Headgear with energy absorbing and sizing means

In a headgear construction comprising a helmet shell, and a plurality of sizing and energy-absorbing means mounted on the inside surface of the shell for engaging the wearer's head, the combination of the sizing and energy absorbing means comprising a crown-engaging means including means for varying the distance between a head engaging portion of the crown-engaging means and said shell surface for thereby controlling the fit of the heargear, energy-absorbing means associated with the crown-engaging means whereby high impact forces do not result in contact between the shell and the wearer's head, and the combination including energy absorbing and sizing means located on the front and back, the sides, and the lower rear inside shell surfaces, the energy absorbing and sizing means on the side surfaces including air-inflatable means defining a side-to-side fitting dimension for the headgear, and first means for controlling the inflation of the air-inflatable means to control the side-to-side fitting dimension, said first means operating independently of said means for varying the distance between said head engaging portion and said shell, and second means for controlling the fit of the energy absorbing and sizing means on the lower rear surface operating independently of said first means, and also independently of said means for varying the distance between said head engaging means and said shell, the improvement wherein the sizing and energy-absorbing means located on the front and back surfaces of the shell comprise pad structures defining a fixed, non-inflatable front-to-back fitting dimension by said headgear, said pad structures being curved to thereby embrace the forehead and back of the wearer's head whereby the helmet is centered relative to the long axis of the head prior to inflation of said air inflatable means, and means releasibly retaining said pad structures on said front and back surfaces whereby pad structures of different dimensions may be located thereon, and whereby the fit of the helmet may thereby be varied.