JP2001239684A - Reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus which can effectively prevent a recording medium from being deformed and longitudinally curling without damaging a non record part (part which is not recorded (printed or the like), but can be recorded) more than required with the use of the reversible thermosensitive recording medium having a recording layer for reversibly generating and erasing color by controlling a heat energy. SOLUTION: In this reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus which records and erases information with the use of the reversible thermosensitive recording medium having the recording layer for reversibly generating and erasing color by controlling the beat energy, there are provided a recording mechanism for recording to the reversible thermosensitive recording medium, an erasing part with two or more heating elements of thin film resistors set on a substrate, and an erasing mechanism for erasing the recording formed to the reversible thermosensitive recording medium.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to recording using a reversible thermosensitive recording medium having a recording layer capable of reversibly forming a color-developed state and a decolored state by controlling thermal energy and capable of repeatedly recording and erasing. It concerns the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a reversible thermosensitive recording medium has been proposed in which information such as characters can be recorded in a visible manner, and the recorded information can be erased and re-recorded. This reversible thermosensitive recording medium is capable of repeating recording and erasing operations. For recording, the same heating as that of a conventional irreversible thermosensitive recording medium is used, and for erasing, heating in a specific temperature range is performed. Is used.

As such a reversible thermosensitive recording medium,
(I) A recording medium having a reversible thermosensitive recording layer composed of low-molecular organic molecules dispersed in a resin base material, wherein the transparency of the recording layer is reversibly changed by thermal energy (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.
JP-A-4-119377, JP-A-63-39377, and JP-A-63-41186), (ii) a color former (leuco dye), and a colorant capable of developing and decoloring the color former by heat. Those composed of colorants (for example,
188293, JP-A-2-188294,
JP-A-5-124360, JP-A-10-1194
No. 40).

[0004] The latter reversible thermosensitive recording medium has better visibility than the former, and does not suffer from recording deterioration due to ammonia because the terminal group of the recording material is -CH ₃ or -OH group (other than -COOH group). . However, the latter reversible thermosensitive recording material has a higher erasing temperature than the former and cannot be easily erased. Further, since the erasing temperature is high, there is a problem of deformation due to heat. Further, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-118691, there is a problem that the size of the erasing device becomes large and the handling property is worse than that of the former reversible thermosensitive recording medium. Furthermore, while the recording portion is often partial with respect to the entire medium (such as a card), the erasure width is usually the entire width of the medium, and erasure is not required because erasure heating is performed up to the non-recording portion. There is a problem that excessive portions are excessively damaged, erasing efficiency is low (power consumption), and curl (vertical curl) due to uneven heating occurs.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and uses a reversible thermosensitive recording medium of the latter type, and allows non-recording portions (recording (printing etc.) but not recording). It is an object of the present invention to provide a reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus capable of effectively preventing deformation and vertical curling of a recording medium without unnecessarily damaging the recording medium.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, information is recorded by using a reversible thermosensitive recording medium having a recording layer that reversibly develops and decolors by controlling thermal energy. A reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus for performing recording and erasing of a reversible thermosensitive recording medium, comprising: a recording mechanism for performing recording on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium; and an erasing section including two or more heating elements formed of a thin film resistor on a substrate. And a reversible thermosensitive recording device having an erasing mechanism for erasing a recording formed on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium. Also,
According to the present invention, in the above configuration, a reversible contact type switch or a non-contact circuit element capable of selectively setting an erasing width by selectively energizing an arbitrary heating element of the erasing mechanism is provided. A thermosensitive recording device is provided. Further, according to the present invention, in the above configuration, the recording medium further includes recording width detecting means for detecting in advance the width of an area recorded on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium, and the erasing width is determined in accordance with the output of the recording width detecting means. Is provided. Further, according to the present invention, in the above configuration, there is provided means for reading information recorded on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium and controlling an erasing width according to the read result. An apparatus is provided. Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus having the above configuration, wherein each heating element of the erasing mechanism is installed so that the temperature can be independently set. Further, according to the present invention, in the above configuration, the erasing mechanism includes an outside air temperature detecting unit that detects the temperature of the outside air, and the heating element has a heating temperature according to an output from the outside air temperature detecting unit. A reversible thermosensitive recording device characterized by being controlled is provided. Further, according to the present invention, in the above configuration, the erasing mechanism includes a medium temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of the reversible thermosensitive recording medium, and the heating element responds to an output from the medium temperature detecting means. A reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus characterized in that the heating temperature is controlled. Further, according to the present invention, in the above configuration, when recording is performed by the recording mechanism immediately after erasing by the erasing mechanism, it is determined whether the area to be recorded is the same as or different from the area immediately before erasing. A reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus is provided, wherein an area checking means for checking is provided, and recording energy of the recording mechanism in each recording area is controlled in accordance with an output from the area checking means. Further, according to the present invention, in the above configuration, when recording is performed by the recording mechanism immediately after erasing by the erasing mechanism, temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the reversible thermosensitive recording medium is provided. Is provided.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail. First, the reversible thermosensitive recording medium used in the reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a reversible thermosensitive recording medium 11 used in the present invention includes a reversible thermosensitive recording layer 1 that forms a recording area formed on a support 12.
3. A transparent protective layer 14 is provided on the recording layer to prevent the deterioration of the recording layer. In addition to this, if necessary, an undercoat layer between the support and the reversible thermosensitive recording layer, an intermediate layer between the reversible thermosensitive recording layer and the protective layer, a colored printing ink layer on a part or the entire surface of the protective layer, Further, a transparent protective layer may be provided on the surface including the ink layer portion or non-ink adhesion.

