JPH07256906A - Recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a recorder that can record/erase an image on an arbitrary position on a recording medium in a non-contact state and enhance the life of the recording medium in repeated use. CONSTITUTION:An optical energy from outside is converted to a thermal energy. A recording medium 11 existing in two states that a visible image is recorded or erased by the thermal energy is transported on a transport path 14. An erasing means 20 heats the recording medium 11 to an erasing temperature by emitting a laser light to the transported recording medium 11, thereby erasing a visible image recorded on the recording medium 11. At the time of erasing the visible image, a heat roller 15 heats the recording medium 11 to a predetermined temperature, thereby controlling a cooling speed of the recording medium 11. The recording medium 11 with the visible image erased is transported to a recording means 24. The recording means 24 records a new visible image by emitting a modulated laser light to the recording medium 11 with the visible image erased.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention provides, for example, by making heat cloudy or transparent by controlling heat energy,
The present invention relates to a recording device for recording or erasing a visible image on a recording medium capable of recording or erasing a visible image repeatedly.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional hard copy forms an image on a recording medium such as paper from the outside with a visual material such as ink or toner, or, like a thermal recording paper,
A permanent image is recorded by providing a recording layer on a substrate such as paper and forming a visible image on the recording layer.

However, with the recent construction of various network networks and the widespread use of facsimiles and copying machines, a rapid increase in the consumption of these recording media is caused by the problems of natural destruction such as deforestation and social problems such as waste disposal. Is causing. In order to deal with these problems, it is strongly demanded to reduce the consumption amount of the recording medium such as reproduction of recording paper. In response to such a problem, a recording material which can be repeatedly recorded / erased has recently attracted attention.

Therefore, as a recording material having such characteristics, there has been proposed a low molecular weight / polymer composite film recording material capable of reversibly changing both transparent and opaque states depending on the temperature applied to the recording material (for example, JP-A-55-1541
98 gazette).

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, this recording material has a temperature in the transparent state from T1 to T4 to T4.
When raised to 5 (hereinafter, this is the recording temperature),
Even if the transparent state changes to a cloudy state and the temperature returns to T1, the cloudy state is maintained as it is. Then, when the temperature of the recording material is raised from T1 to T2 to T3 (hereinafter, this is referred to as an erasing temperature) and returned to T1, the cloudy state is changed to the transparent state and the transparent state is maintained as it is.

Generally, the recording temperature is about 140 ° C. to 190 ° C.
℃, erasing temperature is lower than this, about 100 ℃ ~ 130 ℃
The state change occurs by heating to these temperatures and cooling. This reversible change is stable and repeatable.

An example of a recording medium having such a recording material as a recording layer is shown in FIG. The recording medium 29 is formed by sequentially stacking an aluminum vapor deposition layer 32, a recording layer 31, and a protective layer 30 on a base material 33. In addition, this recording medium 2
In the case where magnetic information other than the visible image is required, 9 also has a form in which a magnetic layer is added between the base material 33 and the aluminum vapor deposition layer 32.

As a method for making a recording medium cloudy or transparent, there is a method using a hot stamp or a heat roller. In these methods, the heating surface is brought into contact with the recording medium 29, and the recording layer 31 is heated to the recording / erasing temperature via the protective layer 30 to record a visible image (whitening) and erase (transparent). .

Since the hot stamp and the heat roller contact the entire surface of the recording medium 29 to heat it, stable recording,
It can be erased, but on the other hand, arbitrary recording and erasing is impossible. Further, if the device is constructed by using these methods, it becomes large in size, and since it is impossible to instantaneously heat to the recording and erasing temperature, there is a disadvantage that it is always heated and power consumption becomes large.

Therefore, a recording / erasing method using a thermal head capable of heating an arbitrary place and capable of heat-on-demand is currently mainly used. Recording and erasing of a visible image by the thermal head are carried out by heating while the heating resistor 35 of the thermal head 34 is in contact with the recording medium 29 as shown in FIG.
A visible image is recorded and erased by heating 1 to the recording temperature or the erasing temperature and cooling it to change from the transparent state or the cloudy state to the cloudy state or the transparent state.

