Headband with pivotal pad

1. A headgear support, comprising:

a headband having a first end and a second end;

an adjustment assembly through which the first and second ends of the headband are disposed such that the headband forms a substantially closed perimeter having a length selectively adjustable by relative movement of the first and second ends of the headband through the adjustment assembly;

a pad pivotally connected to the adjustment assembly such that the pad is disposed within the substantially closed perimeter and pivots, at least in a substantially vertical direction, relative to the adjustment assembly about a longitudinal pivot axis, and wherein the pad's relative position to the adjustment assembly and the headband is unaffected by adjustment of the headband by the adjustment assembly;

the pad has a pad portion having a front side and a rear side and an extension portion extending from the rear side and supporting the pad portion in a spaced-apart relationship relative to the headband, such that the pad portion is distanced from the headband and only the front side of the pad portion contacts or faces toward a user;

wherein the pad is permitted to rotate relative to the longitudinal pivot axis in an angular range of between about 5 degrees and about 45 degrees;

wherein the pad further includes one or more posts operatively associated with the extension portion, and wherein the one or more posts are substantially co-linear with the longitudinal pivot axis;

wherein the adjustment assembly includes one or more openings sized to selectively receive the one or more posts of the pad such that the posts are substantially free to rotate in an angular range of between about 5 degrees and about 45 degrees within the one or more openings; and

wherein the one or more posts includes two posts and wherein one of the two posts extends perpendicularly from one side of the extension portion and the other of the two posts extends perpendicularly from an opposite side of the extension portion such that the two posts are substantially co-linear with one another and also substantially co-linear with the longitudinal pivot axis.

2. The headgear support of claim 1 , wherein the pad has a contoured shape so as to at least partially conform to the shape of the user's head or neck.

3. The headgear support of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment assembly comprises a manually rotatable adjusting member, the pivot axis of the pad intersects a rotational axis of the manually rotatable adjusting member.

4. The headgear support of claim 1 , wherein the pad is selectively removable from the adjustment assembly.

5. The headgear support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pad includes a textured surface.

6. The headgear support of claim 1 , wherein the pad includes at least one post defining the pivot axis.

7. The headgear support of claim 1 , wherein the pad has an arcuate pad portion.

8. The headgear support of claim 7 , wherein the pad portion includes a plurality of openings extending from the front side to the rear side.

9. The headgear support of claim 1 , wherein each of the posts includes a pair of flexible tines at a distal end thereof.

10. A headgear support, comprising:

a headband having a first end and a second end and forming a substantially closed perimeter having a length which is selectively adjustable; and

a pad disposed within the substantially closed perimeter and pivotal, at least in a substantially vertical direction, relative to the headband about a fixed longitudinal pivot axis that remains stationary on the headgear support regardless of adjustment of the first and second ends of the headband;

the pad has a pad portion and an extension portion, the pad portion has a front side and a rear side, the extension portion extending from the rear side and supporting the pad portion in a spaced-apart relationship relative to the headband and only the front side of the pad portion contacts or faces toward a user;

wherein the pad is permitted to rotate relative to the longitudinal pivot axis in an angular range of between about 5 degrees and about 45 degrees;

wherein the pad further includes one or more posts operatively associated with the extension portion, and wherein the one or more posts are substantially co-linear with the longitudinal pivot axis;

wherein the headband includes one or more openings sized to selectively receive the one or more posts of the pad such that the posts are substantially free to rotate in an angular range of at least about five degrees within the one or more opening; and

wherein the one or more posts includes two posts and wherein one of the two posts extends perpendicularly from one side of the extension portion and the other of the two posts extends perpendicularly from an opposite side of the extension portion such that the two posts are substantially co-linear with one another and also substantially co-linear with the longitudinal pivot axis.

11. The headgear support of claim 10 , wherein the pad has a contoured shape so as to at least partially conform to the shape of the user's head or neck.

12. The headgear support of claim 10 , wherein the pivot axis intersects at least a portion of the headband.

13. The headgear support of claim 10 , wherein the pad is selectively removable from the headband.

14. The headgear support assembly of claim 10 , wherein the pad includes a textured surface.

15. The headgear support of claim 10 , wherein the pad includes at least one post defining the pivot axis.

16. The headgear support of claim 10 , wherein the pad has an arcuate pad portion.

17. The headgear support of claim 16 , wherein the pad portion includes a plurality of openings extending from the front side to the rear side.

18. The headgear support of claim 10 , wherein each of the posts includes a pair of flexible tines at a distal end thereof.