Patents by Inventor Karl Robert Klingebiel

Karl Robert Klingebiel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • INVERTIBLE AIRCRAFT
    Publication number: 20160130010
    Abstract: A rotorcraft including a fuselage, one or more motor-driven rotors for vertical flight, and a control system. The motors drive the one or more rotors in either of two directions of rotation to provide for flight in either an upright or an inverted orientation. An orientation sensor is used to control the primary direction of thrust, and operational instructions and gathered information are automatically adapted based on the orientation of the fuselage with respect to gravity. The rotors are configured with blades that invert to conform to the direction of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Applicant: AEROVIRONMENT INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel
  • Invertible aircraft
    Patent number: 9199733
    Abstract: A rotorcraft including a fuselage, one or more motor-driven rotors for vertical flight, and a control system. The motors drive the one or more rotors in either of two directions of rotation to provide for flight in either an upright or an inverted orientation. An orientation sensor is used to control the primary direction of thrust, and operational instructions and gathered information are automatically adapted based on the orientation of the fuselage with respect to gravity. The rotors are configured with blades that invert to conform to the direction of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: AeroVironment Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel
  • Air Vehicle Flight Mechanism and Control Method
    Publication number: 20150115097
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs, John Peter Zwaan
  • Air Vehicle Flight Mechanism and Control Method
    Publication number: 20150008279
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs, John Peter Zwaan
  • Air Vehicle Flight Mechanism and Control Method for Non-Sinusoidal Wing Flapping
    Publication number: 20140158821
    Abstract: A flapping wing driving apparatus includes at least one crank gear capstan rotatably coupled to a crank gear, the at least one crank gear capstan disposed radially offset from a center of rotation of the crank gear; a first wing capstan coupled to a first wing, the first wing capstan having a first variable-radius drive pulley portion; and a first drive linking member configured to drive the first wing capstan, the first drive linking member windably coupled between the first variable-radius drive pulley portion and one of the at least one crank gear capstan; wherein the first wing capstan is configured to non-constantly, angularly rotate responsive to a constant angular rotation of the crank gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Alexander Andryukov, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Henry Thome Won
  • INVERTIBLE AIRCRAFT
    Publication number: 20140138477
    Abstract: A rotorcraft including a fuselage, one or more motor-driven rotors for vertical flight, and a control system. The motors drive the one or more rotors in either of two directions of rotation to provide for flight in either an upright or an inverted orientation. An orientation sensor is used to control the primary direction of thrust, and operational instructions and gathered information are automatically adapted based on the orientation of the fuselage with respect to gravity. The rotors are configured with blades that invert to conform to the direction of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: AeroVironment Inc
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel
  • Air Vehicle Flight Mechanism and Control Method
    Publication number: 20130168493
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs, John Peter Zwaan
  • Air vehicle flight mechanism and control method
    Patent number: 8210471
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Aerovironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs
  • Air vehicle flight mechanism and control method
    Patent number: 8205823
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Aerovironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs, John Peter Zwaan
  • Air Vehicle Flight Mechanism and Control Method
    Publication number: 20120048994
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs
  • Air Vehicle Flight Mechanism and Control Method
    Publication number: 20100308160
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs, John Peter Zwaan