Headgear assembly for a respiratory mask assembly

A headgear assembly to stabilize and position a respiratory mask assembly on a patient's head to maintain the respiratory mask assembly in a desired adjusted position on a patient's face during use, the headgear assembly comprising: a pair of upper side strap portions, each of the pair of upper side strap portions configured to extend across a corresponding lateral side of the patient's head and superior to the patient's corresponding ear and eye in use; a pair of lower side strap portions, each of the pair of lower side strap portions configured to extend across a corresponding lateral side of the patient's head and inferior to the patient's corresponding ear in use; an upper strap portion connecting the pair of upper side strap portions and configured to prevent movement of the headgear assembly in an inferior direction on the patient's head in use; a rear lower strap portion connecting the pair of lower side strap portions; a rear cross-bar strap portion positioned inferior to the upper strap portion and superior to the rear lower strap portion in use; a pair of upper intermediate strap portions, each of the pair of upper intermediate strap portions connecting a corresponding one of the pair of upper side strap portions to the rear cross-bar strap portion; and a pair of lower intermediate strap portions, each of the pair of lower intermediate strap portions connecting the rear cross-bar strap to the rear lower strap portion, wherein the upper strap portion, the pair of upper intermediate strap portions, and the rear cross-bar strap portion define an upper opening, wherein the rear lower strap portion, the pair of lower intermediate strap portions, and the rear cross-bar strap portion define a lower opening, and wherein the upper opening and the rear lower opening are dimensioned such that the upper opening is configured to accommodate a larger portion of the patient's head in use than the rear lower opening.