CN120500280A

CN120500280A - Air bag

Info

Publication number: CN120500280A
Application number: CN202480007326.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: A·穆奇亚诺-阿尔斯特罗姆
Original assignee: Autoliv Development AB
Current assignee: Autoliv Development AB
Priority date: 2023-03-03
Filing date: 2024-03-01
Publication date: 2025-08-15
Also published as: WO2024184249A1; DE102023105275A1

Abstract

An airbag (1) for use in a safety arrangement is disclosed. The airbag (1) includes a pair of superimposed fabric layers (6, 7) interconnected by a peripheral seam (8) to define an inflatable chamber (9) for receiving inflation gas between the fabric layers (6, 7). The peripheral seam (8) defines at least a portion of the periphery of the inflatable chamber (9). The airbag (1) also includes an integrated fabric receptacle (14) defined between superimposed corresponding edge regions (11, 12) of the fabric layers (6, 7) outside the inflatable chamber (9), the fabric receptacle (14) being configured to releasably receive an anchor (15) and engage with the anchor for anchoring the airbag (1) in a desired position for use.

Description

Air bag

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an airbag. More particularly, the present invention relates to an airbag for a safety arrangement having an inflatable chamber for receiving inflation gas.

Background

Inflatable airbag arrangements are well known in the automotive industry. Airbags have long been provided in vehicle interiors to protect occupants in the event of an accident, such as a collision. Such airbags deploy by inflation in the event of an impending or ongoing vehicle collision to cushion the impact of the vehicle occupant on an element of the vehicle, such as the steering wheel or instrument panel. Over time, it has become common to provide additional airbags at various locations throughout the cabin of a motor vehicle to provide additional or improved protection in the event of various specific types of accidents, such as, for example, rollover accidents and oblique impact collisions. For example, it is now common practice to provide motor vehicles with airbags in the form of inflatable curtains, side airbags, knee airbags and airbags of different configurations for the rear seat occupant. Some vehicles even include partially deployed airbags arranged across the exterior of the vehicle in order to protect pedestrians or so-called road vulnerable groups (VRUs), such as cyclists or motorcyclists, in the event that they may be impacted by the vehicle in an accident.

It has also been proposed to provide a wearable personal protection device that is intended to provide specific protection for a specific body part by arranging an inflatable protection device in the vicinity of the specific body part to be protected. By wearing the inflatable protection device at a defined location on the body, the inflatable protection device may be inflated in the event of an impending or ongoing accident, thereby providing a cushioning effect for the designated body part. Alternatively, of course, the user may pre-inflate the inflatable protection device prior to engaging in dangerous activities and may wear the inflatable protection device in its inflated condition.

For example, it has been proposed to provide an airbag inside a motorcycle garment (such as a motorcycle jacket) to provide improved protection for the motorcycle driver in the event of an accident. In an exemplary arrangement, a garment (such as a protective motorcycle jacket) typically has an air bladder (e.g., hidden inside a liner of the garment) disposed in fluid communication with an inflator (such as a gas generator). The inflator is operatively associated with a crash or impact sensor (which may be provided within the garment itself, or alternatively on the motorcycle) configured to provide an actuation signal to the inflator in the event of a possible or actual crash or impact being detected, thereby actuating the inflator to inflate an airbag within the garment. It will be appreciated that inflating the bladder inside the garment will provide a cushioning effect for the portion of the wearer's body where the bladder is disposed around or over. For example, a motorcycle jacket having an airbag would provide protection for the upper body of a motorcycle driver wearing the jacket.

The main important parameters concerning the performance of the airbag in terms of the cushioning effect provided are the pressure and thickness, i.e. the peak internal air pressure and the maximum inflated thickness reached by the airbag upon deployment. In general, and within certain limitations, it is known that greater inflated thickness and greater inflated pressure can improve the performance of the airbag in providing effective protection. However, it has been found that in the specific case of inflatable wearable protection devices, it can be very difficult to accommodate an airbag that reaches a significant thickness when inflated, since the space available within a wearable garment (such as, for example, a motorcycle jacket) is often very limited. In this context, the limited space between the outermost skin of the garment and the wearer's body represents a part of the problem, as it limits the size to which the air-bag can be inflated between the wearer's body and the outermost skin of the garment. Moreover, an airbag configured to achieve a relatively large thickness when inflated will include more structural material (typically a woven fabric) than an airbag configured to achieve a relatively small thickness, and thus will necessarily require more space, even when it is not inflated (i.e., before deployment). The large amount of airbag fabric packed in a wearable garment can make the garment uncomfortable to wear, especially over long periods of time that may be required, such as in the case of motorcycle jackets.