The support 12 is made of paper, various non-woven fabrics, woven fabrics, synthetic resin films (including colored ones) such as polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene and polyimide, paper laminated with synthetic resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, synthetic paper, Metal foil, glass, etc. are used.
The thickness of the support 12 is not particularly limited, and is usually 1 mm or less, preferably about 50 to 500 μm, but a thick type can be used.

The thickness of the reversible thermosensitive recording layer 13 is 1 to 30 μm.
m is preferable, and 2 to 20 μm is more preferable. The reversible thermosensitive recording layer is formed by dispersing a color former (leuco dye) and a developer in a binder resin.

The binder resin used in the reversible thermosensitive recording layer preferably has a glass transition temperature of 50 ° C. or higher.
° C or more is more preferable, and 100 ° C or less is preferable,
80 ° C. or lower is more preferable. Specifically, polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-vinyl alcohol copolymer, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic acid copolymer, vinyl chloride-acrylate copolymer, etc. A vinylidene chloride copolymer such as polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinylidene chloride-vinyl chloride copolymer, or vinylidene chloride-acrylonitrile copolymer; polyester; polyamide; polyatalylate or polymethacrylate or acrylate; Methacrylate copolymer; examples include silicone resin, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyacrylamide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, natural rubber, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrolein, and polycarbonate. These resins may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The color former used in the reversible thermosensitive recording layer is as follows:
For example, it is a known dye precursor such as a phthalide compound, an azaphthalide compound, a fluoran compound, a phenothiazine compound, or a leuco auramine compound. Preferred color formers used in the present invention include compounds represented by the following general formula.

Embedded image

Embedded image(However, in the above formula, R₁, R_TwoIs a lower alkyl group,
Represents an aryl group or a hydrogen atom which may be
R₁, R_TwoMay combine with each other to form a ring.
R _Three, R_FourRepresents a lower alkyl group, a halogen atom, a hydrogen atom or
Represents a substituted anilino group. )

The developer used in the reversible thermosensitive recording layer is as follows:
A structure that has the ability to develop a leuco dye in the molecule, such as a phenolic hydroxyl group, a carboxylic acid group, or a phosphate group, and a structure that controls intermolecular cohesion, such as a structure in which a long-chain hydrocarbon group is linked Is a compound having The linking portion may be via a divalent group containing a hetero atom, or the long chain hydrocarbon group may contain a divalent group containing a hetero atom or an aromatic group. Specifically, a known developer described in JP-A-5-124360 can be used. The melting point of the developer is preferably 120 ° C. or higher, more preferably 140 ° C.

The melting point of the developer is preferably 120 ° C. or more, more preferably 140 ° C. A transparent protective layer (having a thickness of 0.1 to 5 μm) provided to protect the reversible thermosensitive recording layer.
Examples of the material m) include silicone rubber, silicone resin (described in JP-A-63-221087), and polysiloxane graft polymer (JP-A-63-317385).
And UV curable resins or electron beam curable resins (described in JP-A-02-566).
These may contain an organic or inorganic filler.

