Patent ID: 7559562

Claim:
A suspension apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: a stabilizer bar including: a torsion bar portion that extends in a lateral direction of the vehicle, and left and right arm portions that respectively extend in a fore-aft direction of the vehicle from left and right ends of the torsion bar portion, wherein the torsion bar portion is mounted to a body of the vehicle such that the stabilizer bar can rotate about an axis of the torsion bar portion, and distal ends of the arm portions are connected to corresponding wheel support members; and a hydraulic cylinder interposed between one of the left and right arm portions and the body of the vehicle such that extension and contraction of the hydraulic cylinder are controlled so as to control a stiffness of the stabilizer bar, wherein the one of the left and right arm portions connected to the hydraulic cylinder includes: a first arm section that extends from one end of the torsion bar portion in the fore-aft direction of the vehicle such that a distal end of the first arm section is offset from the axis of the torsion bar portion in the fore-aft direction of the vehicle, and a second arm section that is rotatably connected to the distal end of the first arm section about an axis parallel to the axis of the torsion bar portion, the second arm section extends in the fore-aft direction of the vehicle and connects to the corresponding wheel support member at a portion of the second arm section through which neither of the respective axes pass, and a connection portion that connects the hydraulic cylinder to the second arm section at a portion through which the axis of the torsion bar portion passes.