Patents by Inventor Steffen Kuentzel

Steffen Kuentzel 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).

  • Patent number: 10479482
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a propeller assembly includes a blade and a joint. The blade is adapted to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the blade to vary a pitch of the blade, wherein the blade includes a plurality of bearings provided on a proximal end of the blade. The joint is adapted to couple the blade to a central shaft of the assembly via the plurality of bearings, where the joint is adapted to telescope and twist along the central shaft of the assembly such that in a first position, the blade is at a first angle. In a second position, the blade is at a second angle greater than the first angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
    Inventors: Steffen Kuentzel, Damon Vander Lind
  • Patent number: 10457381
    Abstract: A bistable pitch propeller includes a ball, a spring, and a clutch module where the clutch module has a range of rotational movement between a locked end position and a released end position. The clutch module includes a detent, where the ball sits inside and outside of the detent when the clutch module is in the locked end position and released end position, respectively. In response to an input torque and a spring force from the spring, the clutch module rotates toward the released end position and the locked end position, respectively. The bistable pitch propeller also includes an aircraft blade where the aircraft blade is at the first pitch angle and the second pitch angle when the clutch module is in the locked end position and the released end position, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
    Inventors: Steffen Kuentzel, Damon Vander Lind
  • Publication number: 20180265182
    Abstract: A bistable pitch propeller includes a ball, a spring, and a clutch module where the clutch module has a range of rotational movement between a locked end position and a released end position. The clutch module includes a detent, where the ball sits inside and outside of the detent when the clutch module is in the locked end position and released end position, respectively. In response to an input torque and a spring force from the spring, the clutch module rotates toward the released end position and the locked end position, respectively. The bistable pitch propeller also includes an aircraft blade where the aircraft blade is at the first pitch angle and the second pitch angle when the clutch module is in the locked end position and the released end position, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Steffen Kuentzel, Damon Vander Lind
  • Patent number: 9809300
    Abstract: In response to a torque that is applied to a clutch module not exceeding a torque threshold, the clutch module is locked where a blade is configured to be at a first pitch angle in response to the clutch module being locked. In response to the torque that is applied to the clutch module exceeding the torque threshold, the clutch module is released where the blade has a range of motion which extends from the first pitch angle to a second pitch angle in response to the clutch module being released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
    Inventors: Steffen Kuentzel, Damon Vander Lind