Meandering correction apparatus of a continuous sheet associated with an absorbent article

A meandering correction apparatus arranged in a manufacturing line of an absorbent article for correcting meandering of a continuous sheet, which is associated with the absorbent article and is continuously transported in a transporting direction, wherein the continuous sheet is selected, to be transported, from among a plurality of continuous sheets having specifications with different dimensions in a width direction of the manufacturing line, said apparatus comprising:

• a sensor including a detecting section that is configured to detect a position of an edge of the continuous sheet in the width direction in a state in which the detecting section is stopped at a stop position among a plurality of stop positions each set in the width direction for a corresponding specification among the specifications,
• a meandering correcting section configured to correct meandering of the continuous sheet based on a detection signal of the position of the edge which is output from the sensor, and
• a moving mechanism including
• a motor that is configured to move the detecting section in the width direction,
• a signal output section that is configured to output a signal in accordance with the movement of the detecting section in the width direction, and
• a controller that is configured to control the motor based on the signal output from the signal output section,
• wherein
• the controller is configured to
• set a corresponding value that corresponds to a moving distance of the detecting section from a predetermined reference position to each of the plurality of stop positions, the predetermined reference position being a limit position for physical movement of the detecting section in the width direction,
• cause the motor to move the detecting section to the stop position based on the corresponding value and the signal output from the signal output section, and
• detect that the detecting section reaches the reference position based on a drive current value of the motor,
• the predetermined reference position is
• located at a same position as an outermost stop position in the width direction among the stop positions, or
• located outside of the outermost stop position in the width direction,
• in a case where a first continuous sheet with a first specification is transported, the controller is configured to move the detecting section from the predetermined reference position in the width direction to a first stop position among the stop positions, the first stop position being set for the first specification, and
• in a case where the first continuous sheet is changed to a second continuous sheet with a second specification different from the first specification, the controller is configured to
• move the detecting section outwardly in the width direction toward the predetermined reference position, then
• detect that the detecting section reaches the predetermined reference position based on the drive current value of the motor, and then
• move the detecting section inwardly in the width direction from the predetermined reference position to a second stop position among the stop positions, the second stop position being set for the second specification.