The ratio of the color former to the color developer in the reversible thermosensitive recording layer varies in an appropriate range depending on the combination of the compounds used, but the color developer is generally 0.1 to 20 in a molar ratio. , Preferably in the range of 0.2 to 10. If the amount of the developer is smaller or larger than the above range, the density of the color-developed state is reduced.

The reversible thermosensitive recording layer may be of any type as long as a color former and a color developer are present together with the curable resin. In general, the color former and the color developer are fine in the binder resin. A uniformly dispersed state is used. The color former and the developer may form particles individually, but more preferably form a dispersed state as composite particles. This can be achieved by once melting or dissolving the color former and the developer. The formation of such a recording layer is performed by dispersing and dissolving each material in a solvent and then mixing or mixing or dispersing or dissolving each material in a solvent on a support, followed by drying. Done by The color former and the developer can be used by being encapsulated in microcapsules. The curing conditions include thermosetting resin, ultraviolet curable resin,
Alternatively, the electron beam curable resin may be cured under conditions suitable for each.For example, the curing conditions of the thermosetting resin may be a relatively high temperature for a short time, or a relatively low temperature for a long time. Good. The ultraviolet curable resin and the electron beam curable resin may be irradiated with an ultraviolet ray and an electron beam by a general method.

The ratio of the color-forming component to the resin in the reversible thermosensitive recording layer is preferably about 0.1 to 10 with respect to the color-forming component 1 in a molar ratio, and if the resin is less than this range, the thermal strength of the recording layer is insufficient. However, when the amount of the resin is larger than this range, the coloring activity is reduced.

As the resin used for the protective layer provided on the reversible thermosensitive recording layer, polyvinyl alcohol, styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer, carboxy-modified polyethylene, melamine-formaldehyde resin, urea -Formaldehyde resins and the like. 0.1-1 μm for further lubricating the surface
An inorganic or organic filler having a size of about 1 to 10% may be added, or a silicone oil or wax may be added to about 0.01 to 3%.

In the reversible thermosensitive recording medium used in the present invention, it is a usual use method to erase a color image already recorded and to perform another recording and rewrite. The recording process is performed continuously. In the present invention, the erasing step is performed by a method described later in detail.

As a material for the intermediate layer (0.2 to 2 μm in thickness) provided for protecting the reversible thermosensitive recording layer from the solvent, monomer component, and the like of the transparent protective layer forming liquid, the material used for the reversible thermosensitive recording layer is used. Thermosetting resin, thermoplastic resin, UV curing resin, E
B cured resin can be used. That is, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl alcohol,
Examples thereof include polyvinyl butyral, polyurethane, saturated polyester, unsaturated polyester, epoxy resin, phenol resin, polycarbonate, and polyamide.

An undercoat layer (having a thickness of 0.1 to 2 μm) provided for improving the adhesion between the support and the reversible thermosensitive recording layer.
It is preferable that the material of m) is appropriately selected from conventionally known water-soluble polymers and / or aqueous polymer emulsions. Specific examples thereof include water-soluble polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol, starch and derivatives thereof, methoxycellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, cellulose derivatives such as ethylcellulose, sodium polyacrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, acrylamide-acrylic acid. Ester copolymer, acrylamide-acrylate-
Examples include methacrylic acid terpolymer, styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer alkali salt, polyacrylamide, sodium alginate, gelatin, casein and the like. Examples of the aqueous polymer emulsion include latexes such as styrene-butadiene copolymer and styrene-butadiene-acrylic copolymer, vinyl acetate resin, vinyl acetate-acrylic acid copolymer, and styrene-acrylate copolymer. Coalescence, an emulsion of an acrylic acid ester resin, a polyurethane resin or the like can be used.

Further, the reversible thermosensitive recording medium of the present invention comprises a layer (for example, a magnetic layer, A magneto-optical layer, an optical memory layer, an IC, etc.).