For example, when a visible image "A" is recorded on the recording medium 29, the pixel portion of "A" is clouded and the other portions are transparent, and the aluminum vapor deposition layer 32 is formed.
Is visible.

The thermal head 34 used as a recording / erasing means, while the recording medium 29 is being conveyed,
Recording and erasing are performed by heating the recording medium 29 in contact with it while it is stationary. Therefore, the thermal head 34 and the recording medium 29
The protective layer 30 of the recording medium 29 is scratched or thermally damaged by foreign matter mixed in between the recording medium 29 and friction generated during contact, which impairs print quality or repeated durability.

Therefore, in order to solve such a problem,
A laser recording method using a laser beam as a recording / erasing means has been considered (see, for example, JP-A-4-91985). In order to realize this recording method, as shown in FIG. 7, the protective layer 30 and the recording layer 31 of the recording medium 29 of FIG.
And a light-heat conversion layer 36 that generates heat by absorbing light of a specific wavelength are provided between the recording medium 37 and the recording medium 37.

In the laser recording method, as shown in FIG. 7, the recording medium 37 is irradiated with laser light so that the light-heat conversion layer 36 condenses the recording medium 37. The light-heat conversion layer 36 absorbs the light energy of the condensed laser light and converts it into heat energy, and heats the recording layer 31 to a recording / erasing temperature to record and erase a visible image.

In this recording method, the heat source is the light-heat conversion layer 3
6, the laser light used for recording and erasing and the recording medium 37.
Since there is no resistance such as friction between them and the like, it is possible to expect an improvement in print quality and repeated durability without damaging the protective layer 30.

[0016]

A recording material having characteristics as shown in FIG. 4 which is used as a recording layer of a recording medium can be changed into both a cloudy state and a transparent state.
0 ℃ -190 ℃, about 100 ℃ for transparent state
Must be heated to 130 ° C. In order to change these states, it goes without saying that heating up to each condition temperature is involved, as well as the cooling rate after heating.

FIG. 8 shows the tendency of the state change depending on the cooling rate. This graph shows the relationship between the cooling rate after heating the cloudy recording material to the erasing temperature and the change in the density of the recording material at that time. From this graph, it can be seen that the recording material changes from the cloudy state to the transparent state when it is gradually cooled after being heated to the erasing temperature.

On the other hand, when the material is rapidly cooled from the erasing temperature, the cloudy state does not change to the transparent state, and the cloudy state tends to be maintained. This tendency does not appear when the recording material is changed from the transparent state to the cloudy state, but only when the recording material is changed from the cloudy state to the transparent state.

Generally, in heating with a thermal head,
The heating resistor of the thermal head is heated in a state of being in contact with the recording material. Even after the heating resistor has been energized (after heating), heat is continuously applied to the recording material while the temperature returns to room temperature. The heating by the thermal head is on the order of “ms”, but the heating by the laser beam is on the order of “μs”, so that the recording material is locally and rapidly heated only at the laser light irradiation portion. After heating the heating part to the desired temperature,
When the irradiation of the laser beam is stopped, there is no residual heat unlike the heating by the thermal head, so that the laser beam is rapidly cooled.

As described above, if the recording material in the cloudy state is heated to the erasing temperature and rapidly cooled, it tends not to change to the transparent state. Similarly, with the laser light, the recording material is erased at the erasing temperature. Even if it is heated to 1, the heat will escape quickly, so it will be cooled rapidly, and there will be a problem that it will not be possible to achieve a sufficiently transparent state.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus which enables recording and erasing at an arbitrary place in a non-contact state with respect to a recording medium and which improves the repeated life of the recording medium.

[0022]

The recording apparatus of the present invention conveys a recording medium showing two states of recording and erasing a visible image by thermal histories of different temperatures, and the conveying means conveys the recording medium. And an erasing means for erasing a visible image in a non-contact state with the recording medium, and the recording medium is heated to a predetermined temperature when the visible image is erased by the erasing means. And a recording means for recording a visible image in a non-contact state on the recording medium from which the visible image has been erased by the heat erasing means.