Other alternative forms of wearable personal protection devices have been proposed that are less plagued by the specific problems mentioned above. For example, it has been proposed to provide an airbag in an initially folded and/or rolled-up package inside an accessory such as a backpack, an outer bag or a waist bag. These arrangements can accommodate larger airbags of more structural material (typically woven fabric) than motorcycle jackets, but can be considered cumbersome and inconvenient to wear. Also, this type of arrangement may be complex and thus virtually costly to produce.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above considerations.

Although the invention is described herein with particular reference to a wearable protective device intended to be worn around the upper body of a wearer, it is noted that the invention is not limited to such a configuration of a wearable device. Rather, it is contemplated that the present invention may be embodied in a wide range of wearable forms and may be configured to be worn about the hips, legs, knees, arms, elbows, feet, hands, or head of a wearer, for example (the foregoing list is to be understood as being merely exemplary and not exhaustive).

Furthermore, in the broadest sense of the invention, the invention is not limited at all to wearable protection devices, but may be embodied as other types of airbag arrangements, such as airbags provided in motor vehicles (e.g. driver's airbags, front seat passenger airbags, inflatable curtains, side airbags, knee airbags and airbags of different construction for rear seat passengers) or airbags provided outside motor vehicles to protect pedestrians or so-called traffic-impaired groups (VRUs), such as cyclists or motorcyclists.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the present invention, an airbag for a safety arrangement is provided. The airbag includes a pair of superimposed fabric layers interconnected by a peripheral seam to define an inflatable chamber for receiving inflation gas between the fabric layers. The peripheral seam defines at least a portion of a periphery of the inflatable chamber. The airbag also includes an integral fabric receptacle defined between overlying respective edge regions of the fabric layer exterior to the inflatable chamber, the fabric receptacle configured to releasably receive and engage with an anchor for anchoring the airbag in a desired position for use.

This configuration provides a very simple and convenient means of securely but releasably connecting the mounting member (such as a strap) directly to the balloon. For example, a strap (such as a shoulder strap, chest strap, or belt) may be provided with an anchor that is configured to be simple and that can be readily releasably engaged within a fabric receptacle to connect the strap directly to the airbag. In the case of a wearable balloon arrangement, the releasable nature of the connection may permit easy removal and replacement of the strap, for example in the event that the strap is damaged or worn out in use. In other embodiments where the air bag is configured for use on or in an automotive arrangement, a similarly configured mounting strap may be used to mount the air bag in position relative to the structure of the motor vehicle, thereby facilitating very easy installation of the air bag in or on the motor vehicle and subsequent easy removal for maintenance or replacement.

Conveniently, the fabric receptacle comprises a cavity around which said edge regions of the fabric layer are interconnected to define the receptacle, the cavity having an opening distal to the inflatable chamber over which said edge regions of the fabric layer are unattached.

Optionally, the edge regions of the fabric layer are interconnected by sewing threads formed around the cavity.

Alternatively, each of the fabric layers is woven and includes a plurality of yarns, and the yarns of one of the layers interweave with the yarns of the other of the layers to interconnect the edge regions of the fabric layers around the cavity and thereby define receptacles.

Optionally, said yarns of one said fabric layer interweave with said yarns of the other said fabric layer, except across said cavities of the receptacle, across substantially the entire extent of said edge region of the fabric layer to define an edge seam integral with the structure of said layer and within which said receptacle is defined.

The yarns of one of the fabric layers may be interwoven with the yarns of the other fabric layer to define the peripheral seam, which is thereby woven and integral with the structure of the layers. In such an arrangement, the edge seam defining the receptacle therein may form part of a peripheral seam.

Conveniently, the openings are defined between the edges of the respective edge regions of the fabric layer.

Preferably, the cavity extends inwardly from the opening towards the inflatable chamber.

In some embodiments, the cavity may have a shape with a width measured substantially parallel to the overlying fabric layer that is greater proximate the inflatable chamber than across the opening. In such an arrangement, the opening may thus form the narrowest portion of the cavity, and may be larger than the cooperating anchors. This may allow the anchor to be securely held within the fabric receptacle.

