PAPER SHREDDING DEVICE WITH PAPER MANAGEMENT DEVICE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a document shredding apparatus having a document management apparatus. The present invention relates to a document shredder (10) comprising: a document feeder (121) formed on an upper portion of a case (120); a shredding portion (12) positioned below the document feeder (121) in the case (120) for shredding documents fed from the document feeder (121); and a collection box (125) for receiving waste paper shreds shredded by the shredding portion (12), wherein at least one document shredder (10) includes a server (20) which is located in a terminal for managing documents and networked to the document shredder (10) to manage the documents, wherein the server (20) is configured to store information and images of documents requested to be shredded from the document shredder (10), thereby safely managing discarded documents.

Claims

1. A document shredding apparatus having a document management apparatus, the document shredding apparatus comprising: a document shredder (10), the document shredder comprising: a document feeder (121) formed at an upper part of a case (120); a shredding unit (12) disposed in the case (120) so as to be located under the document feeder (121), the shredding unit being configured to shred documents introduced thereinto; and a collection box (125) configured to collect scraps of the documents shred by the shredding unit (12), at least one document shredder (10) being located at a terminal configured to manage documents; and a server (20) connected to the document shredder (10) over a network, the server being configured to manage documents, wherein the server (20) is configured to store document information and image information of documents requested to be shred from the document shredder (10).

2. The document shredding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document shredder (10) comprises: an authentication means (110) configured to authenticate a person who requests that documents be shred; a display unit (111) configured to display a shredding process of documents shred while passing through the shredding unit (12); an image generation means (112) configured to generate images of the documents requested to be shred, which have been supplied from the document feeder (121) after authentication has been completed by the authentication means (110); a communication means (114) configured to transmit authentication information of the person who requests that documents be shred, acquired from the authentication means (110), and the images of the documents requested to be shred, acquired from the image generation means (112), to the server (20); and a guide means (123) configured to transfer documents from the image generation means (112) to the shredding unit (12).

3. The document shredding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the server (20) comprises: a communication means (200) connected to the document shredder (10) over a network; and a document shredding management unit (220) configured to store information about a document identification means of security documents generated by the image generation means (112), employee information of the person who requests that documents be shred, input through the authentication means (110) of the document shredder (10), image and document information of the documents requested to be shred, generated by and received from the image generation means (112), and a result of shredding of the documents requested to be shred, performed by the document shredder (10).

4. The document shredding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document shredder (10) further comprises a guide means (123), the guide means (123) comprising: a pair of guide chutes (1231, 1232) configured to guide the documents requested to be shred, discharged from the image generation means (112); a pair of feeding rollers (1233, 1234) (1235, 1236) installed so as to be spaced apart from the guide chutes (1231, 1232) by an appropriate distance; and a driving device (1237) configured to drive the pair of feeding rollers (1233, 1234), whereby the guide means guides the documents discharged from the image generation means (112) to the shredding unit (12).

5. The document shredding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the guide chutes (1231, 1232) comprise: a first inclined feeding unit (1239) having an inlet side located at a discharge port of the image generation means (112), the inlet side being formed so as to be inclined in order to smoothly receive the documents discharged from the image generation means (112); a curved portion (1238) extending from the first inclined feeding unit (1239); and a second inclined feeding unit (1240) extending from the curved portion (1238) so as to reach an inlet side of the shredding unit (12).

6. The document shredding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the authentication means (110) is any one adopted from among a fingerprint recognizer, an iris recognizer, an IC card reader, a magnetic card reader, and an RFID reader.

7. The document shredding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the document identification means is constituted by a quick response (QR) code or a barcode.

8. The document shredding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the document shredding management unit (220) is related to the document identification means, and a document generation date, information about a document writer, authentication information of a user capable of using the document shredding apparatus, and security level information of documents are stored in a storage means.

9. The document shredding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the display unit (111) of the document shredder (10) is configured to display a process of guiding input of document information about non-security documents or documents having no document identification means, generated by the image generation means (112), and comprises a touchscreen configured to allow the document information to be input therethrough.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0049] FIG. 1 is a system configuration view of a document shredding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] FIG. 2 is a system block diagram of the document shredding apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the document shredding apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing the internal structure of the document shredding apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a guide means of the present invention.

