Patent ID: 8484762

Claim:
A sports headgear for protecting the forehead, the temple, the eyes, the ears, the nose, the face, and the back of the head of a wearer, the headgear comprising: a flexible front panel that covers, conforms to, and protects the forehead, the eyes, the nose, and the face of the wearer, the front panel covering the face from the forehead to the tip of the nose such that the wearer can breathe and having a pair of openings that accommodate the eyes and permit the wearer unobstructed vision; a flexible rear panel covering, conforming to, and protecting the back of the head of the wearer and having a first end, a second end, and a fastener connecting the ends together to secure the headgear to the head of the wearer; a pair of flexible side panels extending from opposite ends of the front panel to the rear panel, the side panels having ear protectors and the ear protectors having apertures to accommodate and protect the ears and facilitate hearing by the wearer; impact-absorbing padding located along at least a portion of the front panel to protect the forehead and along at least a portion of the side panels to protect the temples; and an adjustable strap that connects the side panels to one another with a releasable connector and, when connected, spans over the top of the head of the wearer, wherein the front panel, the rear panel, the side panels, and the adjustable strap are adapted to be laid substantially flat before use by the wearer.