Patent ID: 8830284

Claim:
An image erasing apparatus for erasing an image on a recording medium, comprising: a recording medium supplying unit configured to supply the recording medium; a conveying unit configured to convey the supplied recording medium; an eraser configured to erase the image on the recording medium; a detector disposed downstream in a recording medium conveying direction from the eraser and configured to detect an image remaining on the recording medium after erasing of the image by the eraser; a first stacking unit disposed downstream in the recording medium conveying direction from the detector and configured to stack the recording medium; a second stacking unit disposed downstream in the recording medium conveying direction from the detector and configured to stack the recording medium, the second stacking unit being different from the first stacking unit, the second stacking unit comprising a lock unit configured to restrict opening of the second stacking unit; and a controller configured to control the conveying unit to convey the recording medium to the first stacking unit if no remaining image on the erased recording medium is detected by the detector, and to convey the recording medium to the second stacking unit if a remaining image on the erased recording medium is detected by the detector.