Patent ID: 7237779

Claim:
A vehicle height adjusting apparatus comprising: a suspension spring supporting a sprung weight of a vehicle; a pivotal unsprung member carrying a road wheel and connected to a lower end of the suspension spring so as to pivot in response to deformation of the suspension spring; and a drive mechanism adapted so as to be free from the sprung weight and capable of moving the unsprung member so as to cause the suspension spring to increase or decrease in length and thereby adjusting a vehicle height at the road wheel, wherein the drive mechanism includes a line member connected at one end thereof to one of a vehicle body side member and the unsprung member, a drive unit disposed at the other of the vehicle body side member and the unsprung member and capable of driving the line member toward and away from the other of the vehicle body side member and the unsprung member, and a resilient member connected to the other end of the line member, the drive unit being capable of driving the line member by way of the resilient member, and wherein the drive unit comprises a reel, and the resilient member includes a spiral spring connected to the other end of the line member and wound around the reel, the drive unit being capable of varying an amount by which the spiral spring is wound around the reel.