Patent ID: 8838013

Claim:
An erasing apparatus comprising: a sheet supply unit configured to supply a sheet on which an image is formed; a reader configured to read a condition of the sheet supplied from said sheet supply unit; a stacker configured to eject the sheet; an erasing unit configured to erase the image formed on the sheet, the erasing unit positioned downstream of said reader in a sheet conveying direction; a first sheet conveying path configured to convey from said sheet supply unit to said stacker; a second sheet conveying path that branches from said first sheet conveying path at a position downstream of said reader in a sheet conveying direction; a first separating unit configured to switch a conveying direction of the sheet to said stacker or to said second sheet conveying path, disposed at a position where the second sheet path branches from the first sheet conveying path; and a controller configured to, before the image is erased by said erasing unit, determine whether the sheet is reusable based on the condition of the sheet read by said reader, and to control the first separating unit to convey the sheet to said second sheet conveying path when the sheet is determined to be reusable, and to convey the sheet to said stacker when the sheet is determined to be not reusable.