US5663115A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Thermal recording medium and recording method
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1995-02-28
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Granted: 1997-09-02
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Expires: 2015-02-28
Abstract
Abstract A thermal recording medium comprising a color former, a developer and a reversible material which can effect a reversible change in at lease a part of a composition system where thermal energies with two different values are supplied or where two different heat histories are provided, and a phase separation controller serves to change phase separation rate between the color former or the developer and the reversible material in the vicinity of its melting point, if necessary.
Inventors
- 👤 Katsuyuki Naito
- 👤 Masami Sugiuchi
- 👤 Satoshi Takayama
- 👤 Hirohisa Miyamoto
- 👤 Hideyuki Nishizawa
- 👤 Sawako Fujioka
- 👤 Akiko Watanabe
- 👤 Tatsuo Nomaki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 09:36
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41M; B41M5/00; B41M5/26; B41M5/30; B41M5/305
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
33 words
A thermal recording medium in which information recording and erasing are performed on a basis of a crystalline-to-amorphous transition, comprising: a color former; and a developer consisting of a compound having asteroid skeleton.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
33 words
A thermal recording medium in which information recording and erasing are performed on a basis of a crystalline-to-amorphous transition, comprising: a color former; and a developer consisting of a compound having asteroid skeleton.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 1, wherein said developer has a glass transition temperature of 25° C. or more.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
68 words
A recording method to a thermal recording medium according to claim 1, wherein information recording and erasing are performed by supplying thermal energies with two different values to heat the composition system constituting said thermal recording medium, (a) to a temperature equal to or higher than the crystallization temperature and lower than the melting point, and (b) to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
A recording method to a thermal recording medium according to claim 1, wherein information recording and erasing are performed by providing two different heat histories after heating the composition system constituting said thermal recording medium to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the composition system.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 1, wherein said developer can form a plurality of crystal forms.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 1, wherein said color former has a glass transition temperature of 25° C. or more.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
72 words
A thermal recording medium comprising: a color former; a developer; and a reversible material consisting of a compound having a steroid skeleton which can effect a reversible crystalline-to-amorphous transition or reversible change between two phase separated states or between phase separated state and non-phase separated state in at least a part of a composition system where thermal energies with two different values are supplied or where two different heat histories are provided.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
72 words
A thermal recording medium comprising: a color former; a developer; and a reversible material consisting of a compound having a steroid skeleton which can effect a reversible crystalline-to-amorphous transition or reversible change between two phase separated states or between phase separated state and non-phase separated state in at least a part of a composition system where thermal energies with two different values are supplied or where two different heat histories are provided.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 7, wherein said reversible material can form a plurality of crystal forms.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 7, wherein said reversible material has a glass transition temperature of 25° C. or more.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 7, wherein said developer has a glass transition temperature of 25° C. or more.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 7, wherein said reversible material can reversibly repeat crystalline-to-amorphous transitions where thermal energies with two different values are supplied or where two different heat histories are provided.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 7, wherein said reversible material and said color former or said developer can reversibly repeat crystalline-to-amorphous transitions where thermal energies with two different values are supplied or where two different heat histories are provided.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
53 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 7, wherein said reversible material contains a plurality of compounds, and can reversibly repeat changes between two phase separated states or between phase separated state and non-phase separated state where thermal energies with two different values are supplied or where two different heat histories are provided.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 7, wherein said reversible material and said color former or said developer can reversibly repeat changes between two phase separated states or between phase separated state and non-phase separated state where thermal energies with two different values are supplied or where two different heat histories are provided.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 7, wherein said color-former, said developer and said reversible material are carried by a polymer compound.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 15, wherein a solubility of each of said color former, said developer and said reversible material to 100 g of said polymer compound is 10 g or less.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 15, wherein a ratio of repeating units constituted by elements selected from the group consisting of carbon, hydrogen and halogen in said polymer compound is larger than 75 wt %.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 15, wherein said polymer compound has polar substituents.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
68 words
A recording method to a thermal recording medium according to claim 7, wherein information recording and erasing are performed by supplying thermal energies with two different values to heat the composition system constituting said thermal recording medium, (a) to a temperature equal to or higher than the crystallization temperature and lower than the melting point, and (b) to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
50 words
A recording method to a thermal recording medium according to claim 7, wherein information recording and erasing are performed by providing two different heat histories after heating the composition system constituting said thermal recording medium to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the composition system.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
102 words
A thermal recording medium, comprising: a color former; a developer; a reversible material consisting of a compound having a steroid skeleton which can effect a reversible crystalline-to-amorphous transition or reversible change between two phase separated states or between phase separated state and non-phase separated state in at least a part of a composition system where thermal energies with two different values are supplied or where two different heat histories are provided; and a phase separation controller which serves to change a phase separation rate between said color former or said developer and said reversible material in the vicinity of its melting point.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
102 words
A thermal recording medium, comprising: a color former; a developer; a reversible material consisting of a compound having a steroid skeleton which can effect a reversible crystalline-to-amorphous transition or reversible change between two phase separated states or between phase separated state and non-phase separated state in at least a part of a composition system where thermal energies with two different values are supplied or where two different heat histories are provided; and a phase separation controller which serves to change a phase separation rate between said color former or said developer and said reversible material in the vicinity of its melting point.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
37 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 21, wherein said phase separation controller serves to accelerate phase separation rate between said color former or said developer and said reversible material in the vicinity of its melting point.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
35 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 21, wherein said phase separation controller has a lower melting point than that of the three-component system consisting of said color former, said developer and said reversible material.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
28 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 21, wherein said phase separation controller is a low-molecular weight compound having a long-chain alkyl group and a polar substituent group.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
28 words
The thermal recording medium according to claim 21, wherein said color former, said developer, said reversible material and said phase separation controller are carried by a polymer compound.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
81 words
A recording method to a thermal recording medium according to claim 21, wherein information recording and erasing are performed by supplying thermal energies with two different values to heat the composition system constituting said thermal recording medium, (a) to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of said phase separation controller and lower than the melting point of the composition system, and (b) to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the composition system.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
50 words
A recording method to a thermal recording medium according to claim 21, wherein information recording and erasing are performed by providing two different heat histories after heating the composition system constituting said thermal recording medium to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the composition system.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-09-01 | 2001-03-03 | 2001-09-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-09-01 | 2005-03-03 | 2005-09-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-09-01 | 2009-03-03 | 2009-09-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |