Device for regenerating printed sheet-like recording medium

Abstract

The present invention discloses a device for regenerating a sheet-like recording medium comprising a means for feeding a printed sheet-like recording medium, a regenerating treatment means having a step for eliminating image formed on said recording medium, a means for discriminating and separating the recording medium whether the treated recording medium is reusable or not and a means for storing the separated reusable recording medium. Further, the present invention discloses, as Examples, regenerating treatment means treating sheet-like recording media printed with following toners or inks with following degrading agent or a color eliminating agent; (i) a toner comprising biodegradable plastics as a constituent ingredient and an enzyme containing liquid as a degrading agent; (ii) a toner comprising photodegradable plastics as a constituent ingredient and an irradiation of a light containing a short wavelength light; (iii) a toner or an ink using a coloring material comprising an electron-donating color-forming organic compound and its developer and a color-eliminating agent; and (iv) a toner or an ink using a coloring material comprising an electron-accepting color-forming organic compound and its developer and a color-eliminating agent.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A device, connected to a regeneration device, for selectively separating recording medium, comprising: 
       means for discriminating whether a regenerated recording medium is reusable; and  
       means for selectively separating the regenerated recording medium into reusable recording medium.  
     
     
       2. A device, connected to a regenerating device having a regenerating section, for selectively separating regenerated recording medium, comprising: 
       discriminating means connected to said regenerating section for discriminating whether a regenerated recording medium is reusable; and  
       separating means disposed on a downstream side of said discriminating means for selectively separating the regenerated recording medium into reusable recording medium and not reusable recording medium on the basis of the discrimination result of said discriminating means.  
     
     
       3. A device according to claim  1  or claim  2 , which further includes means for storing the separated reusable recording medium. 
     
     
       4. A device according to claim  1  or claim  2 , wherein the separated recording medium being judged not reusable is conveyed directly to a destroying apparatus. 
     
     
       5. A device according to claim  4 , wherein said destroying apparatus is shredder. 
     
     
       6. A device according to claim  1  or claim  2 , wherein said discriminating means and said separating means comprise: 
       a print density detecting element for detecting printed density of the regenerated recording medium;  
       an apparatus for conveying the medium after the density detection;  
       a conveying passage switching device for separating the treated recording medium into reusable and not reusable recording medium; and  
       said detecting element being connected to the input of a control section and said switching device being connected to the output of said control section, comparing the result of the detection from said detecting element and a standard print density and setting the position of said switching device in accordance with the result of the comparison.  
     
     
       7. A device according to claim  1  or claim  2 , wherein said discriminating means and said separating means comprise: 
       a print density detecting element for the recording medium before a regeneration treatment;  
       a printed density detection element for the recording medium after the regeneration treatment;  
       an apparatus for conveying the recording medium to its destination after the detections of the densities;  
       a plurality of conveying path switching devices for separating the detected medium as reusable, not reusable and to be regenerated again; and  
       a control section having said detecting and detection elements connected to the input and said switching devices connected to the output, being made to compare the results of the detection by both of the detecting and detection elements and a standard print density and to set the position of each of the switching devices according to the result compared.  
     
     
       8. A device according to claim  6 , wherein a conveying distance from the printed density detection element for the recording medium after regenerating treatment to the first conveying path switching device is more than a maximum length of the recording medium to be treated and a detectable width of said detecting element is more than a maximum width of the recording medium to be treated. 
     
     
       9. A device according to claim  6 , wherein the regenerated recording medium is judged to be not reusable when a printed density of the recording medium is higher than said standard density and judged to be reusable when the printed density is lower than or equal to said standard density. 
     
     
       10. A device according to claim  6 , wherein said standard density is a background density of the recording medium having no print. 
     
     
       11. A device according to claim  6 , wherein said print density detecting element is movable to a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and parallel to a plane of the recording medium. 
     
     
       12. A device according to claim  7 , wherein a conveying distance from the printed density detection element for the recording medium after regenerating treatment to a first conveying path switching device is more than a maximum length of the recording medium to be treated and a detectable width of said detecting element is more than a maximum width of the recording medium to be treated. 
     
     
       13. A device according to claim  7 , wherein said standard density is a background density of the recording medium having no print. 
     
     
       14. A device according to claim  7 , wherein said print density detecting element is movable in a direction perpendicular to a conveying direction and parallel to a plane of the recording medium. 
     
     
       15. The device of claim  1 , wherein said means for discriminating discriminates three types of regenerated recording medium as follows: 
       (1) reusable recording medium;  
       (2) not reusable recording medium; and  
       (3) recording medium in need of further regeneration.  
     