The bladder may be configured to be combined with an anchor that is releasably engaged within the fabric receptacle.

The anchors may be provided at the ends of a mounting strap or tether that extends out of the fabric receptacle and away from the edge region of the fabric layer.

In some embodiments, it is contemplated that the anchor will be fully received within the fabric receptacle to be hidden from view between the overlapping edge regions of the fabric layers. This may be particularly advantageous in the case of a wearable balloon, where the appearance of the balloon in normal use may be important. Also, hiding the anchor within the fabric receptacle in this manner may mean that the anchor is less likely to be damaged or stuck in use.

The airbag may include a plurality of said fabric receptacles. Alternatively, at least one of the fabric receptacles, or alternatively all of the fabric receptacles, may receive a respective anchor.

The air bag may be provided in the form of a wearable protective device for protecting at least one body part of a wearer.

Drawings

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and in order that further features thereof may be appreciated, embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration showing a front view of an uninflated bladder in the form of a vest to be worn by a user;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the rear showing the uninflated airbag of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to the view of FIG. 1, but showing the airbag in an inflated condition to provide impact protection to a user;

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to the view of FIG. 2, but showing the airbag in the inflated condition of FIG. 3 to provide impact protection for the user;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration showing in more detail the region of the balloon prior to attaching a pair of securing straps to the balloon;

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration similar to the schematic illustration of FIG. 5, but showing the process of attaching one of the securing straps to the fabric of the airbag;

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration similar to the schematic illustration of FIGS. 5 and 6, but showing a securing strap attached to the fabric of the airbag;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view from the rear showing a securing strap for securing a portion of the bladder to the side of the user's torso;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing another securing strap for securing a differently configured balloon across a user's chest;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another securing strap for securing the airbag across the back of the user;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative arrangement of fabric to facilitate attachment of the mounting strap to the airbag, and

Fig. 12 is a view similar to the view of fig. 11 but showing the securing straps attached to the fabric of the airbag.

Detailed Description

Aspects and embodiments of the invention will now be discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings. Additional aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Fig. 1 and 2 show an uninflated airbag 1 in the form of a wearable impact protection device worn by a user 2. Fig. 3 and 4 show the same airbag in an inflated and thus deployed condition. The illustrated embodiment is provided in the form of a vest to be worn on the torso 3 of the user to provide impact protection for the torso 3 of the user. Thus, as will be noted, the air-bag 1 is configured to extend across the chest, shoulder and back regions of the user. The illustrated airbag 1 includes a front-located zipper 4 and a pair of adjustable securing straps 5 at each side (only one pair of straps 5 on one side is shown in fig. 2). When the balloon 1 is worn, the adjustable securing straps 5 permit the front and rear regions of the balloon 1 to be brought together around the sides of the user's torso 3 to ensure a snug fit, and the length can be adjusted in a manner known per se to accommodate users of different sizes.

The airbag 1 is formed from a first superimposed fabric layer 6 and a second superimposed fabric layer 7 interconnected by a peripheral seam 8 to define an inflatable chamber 9 therebetween for receiving inflation gas from an inflator (not shown) that may be integral with the airbag 1 or fluidly connected thereto. The peripheral seam 8 thus defines the periphery of the inflatable chamber 9. It will be appreciated that only one (front and outwardly facing) fabric layer 6 is clearly visible in fig. 1 to 4, as the other (rear and inwardly facing) layer 7 is obscured by the user's body (or clothing).

It is proposed that the inflator be operatively connected to a sensor (also not shown), such as an impact sensor or accelerometer, which is configured to output an actuation signal to the inflator in response to detecting a fall of the user 2 or being thrown off the motorcycle or the like in an accident. It will be appreciated that upon receipt of such an actuation signal, the inflator will be actuated to direct a quantity of inflation gas into the inflatable chamber 9 of the airbag, thereby inflating the airbag 1 to the inflated condition illustrated in fig. 3 and 4. However, in other embodiments, it is contemplated that the inflator may be manually operated and may be configured for multiple operations.

In addition, the two fabric layers 6, 7 are interconnected by one or more seams 10 extending inwardly from the peripheral seam 9 into the invaginated extension of the peripheral seam to define a narrow non-inflatable region of the airbag 1. The narrow non-inflatable region defined by seam 10 permits bladder 1 to buckle or bend around the torso 3 of the user when bladder 1 is inflated, as illustrated in fig. 3 and 4, under which condition bladder 1 has a significantly increased thickness and stiffness. Other non-inflatable regions may be defined by other seams (not shown) disposed within and separate from the peripheral seam 8.

