Abstract: A disposable absorbent undergarment such as a diaper includes short pants and a liquid-absorbent pad attached to an inner surface of the short pants. The short pants has a front waist section, a rear waist section, a crotch section interposed therebetween, a waist-opening and a pair of leg-openings. The crotch section, the waist-opening and the leg-openings are elastically stretchable. A circumferential region defined by portions of the front and rear waist sections between the waist opening and upper ends of the leg-openings is also elastically stretchable.

Abstract: The present invention provides a catalyst selectively oxidizing carbon monoxide in a mixed gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen as well as a catalyst selectively oxidizing hydrogen. A catalyst selectively oxidizing carbon monoxide is obtained by dispersing platinum black on a surface of a base metal compound oxide including Co2O3, MnO2, CuO, and Cr2O3, and forming an Ag2O layer on the platinum black layer. The catalyst selectively oxidizing hydrogen in a mixed gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen is obtained by dispersing Ag2O on a surface of said base metal compound oxide and further forming a platinum black layer on the Ag2O layer. In addition the present invention provides a contact combustion carbon monoxide sensor not having the sensitivity to hydrogen as well as that not having the sensitivity to carbon monoxide.

Abstract: A disposable undergarment is provided on inside of a waist-opening's peripheral edge with a sweat-absorbent sheet comprising an inner layer destined to come in contact with a wearer's skin and an outer layer opposed to the inner layer. The inner layer contains hydrophobic fibers of 70˜98 w% and hydrophilic fibers of at least 2 w%. The outer layer contains hydrophilic fibers of 50˜100 w% of which a part extends outward from the outer layer through interstices of the hydrophobic fibers to the skin contacting surface of the inner surface.

Abstract: A well-fitting disposable diaper having a front gathering to be applied to the crotch of a wearer. The front gathering is formed by elastic members disposed about a border between a crotch region and a front waist region of the diaper and includes one end portions of first and second thin parts which are disposed in the crotch region and the front waist region, respectively. Because the first thin parts are elongated between the second thin parts in the front gathering, the front gathering can readily shrink to press the crotch of a wearer or a protector against incontinence to be applied thereto.

Abstract: A folded disposable diaper to be packed in a package while being folded inwardly about two first folding lines extending in a longitudinal direction of the diaper and then folded inwardly about two second folding lines extending in a transverse direction thereof perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The diaper includes an absorption core having four thin areas and one thick area. The thickness of the diaper at the thin area is equal to or less than one half of the thickness of the diaper at the thick area. The first folding line is positioned outside of the center of the thin area in the transverse direction. Therefore, when the diaper is folded about the first folding lines, each of the thin areas is folded on itself to prevent an increase in the thickness of the folded diaper, while maintaining the absorbency of the absorption core.

Abstract: A threshold matrix is divided into a plurality of sub-matrices Tij of an equal size. The difference between a plurality of threshold data included in each sub-matrix Tij is set to a specific value while the plurality of threshold data are arranged at random in each sub-matrix Tij. In case that each sub-matrix is a 2.times.2 arrangement, there are eight diagonal patterns where two relatively small threshold data are arranged diagonally while two relatively large threshold data are also arranged diagonally. A threshold matrix having the sufficiently high spatial frequency and allowing smooth tone reproduction can be prepared by selecting one of the eight diagonal patterns at random. A plurality of threshold matrices for respective color separations thus prepared will reduce the graininess and muddiness of colors in a reproduced color image. A plurality of threshold matrices can be produced from one original threshold matrix by extracting part of the threshold matrix.

Abstract: An N-alkylation method of pyrazole in which (III) is produced from (I) and (II), which is characterized by using a crystalline aluminosilicate or a crystalline aluminophosphate as a catalyst: ##STR1## wherein each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 represents hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl or phenyl, R represents alkyl and Q represents hydrogen, alkyl or COOR. This is an industrially markedly useful method, because (III) can be obtained with a high yield under mild reaction conditions, and by-products including salts are not at all formed.

