Patent ID: 7988165

Claim:
A suspension apparatus for a vehicle having a body and a wheel, comprising, as a main element thereof, a main suspension member functioning as both a suspension spring and a suspension link, and including (a) a main portion which is formed of an elongate material such that opposite ends of the main portion are near to each other, (b) a first body-side attachment portion and a second body-side attachment portion which are provided at the opposite ends of the main portion, respectively, and which are attached to the body of the vehicle such that the first body-side attachment portion and the second body-side attachment portion are pivotable about a first pivotal axis and a second pivotal axis, respectively, each relative to the body, and (c) a wheel-side attachment portion which is provided at a portion of the main portion that is distant from the first and second body-side attachment portions, and which is attached to a wheel-side member that is provided on a side of the wheel, wherein the main suspension member is provided such that the main portion has a C-shaped configuration as seen in a lateral direction of the body of the vehicle and a centerline of an axle shaft of the wheel is located in the C-shaped configuration of the main portion, and wherein the first and second pivotal axes are inclined relative to each other such that when the first and second body-side attachment portions are pivoted about the first and second pivotal axes, respectively, the main portion is subjected to a twisting elastic deformation that produces an elastic force to support the body of the vehicle.