Further, the recording apparatus of the present invention converts a light energy from the outside into heat energy, and the heat energy conveys a recording medium showing two states of recording and erasing of a visible image, An erasing unit that heats the recording medium to an erasing temperature by irradiating the recording medium conveyed by the conveying unit with a laser beam, and erases a visible image recorded on the recording medium, When the visible image is erased by the erasing means, the visible image is erased by the heating means for controlling the cooling rate of the recording medium by heating the recording medium to a predetermined temperature and the thermal erasing means. The recording medium includes a recording unit that records a visible image by irradiating the recording medium with modulated laser light.

[0024]

By controlling the cooling rate of the recording medium after heating to the erasing temperature to erase the visible image, recording and erasing can be performed at any place in a non-contact state, and the repeated life of the recording medium is increased. improves.

[0025]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of the recording apparatus according to this embodiment. In the figure, a recording medium 11
Is conveyed in the direction of the arrow in the figure by a conveyance path 14 including a conveyance roller 12 and a conveyance guide 13 which are rotationally driven by a motor not shown. In the middle of the transport path 14,
A heat roller 15 as a heating means that also serves as the transport path 14.
And the metal roller 16 rolling on the heat roller 15.
And a rubber roller 17 are provided, and the recording medium 11
Is sandwiched between the rollers 15 and 16 and 17 and conveyed. Here, the rollers 16 and 17 are the heat roller 1
5 are separated from each other by a predetermined distance.

The heat roller 15 is for controlling the cooling rate after the erasing temperature of the recording medium 11 is heated. For example, the surface of a metal tube having a high thermal conductivity such as aluminum is brought into contact with the recording medium 11. In order to improve the temperature, a film of heat-resistant silicon rubber or the like is formed, and a heating element 18 such as a halogen lamp is provided in the tube to heat the entire roller by radiant heat. The temperature is controlled to be constant by the parts. A thermistor 19 that detects the temperature of the heat roller 15 in a contact state is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the heat roller 15.

Above the heat roller 15, there is provided an erasing means 20 for erasing the visible image on the recording medium 11 on which the visible image is recorded by using a laser beam in a non-contact state. Although the erasing means 20 is not shown, for example,
A semiconductor laser oscillator that outputs a laser beam of 830 nm and 30 mW as a light source, a collimator lens that collimates the laser beam from the semiconductor laser oscillator, and a laser beam that is collimated by the collimator lens is condensed in the sub-scanning direction. A cylindrical lens for scanning, a polygon mirror for scanning the focused laser beam on the recording medium 11, a focusing of the scanned laser beam in the main scanning direction, and a recording medium 11
It is composed of an f-θ lens or the like for performing a correction in a direction in which the recording medium 11 is irradiated perpendicularly with respect to, and irradiates the laser beam onto the recording medium 11 from between the rollers 16 and 17.

A platen roller 21 also serving as the transport path 14 is provided in the middle of the transport path 14 in front of the heat roller 15.
And the metal roller 2 rolling on the platen roller 21.
2 and the rubber roller 23 are provided, and the recording medium 1
1 is sandwiched between these rollers 21 and 22 and 23 and conveyed. Here, the rollers 22 and 23 are arranged on the platen roller 21 so as to be separated from each other by a predetermined distance.

Recording means 24 is provided above the platen roller 21 for recording a visible image on the recording medium 11 from which the visible image has been erased in a non-contact state using laser light. Although not shown, the recording unit 24 is composed of, for example, an optical system similar to the erasing unit 20 described above.

The starting end of the conveying path 14, the front of the heat roller 15, and the heat roller 15 and the platen roller 21.
Detectors 25, 26 and 27 for optically detecting the conveyed recording medium 11 are provided between and.

The recording medium 11 is similar to that shown in FIG. 7, for example, the thickness is 1.88 μm and the outer diameter dimension is 85 m.
An aluminum vapor-deposited layer 32 having a thickness of 0.05 μm is formed on a card-shaped substrate 33 having a size of m × 57 mm to enhance contrast, and a thickness of 6.5 μm for recording and erasing a visible image. A light-heat conversion layer 36 having a recording layer 31 and having a thickness of 3.0 μm, which absorbs laser light to generate heat between the recording layer 31 and the protective layer 30, and protects the recording layer 31. Of the protective layer 30 having a thickness of 1.5 μm.

