Patent ID: 8343621

Claim:
An image removing apparatus comprising: a heating device configured to heat a recording material having thereon an image including a thermoplastic material to a temperature at which the thermoplastic material has a plasticity; and at least two image removing devices which are arranged in series in a feeding direction of the recording material, each of the at least two image removing devices comprising: a peeling member configured to peel at least a portion of the image from the recording material; a pressing member configured to pressure-contact the peeling member with a surface of the recording material, on which the image is formed, while the thermoplastic material in the image maintains a plasticity; and a transfer member configured to separate the peeling member from the recording material to transfer the portion of the image to the peeling member, wherein an uppermost stream peeling member has a first outermost layer which does not have a plasticity when being pressure-contacted with the recording material, and at least one downstream peeling member has a second outermost layer which has a plasticity when being pressure-contacted with the recording material.