The airbag 1 illustrated in fig. 1-4 is formed via a so-called "one-piece weaving" technique in which yarns of one of the fabric layers 6 are interwoven with yarns of the other fabric layer 7 to define a peripheral seam 8 and an inner curved seam 10. The seams 8, 10 are thus woven out and are integral with the structure of the fabric layers 6, 7.

With particular reference to fig. 2 and 4, it will be noted that the fixing strip 5 at each side of the airbag 1 is connected to the airbag 1 between two pairs of superimposed edge regions 11,12 of the respective fabric layers 6, 7 located outside the inflatable chamber (i.e. outside the perimeter of the inflatable chamber 9 defined by the perimeter seam 8). The configuration of a pair of these superimposed edge areas 11,12 is illustrated in more detail in fig. 5.

As shown in fig. 5, the edge regions 11, 12 of the respective fabric layers 6, 7 forming the airbag 1 are also interconnected over substantially their entire extent (indicated by the hatched areas) by the "integrally woven" technique described above. Thus, the yarns of one fabric layer 6 interweave with the yarns of the other fabric layer 7 across the shaded area indicated in fig. 5 to define a woven edge seam 13 that is integral with the structure of the fabric layers 6, 7 in the same manner as the peripheral seam 8. In fact, in the illustrated arrangement, the resulting edge seam 13 forms an enlarged and outwardly projecting portion of the peripheral seam 8 itself. It is important to note, however, that the edge regions 11, 12 of the fabric layers 6, 7 are not joined in the two non-hatched areas indicated in fig. 5. Each of these unattached regions of fabric edge regions 11, 12 defines a fabric receptacle 14 for releasably receiving and engaging a respective anchor 15 (which may be metal or plastic) disposed at the end of the respective securing strap 5.

Thus, each fabric receptacle 14 is formed between the overlying and unattached regions of the edge regions 11, 12 of the fabric layers 6, 7 and effectively takes the form of a flexible pocket defining a cavity 16 around which the edge regions 11, 12 of the fabric layers 6, 7 are interconnected.

Each cavity 16 has an opening 17 located distally of the inflatable chamber 9 and defined between superimposed and aligned edges 18, 19 of the fabric edge regions 11, 12. Each cavity 16 extends inwardly from its opening 17 towards the inflatable chamber 9 and ends with a closed end having a central, inwardly curved protrusion 20 (formed by the interconnection of the fabric edge regions 11, 12) extending into the cavity towards the opening 17. Furthermore, it will be noted that the cross-section of each cavity 16 has a stepped shape comprising a relatively narrow neck region adjacent to its opening 17 and a wider inner region adjacent to the inflatable chamber 9. Thus, as illustrated in fig. 6, the width w of each cavity, measured substantially parallel to the plane of the fabric, is greater near the inflatable chamber 9 than across (w 2) its opening 17 (w 2).

Fig. 6 illustrates an anchor 15 (provided at the end of the strap 5) provided to one of the fabric receptacles 14 to engage with the fabric receptacle. It will be appreciated from the arrows in fig. 6 that the anchor is first inserted through the opening 17 between the overlapping and unattached regions of the fabric edge regions 11, 12 defining the fabric receptacle 14 and into the cavity 16 of the receptacle 14 at an angle such that one end 20 of the anchor 15 leads and the other end 21 follows. The lead end 20 of the anchor 15 is first inserted through the narrow neck region of the cavity 16 into the wider inner region of the cavity 16, after which the trailing end 21 is also inserted into the wider inner region in a similar manner. Thereafter, the anchor 15 may be aligned relative to the cavity 16 to adopt the engaged position illustrated in fig. 7, with the noted narrow neck region holding the anchor 15 within the fabric receptacle 14. The other anchor 15 may engage its corresponding fabric receptacle 14 in the same manner.

It will be appreciated that the woven fabric of the first layer 6 and the second layer 7 of the airbag 1 is flexible and may have a woven structure that facilitates a small amount of stretching of the fabric. This may permit each fabric receptacle 14 to be stretched slightly to facilitate anchor insertion. However, it should be appreciated that such stretching of the fabric pockets 14 is not considered critical, and embodiments are contemplated in which the size and geometry of the cavity 16 within each pocket is configured to facilitate insertion of the respective anchors and to prevent subsequent accidental removal of the anchors without any stretching of the fabric.