The recording layer 31 used here is formed by uniformly dissolving, for example, behenic acid, a two-component system of a special organic low molecular weight substance, and a vinyl chloride / vinyl acetate copolymer. The light-heat conversion layer 36 provided between the recording layer 31 and the protective layer 30 has, for example, about 700 nm to 9 nm.
A cyanine dye capable of absorbing a wavelength range of 00 nm is dispersed in a transparent resin matrix, and is prepared.
Irradiation energy of laser light required for recording and erasing a visible image can be saved.

FIG. 2 schematically shows an electric circuit of the recording apparatus configured as described above. In other words, the CPU (Central Processing
The unit) 41 includes a ROM for storing the control program of the CPU 41 and various fixed data via the bus 42.
(Read-only memory) 43, RAM (random access memory) 44 for storing various data, transport controller 45, erase controller 46, recording controller 47, temperature controller 48, thermistor 19, and The detector 25,
26 and 27 are respectively connected.

The conveyance control unit 45 drives the conveyance motor 49 to rotate based on the speed data set in the ROM 43 and the RAM 44 in accordance with a command from the CPU 41.
The conveyance motor 49 is composed of a plurality of motors, and rotationally drives the conveyance roller 12, the heat roller 15, the rollers 16 and 17, the platen roller 21, and the rollers 22 and 23 to convey the recording medium 11.

When erasing the visible image on the recording medium 11, the erasing control section 46 is based on the detection signal from the detector 26 and at a preset timing, the semiconductor laser oscillator of the erasing means 20. Each of the operations of the polygon mirror 50 and the polygon mirror 51 is controlled.

The recording control unit 47, when recording a visible image on the recording medium 11, is based on the detection signal from the detector 27, and at a preset timing, the semiconductor laser oscillator of the recording means 24. 52 and the polygon mirror 53, respectively.

The temperature controller 48 controls the heat roller 15 to a predetermined temperature by controlling the power supply to the heating element 18 of the heat roller 15 based on the detection signal of the thermistor 19.

Next, the recording operation in such a structure will be described. When the recording medium 11 is loaded with its visible image recording surface facing upward and is detected by the detector 25, the detection signal is sent to the transport controller 45. Based on the detection signal from the detector 25, the transport control unit 45 sends a drive signal to the transport motor 49 connected to the transport roller 12 so as to drive the transport roller 12 at a peripheral speed of, for example, 40 mm / s. .

The conveying roller 12 nips and conveys the recording medium 11 and conveys it to the erasing means 20. Recording medium 11
Is detected by the detector 26 during the transportation, and the detection signal is sent to the transportation control unit 45. Transport control unit 4
On the basis of the detection signal from the detector 26, 5 sends a drive signal to the transport motor 49 connected thereto so as to drive the heat roller 15, the metal roller 16, and the rubber roller 17.

When the recording medium 11 is being conveyed, the recording medium 11 itself may be warped or shaken. Even if a laser beam is irradiated at that time, the light-heat conversion layer 36 of the recording medium 11 may be irradiated. Is not maintained at a fixed position, the laser beam cannot be focused on the light-heat conversion layer 36.

Therefore, the recording medium 11 is conveyed with the light-to-heat conversion layer 36 held at a constant position at all times by using a means for making a difference in the conveying force between the metal roller 16 and the rubber roller 17. There is. The distance between the metal roller 16 and the rubber roller 17 arranged on the heat roller 15 is set shorter than the total length of the recording medium 11 in the transport direction.

In the present embodiment, the linear pressure of the metal roller 16 and the rubber roller 17 against the heat roller 15 is set to 40 kg / m, which is the same for both rollers. 17 and the heat roller 15 are driven at the same peripheral speed of 40 mm / s, and the metal roller 16 is driven at a peripheral speed of 30 mm / s which is slower than that. Since the frictional force on the recording medium 11 is lower in the metal roller 16 placed in the transport direction, the recording medium 11 slips under the metal roller 16, and as a result, a force in the direction opposite to the transport direction acts. The rubber roller 17 and the metal roller 16 pull on the heat roller 15.

