Patent ID: 8427516

Claim:
An image erasing apparatus configured to erase an image on a sheet formed with a color material whose color is erased at a temperature equal to or higher than an erasing temperature, the apparatus comprising: a paper feeding unit configured to feed the sheet; a detection unit configured to detect a state of the fed sheet; a collecting device configured to collect the sheet; a heating device configured to heat the sheet to temperature equal to or higher than the erasing temperature to thereby erase a color of the image formed on the sheet with the color material; a conveying device configured to convey the sheet to either of the collecting device and the heating device; a switching device arranged upstream in a sheet conveyance direction of the heating device, and configured to switch a conveying direction of the sheet; and a control unit configured to set a conveyance destination of the sheet with the switching device in a direction of the collecting device if the sheet is judged to be non-conveyable to the heating device based on an output of the detection unit and in a direction of the heating device if the sheet is judged to be conveyable to the heating device based on the output of the detection unit.