Patent ID: 8770593

Claim:
A suspension system for a vehicle, the suspension system comprising: a damper interconnecting a body and a wheel of the vehicle and having a central longitudinal axis; and a jack assembly attached to the damper and configured for raising and lowering the body with respect to the wheel, wherein the jack assembly includes: a seat abutting and rotatable about the damper; a resilient member coiled about the damper and coupled to the seat so that the resilient member is not rotatable with respect to the seat; wherein the seat is rotatable about the central longitudinal axis in a first direction as the resilient member extends and lengthens along the central longitudinal axis, and is rotatable about the central longitudinal axis in a second direction that is opposite the first direction as the resilient member compresses and shortens along the central longitudinal axis; a ball screw abutting and fixedly attached to the damper, wherein the ball screw is not rotatable about the damper; a ball nut abutting and rotatable about the ball screw and the damper; a first clutch coiled about the ball nut and coupled to the seat; a second clutch coiled about the damper and coupled to the ball nut; wherein the seat is translatable along the damper to thereby raise and lower the body of the vehicle; a first solenoid configured for engaging the first clutch; and a second solenoid configured for engaging the second clutch, wherein each of the first solenoid and the second solenoid is transitionable between an energized state and a de-energized state.