Reversible thermosensitive recording medium and image forming and erasing method using the recording medium

A reversible thermal image recording method comprising:

• providing a reversible thermosensitive recording medium comprising a recording layer on the substrate, which comprises an electron donating coloring compound and an electron accepting compound, wherein the recording layer achieves a colored state when heated at a temperature not lower than an image forming temperature and then cooled at a first cooling speed, and the recording layer in the colored state achieves a non-colored state when heated at a temperature lower than the image forming temperature and not lower than an image erasing temperature or when heated at a temperature not lower than the image forming temperature and then cooled at a second cooling speed relatively slow compared to the first cooling speed;
• and a crosslinked polymer layer comprising a crosslinked polymer having an ultraviolet absorbing structure on the recording layer;
• and
• imagewise heating the recording layer at a temperature not lower than the image forming temperature and then cooling at the first cooling speed to form an image in the recording layer.

A reversible thermal image erasing method comprising:

• providing a reversible thermosensitive recording medium comprising a recording layer on the substrate, which comprises an electron donating coloring compound and an electron accepting compound, wherein the recording layer achieves a colored state when heated at a temperature not lower than an image forming temperature and then cooled at a first cooling speed, and the recording layer in the colored state achieves a non-colored state when heated at a temperature lower than the image forming temperature and not lower than an image erasing temperature or when heated at a temperature not lower than the image forming temperature and then cooled at a second cooling speed relatively slow compared to the first cooling speed;
• and a crosslinked polymer layer comprising a crosslinked polymer having an ultraviolet absorbing structure on the recording layer;
• and
• heating the recording layer at a temperature not higher than the image forming temperature and not lower than the image erasing temperature such that the recording layer achieves the non-colored state.