BEST MODE

[0054] Features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description of an embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0055] Before describing the embodiment of the present invention, it should be noted that applications of the present invention are not limited by the details of the construction and arrangement of components described in the following embodiment and shown in the drawings. The present invention may be realized and embodied through other embodiments, and may be performed using various methods. In addition, the expressions and technical terms used in the embodiment regarding the terms, such as the direction of a device or an element, are used merely to simplify the description of the present invention, and do not indicate or mean that the relevant device or element should have a specific direction.

[0056] Also, it should be noted that terms or words used in this specification and the claims are not to be interpreted as having ordinary and dictionary-based meanings but as having meanings and concepts coinciding with the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that the inventors may properly define the concepts of the terms in order to explain the invention in the best method.

[0057] The description given in this specification and the construction shown in the accompanying drawings are related to the most preferred embodiment, and does not cover all technical ideas of the present invention, and therefore it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modifications capable of substituting for the same at the time of filing of the present application.

[0058] Consequently, the present invention is not limited to the suggested embodiment, and it is obvious that various modifications and alternations are possible by a person having an ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains within the technical idea of the present invention and an equivalent range of the technical idea described in the appended claims.

[0059] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0060] FIG. 1 is a system configuration view of a document shredding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a system block diagram of the document shredding apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Referring to these figures, a document shredding apparatus having a document management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one document shredder 10 and a server 20 connected to the document shredder 10 over a network for managing documents.

[0062] The document shredder 10 includes a control communication unit 11 and a shredding unit 12.

[0063] The control communication unit 11 includes an authentication means 110, a display unit 111, an image generation means 112, a controller 113, and a communication means 114.

[0064] The authentication means 110 allows authentication information of a person who requests that documents be shred to be input therethrough, and one of a fingerprint recognizer, an iris recognizer, an IC card reader, a magnetic card reader, and an RFID reader is adopted as the authentication means. In addition, the authentication means includes a touchpad that is capable of digitizing the signature of a user or a keypad that allows user information, such as employee number, to be input therethrough.

[0065] The authentication information of the person who requests that documents be shred, which is input through the authentication means 110, is transmitted to the server 20 through the controller 113 and the communication means 114 such that shredding request records are stored in the server.

[0066] The display unit 111 displays the authentication state of the authentication means 110, images of documents generated by the image generation means 112, and a process of guiding the input of document information about non-security documents or documents having no document identification means. Preferably, the display unit includes a touchscreen that allows information to be input therethrough.

[0067] The image generation means 112 includes a scanner or a digital camera. In the case in which user authentication is performed by the authentication means 110, the image generation means reads out document identification means of security documents, generates images of documents requested to be shred, and transmits information about the read-out document identification means of the security documents and the generated document images to the server 20 via the communication means 114.

[0068] The document identification means may be constituted by, for example, a quick response (QR) code or a barcode, and may include information about a document writer, document generation date, and document retention duration.

[0069] The controller 113 converts information about the person who requests that documents be shred, acquired from the authentication means 110, document information acquired from the image generation means 112, and document information input by the person who requests that documents be shred into a signal that is capable of being transmitted to the server such that the signal is transmitted to the server via the communication means 114.

[0070] In addition, the controller controls the operation of the shredding unit 12 according to a shredding command transmitted from the server 20.

[0071] The communication means 114 is constituted by an Ethernet communication module that is capable of performing short-range communication with the server 20, and is connected to a networking system, such as the Internet or an intranet, according to a protocol such that the server 20 is connected to the document shredder 10 over the network.

[0072] The communication means 114 transmits the authentication information of the person who requests that documents be shred, authenticated by the authentication means 110, security document information acquired from the image generation means 112, and general document images to the server 20 such that the server 20 constructs a shred document database and generates a control signal for shredding, and receives the control signal for document shredding from the server 20.

[0073] The server 20 is connected to the document shredder 10 over the network in order to manage documents.

[0074] The server 20 includes a communication means 200, a controller 210, and a document shredding management unit 220.

