Patent ID: 8308170

Claim:
Active suspension assembly ( 1 , 101 ) for use in a vehicle to suspend a second vehicle mass ( 6 , 106 ) to a first vehicle mass ( 4 , 104 ), the assembly ( 1 , 101 ) comprising a bearing arm ( 3 , 103 ), spring means ( 5 , 105 ) and adjustment means ( 110 ), wherein in use: the bearing arm ( 3 , 103 ) is pivotally connected to the first vehicle mass ( 4 , 104 ) around a pivot axis (P), to support the second vehicle mass ( 6 , 106 ); the spring means ( 5 , 105 ) produce a spring force (F s ), exerting a counter moment (M c ) on the bearing arm ( 3 , 103 ); and the adjustment means ( 110 ) are arranged to vary said counter moment (M c ) by altering the direction of the spring force (F s ) and/or move its point of application (P a ) in a first direction, characterized in that the adjustment means ( 110 ) are furthermore arranged to move the point of application (P a ) of the spring force (F s ) in a second direction, in which the counter moment is not or hardly affected, but the effective spring stiffness (C eff ) of the suspension assembly ( 1 , 101 ) is affected by the movement of the point of application (P a ), wherein the adjustment means ( 110 ) are further adapted to move the point of application (P a ) of the spring force (F s ) along a predetermined two dimensional path (QC), wherein a direction of a normal (M) of a plane accommodating said path includes an acute angle with both a direction (Y) of the pivot axis (P) and a direction (X) of the bearing arm ( 3 , 103 ).