Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording material which has a substrate and a recording layer formed on the substrate and in which the recording layer assumes a first color state at a first coloring temperature higher than room temperature when the recording layer is heated by applying heat energy in a first color recordable energy range and in which the recording layer then assumes a second color state when heated at a second coloring temperature higher than the first coloring temperature and then cooled, wherein provided that an initial first color recordable energy range is E.sub.1 and a changed first color recordable energy range of the recording material which has been preserved at 35.degree. C. for 48 hours is E.sub.D, a changing rate E.sub.c of a first color recordable energy range, i.e., 100(E.sub.1 -E.sub.D)/E.sub.1, is less than about 35%.

Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording medium includes a support and a composite laminated recording layer formed on the support, the composite laminated recording layer including a reversible thermosensitive recording layer whose transparency or color reversibly changes by the application of heat thereto and a light-to-heat converting layer containing a light-to-heat converting material and a resin, and the composite laminated recording layer having a thermal pressure level difference of 40% or less.

Abstract: An information display method by use of a card including an information display section which includes a reversible thermosensitive recording portion capable of recording information reversibly therein with application of heat thereto, comprises the steps of (1) storing first information in the information display section; (2) comparing the first information stored in the information display section with a reference information; (3) displaying a second information in the information display section, based on the comparison of the first information and said reference information, and repeating the steps (1) to (3) by updating the first information and the second information when further information is stored in the information display section.

Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording material has a support, and a metal-deposited light reflection layer and a reversible thermosensitive recording layer successively formed on the support, with the reversible thermosensitive recording layer being capable of showing such transparency or color tone that is reversibly changeable depending upon the temperature thereof, and having a thermal pressure level difference of 40% or less, and a thermal pressure level difference change ratio of 70% or less, and the metal-deposited light reflection layer having a corroded area ratio of at most 2% after allowed to stand at 40.degree. C. and 95%RH for 96 hours.

Abstract: An image recording method using a reversible thermosensitive recording material which is capable of assuming a transparent state when heated to a first temperature which is above room temperature, and a colored state when heated to a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature and then cooled, and a heating element, including the step of applying energy to the heating element for generating heat in such a manner as to form each picture element of an image to be formed in the recording material by a plurality of energy pulses applied thereto. An image recording apparatus for this image recording method is also described, which includes a pulse division device for dividing the energy to be applied to the heating element into the plurality of energy pulses, an ambient temperature measurement device for measuring the ambient temperature around the recording material, and a pulse-generation timing adjustment device for adjusting the timing for the generation of the plurality of energy pulses.

Abstract: A method of recording information in a card and reading the information therefrom and recording an image in the card by using a card reader and writer, which card has a rewritable information recording portion, and a rewritable image recording portion employing a reversible thermosensitive recording material.

Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording medium having a supporting substrate and a reversible thermosensitive recording layer formed on the supporting substrate, having the ratio, of two values of light intensity scattered by the recording layer at large angles and small angles, of more than or equal to two, the ratio of the two numbers of particles of low-molecular-weight organic material with the large size to small size, of more than or equal to 2%, and the ratio of the two numbers of the particles with the small size to the total particles, of more than or equal to 10%, is provided which has improved display quality and excellent durability for repeated recording and erasing cycles over an extended period of time.

Abstract: An image formation method of a reversible thermosensitive recording material capable of reversibly switching its transparency or color tone depending on the temperature thereof is disclosed, which includes the steps of recording images therein at a predetermined image forming temperature, erasing the recorded images from the recording material at a predetermined image erasing temperature, and cleaning the surface of the reversible thermosensitive recording material using cleaning means at substantially the same temperature as the image erasing temperature, with the image erasing step and the cleaning step being carried out substantially at the same time.

Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording material which includes a support, and a thermosensitive layer provided on the support and including, as main ingredients, a resin matrix and an organic low molecular weight substance dispersed in the resin matrix, wherein the transparency of the thermosensitive layer reversibly changes depending on the temperature thereof is characterized in that the rate of change in heating temperature for the initiation of transparentization is 13% or less, the rate of change in transparency is at least 50% or the rate of change in film thickness is at least 2%. By heating the reversible thermosensitive recording material, the formation and erasure of images may be suitably effected.

Abstract: A lamplight device for a vehicle which is inconspicuous when it is turned off is provided. The lamplight device comprises a reflection type or transmission type optical member installed on a predetermined place of a vehicle body either directly or through an appearance member, and is adapted to reflect or refract a light of a specific wave length, a light projecting mechanism for projecting a light of the specific wave length, and a light guiding mechanism for guiding the light projected from the light projecting mechanism to an outer surface or an reverse surface of the reflection type or transmission type optical member.