The recording medium 11 is formed by such a conveying method.
Is pulled between the front and rear rollers 16 and 17, and the recording medium 1
Since 1 is stretched on the heat roller 15, the recording medium 11 itself does not warp or shake. As a result, the light-heat conversion layer 36 of the recording medium 11 can be always conveyed from the heat roller 15 at a constant position.

The detection signal from the detector 26 is also sent to the erase controller 46. The erasing control unit 46, based on the signal from the detector 26, synchronizes with the recording medium 11 so as to irradiate the laser light with the semiconductor laser oscillator 5.
Send drive signal to 0. That is, while driving the semiconductor laser oscillator 50 based on the data of the ROM 43,
By scanning and driving the polygon mirror 51, the output laser light that can make the recording layer 31 of the recording medium 11 transparent is condensed on the light-heat conversion layer 36 at an arbitrary position of the recording medium 11. In this case, the emission cycle of the semiconductor laser oscillator 50 is set to 8
Laser light was scanned and irradiated under conditions of μs and emission time of 2.5 μs.

In the recording medium 11, the light-heat conversion layer 36
The laser light focused on is absorbed and generates heat. The portion of the recording layer 31 corresponding to the heat generated is heated to a temperature at which it becomes transparent. As described above, when the recording material is changed from the cloudy state to the transparent state, there is a tendency that it does not change to the transparent state if it is rapidly cooled after the erasing temperature is heated. However, it is cooled rapidly and cannot be made transparent.

Therefore, in order to prevent the rapid cooling after heating by the laser light and control the cooling rate, the heat roller 15 heats the back surface of the recording medium 11 at the time of laser light irradiation.
The surface temperature of the heat roller 15 is controlled so that the detection signal output from the thermistor 19 provided on the surface is returned to the temperature control unit 48 to manage the surface temperature of the heat roller 15 so as to be always a constant temperature. There is.

Since the erasing temperature is around 100 ° C. if heating is performed from the protective layer 30 side which is the surface of the recording medium 11, here the heat roller 15 from the base material 33 side which is the back side of the recording medium 11 is used. The heating temperature was controlled at 80 ° C. If the temperature of the heat roller 15 is higher than the erasing start temperature, the entire surface may be erased. Therefore, the maximum heating temperature must be set to the erasing start temperature of the recording layer 31 or lower.

The recording layer 31 of the recording medium 11 is heated to the erasing temperature by the heat obtained by converting the light energy of the laser light in the light-heat conversion layer 36 of the recording medium 11 and the heating temperature of the heat roller 15. Since the entire recording layer 31 of the heating roller 15 and the portion of the recording layer 31 that is heated to the erasing temperature by the laser light is heated by the heat roller 15, the surrounding temperature is high even if the irradiation of the laser light is stopped. The escape is bad. As a result, the area heated to the erasing temperature is not rapidly cooled locally, but the cooling rate after heating is slowed, changing from the cloudy state to the transparent state, and the visible image previously recorded is heated. It can be arbitrarily erased by the roller 15 and laser light.

The metal roller 16 and the rubber roller 17 further convey the recording medium 11 to the recording means 24 in order to record a new visible image on the recording medium 11 from which the visible image has been erased. The recording medium 11 is detected by the detector 27 while being conveyed to the recording means 24, and the detection signal is sent to the conveyance controller 45.

The transport controller 45 receives the platen roller 21, the metal roller 22,
In order to drive the rubber roller 23, a drive signal is sent to the conveyance motor 39 connected thereto.

The structure of the transport system at the portion for recording a new visible image (the portion of the recording means 24) is the heat roller 1
5 is replaced by a platen roller 21, and other configurations and driving methods are the same as those of the portion where the visible image is erased (the portion of the erasing means 20).

The recording medium 11 is pulled between the front and rear rollers 22 and 23 by the same conveying method as when the visible image is erased, and the recording medium 11 is stretched on the platen roller 21. The warp of 11 itself does not occur.
As a result, the light-heat conversion layer 36 of the recording medium 11 can be always conveyed from the platen roller 21 at a constant position.