Further, the reversible thermosensitive recording medium of the present invention may be provided with an adhesive layer on the side of the support 12 opposite to the reversible thermosensitive recording layer 13 so that it can be adhered to another support. It can also be a thermographic label. In this case, as a material for the adhesive layer (thickness: 10 to 30 μm), a material generally used as an adhesive can be used. As a specific example,
Urea resin, melamine resin, phenol resin, epoxy resin, vinyl acetate resin, vinyl acetate-acrylic copolymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, acrylic resin, polyvinyl ether resin, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer Polymers, polystyrene resins, polyester resins, polyurethane resins, polyamide resins, chlorinated polyolefin resins, polyvinyl butyral resins, acrylate copolymers, methacrylate copolymers, natural rubber, cyano An acrylate-based resin, a silicon-based resin, and the like are included, but are not limited thereto. The material of the adhesive layer may be a hot melt type. A release paper may be used, or a non-release paper type may be used.

The reversible thermosensitive recording medium used in the present invention can form a relatively colored state and a decolored state depending on the heating temperature and / or the cooling rate after heating. The reversible thermosensitive recording medium used in the present invention using these leuco dyes and developers develops and decolors in the process shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows the relationship between the color density and the temperature of the recording medium. When the temperature of the recording medium in the decolored state (A) is raised at first, color formation occurs at the temperature T1 at which melting starts, and the state changes to the molten color development state (B). When the color is rapidly cooled from the molten color-developed state (B), the temperature can be lowered to room temperature while maintaining the color-developed state, and a solid colored state is obtained. Whether or not this color-developed state is obtained depends on the rate of temperature decrease from the molten state. In the case of slow cooling, decoloration occurs in the process of temperature decrease, and the same decolored state (A) or quenched color state (C) as at the beginning. A) is formed with a relatively lower concentration. On the other hand, quenched coloring state (C) a decoloring occurs again at lower temperature T ₂ and colored state continue to warm (E from D), returns the beginning when the temperature decreases from here to the same decolored state (A). The actual color development temperature and decolorization temperature vary depending on the combination of the color developer and color developer used, and can be selected according to the purpose. Also, the density of the molten color and the color density when quenched are not necessarily the same,
It may be different.

In the reversible thermosensitive recording medium used in the present invention,
The color-developed state (C) obtained by quenching from the molten state is a state in which the color developer and the color-developing agent are mixed in a state where molecules can come into contact with each other, and this often forms a solid state.
This state is a state in which the color developer and the color forming agent aggregate to maintain the color development, and it is considered that the color formation is stabilized by the formation of the aggregate structure. On the other hand, the decolored state is a state where both are phase-separated. This state is considered to be a state in which molecules of at least one compound are aggregated to form a domain or crystallized. In many cases, complete decoloration occurs in the present recording medium due to phase separation of the two and crystallization of the color developer. Both the decoloring by slow cooling from the molten state and the decoloring by raising the temperature from the colored state shown in FIG. 2 are due to the change in the cohesive structure at this temperature, and the occurrence of phase separation and crystallization of the developer.

The formation of color recording on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium used in the present invention can be carried out by heating the mixture to a temperature at which it is melted and mixed once by a heating means such as a thermal head and then rapidly cooling the mixture. In addition, the decoloring can be performed by two methods, that is, a method of gradually cooling from a heating state and a method of heating to a temperature slightly lower than the color development temperature. However, they are the same in the sense that they both phase-separate or temporarily hold at a temperature at which at least one crystallizes. The rapid cooling in the formation of a color-developed state is for preventing the phase separation temperature or the crystallization temperature from being maintained. Here, the rapid cooling and the slow cooling are relative to one composition, and the boundary varies depending on the combination of the color former and the developer.

Next, a reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus according to the present invention using the reversible thermosensitive recording medium as described above will be described. The reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus of the present invention has a recording mechanism for recording on a reversible thermosensitive recording medium, and an erasing section including two or more heating elements provided with a thin film resistor on a substrate. An erasing mechanism for erasing the recording formed on the thermosensitive recording medium. As the recording mechanism, a conventionally known means, that is, a contact heating means such as a heater or a thermal head, and a non-contact heating means using laser light, infrared light or the like can be used. A conventionally known method can be used for the recording method using these heating means. The present invention is characterized in that the erasing section of the erasing mechanism is configured by using two or more divided heating elements as described above. Hereinafter, the erasing mechanism and the erasing section will be described in detail.