Abstract: A speaker normalization method is described based on spectral shifts in the auditory filter domain. The method is characterized by using an estimated vocal tract length as a criterion to determine the spectral shift value. Certain constraints are found to be necessary for the shift in the auditory filter domain, and two techniques based on these constraints, the One-Bark shift and the refined Bark-scale shift, are introduced. When tested in vowel classification experiments, significant performance improvement was obtained for both techniques. The method is useful for speaker normalization in speaker-independent speech recognition.

Abstract: A liquid absorbent pad includes an elastically stretchable basic sheet upon which an absorbent core is periodically bonded. The absorbent core is bonded while the basic sheet is stretched. The absorbent core includes a structure which encourages the formation of corrugations therein when the basic sheet is released. The corrugations enable the flow of material in the troughs of the corrugations, and thereby reduce soilage of the upper surface of the absorbent core by fetal matter. The liquid absorbent pad is suitable for undergarment use in which the basic sheet includes a waist opening and a pair of leg openings. In one embodiment, the structure which encourages the formation of corrugations includes gaps between adjacent strips of absorbent material. In another embodiment, the structure is periodic regions of reduced density or rigidity. In a further embodiment, the structure includes periodic longitudinal indentations alternating on opposite sides of the absorbent pad.

Abstract: A liquid absorbent pad includes an elastically stretchable basic sheet upon which an absorbent core is periodically bonded. The absorbent core is bonded while the basic sheet is stretched. The absorbent core includes a structure which encourages the formation of corrugations therein when the basic sheet is released. The corrugations enable the flow of material in the troughs of the corrugations, and thereby reduce soilage of the upper surface of the absorbent core by fecal matter. The liquid absorbent pad is suitable for undergarment use in which the basic sheet includes a waist opening and a pair of leg openings. In one embodiment, the structure which encourages the formation of corrugations includes gaps between adjacent strips of absorbent material. In another embodiment, the structure is periodic regions of reduced density or rigidity. In a further embodiment, the structure includes periodic longitudinal indentations alternating on opposite sides of the absorbent pad.

Abstract: A disposable absorbent undergarment comprising: leg-hole surrounding elastic members including first and second front-half elastic portions extending primarily along front-halves of first and second leg-hole defining edges, first and second rear-half elastic portions extending primarily along rear-halves thereof, and bridging elastic portion(s) intersecting the first front- and rear-half elastic portions, and the second front- and rear-half elastic portions, respectively, so that these elastic portions may surround the first and second leg-hole defining edges without interruption, respectively.

Abstract: An arrangement of a disposable diaper in which there are provided elastic members extending not only along opposite side edges of an opening formed in a skin-contacting topsheet but also further extending beyond longitudinally opposite ends of the opening substantially to longitudinally opposite ends of the skin-contacting topsheet so that the opening may sufficiently rise up together with the skin-contacting topsheet to assure reliable introduction of excretions through this opening into a pocket space defined between the skin-contacting topsheet and a separately provided topsheet underlying the skin-contacting topsheet.

Abstract: A disposable diaper so improved that an uppermost sheet 14 is formed at its central zone with an opening 16, first and second elastic members 17, 18 are attached to the sheet 14 along halves of the opening's periphery, respectively, with the longitudinally opposite ends of these elastic members intersecting each other at the longitudinally opposite ends of the opening 16, respectively, and the uppermost sheet 14 is torn off from these intersections.

Abstract: A method for forming a skin-contacting topsheet of disposable diaper with an elastic opening, wherein the opening 16 formed in the skin-contacting topsheet of a disposable diaper is elasticized along its whole peripheral edge and reinforced so as to form uniform gathers along the whole peripheral edge.The skin-contacting topsheet comprises a pair of sheet members overlapping side by side and having mutually opposed inner side edges, respectively, which are provided with cutouts so that each pair of mutually opposed cutouts form each opening, then elastic members are provided along halves of the opening's whole peripheral edge and these elastic members are covered with a part of the skin-contacting topsheet.