[0075] The communication means 200 is constituted by an Ethernet communication module that is capable of performing short-range communication with the server 20, and is connected to a networking system, such as the Internet or an intranet, according to a protocol such that the server 20 is connected to the document shredder 10 over the network.

[0076] The controller 210 compares the document information acquired from the image generation means 112 by the person who requests that documents be shred with document information stored in the document shredding management unit 220 in order to determine whether the acquired document information is identical to the stored document information.

[0077] Upon determining that the acquired document information is identical to the stored document information, the controller performs control such that a process of shredding the documents requested to be shred is displayed on the display unit 111 of the document shredder 10.

[0078] The document shredding management unit 220 includes a database, in which information about the security documents printed by a printing system, i.e. information about the document identification means, is stored. In addition, the employee information of the person who requests that documents be shred, input through the authentication means 110 of the document shredder 10, images of the documents requested to be shred, generated by and received from the image generation means 112 of the document shredder 10, and information related to the images are stored in the database.

[0079] In addition, the result of authentication, performed through the authentication means 110, and the result of shredding of the documents requested to be shred, performed by the document shredder 10, are stored in the database, whereby it is possible to perform document management, such as whether or not to discard documents to be discarded.

[0080] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the document shredder 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing the internal structure of the document shredder 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] Referring to these figures, the document shredder 10 includes a case 120, a document feeder 121, a guide means 123, a shredding unit 12, and a collection box 125.

[0082] The case 120 is formed based on a frame F.

[0083] The frame F includes vertical frames V1 and V2 disposed vertically at front and rear four sides and a first horizontal frame H1, a second horizontal frame H2, and a lower frame H3 fixed between the vertical frames V1 and V2 in the horizontal state.

[0084] The document feeder 121, the authentication means 110, the image generation means 112, and the controller 113 are formed at an upper panel P1 formed at the upper part of the case 120, and an upper door D1 and a lower door D2 are formed at the side surface of the case.

[0085] In the interior of the case that is opened by the upper door D1, the image generation means 112, the guide means 123, and the shredding unit 12 are formed on the first horizontal frame H1 and the second horizontal frame H2. In the interior of the case that is opened by the lower door D2, the collection box 124 is formed on the lower frame H3.

[0086] The document feeder 121 is installed at the rear of the case 120, and may include a well-known document feeding apparatus, for example, an apparatus mounted to the case 120 so as to be foldable and configured to feed a lowermost sheet from among a plurality of stacked documents. The document feeding apparatus is well known and may be easily embodied by a person having an ordinary skill in the art, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0087] Both documents having a document identification means and documents having no document identification means may be used as documents that are placed on the document feeder 121 and shred.

[0088] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the guide means of the present invention.

[0089] Referring to this figure, the guide means 123 includes a pair of guide chutes 1231 and 1232, a pair of upper feeding rollers 1233 and 1234, a pair of lower feeding rollers 1235 and 1236, and a driving device 1237.

[0090] The guide chutes 1231 and 1232 are disposed between the image generation means 112 and the shredding unit 12 so as to be spaced apart from each other by a gap through which approximately one sheet of a document can pass, and are installed so as to be spaced apart from each other by an appropriate distance in order to guide the documents requested to be shred, discharged from the image generation means 112.

[0091] In addition, an inlet side located at a discharge port of the image generation means 112 is inclined at an inclination angle of about 10 to 15 degrees in order to smoothly receive the documents discharged from the image generation means 112.

[0092] A curved portion 1238, at which the guide chutes 1231 and 1232 are bent so as to have circumferential surfaces having the same center, is formed at one side of a first inclined feeding unit 1239, and a second inclined feeding unit 1240 is formed so as to extend from the curved portion 1238 to an inlet side of the shredding unit 12.

[0093] The upper feeding rollers 1233 and 1234 are installed at the first inclined feeding unit 1239 of the guide chutes 1231 and 1232, and the lower feeding rollers 1235 and 1236 are installed at the second inclined feeding unit 1240.

[0094] The upper feeding rollers 1233 and 1234 and the lower feeding rollers 1235 and 1236 are installed so as to be spaced apart from the guide chutes 1231 and 1232 by an appropriate distance, are driven by power from the driving device 1237, and guide the documents requested to be shred, discharged from the image generation means 112 and guided by the guide chutes 1231 and 1232, to the shredding unit 12.