     
       16. The device of claim  15 , further including means for: 
       (1) feeding recording medium discriminated as reusable to one of a reusable storage location and a printing location;  
       (2) feeding recording medium discriminated as not reusable to one of a not reusable storage location and a shredding means; and  
       (3) feeding recording medium discriminated as in need of further regeneration to regenerating means.  
     
     
       17. The device of claim  1 , wherein said means for discriminating includes control means for determining an end of a discriminating operation to set a timing for opening and closing an outlet of regeneration means disposed upstream of a location at which regenerated recording medium is discriminated. 
     
     
       18. A method for erasing a printed image formed on a recording medium, comprising the steps of: 
       
         erasing the printed image formed on the recording medium for regenerating the recording medium;  
       
       
         detecting a residual image of the recording medium regenerated by said erasing step;  
       
       
         discriminating whether the regenerated recording medium is reusable or not reusable based on a detecting result of said detecting step; and  
       
       
         selectively separating the regenerated recording medium into a reusable recording medium. 
       
     
     
       19. A method according to claim  18 , wherein said detecting step detects a residual image density of the regenerated recording medium. 
     
     
       20. A method according to claim  18 , wherein said discriminating step discriminates three types of the regenerated recording medium as a reusable recording medium, a not reusable recording medium, and a recording medium in need of further regeneration. 
     
     
       21. A method according to claim  18 , wherein said discriminating step discriminates a reusable recording medium from another recording medium. 
     
     
       22. A method according to claim  18 , wherein said discriminating step discriminates a reusable recording medium from a not reusable recording medium. 
     
     
       23. A method according to claim  18 , wherein said discriminating step discriminates a reusable recording medium from a recording medium in need of further regeneration. 
     
     
       24. A method for erasing a printed image formed on a recording medium and regenerating the recording medium to be reusable, comprising the steps of: 
       
         erasing the printed image formed on the recording medium for regenerating the recording medium;  
       
       
         detecting a regenerating result of the recording medium regenerated by said erasing step; and  
       
       
         selectively separating and storing the regenerated recording medium into a reusable recording medium and a not reusable recording medium based on a detecting result of said detecting step. 
       
     
     
       25. A system for erasing a printed image formed on a recording medium and regenerating the recording medium, comprising: 
       
         a regenerator which erases the printed image formed on the recording medium;  
       
       
         a detector disposed downstream of the regenerator in a recording medium moving direction, and which detects the regenerating result of the recording medium regenerated by the regenerator;  
       
       
         a discriminator which discriminates whether the regenerated recording medium is reusable or not reusable; and  
       
       
         at least one separator disposed downstream of the detector in the recording medium moving direction, and which separates the recording medium discriminated by the discriminator into a reusable recording medium and another recording medium. 
       
     
     
       26. A system according to claim  25 , wherein said detector detects a residual image density of the regenerated recording medium. 
     
     
       27. A system according to claim  25 , wherein said separator comprises a switching pawl. 
     
     
       28. A system for erasing a printed image formed on a recording medium and regenerating the recording medium, comprising: 
       
         a regenerator which erases the printed image formed on the recording medium;  
       
       
         a detector disposed downstream of the regenerator in a recording medium moving direction, and which detects whether the recording medium regenerated by the regenerator is reusable, not reusable, or in need of a further regeneration process by the regenerator;  
       
       
         at least one separator disposed downstream of the detector in the recording medium moving direction, and which separates the regenerated recording medium into a reusable recording medium, a not reusable recording medium, and a recording medium in need of a further regeneration process by the regenerator on the basis of a detection result of the detector; and  
       
       
         a conveyor which conveys the recording medium in need of a further regeneration process by the regenerator separated by said at least one separator to the regenerator. 
       
     
     
       29. A system according to claim  28 , wherein said detector detects a residual image density of the regenerated recording medium. 
     
     
       30. A system according to claim  28 , wherein said separator comprises a switching pawl. 
     
     
       31. A system according to either one of claim  25  or claim  28 , further comprising a stocker which stocks respectively the reusable recording medium and the not reusable recording medium separated by said at least one separator. 
     
     
       32. A regenerating system comprising: 
       
         a regenerating section which erases a printed image formed on a recording sheet;  
       
       
         a residual image detecting device disposed downstream of the regenerating section in a recording sheet moving direction, and which detects a residual image remaining on the recording sheet after a regenerating process by said regenerating section;  
       
       
         a controller which compares the residual image remaining on the recording sheet, without being erased after the regenerating process by said regenerating section, detected by said residual image detecting device with a standard image data, and which determines the recording sheet to be reusable or not reusable on the basis of the comparing result of the residual image;  
       
       
         a stocker which stocks the reusable recording sheet; and  
       
       
         a conveying pass switch disposed downstream of the residual image detecting device in the recording sheet moving direction, and which switches the conveying direction of the recording sheet determined to be reusable based on the comparing result in said controller to a direction of the stocker. 
       
