoda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369816B2

## CPC

- B41J 13/0009: {control of the transport of the copy material}
- B41J 11/0015: {for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing (selective coating B41J2/2114)}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

Provided is technology enabling reliably erasing information on recovered paper, and whitening (reducing blackening) of the sheet. A sheet processing device has an image inspector configured to determine from a sheet printed with image information at least one of a background color of the sheet, and position, size, and color of the image information on the sheet; an image analyzer configured to determine, based on the evaluation result from the image inspector, a type of ink masking agent and an amount of ink masking agent; an ink masking agent applicator configured to apply to the image information printed on the sheet an ink masking agent of the specific type and specific amount determined by the image analyzer; and a shredder configured to comminute the sheet to which the ink masking agent was applied by the ink masking agent applicator.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sheet processing device comprising:
an image inspector configured to determine from a sheet printed with image information at least one of a background color of the sheet, and position, size, and color of the image information on the sheet;
an image analyzer configured to determine, based on the evaluation result from the image inspector, a type of ink masking agent and an amount of ink masking agent;
an ink masking agent applicator configured to apply to the image information printed on the sheet an ink masking agent of the specific type and specific amount determined by the image analyzer; and
a shredder configured to comminute the sheet to which the ink masking agent was applied by the ink masking agent applicator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sheet processing device described in claim 1, wherein:
the ink masking agent is ink.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The sheet processing device described in claim 2, wherein:
the ink is white ink.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A sheet manufacturing apparatus comprising the sheet processing device described in claim 1.