Abstract: Thermal recording structure and a method of thermal recording wherein a desired sublimation dye image is formed on an information recording medium provided with a thermal recording layer having a sublimation dye accepting function on at least one surface of a base substrate. The transparency of the thermal recording layer is reversible depending upon temperature to which the medium is heated. At least the sublimation dye image portion of the medium is heated to a temperature sufficient to reverse the transparency of the transfer image.

Abstract: An apparatus controls the charging of a storage battery of an electric vehicle to optimize charging while accommodating any electrical loads that may be imposed on the storage battery, such as an air-conditioning unit or an accessory. The load is energized by the battery charger before the storage battery starts being charged by the charger while the charger is being connected to the storage battery and also after the charging of the storage battery is finished and until the charger is de-energized. In such instances, therefore, the load is energized by the charger without allowing a charging current to flow to or a discharge current to flow from the storage battery. Even when the load on the storage battery is actuated before the electric vehicle is operated, the electric energy stored in the storage battery is prevented from being unduly consumed.

Abstract: When the main battery of an electric vehicle is being charged and any one of an air-conditioner ON/OFF switch, a pre-air-conditioning preference ON/OFF switch, an external-input-controlled timer pre-air-conditioning preference ON/OFF switch, and an external-input-controlled pre-air-conditioning ON/OFF switch is turned on, a charging control device causes the maximum output current from the battery charger to be distributed between the battery and a motor-driven air conditioner or other electric load at a certain ratio on a real-time basis or at a start time established by a pre-air-conditioning timer or a timer in an air-conditioner controller. Therefore, the motor-driven air conditioner or other electric load can be operated and a charging current can be supplied to the battery at the same time even if the rated output capacity of the charger is relatively small. Consequently, the motor-driven air conditioner or other electric load can efficiently be operated while the battery is being charged.

Abstract: An apparatus controls a charger for starting and stopping the charging of a storage battery of an electric vehicle at advantageous times based on relevant parameters. A necessary charging period is calculated on the basis of the amount of electric energy that is discharged from the storage battery at the time the charging of the storage battery is commanded by a charging start command key switch, and also on the basis of a predetermined charging current. A charging start time to finish the charging of the storage battery at a scheduled boarding time is calculated by a charging start time calculating circuit based on the calculated necessary charging period and the scheduled boarding time which is set by the driver by a scheduled boarding time setting key switch. The storage battery starts being charged with the predetermined charging current from the calculated charging start time.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of successively forming and/or erasing images selectively in different portions of a recording layer of a recording medium which comprises a reversible thermosensitive recording material capable of recording images and erasing the same by reversibly changing the transparency or the color tone of the portions of the recording layer with the application of heat thereto, depending upon the temperature thereof, in such a manner that the same portion of the recording layer is not continuously used for image formation and/or erasure in excess of a predetermined number of times, thereby repeating the use of the recording medium for an extended period of time.

Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording medium is composed of a support and a reversible thermosensitive recording layer whose transparency or color reversibly changes by the application of heat thereto formed on the support. The reversible thermosensitive recording layer has a thermal pressure level difference of 40% or less, land a thermal pressure level difference change ratio of 70% or less.

Abstract: An image recording and erasing method for recording images and erasing the same repeatedly by use of a reversible thermosensitive recording medium which is capable of reversibly changing the transparency and color tone thereof depending upon the temperature thereof, includes the steps (a) disposing a light-to-heat conversion sheet above the reversible thermosensitive recording medium; (b) applying a laser beam to the light-to-heat conversion sheet to heat the reversible thermosensitive recording medium by the heat generated by the light-to-heat conversion sheet upon the application of the laser beam thereto, thereby forming images on the reversible thermosensitive recording medium and/or erasing images therefrom; and (c) removing the light-to-heat conversion sheet away from the reversible thermosensitive recording medium.

Abstract: An image formation method of a reversible thermosensitive recording material capable of reversibly switching its transparency or color tone depending on the temperature thereof is disclosed, which includes the steps of recording images therein at a predetermined image forming temperature, erasing the recorded images from the recording material at a predetermined image erasing temperature, and cleaning the surface of the reversible thermosensitive recording material using cleaning means at substantially the same temperature as the image erasing temperature, with the image erasing step and the cleaning step being carried out substantially at the same time.

Abstract: A recording method of forming images on a reversible thermosensitive recording material, by bringing a heating element of a thermal head into pressure contact with the reversible thermosensitive recording material, which is capable of assuming a first colored state when heated to a first temperature which is higher than room temperature, and then cooled, and which is capable of assuming a second colored state when heated to a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature, and then cooled, and relatively moving at least one of the heating element or the reversible thermosensitive recording material, wherein the stress exerted on the reversible thermosensitive recording material per unit area thereof, .sigma.(g/cm.sup.2), which is generated by the pressure contact of the heating element with the reversible thermosensitive recording material and the relative movements of the heating material and the reversible thermosensitive recording material, is represented by formula (I):.sigma..ltoreq.

Abstract: 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.