Patent ID: 6857659

Claim:
An air bag assembly for use in a transportation vehicle in opposing relation to a vehicle occupant, the air bag assembly comprising: a gas emitting inflator; an inflatable air bag cushion adapted to receive inflation gas from the inflator; at least one tethering element operatively connected to a surface of the air bag cushion, such that said at least one tethering element is extendible from a first operative length to an increased operative length upon inflation of the air bag cushion; and a tether restraint assembly engaging said at least one tethering element along said at least one tethering element, wherein the tether restraint assembly is adapted to impart a restraining drag force to said at least one tethering element during operative extension of said at least one tethering element such that said at least one tethering element is maintained under tension substantially during operative extension of said at least one tethering element, such that a contouring force is maintained by said at least one tethering element at the surface of the air bag cushion during inflation of the air bag cushion, wherein said tether restraint assembly comprises a rotatable spool around which said at least one tethering element is wrapped prior to operative extension and wherein the rotatable spool is adapted to rotate as said at least one tethering element is pulled away from the rotatable spool, and the rotatable spool including a torsion element adapted to impart a torsion recovery force to the rotatable spool upon rotation of the rotatable spool.