The detection signal from the detector 27 is also sent to the recording controller 47. The recording control unit 47, based on the signal from the detector 27, synchronizes with the recording medium 11 so as to irradiate the laser beam with the semiconductor laser oscillator 5.
2 sends a drive signal. That is, the semiconductor laser oscillator 52 is modulated and driven based on the data of the ROM 43, and the polygon mirror 53 is scan-driven to output an output laser beam capable of making the recording layer 31 of the recording medium 11 opaque to an arbitrary value on the recording medium 11. The light is condensed on the light-heat conversion layer 36 at the place. In this case, a visible image was recorded by scanning and irradiating the laser light under the condition that the emission period of the semiconductor laser oscillator 52 was 8 μs and the emission time was 6 μs. When changing from a transparent state to a cloudy state, quenching provides a sufficient cloudy concentration.

As described above, according to the above-mentioned embodiment, the visible image can be recorded and erased at an arbitrary position in the non-contact state with respect to the recording medium 11, and the protective layer 30 depending on the contact temperature.
The burden on

FIG. 3 shows the results obtained by repeatedly recording and erasing a visible image by the recording and erasing method using the apparatus of this embodiment and the conventional thermal head. The horizontal axis shows the number of rewriting repetitions, and the vertical axis shows the densities of the recording portion and the erasing portion. When the conventional thermal head is used, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 3, the protective layer deteriorates with each repetition, and the recording and erasing densities gradually decrease. At the end, the same image density is obtained for both recording and erasing.

On the other hand, in the case of the present embodiment using the laser beam, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, even if repetitive recording and erasing are carried out, no decrease in the density of the recording portion and the erasing portion is observed, which is good. Recording and erasing can be performed, and the repeated life of the recording medium 11 is significantly extended.

[0057]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a recording apparatus capable of recording and erasing at an arbitrary place in a non-contact state with a recording medium and improving the repeated life of the recording medium. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an electric circuit of the recording apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a characteristic diagram showing a result when recording and erasing a visible image repeatedly by a recording and erasing method using a thermal head of the present invention and a conventional apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a state of a recording material that can change to both a cloudy state and a transparent state depending on a history temperature.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a recording medium.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating recording and erasing of a visible image by a thermal head.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining another example of the recording medium and recording and erasing of a visible image with the laser beam.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a tendency of a state change due to a cooling rate of a recording material.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ... Recording medium, 14 ... Conveyance path, 15 ... Heat roller, 16 ... Metal roller, 17 ... Rubber roller, 20
... erasing means, 21 ... platen roller, 22 ... metal roller, 23 ... rubber roller, 24 ... recording means, 41
...... CPU, 45 ...... Conveyance control unit, 46 ...... Erase control unit, 47 ...... Recording control unit, 48 ...... Temperature control unit, 49 ...
... Transport motor, 50, 52 ... Semiconductor laser oscillator, 5
1,53 ...... Polygon mirror.

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Reference number within the agency FI Technical display location B42D 15/00 361 D B41J 3/20 109 A B41M 5/18 101 A 9121-2H 5/26 V (72) Inventor Shinichi Ito 70 Yanagimachi, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture Toshiba Yanagimachi Factory

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A transport means for transporting a recording medium showing two states of recording and erasing a visible image by thermal history of different temperatures, and a non-contact state with respect to the recording medium transported by the transport means. Erasing means for erasing the visible image; heating means for controlling the cooling rate of the recording medium by heating the recording medium to a predetermined temperature when erasing the visible image by the erasing means; A recording device, comprising: recording means for recording a visible image in a non-contact state on a recording medium from which a visible image has been erased by a heat erasing means. 2. A transport means for converting light energy from the outside into heat energy and transporting a recording medium showing two states of recording and erasing a visible image by the heat energy, and the transport means. By irradiating the recording medium with a laser beam, the recording medium is heated to an erasing temperature to erase a visible image recorded on the recording medium; When erasing, the heating means for controlling the cooling rate of the recording medium by heating the recording medium to a predetermined temperature, and the recording medium from which the visible image is erased by the thermal erasing means are modulated. A recording device for recording a visible image by irradiating the generated laser beam.