# US 2017/0282995 A1 · Vehicle height adjustment apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0282995 A1 - Document ID: US20170282995A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/464,897 - Filed: 2017-03-21 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31 - Assignees: Showa Corporation - Applicants: Showa Corporation - Inventors: Yosuke MURAKAMI; Hiroyuki MIYATA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170282995A1 ## CPC - B62K 25/08: for front wheel - B60G 3/01: the wheel being mounted for sliding movement, e.g. in or on a vertical guide (camber maintaining means B60G3/26) - B60G 11/56: having helical, spiral or coil springs, and also fluid springs - B60G 17/048: with the regulating means inside the fluid springs (B60G17/044 takes precedence) - B60G 17/08: Characteristics of fluid dampers (adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53) - B62K 25/283: {for cycles without a pedal crank, e.g. motorcycles} - F16F 1/121: {adjustable, e.g. to modify spring characteristics} - B60G 15/061: {with a coil spring being mounted inside the damper} - B60G 17/0272: {the mechanical spring being a coil spring} - B60G 2202/413: Hydraulic actuator - B60G 2202/416: using a pump, e.g. in the line connecting the lower chamber to the upper chamber of the actuator - B60G 2300/12: Cycles; Motorcycles - B60G 2500/20: Spring action or springs - B60G 2500/30: Height or ground clearance - B60G 2500/322: only front part - B60G 2800/914: Height Control System - B62K 2025/044: {Suspensions with automatic adjustment} - B62K 2025/045: {Suspensions with ride-height adjustment} - B62K 2201/04: Helical springs - B62K 2201/08: Fluid springs - B62K: CYCLES; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CYCLES; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE SIDECARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE - B60G: VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS (air-cushion vehicles B60V; {cycle suspensions B62K25/00}) - F16F: SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION ## Abstract A vehicle height adjustment apparatus according to one embodiment include a spring, a spring-length changing unit, a first valve, a control valve and a second valve. The spring-length changing unit changes a length of the spring in accordance with an amount of oil in a jack chamber that accommodates the oil. The first valve opens and closes a first communication path in which the oil supplied from a pump is oriented toward a reservoir chamber that stores the oil. The control valve opens and closes a discharge flow path oriented toward the reservoir chamber from a chamber that accommodates the oil to close the first valve. The second valve opens and closes a second communication path in which the oil supplied from the pump is oriented toward the jack chamber when the first valve is closed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle height adjustment apparatus comprising: a spring which has one end supported on a vehicle body side and the other end supported on a wheel side; a changing device which changes a length of the spring in accordance with an amount of fluid in an accommodation chamber that accommodates the fluid; a first valve which opens and closes a first flow path in which the fluid supplied from a pump is oriented toward a storage chamber that stores the fluid; a back pressure adjustment valve which opens and closes a discharge flow path oriented toward the storage chamber from a back pressure chamber that accommodates the fluid that applies a force in a direction in which the first valve is closed to the first valve; and a second valve which opens and closes a second flow path in which the fluid supplied from the pump is oriented toward the accommodation chamber in a case where the first valve is in a closed state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle height adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a flow path forming member which forms the discharge flow path oriented toward the storage chamber from the back pressure chamber via a recess portion which is recessed from the back pressure chamber, wherein the back pressure adjustment valve is fitted to the recess portion of the flow path forming member to be movable between a position at which the discharge flow path is open and a position at which the discharge flow path is closed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle height adjustment apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a third valve which opens and closes a third flow path oriented toward the storage chamber from the accommodation chamber by moving in accordance with the position of the back pressure adjustment valve. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicle height adjustment apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a fourth valve which opens and closes a fourth flow path which is a flow path oriented toward the storage chamber from the accommodation chamber by moving in accordance with the position of the third valve, wherein a flow path area of the fourth flow path is greater than that of the third flow path. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle height adjustment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the third valve is provided on the third flow path and in a fourth back pressure chamber which accommodates the fluid that applies a force in the direction in which the fourth valve is closed to the fourth valve, and wherein the third valve moves between (i) a position at which an inflow path that reaches the fourth back pressure chamber from the accommodation chamber is open and (ii) a position at which the inflow path is closed.