In the erasing section of the present invention, the heating element basically has the structure shown in FIG. That is, the heating element 2
Reference numeral 1 denotes a structure in which a heating element (hereinafter, also referred to as a thin film resistor) 23 made of a thin film resistor is provided on a substrate 22, and a protective film 24 is further coated on the heating element 23 if necessary. As the substrate 22, a ceramic plate such as SiO ₂ , Al ₂ O ₃ , TiO ₂ , a plastic plate, or the like can be used. The shape of the substrate 22 is generally rectangular, but is not limited thereto. The dimensions of the substrate 22 can be set arbitrarily, but usually, the width is about 1 to 5 mm and the height is 40 mm.
The thickness is about 60 mm and the thickness is about 0.1 to 10 mm. A protective film 25 is applied thereon, and the surface is made uniform by diamond polishing or the like to have a thickness of 10 to 150 μm. The thin film resistor 23 is provided thereon. The thin film resistor 23 is
It is made of a material such as RuO ₂ or AgPd and has a thickness of about 10 to 150 μm. Generally, it is formed by printing and firing. The protective film 24 provided on the outermost surface of the heating element 21 is provided for protection of the thin film resistor 23, abrasion resistance, and transportability of the reversible thermosensitive recording medium.
Glass or the like is used. The thickness of the protective film 24 is 1 to 10 μm
About m is appropriate. In order to uniformly erase the reversible thermosensitive recording medium, the protective film 24 has a surface waviness of 0.01 to 1 μm and a center line average roughness Ra of 0.01 to 1 μm by diamond polishing or the like. Is desirable. The edge is desirably R-polished so as not to scrape the surface of the reversible thermosensitive recording medium.

The thin film resistors 23 of the heating element 21 can be used in an arbitrary number of two or more, and the dimensions of each thin film resistor 23 may be the same or different. The erasing section is configured by arranging two or more heating elements 23 in parallel on the substrate 22, fixing them with a heat-resistant resin made of bakelite, epoxy, or the like, and connecting them to power supply leads. Further, the erasing portion formed by arranging a plurality of thin film resistors 23 and the reversible thermosensitive recording medium are relatively 10 to 60 mm.
The erase is performed at a speed of about / sec. The width of the erasing portion and the width of the reversible thermosensitive recording medium can be appropriately selected according to the erasing characteristics and speed of the reversible thermosensitive recording medium. In the present invention, the erasing width can be arbitrarily set by selectively energizing any heating element by the erasing mechanism having the erasing section as described above.

In the present invention, as a method of selectively supplying power to each heating element, a slide contact switch, a non-contact circuit element, or the like can be used. Here these two
An example will be described.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show an example in which a slide contact switch is used. FIG. 4A is a sectional side view of the erasing section, and FIG. 4B is a plan view showing the erasing section and connected to the erasing section. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a slide contact type switch that has been removed. In the figure, reference numeral 31 denotes an erasing section, which is constituted by heating elements P, A, B, C, A, B and C. The heating element P is independently connected to the contact C1, and is always supplied with power during erasing. 2
The two heating elements A, A are commonly connected to a contact C2, the two heating elements B, B are commonly connected to a contact C3, and the two heating elements C, C are commonly connected to a contact C4.
It is connected to the. The heating width is gradually expanded by the movement of the connection bar K.

FIG. 5 shows an example in which a non-contact circuit element is used. The erasing section 41 includes heating elements P and E1 to E
6, one end of each heating element is provided with a control unit 42.
, And the other end is connected to ground. Control unit 42
Is configured to select a heating element to be supplied with power based on information from the reading unit 43. The reading unit 4
Numeral 3 reads data recorded on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium by means of magnetic recording, IC recording, etc., and automatically selects and controls the erasing width according to the characteristic that erasing becomes difficult with time. I have.

In the present invention, the recording width detecting means for detecting in advance the width of the area recorded on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium may be provided, and the erasing width may be controlled in accordance with the output of the recording width detecting means. Good. In this case, an optical center, an infrared sensor, or the like can be used as the recording width detecting means.

In the present invention, each heating element of the erasing section can be installed so that the temperature can be set independently. By doing so, there is an advantage that printing of the thermal head by preheating can be facilitated and the life of the thermal head can be extended.

Further, in the present invention, the erasing mechanism includes an outside air temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the outside air, and the heating element controls the heating temperature according to the output from the outside air temperature detecting means. be able to. In this case, a thermocouple type, an infrared type, or the like can be used as the outside air temperature detecting means. By doing so, there is an advantage that it is possible to prevent premature deterioration of durability due to excessive erasing temperature.