As illustrated in fig. 7, when each anchor 15 is engaged within a respective fabric receptacle 14, the anchor 15 is fully received within the cavity 16 of the fabric receptacle 14 to be hidden from view between the overlapping and unconnected areas of the fabric edge regions 11, 12 defining the fabric receptacle 14. Thus, the respective strip 5 to which each anchor 15 is attached extends out of the fabric receptacle 14 via the opening 17 and away from the edge regions 11, 12 of the fabric layers 6, 7.

It will be appreciated from fig. 8 that each anchor 15 is fully received within a respective fabric receptacle 14 to provide a connection between the anchor strap 5 and the balloon 1 in a hidden manner that is aesthetically unobtrusive and also reduces the likelihood of the anchor 15 jamming during use of the balloon 1.

Each anchor 15 may then be disengaged and removed from its respective fabric receptacle 14 by inverting the insertion process described above with reference to fig. 7. In this way, each anchor 15 is thus easily removable from its fabric receptacle 14, thereby facilitating convenient removal of the anchor strip 5 from the airbag 1, for example.

While the invention has been described above with particular reference to embodiments in which the balloon 1 includes an anchor strap 5 releasably attached around the side of the user 2 wearing the balloon 1, it should be appreciated that other embodiments are contemplated in which the anchor strap 5 may be releasably attached to other regions of the balloon 1 to secure the balloon 1 around other parts of the user's body. Purely by way of example, fig. 9 and 10 illustrate an alternative configuration of the air-bag 1, which is also provided in the form of being worn on the torso 3 of a user, but with a different shape than the air-bag 1 described above and illustrated in fig. 1 to 8. In this embodiment, for example, a chest strap 5 is shown in fig. 9, and a back strap 5 is shown in fig. 10, the chest strap and the back strap being configured to adjustably interconnect regions of the airbag 1 across the chest and back of the user, respectively. It will be appreciated that the two straps are releasably connected to the air-bag 1 via substantially identical anchors 15 (hidden from view) engaged within the fabric receptacle 14 in substantially the same manner as described above with reference to figures 1 to 8.

Furthermore, it should be understood that some embodiments may be in the form of an airbag that is not intended to be worn by a user, but rather is intended to be installed in or on a motor vehicle. In such embodiments, substantially identical fabric pockets 14 and anchors 15 may be provided to provide a convenient releasable connection between the airbag 1 and the structure of the motor vehicle.

While the invention has been described above with reference to a specific embodiment in which the edge regions 11, 12 of the respective fabric layers 6, 7 are interconnected around the fabric receptacles 14 by an "integrally woven" technique such that the yarns of one fabric layer 6 interweave with the yarns of the other fabric layer 7 to define a woven edge seam 13 integral with the structure of the fabric layers 6, 7, other embodiments are contemplated that are not so. Fig. 11 and 12 discussed below illustrate one such example.

Fig. 11 and 12 illustrate the overlap areas 11, 12 or the respective fabric layers 6, 7. While the remainder of the balloon is not illustrated in fig. 11 and 12, it should be understood that the overlap regions 11, 12 may form part of the balloon and thus will be disposed outside the inflatable chamber of the balloon in a similar manner to the previously described embodiments. However, in this proposal, the overlapping fabric sections 11, 12 are not interconnected by a "one-piece weaving" technique, but rather are interconnected by a simple sewing thread 22 which defines the periphery of the fabric receptacle 14 between the overlapping edge sections 11, 12. In all other respects, it should be appreciated that the resulting fabric receptacle 14 has substantially the same construction as the receptacle 14 described in detail above with reference to the embodiment of fig. 1-10. In particular, the receptacles 14 illustrated in fig. 11 and 12 have similarly shaped cavities with similar openings 17 formed between overlying and aligned edges 18, 19 of the fabric sections 11, 12. The cavity 14 may thus releasably receive and engage with the anchor 15 in substantially the same manner as described above with reference to the embodiment of fig. 1-10.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments described above, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art when given this disclosure. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention set forth above are considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

For the avoidance of any doubt, any theoretical explanation provided herein is for the purpose of enhancing the reader's understanding. The inventors do not wish to be bound by any of these theoretical explanations.

