Patent ID: 6945547

Claim:
A multi-link suspension assembly for a vehicle wheel, comprising: a wheel mount, the wheel mount oriented along a longitudinal axis of a vehicle body; an upper lateral link, the upper lateral link oriented along a lateral axis of the vehicle body near a wheel center, the upper lateral link pivotally connected to the wheel mount; a lower lateral link, the lower lateral link oriented along a lateral axis of the vehicle body near the wheel center, the lower lateral link pivotally connected to the wheel mount; a toe link, the toe link oriented along a lateral axis of the vehicle body behind the wheel center, the toe link pivotally connected to the wheel mount; a longitudinal link, the longitudinal link oriented along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle body, the longitudinal link pivotally connected to the lower lateral link near the wheel center; an upper arm portion connected at one end to the wheel mount near the upper lateral link and having a remote end spaced apart from the wheel mount; and a lower arm portion connected at one end to the wheel mount near the lower lateral link and arranged with the upper arm portion and the wheel mount in a triangular structure, said lower arm portion having a remote end spaced apart from the wheel mount, whereby said upper arm portion, said lower arm portion and said wheel mount cooperate to form a wheel carrier; and a drop link having a generally vertical pivot axis and pivotally connecting the remote ends of the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion to the longitudinal link at a point spaced apart from the wheel mount.