The BECCARII propulsion system — the PDU, Propelling Driving Unit — is the subject of a granted international patent family. The invention is credited to Witold Mielniczek; the proprietor is B-Technology Sp. z o.o. (Poland).
- Title: Propulsion system for a vehicle or a toy vehicle
- Priority: 7 June 2012, first filing in the United Kingdom (GB201210010D0)
- International application (PCT): WO2013182708A1
The priority country is the United Kingdom, not Poland — a detail worth stating plainly, because it is the first thing a patent examiner or a due-diligence analyst will check.
Granted and currently in force
| Jurisdiction | Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
| United States | US9364766B2 | Active |
| Canada | CA2875745C | Active |
| European Patent | EP2858730B1 | Active in validated states |
| Eurasian Patent (EAPO) | EA029796B1 | Granted — RU, BY, KZ, AM, AZ, KG, TJ, TM, MD |
Granted, subsequently lapsed for renewal fees
Patents in this group were examined and granted; protection later ceased because renewal fees were not maintained. We state this openly — the strength of the family lies in the jurisdictions that are live today.
| Jurisdiction | Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
| United States | US9789415B2 | Expired — fee related |
| Japan | JP6343799B2 | Expired — fee related |
| China | CN104470601B | Expired — fee related |
| Australia | AU2013273446B2 | Ceased |
| Brazil | BR112014030446B1 | Ceased |
India (IN2014MN02446A) remains an application; it was not granted.
European coverage
EP2858730B1 designates 38 EPC contracting states: AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LI, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR — plus extension states BA and ME. Validation has been documented for CY, DK, ES, HR, HU, LT, PT, RS, SI, SM and ME.
A distinction that matters: designated is not the same as validated and in force. A European patent takes effect in a given country only after validation there, and only while renewal fees are paid. The definitive source is the EPO Register.
What the patent covers
The claims concern the arrangement of a propulsion unit within a wheel or track structure — the configuration that lets a single drivetrain provide ground traction and aerodynamic thrust without duplicating parts. It is the reason BECCARII can be one machine instead of a vehicle carrying an aircraft.
Questions we are asked
How many jurisdictions does the family cover?
More than fifty, counting national patents, the Eurasian patent (9 states) and the European patent (38 designated states). The number of jurisdictions where protection is in force today is smaller — see the tables above.
When does protection expire?
A patent with 2012 priority runs to 2032 at the latest, subject to renewal fees in each jurisdiction.
Who owns it?
B-Technology Sp. z o.o., Jasionka, Poland. Inventor: Witold Mielniczek.
Where can this be verified?
Every number above resolves in Google Patents and Espacenet. Current fee status should be confirmed in the EPO Register and the national registers.
See also: how the PDU works · mission profiles · fact sheet
Why a patent inside the track is commercially unusual
Most propulsion patents in the eVTOL field protect an arrangement of rotors, a control law or a battery architecture — things a competitor can design around by moving a rotor or rewriting software. This family protects something harder to route around: the placement of the propulsion unit inside the running gear itself.
That single decision produces four functions from one structure. The track is the landing gear when the vehicle sets down, the guard that keeps the propeller away from people and obstacles, the drive system on the ground, and the geometry that lets the vehicle climb over what is in front of it. A competitor who wants all four has to arrive at the same idea.
It also removes hardware. There is no differential, no gearbox and no drive shafts, because each track is driven directly. Fewer parts means fewer failure points in the field and less mass to carry into the air.
What “priority 2012” means in practice
The first filing was made in the United Kingdom on 7 June 2012 (GB201210010D0), and every later national filing takes its novelty date from that day. In patent terms, anything published anywhere in the world after 7 June 2012 cannot be used to invalidate these claims. For a field that grew as quickly as eVTOL did after 2015, an early priority date is the part of the portfolio that is impossible to acquire later.
Verifying this yourself
Every number on this page resolves in Google Patents and in Espacenet. Searching the publication number returns the full text, the claims, the drawings and the legal status in each jurisdiction. We publish the numbers rather than adjectives for exactly that reason.
Related
How the vehicle works · Fact sheet · Mission profiles · Wersja polska