Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Keishi Kubo

Eiichi Kawamura

Yoshihiko Hotta

Shoji Maruyama

Hideo Watanabe

Nobuhiro Takigawa

Masaru Shimada

Minoru Hakiri

Hiroshi Goto

Keishi Taniguchi

Kyoji Tsutsui

Ichiro Sawamura

Hiroki Kuboyama

Hideaki Ema

Takehito Yamaguchi

Norio Kurisu

Kanjirou Kawasaki

Takashi Yano

Hajime Takayama

Kanjiro Kawasaki

Kanzirou Kawasaki

Akira Suzuki

Mitsuru Hashimoto

Masafumi Torii

Kunio Hayakawa

Masayuki Shoshi

Hiromi Furuya

Toshiyuki Kawanishi

Makoto Kawaguchi

Susumu Tatsumi

Atsushi Kutami

Tsutomu Matsuda

Toru Nogiwa

Tetsuo Tanaka

Nobuo Mochizuki

Takaaki Miyashita

Minoru Hagiri

Akiyoshi Yasumori

A method of reversible selective manifestation of different states of a functional element is disclosed. The functional element is composed of at least two compounds and is capable of alternatively assuming (a) a first state in which the two compounds interact to form a regular aggregate structure, or (b) a second state in which the two compounds do not interact, and at least one of the two compounds is in an aggregate or crystallized state. The respective conditions for attaining one of the two states can be reversibly and extremely speedily controlled, for instance, by use of a heat application device.

Method of reversible selective manifestation of different states of functional element

A reversible thermosensitive recording material is disclosed, which comprises (a) a support, (b) a reversible thermosensitive recording layer formed thereon which comprises as the main components a matrix resin and an organic low-molecular-weight material dispersed in the matrix resin, and has a temperature-dependent transparency, and (c) an overcoat layer comprising as the main component a resin or an ultraviolet-light-setting resin, formed on the reversible thermosensitive recording layer.

Reversible thermosensitive recording material

A reversible thermosensitive recording medium is disclosed which includes an opaque support and a transparent recording film having a thermosensitive layer capable of reversibly assuming a maximum transparent state and a maximum opaque state depending upon the thermal hysteresis thereof. The recording film has an image display section in which a void space is provided between the recording film and the opaque support and a color discriminative from the color of the support. The display section in the maximum transparent state shows a reflectance greater by 5% than that in the maximum opaque state and a transmittance of 20-80% in the maximum transparent state, so that the visibility of the recorded image is improved.

Reversible thermosensitive recording medium

A reversible thermosensitive coloring composition is composed of an electron-donor coloring compound; an electron-acceptor compound which is capable of producing a colored material with a regularly aggregated structure in the electron-doner coloring compound at a color development initiation temperature to obtain a color development state, and is capable of crystallizing out of the colored material at a decolorization initiation temperature which is lower than the color development initiation temperature; and an organic compound serving as a decolorization-accelerating agent capable of inducing the destruction of the regularly aggregated structure of the colored material to accelerate the decolorization of the composition. A reversible thermosensitive coloring recording medium is composed of a support and a recording layer formed thereon, which contains the above-mentioned reversible thermosensitive coloring composition.

Reversible thermosensitive coloring composition, and recording medium

A rewritable bar code display medium is disclosed, which is composed of a support and a reversible thermosensitive recording layer for reversibly forming bar codes therein formed on the support, which reversible thermosensitive recording layer varies in transparency with change in temperature, and an image display method using the rewritable bar code display medium, and an apparatus for implementing the image display method are also disclosed.

Rewritable bar code display medium, and image display method and image

A reversible thermosensitive coloring composition is composed of (i) an electron-donor coloring compound and (ii) an electron-acceptor compound selected from the group consisting of an organic phosphoric acid compound, an aliphatic carboxylic acid, and a phenolic compound, each having a straight chain or branched chain alkyl group or alkyenyl group having 12 or more carbon atoms, the electron-donor coloring compound and the electron-acceptor compound being capable of reacting to induce color formation in the reversible thermosensitive coloring composition at the eutectic temperature thereof. The electron-donor coloring compound and the electron-acceptor compound, when fused and colored in a mixed state, with application of heat thereto, followed by rapidly cooling the fused mixture, exhibit an exothermic peak in a temperature elevation process in a differential scanning calorific analysis or in a differential thermal analysis. A recording medium and display medium using the above reversible thermosensitive coloring composition, a recording method of using the recording medium, a display method of using the display medium, a display method of using the display medium, and a display apparatus using the display medium are disclosed.

Reversible thermosensitive coloring composition, recording medium,

A reversible thermosensitive recording material is made up of a substrate having a thermosensitive layer consisting essentially of a resin matrix and an organic low molecular substance dispersed in this resin matrix and is arranged to change its transparency reversibly depending upon the temperature. This thermosensitive layer further contains at least one additive.

Reversible thermosensitive recording materials

A reversible thermosensitive recording material is composed of a reversible thermosensitive recording layer capable of reversibly assuming a transparent state and a white opaque state depending on the temperature thereof, in which recording layer an organic low-molecular-weight material is dispersed in a matrix resin, the organic low-molecular-weight material being composed of a eutectic mixture containing as the main component a saturated higher fatty acid with 23 to 32 carbon atoms and a higher fatty acid.

A thermosensitive recording material composed of a support, and a thermosensitive recording layer formed on the support, containing a leuco dye, a color developer capable of inducing color formation in the leuco dye upon application of heat thereto, and a thermofusible material including p'-methylphenyl p-chlorobenzoate serving as a thermosensitivity-improving agent.

Thermosensitive recording material

A reversible thermosensitive coloring composition is composed of (i) an electron-donor coloring compound and (ii) an electron-acceptor compound selected from the group consisting of an organic phosphoric acid compound, an aliphatic carboxylic acid, and a phenolic compound, each having a straight chain or branched chain alkyl group or alkenyl group having 12 or more carbon atoms, the electron-donor coloring compound and the electron-acceptor compound being capable of reacting to induce color formation in the reversible thermosensitive coloring composition at the eutectic temperature thereof. The electron-donor coloring compound and the electron-acceptor compound, when fused and colored in a mixed state, with application of heat thereto, followed by rapidly cooling the fused mixture, exhibit an exothermic peak in a temperature elevation process in a differential scanning calorific anlaysis or in a differential thermal analysis. A recording medium and display medium using the above reversible thermosensitive coloring composition, a recording method of using the recording medium, a display method of using the display medium, a display method of using the display medium, and a display apparatus using the display medium are disclosed.

Reversible thermosensitive coloring recording medium, recording method,

The present invention provides the following 3 types of reversible thermosensitive recording materials:

A reversible thermosensitive recording material is disclosed, which comprises (i) a reversible thermosensitive recording layer which comprises as the main components a matrix resin and an organic low-molecular-weight material dispersed in the matrix resin, and (ii) a light reflection layer made of a metal thin film, which is preferably surface-treated to have a specular gloss of 70 to 250% in accordance with JIS Z8741 or a surface roughness of 0.5 to 10 .mu.m in terms of the ten-point average roughness defined in JIS B0601. This reversible thermosensitive recording material may further comprises a crystal-growth controlling agent in the reversible thermosensitive recording layer.

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Yokohama, Japan

Keishi Kubo