# US 2014/0193183 A1 · Sheet processing apparatus

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- Number: US 2014/0193183 A1
- Document ID: US20140193183A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/097,645
- Filed: 2013-12-05
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08
- Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha; Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
- Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha; Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
- Inventors: Katsuya Endo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193183A1

## CPC

- G03G 21/00: Arrangements not provided for by groups G03G13/00 - G03G19/00, e.g. cleaning, elimination of residual charge
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

According to an embodiment, a sheet processing apparatus having a function to erase an image formed on a sheet is provided. The sheet processing apparatus has a tray, an erasing unit and a control unit. The tray houses a sheet on which an image is formed. The erasing unit erases the image formed on the sheet. The control unit controls the erasing unit so that the image formed on the sheet is erased, when an elapsed time after the tray houses the sheet exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sheet processing apparatus, comprising:
a tray configured to house a sheet on which an image is formed;
an erasing unit configured to erase the image formed on the sheet; and
a control unit configured to determine whether an elapsed time after the tray houses the sheet exceeds a predetermined first threshold value, and to control the erasing unit so that the image formed on the sheet is erased, when the control unit determines that the elapsed time exceeds the first threshold value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a discharge box to house the sheet whose image is erased by the erasing unit, inside the apparatus.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a tray sensor to detect whether or not the sheet is present on the tray;
wherein the control unit determines whether or not the elapsed time after the tray houses the sheet exceeds the first threshold value, based on a detection result by the tray sensor indicating that the sheet is present on the tray.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: an entrance sensor to detect that the sheet enters an entrance of the apparatus;
wherein the control unit measures the elapsed time after the tray houses the sheet, and determines whether or not the measured elapsed time exceeds the first threshold value, based on a detection result by the entrance sensor indicating that the sheet finishes entering, and the detection result by the tray sensor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a sheet processing unit to perform at least one processing out of a punch processing and a staple processing to the sheet whose image has been erased by the erasing unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a housing box to house the sheet before the image is erased by the erasing unit, inside the apparatus.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein: the housing box is detachably provided inside the apparatus; and the control unit controls the erasing unit so that the image of the sheet is not erased and the sheet is housed in the housing box, when the housing box is loaded inside the apparatus.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7 wherein:
the control unit determines whether or not an elapsed time after the housing box houses the sheet exceeds a predetermined second threshold value, and controls the erasing unit so that the image formed on the sheet housed in the housing box is erased, when the control unit determines that the elapsed time after the housing box houses the sheet exceeds the second threshold value.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: a box sensor to detect whether or not the sheet is present in the housing box;
wherein the control unit measures the elapsed time after the housing box houses the sheet, based on a detection result by the box sensor indicating that the sheet is present in the housing box, and determines whether or not the measured elapsed time exceeds the second threshold value.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7 wherein: the control unit controls the erasing unit so that the sheet housed on the tray is erased, when the housing box is not loaded inside the apparatus.