[0095] The driving device 1237 includes a motor 1241 and an electric-powered belt mechanism 1242.

[0096] The motor 1241 has a deceleration means, and power decelerated by the deceleration means simultaneously drives the upper feeding rollers 1233 and 1234 and the lower feeding rollers 1235 and 1236 via the electric-powered belt mechanism 1242.

[0097] The electric-powered belt mechanism 1242 includes an upper pulley 1245 fixed to a stationary shaft 1243 of the upper feeding roller 1233, a lower pulley 1247 fixed to a stationary shaft 1246 of the lower feeding roller 1235, and an electric-powered belt 1248 installed at the upper pulley 1245 and the lower pulley 1247.

[0098] A stationary shaft 1249 of the lower pulley 1247 serves as a driving shaft of the motor 1241.

[0099] Consequently, the lower pulley 1247 fixed to the stationary shaft 1249 and the upper pulley 1245, which is connected to the lower pulley via the electric-powered belt 1248, may be simultaneously driven by power from the motor 1241.

[0100] Any of various kinds of general document shredding structures is applied to the shredding unit 12. The document shredding structures may also be easily embodied by a person having an ordinary skill in the art, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0101] The collection box 125 is installed under the shredding unit 12 in order to collect scraps of the documents shred by the shredding unit 12, and may be introduced into and removed from the case 120 by opening the lower door 107.

[0102] Hereinafter, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0103] According to the present invention, when information about a person who requests that documents be shred, acquired from the authentication means 110 of the document shredder 10, which grasps the identity of the person who requests that documents be shred, is transmitted to the server 20 through the controller 113 and the communication means 114 and 200 and then the server 20 authenticates the identity of the person who requests that documents be shred, documents to be shred, placed on the document feeder 121, pass through the image generation means 112 and are then discharged to the shredding unit 12 while being guided by the guide means 123 according to a driving signal of the controller 113.

[0104] Document information is read out from the documents requested to be shred passing through the image generation means 112 by the document recognition means, scanned images of the documents are transmitted to the server 20 through the controller 113 and the communication means 114 and 200 and are stored in the document shredding management unit 220, and a shredding signal is transmitted to the document shredder 10 through the controller 210 such that the documents requested to be shred are shred.

[0105] At this time, in the case in which the documents to be shred are general documents, rather than security documents, an input window that allows document information, such as document writing date, document number, and relevant department, to be input therethrough is displayed on the display unit 111.

[0106] Consequently, the person who requests that documents be shred inputs information about the general documents using the touchpad of the display unit 111, the input information is stored in the server 20, and a shredding signal is transmitted to the document shredder 10 through the controller 210 such that the documents requested to be shred are shred.

[0107] The documents requested to be shred, discharged from the image generation means 112, are guided by the guide chutes 1231 and 1232, and are supplied to the shredding unit 12 by the driving device 1237.

[0108] The shredding signal from the server 20 drives the driving device 1237 and the shredding unit 12 through the controller 113 of the document shredder 10.

[0109] The documents to be shred, after reaching the shredding unit 12, are shred, and the shred documents are collected in the collection box 125.

[0110] Shredding information of the documents to be shred is transmitted to the server 20 via the communication means 114, and is stored in the document shredding management unit 220.

[0111] According to the above-described embodiment, information and images of documents that are shred and discarded by the document shredder are stored in the server, whereby it is possible to read the documents that are shred and discarded and to output the documents that are shred and discarded through the printing system. Consequently, it is possible to restore documents that have been normally discarded or documents that have been shred and discarded on purpose or due to carelessness.

[0112] The present invention has been described based on the preferred embodiment thereof.

[0113] The embodiment described in this specification and the construction shown in the drawings are related to the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not cover all technical ideas of the present invention, and therefore it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modifications capable of substituting for the same.

[0114] Consequently, the present invention is not limited to the suggested embodiment, and it is obvious that various modifications and alternations are possible by a person having an ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains within the technical idea of the present invention and an equivalent range of the technical idea described in the appended claims.