Reversible thermosensitive recording medium, as well as reversible thermosensitive recording label, reversible thermosensitive recording member, image processing apparatus and image processing method

A reversible thermosensitive recording label comprising:

• a support,
• a thermosensitive recording layer formed on the support, and
• a protective layer formed on the thermosensitive recording layer,
• wherein the thermosensitive recording layer contains an electron donative coloring compound and an electron acceptive compound, and the color tone reversibly changes depending on the temperature, and
• wherein the protective layer contains a polymer of a composition containing two kinds of acrylate compounds selected from an acrylate compound having a pentaerythritol group and an acrylate compound having a dipentaerythritol group, and
• wherein, among the two kinds of acrylate compounds, one compound is an acrylate compound (A) in which either a pentaerythritol group or a dipentaerythritol group is directly bonded to a polymerizable group having an ester bond, and the other compound is an acrylate compound (B) having a chain hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent having an ester bond, between either a pentaerythritol group or a dipentaerythritol group and a polymerizable group having an ester bond, and
• wherein the support comprises one of an adhesive layer and a binder layer on the surface opposite to the surface on which the recording layer is formed.

A reversible thermosensitive recording member comprising:

• an information storage section, and
• a reversible display section, the reversible display section comprising a support, a thermosensitive recording layer formed on the support, and a protective layer formed on the thermosensitive recording layer,
• wherein the thermosensitive recording layer contains an electron donative coloring compound and an electron acceptive compound, and the color tone reversibly changes depending on the temperature, and
• wherein the protective layer contains a polymer of a composition containing two kinds of acrylate compounds selected from an acrylate compound having a pentaerythritol group and an acrylate compound having a dipentaerythritol group, and
• wherein, among the two kinds of acrylate compounds, one compound is an acrylate compound (A) in which either a pentaerythritol group or a dipentaerythritol group is directly bonded to a polymerizable group having an ester bond, and the other compound is an acrylate compound (B) having a chain hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent having an ester bond, between either a pentaerythritol group or a dipentaerythritol group and a polymerizable group having an ester bond, and
• wherein the support comprises one of an adhesive layer and a binder layer on the surface opposite to the surface on which the recording layer is formed.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a reversible thermosensitive recording medium, and
• at least one of an image forming unit configured to heat the reversible thermosensitive recording medium to thereby form an image on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium, and an image erasing unit configured to heat the reversible thermosensitive recording medium to thereby erase an image formed on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium,
• wherein the reversible thermosensitive recording medium comprises:
• a support,
• a thermosensitive recording layer formed on the support, and
• a protective layer formed on the thermosensitive recording layer,
• wherein the thermosensitive recording layer contains an electron donative coloring compound and an electron acceptive compound, and the color tone reversibly changes depending on the temperature,
• wherein the protective layer is a reversible thermosensitive recording medium containing a polymer of a composition containing two kinds of compounds selected from acrylate compounds having either a pentaerythritol group or a dipentaerythritol group, and
• wherein, among the two kinds of acrylate compounds, one compound is an acrylate compound (A) in which either a pentaerythritol group or a dipentaerythritol group is directly bonded to a polymerizable group having an ester bond, and the other compound is an acrylate compound (B) having a chain hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent having an ester bond, between either a pentaerythritol group or a dipentaerythritol group and a polymerizable group having an ester bond.

An image processing method comprising:

• at least one of heating a reversible thermosensitive recording medium to thereby form an image on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium, and heating a reversible thermosensitive recording medium to thereby erase an image formed on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium,
• wherein the reversible thermosensitive recording medium comprises:
• a support, a thermosensitive recording layer formed on the support, and a protective layer formed on the thermosensitive recording layer, wherein the thermosensitive recording layer contains an electron donative coloring compound and an electron acceptive compound, and the color tone reversibly changes depending on the temperature, and wherein the protective layer contains a polymer of a composition containing two kinds of compounds selected from an acrylate compound having a pentaerythritol group and an acrylate compound having a dipentaerythritol group,
• wherein, among the two kinds of acrylate compounds, one compound is an acrylate compound (A) in which either a pentaerythritol group or a dipentaerythritol group is directly bonded to a polymerizable group having an ester bond, and the other compound is an acrylate compound (B) having a chain hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent having an ester bond, between either a pentaerythritol group or a dipentaerythritol group and a polymerizable group having an ester bond.