Abstract: To prevent a part of excretions having missed an opening formed in a skin-contacting topsheet 14 of a disposable diaper from diffusively flowing over the top surface of this topsheet 14, the opening 16 is provided along the laterally opposite sides thereof with a pair of first flaps 17 opposed to and spaced from each other by a relatively small distance and a pair of second flaps 18 similarly opposed to and spaced from each other by a relatively large distance so that the part of excretions having missed the opening 16 defined by the laterally opposite side edges of the first flaps 17 may be reliably dammed by the second flaps 18 and thereby the diffusive flowing of excretion may be avoided.

Abstract: A contact combustion type carbon monoxide sensor having no sensitivity to H.sub.2, C.sub.2 H.sub.5 OH and other gases but having a CO sensitivity of 25 to 50 mV at a bridge voltage of 6 to 12 V and a concentration of 500 ppm. Each coil is made of a Fe.Pd system alloy wire material having a large diameter, a specific resistance value, a Vickers' hardness value and a temperature coefficient values each falling within a specific range. A catalyst comprising Cu.sub.2 O, ZnO, MnO.sub.2 and Pt black is formed on the upper surface of the coil of an active portion, and a catalyst comprising CuO and Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3 is formed on the upper surface of the coil of a dummy portion.

Abstract: A footwear of the present invention is provided with tank chambers which are disposed to be in contact with an instep, sole and ankle of the user for applying pressure thereto to protect his foot from shocks. The tank chambers are filled with air and air pressure within the tank chambers can be adjusted. The footwear is further provided with a pressure sensor for measuring air pressure within the tank chambers to generate a pressure signal, and a pressure data displaying device for indicating pressure data on the basis of the pressure signal generated by the pressure sensor. Therefore, the user can make sure on the pressure data display device a pressure level at which the most suitable pressure for his foot is obtained. The user is also allowed to extremely easily adjust the air pressure at the above pressure level, watching an indication on the pressure data display device.

Abstract: An optical beam scanning system has a multibeam control mechanism (4) with a beam interval adjusting mechanism for adjusting an interval between beam spots on a recording surface. The mechanism has at least one plane parallel plate (471-474). The plate is placed on an optical path. The plate is turned on an axis which is perpendicular to the optical path to thereby change the interval while maintaining the diameter of the beam spots on the recording surface. A pair of prisms may be installed in place of the plane parallel plate. The prisms are relatively moved in a parallel manner to thereby change the interval while maintaining the diameter of the beam spots.

Abstract: A catalytic combustion type CO gas sensor which is composed of an electrical circuit by serially arranging two coils composing an active section and a compensating section, and by providing serial bridge resistances, r.sub.1 and r.sub.2, opposing to the said coils, respectively, and via a gas sensitometer, and which determines the CO concentration based on the difference in value of resistance of both coils of the active section and the compensating section on catalytic combustion of CO, characterized by:(A) that the values of the resistance of coils of the active section and the compensating section and bridge resistances, r.sub.1 and r.sub.2, at a definite temperature are made substantially the same, and thus the temperature coefficients of the coil of the active section and the bridge resistance r.sub.1, and of the coil of the compensating section and the bridge resistance r.sub.2 are made approximately the same.(B) that the value of resistance of the coil of the active section at 150.degree.-200.degree.

Abstract: An images simulator (20) comprises a storage unit 31 for storing reference image data by which reference image of proper color and gradation are reproduced in printing process. Original image data (I (B, G, R)) are read by an image reading unit (11) and processed by an image processing unit (13) under reproduction conditions set in a condition setting unit (12). A proof image is displayed on a CRT (30) along with the reference image as a function of the original image data and the reference image data, respectively. An operator adjusts the reproduction conditions such that color and gradation of the proof image conform to those of the reference image.