Transfer apparatus, liquid ejection apparatus, reading apparatus, image forming apparatus, control method of the transfer apparatus

A method for controlling a transfer apparatus, the transfer apparatus including a head unit and being configured to transfer an object in a transfer direction while performing a process on the transferred object using the head unit, the method comprising:

• detecting, by an upstream surface detector, first surface information of the transferred object, the upstream surface detector being disposed upstream in the transfer direction with respect to the head unit;
• detecting, by an edge detector, an edge in a width direction of the transferred object;
• detecting, by a surface detector, second surface information of the transferred object, the surface detector being disposed downstream with respect to the upstream surface detector and the edge detector in the transfer direction, and disposed at a position having a distance from the upstream surface detector longer than a distance between the upstream surface detector and the edge detector in the transfer direction;
• calculating a meandering amount in the width direction of the transferred object between a position facing the upstream surface detector and a position facing the surface detector, based on respective detection results of the surface detector and the upstream surface detector;
• calculating a misalignment amount of the edge from a preset reference position by comparing a position of the edge in the width direction detected by the edge detector with the preset reference position;
• and
• calculating a moving amount for moving the head unit to a correction process position reflecting the calculated meandering amount and the calculated misalignment amount of the edge in the width direction of the transferred object;
• and
• moving the head unit by the calculated movement amount.

A transfer apparatus comprising:

• a head unit configured to perform a process on an object to be transferred;
• a first support member disposed upstream in a transfer direction of the object with respect to a process position at which the transferred object is processed by the head unit, and configured to support the transferred object;
• a second support member disposed downstream in the transfer direction with respect to the process position, and configured to support the transferred object;
• a surface detector disposed between the first support member and the second support member and configured to detect first surface information of the transferred object;
• an upstream surface detector disposed upstream in the transfer direction with respect to the surface detector, and configured to detect second surface information of the transferred object;
• an edge detector disposed at a position closer to the upstream surface detector than that to the surface detector in the transfer direction, and configured to detect an edge in a width direction of the transferred object;
• and
• control circuitry configured to move the head unit based on respective detection results of the surface detector and the upstream surface detector and a detection result of the edge detector, wherein
• the surface detector and the upstream surface detector each include a light emitter configured to irradiate the object with light of a specific wavelength,
• the upstream surface detector includes an upstream imaging unit configured to image a pattern generated by interference of the light applied to an even pattern formed on a surface or an inner surface of the object,
• the surface detector includes an imaging unit configured to image a pattern generated by interference of the light applied to an even pattern formed on the surface or the inner surface of the object, and
• the meandering amount calculator calculates a meandering amount in a width direction of the transferred object between a position facing the upstream imaging unit and a position facing the imaging unit, based on the respective imaged patterns imaged by the upstream imaging unit and the imaging unit.