     
     
       33. A system according to claim  32 , wherein said conveying pass switch further switches the conveying direction of the recording sheet determined to be in need of a further regeneration process by said regenerating section on the basis of the comparing result in said controller to a direction of the regenerating section, and said regenerating section erases the residual image on the sheet determined to be in need of a further regeneration process by said regenerating section on the basis of the comparing result in said controller. 
     
     
       34. A method for reusing a recording medium, comprising the steps of: 
       
         discriminating whether a regenerated recording medium is reusable; and  
       
       
         selectively separating the regenerated recording medium into a reusable recording medium. 
       
     
     
       35. A method according to claim  34 , wherein said discriminating step discriminates three types of the regenerated recording medium as a reusable recording medium, a not reusable recording medium, and a recording medium in need of further regeneration. 
     
     
       36. A method according to claim  34 , wherein said discriminating step discriminates a reusable recording medium from another recording medium. 
     
     
       37. A method according to claim  34 , where said discriminating step discriminates a reusable recording medium from a not reusable recording medium. 
     
     
       38. A method according to claim  34 , where said discriminating step discriminates a reusable recording medium from a recording medium in need of further regeneration. 
     
     
       39. A method for a regeneration system having a regenerating section, for selectively separating a regenerated recording medium, comprising the steps of: 
       
         discriminating whether the regenerated recording medium is reusable; and  
       
       
         selectively separating the regenerated recording medium into a reusable recording medium and a not reusable recording medium on the basis of a discrimination result of said step of discriminating. 
       
     
     
       40. A system for erasing a printed image formed on a recording medium and regenerating the recording medium, comprising: 
       
         a regenerating device which erases the printed image formed on the recording medium;  
       
       
         a discriminating device disposed downstream of the regenerating device in a recording medium moving direction, and which discriminates whether the recording medium regenerated by the regenerating device is reusable or not reusable; and  
       
       
         a separating device which separates the recording medium discriminated by the discriminating device into a reusable recording medium and a not reusable recording medium. 
       
     
     
       41. A system for erasing a printed image formed on a recording medium and regenerating the recording medium, comprising: 
       
         a regenerating device which erases the printed image formed on the recording medium;  
       
       
         a discriminating device disposed downstream of the regenerating device in a recording medium moving direction and which detects whether the recording medium regenerated by the regenerating device is reusable, not reusable, or in need of a further regeneration process by the regenerating device;  
       
       
         a separating device disposed downstream of the discriminating device in the recording medium moving direction, and which separates the recording medium into a reusable recording medium, a not reusable recording medium, and a recording medium in need of a further regeneration process by the regenerating device on the basis of the discrimination result of the discriminating device; and  
       
       
         a conveying device which conveys the recording medium in need of a further regeneration process by the regenerating device separated by said regenerating device to the regenerating device. 
       
     
     
       42. A system according to either one of claim  40  or claim  41 , further comprising a stocker which stocks respectively the reusable recording medium and the not reusable recording medium separated by said separating device. 
     
     
       43. A regenerating system comprising: 
       
         a regenerating section which erases a printed image formed on a recording sheet;  
       
       
         a detecting element disposed downstream of the regenerating section in a recording sheet moving direction, and which detects a residual image remaining on the recording sheet after a regenerating process by said regenerating section;  
       
       
         a control section which compares the residual image remaining on the recording sheet, without being erased after the regenerating process by said regenerating section, detected by said detecting element with a standard image, and which determines the recording sheet to be reusable or not reusable based on a comparing result of the residual image;  
       
       
         a stocker which stocks the reusable recording sheet; and  
       
       
         a conveying pass switching section disposed downstream of the detecting element in the recording sheet moving direction, and which switches the conveying direction of the recording sheet determined to be reusable based on the comparing result in said control section to a direction of the stocker. 
       
     
     
       44. A system according to claim  43 , wherein said conveying pass switching section further switches the conveying direction of the recording sheet determined to be in need of a further regeneration process by said regenerating section on the basis of the comparing result in said control section to a direction of the regenerating section, and said regenerating section erases the residual image on the sheet determined to be in need of a further regeneration process by said regenerating section on the basis of the comparing result in said control section. 
     
     
       45. A system for erasing a printed image formed on a recording medium and regenerating the recording medium, comprising: 
       
         a regenerator which erases the printed image formed on the recording medium;  
       
       
         a detector disposed downstream of the regenerator in a recording medium moving direction, and which detects a regenerating result of the recording medium regenerated by the regenerator;  
       
       
         a discriminator which discriminates whether the regenerated recording medium is reusable or not reusable; and  
       
       
         a stocker disposed downstream of the detector in the recording medium moving direction, and which stocks respectively the recording medium discriminated by the discriminator into a reusable recording medium and a not reusable recording medium.