1. A fixing device configured to thermally fix a developing agent image to a recording sheet, the fixing device comprising:
a fixing belt having a tubular shape defining an inner space;
a heat generating member disposed in the inner space of the fixing belt;
a nip plate made of metal and disposed in the inner space of the fixing belt such that an inner surface of the fixing belt is configured to make slide contact with the nip plate;
a rotating member configured to rotate and disposed outside the inner space of the fixing belt such that the fixing belt is nipped between the nip plate and the rotating member; and
a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the nip plate,
wherein the nip plate comprises:
a plate-shaped portion holding the fixing belt against the rotating member; and
a bent portion located downstream of the plate-shaped portion in a conveying direction of the recording sheet and bent to define a recess facing away from the rotating member, the bent portion protruding farther away from the heat generating member than the plate-shaped member, and
wherein the temperature sensor is fitted in the recess of the bent portion such that displacement of the temperature sensor in the conveying direction is restricted.
2. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the bent portion of the nip plate extends, in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, continuously over an entire width of a conveying region of the recording sheet.
3. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the bent portion of the nip plate comprises:
a pair of first portions which are smaller in size in the conveying direction than the temperature sensor; and
a second portion protruding farther downstream in the conveying direction than the pair of first portions, and having the recess in which the temperature sensor is fitted, the second portion being interposed between the pair of first portions.
4. The fixing device according to claim 3, wherein each of the pair of first portions comprises a downstream end portion located at a downstream end in the conveying direction and protruding father in a direction away from the rotating member than a bottom surface of the recess of the second portion, and the temperature sensor is sandwiched, in a width direction, by the downstream end portions of the pair of first portions, the width direction being along a width of a conveying region of the recording sheet and perpendicular to the conveying direction.
5. The fixing device according to claim 4, wherein the second portion comprises:
a downstream end portion located at a downstream end of the second portion in the conveying direction and protruding farther in the direction away from the rotating member than the bottom surface of the recess; and
a wall located at each of both ends of the second portion in the width direction and extending downstream in the conveying direction from the downstream end of a corresponding one of the pair of first portions to the downstream end of the second portion, the wall protruding in the direction away from the rotating member.
6. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the bent portion of the nip plate comprises:
a bottom segment;
a first bent segment located upstream of the bottom segment in the conveying direction and bent from the bottom segment in a direction away from the rotating member; and
a second bent segment located downstream of the bottom segment and bent form the bottom segment in the direction away from the rotating member,
wherein the temperature sensor is placed on the bottom segment and is sandwiched between the first bent segment and the second bent segment.
7. The fixing device according to claim 1, further comprising a cover member disposed in the inner space of the fixing belt to cover the heat generating member, wherein the cover member comprises a contact portion extending in a direction toward the rotating member and in contact with the temperature sensor.
8. The fixing device according to claim 2, further comprising another temperature sensor which is fitted in the recess of the bent portion of the nip plate, at a position shifted from the temperature sensor in the width direction.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A wearable RFID system for wearing on the body of a user comprising:
a wearable RFID reader operable to receive data from an RFID tag; and
a network controller coupled to the wearable RFID reader for receiving the data received by the wearable RFID reader.
2. The wearable RFID system of claim 1 wherein the wearable RFID reader is a RFID glove.
3. The wearable RFID system of claim 2 wherein the RFID glove is wirelessly coupled to the network controller.
4. The wearable RFID system of claim 2 wherein the RFID glove initiates an interrogation of the RFID tag based on a proximity to the RFID tag.
5. The wearable RFID system of claim 2 wherein the RFID glove initiates an interrogation of the RFID tag when initiated by a trigger.
6. The wearable RFID system of claim 1 wherein the wearable RFID reader is a RFID hat.
7. The wearable RFID system of claim 6 wherein the RFID hat is wirelessly coupled to the network controller.
8. The wearable RFID system of claim 6 wherein the RFID hat initiates an interrogation of the RFID tag based on a proximity to the RFID tag.
9. The wearable RFID system of claim 6 wherein the RFID hat initiates an interrogation of the RFID tag when initiated by a trigger.
10. The wearable RFID system of claim 1 further comprising a network transceiver coupled to the network controller for sending the data to an external network.
11. The wearable RFID system of claim 10 wherein the network transceiver is a wireless network transceiver.
12. The wearable RFID system of claim 1 further comprising an onboard power supply.
13. The wearable RFID system of claim 12 wherein the onboard power supply is a battery.
14. The wearable RFID system of claim 12 wherein the onboard power supply is a solar power system.
15. The wearable RFID system of claim 12 wherein the onboard power supply is a regenerative power supply powered by a user.
16. The wearable RFID system of claim 1 wherein the RFID reader further includes an RFID writer for writing information to an RFID tag.
17. The wearable RFID system of claim 4 wherein the RFID writer is operable to store pricing information to an RFID tag.
18. The wearable RFID system of claim 1 wherein the data is stored at the network controller for future retrieval.
19. A method for handling objects using a wearable RFID reader comprising:
reading first product data when the wearable RFID reader is within a preset distance from a first RFID tag associated with a first object;
reading second product data when the wearable RFID reader is within a preset distance from a second RFID tag associated with a second object;
evaluating the first product data and the second product data to determine if the first product is associated with the second product.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the wearable RFID reader is a RFID glove reader.
21. The method of claim 19 wherein the wearable RFID reader is a RFID hat.
22. The method of claim 19 wherein the first object is a package and the second object is a pallet comprising multiple related packages.
23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of writing to the first RFID tag when the wearable RFID reader is within a preset distance.
24. The method of claim 22 further comprising generating a warning if the package is not associated with the pallet.
25. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of writing pricing information to the package RFID tag.