Absorbent disposable article which is divided into portions extending in the longitudinal direction of the article

An absorbent, disposable article, such as a diaper, an incontinence guard or a sanitary napkin, which includes an outer liquid-impermeable casing layer which is intended to lie distal from the wearer in use, an inner, liquid-permeable casing layer which is intended to face toward the wearer's body in use and an absorbent pad enclosed between said two casing layers, wherein at least the crotch part of the pad that is placed in the crotch region of the wearer is divided into mutually separate parts, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the article, said separate parts being mutually separated transversely when the article is in an essentially flat state, intermediate originally flat and pleatable areas of the two casing layers being mutually joined and bridging the space between said separate parts, and transverse elastication means within the region of said separate parts of the absorbent pad, said elastication means bringing the edges of adjacent separate parts into abutment with one another while gathering together said intermediate originally flat areas of the mutually joined casing layers.