Patent ID: 7432223

Claim:
A reversible thermosensitive recording medium, comprising: a substrate; a recording layer configured to reversibly record and erase an image therein and located overlying the substrate, the recording layer comprising: a first binder resin; and a reversible thermosensitive coloring composition, comprising: an electron donating coloring compound; and an electron accepting compound comprising a phenol compound comprising a long chain aliphatic group having at least 10 carbon atoms and an active hydrogen containing group capable of forming a hydrogen bonding, an intermediate layer located between the substrate and the recording layer, the intermediate layer comprising: a second binder resin; and a content of hollow particles having a hollow ratio not less than 70%, a maximum particle diameter (D100) of from 5.0 to 10.0 μm and a ratio (D100/D50) of the maximum particle diameter thereof (D100) to a 50% cumulative particle diameter thereof (D50) of from 2.0 to 3.0, wherein the recording layer achieves and maintains a colored state when heated to a temperature not lower than a melting point thereof and then cooled down, and the recording layer achieves and maintains a discolorization state when heated to a temperature lower than the melting point and then cooled down, and wherein the recording layer has an erasable energy range width of at least 0.1 mJ/dot when achieving the discolorization state with a thermal head.