Any section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described.

Throughout this specification, including the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the words "have", "comprise" and "include" and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising" will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

It must be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" one particular value, and/or to "about" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent "about," it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. The term "about" in relation to a numerical value is optional and means, for example, +/-10%.

The words "preferred" and "preferably" as used herein refer to embodiments of the invention that may provide certain benefits in some instances. However, it should be understood that other embodiments may be preferred, either the same or different. Thus, the recitation of one or more preferred embodiments does not mean or suggest that other embodiments are not useful, and is not intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of the disclosure or from the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An airbag (1) for a safety arrangement, the airbag (1) comprising a pair of superimposed fabric layers (6, 7) interconnected by a peripheral seam (8) to define an inflatable chamber (9) for receiving inflation gas between the fabric layers (6, 7), the peripheral seam (8) defining at least a portion of the periphery of the inflatable chamber (9), characterised in that the airbag (1) further comprises an integrated fabric receptacle (14) defined between superimposed respective edge regions (11, 12) of the fabric layers (6, 7) outside the inflatable chamber (9), the fabric receptacle (14) being configured to releasably receive an anchor (15) and engage with the anchor for anchoring the airbag (1) in a desired position for use.

2. The airbag (1) according to claim 1, wherein the fabric receptacle (14) comprises a cavity (16), the edge regions (11, 12) of the fabric layers (6, 7) being interconnected around the cavity to define the receptacle (14), the cavity (16) having an opening (17) distal to the inflatable chamber (9), at which the edge regions (11, 12) of the fabric layers (6, 7) are not connected.

3. The airbag (1) according to claim 2, wherein the edge regions (11, 12) of the fabric layers (6, 7) are interconnected by sewing threads formed around the cavity (16).

4. The airbag (1) of claim 2, wherein each of the fabric layers (6, 7) is woven and comprises a plurality of yarns, and wherein the yarns of one of the layers (6) are interwoven with the yarns of the other layer (7) to interconnect the edge regions (11, 12) of the fabric layers (6, 7) around the cavity (16) and thereby define the receptacle (14).

5. An airbag (1) according to claim 4, wherein the yarns of one fabric layer (6) are interwoven with the yarns of the other fabric layer (7) across substantially the entire extent of the edge regions (11, 12) of the fabric layers (6, 7), except for the cavity (16) across the receptacle (14), to define an edge seam (13), the edge seam being integral with the structure of the layers (6, 7) and the receptacle (14) being defined within the edge seam.

6. An air-bag (1) according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the yarns of one of the fabric layers (6) are interwoven with the yarns of the other fabric layer (7) to define the peripheral seam (8), the peripheral seam (8) being woven thereby and integral with the structure of the layers (6, 7).

7. An air-bag (1) according to claim 5, wherein the yarns of one of the fabric layers (6) are interwoven with the yarns of the other fabric layer (7) to define the peripheral seam (8), the peripheral seam (8) being woven thereby and integral with the structure of the layers (6, 7), and wherein the edge seam (13) in which the receptacle (14) is defined forms part of the peripheral seam (8).

8. The air-bag (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the opening (17) is defined between edges (18, 19) of the respective edge regions (11, 12) of the fabric layers (6, 7).

9. The air-bag (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the cavity (16) extends inwardly from the opening (17) towards the inflatable chamber (9).

10. The airbag (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the cavity (16) has a shape wherein its width, measured substantially parallel to the superimposed fabric layers (6, 7), is greater proximate the inflatable chamber (9) than across the opening (17).

11. An airbag (1) according to any preceding claim, arranged in combination with an anchor (15) releasably engaged within the fabric receptacle (14).

12. An airbag (1) according to claim 11, wherein the anchor (15) is provided at the end of a mounting strap (5) or tether, which extends outside the fabric receptacle (4) and away from the edge region (11, 12) of the fabric layer (6, 7).

13. An airbag (1) according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the anchor (15) is received entirely within the fabric receptacle (14) so as to be hidden from view between the overlapping edge regions (11, 12) of the fabric layers (6, 7).

14. An airbag (1) according to any preceding claim, comprising a plurality of said fabric inserts (14).

15. An airbag (1) according to any preceding claim, arranged in the form of a wearable protective device for protecting at least one body part (3) of a wearer (2).