Advanced combat helmet system

A helmet system for protection of a wearer's head, comprising:

• a ballistic shell having an interior;
• a liner having a forward cap segment, and a rear segment connected to the cap segment, wherein the liner is fastened to the interior of the ballistic shell;
• a left side strap and a right side strap, each formed of stiff material, and each having an upwardly extending segment which is connected to the liner cap segment, and a rearwardly extending segment which is connected to the liner rear segment and a curved intermediate segment connecting the side strap upwardly extending segment to the rearwardly extending segment, wherein the left side strap and the right side strap are spaced from each other on opposite sides of the liner;
• and
• a flexible chin strap which terminates in a left loop and an opposed right loop, and wherein the left side strap extends through the chin strap left loop, and the right side chin strap extends through the right loop, to permit slidable movement of the chin strap along the left side strap intermediate segment and the right side strap intermediate segment.

A helmet system for protection of a wearer's head, comprising:

• a ballistic shell having an interior;
• a liner having a forward cap segment having an exterior surface which is fastened to the interior of the ballistic shell;
• an eye shield assembly mounted to the exterior surface of the liner, and pivotable between a retracted position overlying the liner cap segment and positioned beneath the ballistic shell, and a deployed position overlying the eyes of the wearer, wherein the eye shield assembly has a frame, with at least one lens mounted thereto, and the frame has a first side arm which is pivotably connected to the liner cap segment at a first pivot mount above and forward of a wearer's first ear, and a second side arm which is pivotably connected to the liner cap segment at a second pivot mount above and forward of a wearer's second ear, and
• a first resilient band which extends from a fixed mount on the liner cap rearward of the first mount to a connection on the eye shield frame forward of the first mount, the first resilient band extending above the first pivot mount when the eye shield assembly is in the retracted position, and the first resilient band extending below the first pivot mount when the eye shield assembly is in the deployed position.