In the present invention, the erasing mechanism includes a medium temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the reversible thermosensitive recording medium,
The heating temperature of the heating element can be controlled according to the output from the medium temperature detecting means.
In this case, a thermocouple type, an infrared type, or the like can be used as the medium temperature detecting means. This has the advantage that, similarly to the above, it is possible to prevent premature deterioration of durability due to the application of an excessive erasing temperature.

In the present invention, when recording is performed by the recording mechanism immediately after erasing by the erasing mechanism, the area to be recorded is
It is also possible to provide an area checking means for checking whether the area is the same as or different from the area which has been erased immediately before, and control the recording energy of the recording mechanism in each recording area according to the output from the area checking means. In this case, the area confirmation can be performed based on data such as magnetic recording and IC recording. By doing so, there is an advantage that recording can be performed with a uniform color density with good visibility and durability of the recording medium can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, when recording is performed by the recording mechanism immediately after erasing by the erasing mechanism, a temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the reversible thermosensitive recording medium is provided, and Cooling or heating below the erasing temperature may be performed. For this temperature control means, a heat roll / cooling roll, a thermal head, or the like can be used. And the temperature control can be performed similarly to the heating element. This has the advantage that the printability, erasability, and durability of the reversible thermosensitive recording medium can be improved. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example thereof, in which 51,
52 is a thermal head, 53 is a cooling roller, and 54 is a thermal head.

[0038]

According to the present invention, since the above-described configuration is employed, a non-recording portion (recording (printing, etc.)) is performed by using a reversible thermosensitive recording medium which reversibly develops and decolors by controlling thermal energy. It is possible to provide a reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus capable of effectively preventing deformation and vertical curling of a recording medium without unnecessarily damaging a portion which can be recorded. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the device and to save power.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration of a reversible thermosensitive recording medium used in the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of coloring and decoloring of a recording layer of a reversible thermosensitive recording medium used in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a heating element.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of selective power supply of a heating element.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of another alternative power supply of the heating element.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram in the case of cooling and heating to an erasing temperature between erasing and recording.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Reversible thermosensitive recording medium 12 Support 13 Recording layer 14 Protective layer 21 Heating element 22 Substrate 23 Thin film resistor (heating element) 24 Protective film 25 Protective film 26 Electrode 31 Heating part P, A, B, C Heating element C1 C4 contacts P, E1 to E6 Heating element 41 Heating unit 42 Control unit 43 Reading unit 51, 52, 54 Thermal head 53 Cooling roller

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus for recording and erasing information using a reversible thermosensitive recording medium having a recording layer for reversibly forming and erasing colors by controlling thermal energy. A recording mechanism for performing recording on a medium; and an erasing unit having an erasing unit including two or more heating elements formed of a thin film resistor on a substrate, and erasing a recording formed on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium. A reversible thermosensitive recording device comprising: 2. A slidable contact type switch or a non-contact circuit element capable of arbitrarily setting an erasing width by selectively energizing an arbitrary heating element of the erasing mechanism. Reversible thermal recording device. 3. A recording width detecting means for detecting in advance a width of an area recorded on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium, wherein an erasing width is controlled according to an output of the recording width detecting means. The reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus according to claim 1. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for reading information recorded on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium and controlling an erasing width in accordance with a result of the reading. The reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus according to the above. 5. The reversible thermosensitive recording according to claim 1, wherein each heating element of the erasing mechanism is installed so that the temperature can be set independently. apparatus. 6. The erasing mechanism includes an outside air temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the outside air, and the heating temperature of the heating element is controlled in accordance with an output from the outside air temperature detecting means. The reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus according to claim 1. 7. The erasing mechanism includes a medium temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of the reversible thermosensitive recording medium, and a heating temperature of the heating element is controlled in accordance with an output from the medium temperature detecting means. The reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: 8. An area confirming means for confirming whether an area to be recorded is the same as or different from a previously erased area when recording is performed by the recording mechanism immediately after erasing by the erasing mechanism. The reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a recording energy of the recording mechanism in each recording area is controlled according to an output from the area confirmation unit. 9. A temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the reversible thermosensitive recording medium when recording is performed by the recording mechanism immediately after erasing by the erasing mechanism.
The reversible thermosensitive recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8.