Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 11389026, we will examine the "Cited By" and "Citations" sections of the patent document. Under 35 U.S.C. § 102, a patent claim is anticipated if every element of the claimed invention is identically disclosed, either expressly or inherently, in a single prior art reference that existed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.

Most Relevant Prior Art for US Patent 11389026

Here are some of the prior art references cited in US Patent 11389026, along with a brief description and potential claims they might anticipate:

1. US20190290062A1 - Hot air fryer cooking appliance with a scalable cooking capacity

• Full Citation: US20190290062A1
• Publication Date: 2019-09-26
• Description: This patent application describes a hot air fryer cooking appliance with a scalable cooking capacity. It focuses on an appliance that can adjust its cooking volume, which may involve features like removable dividers or multiple cooking zones.
• Potential Anticipation for Claims: Claims 1, 11, and 16, particularly regarding the concept of a cooking system with multiple compartments or adaptable cooking volumes, and the independent operation of heating elements and fans. The "scalable cooking capacity" could be interpreted to anticipate the idea of having distinct, independently operable cooking volumes.

2. US20230160580A1 - Device for heating and/or cooking food

• Full Citation: US20230160580A1
• Publication Date: 2023-05-25 (Note: This publication date is after the filing date of US11389026. This would typically not be considered prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102 for anticipation unless it claims priority to an earlier application that predates US11389026's priority date. Given the current task's scope, we'll list it as cited but note the date discrepancy.)
• Description: This patent application describes a device for heating and/or cooking food. Without further detail, it's hard to be specific, but it likely covers various aspects of food heating apparatuses.
• Potential Anticipation for Claims: Depending on the specific disclosures within this reference, it could potentially anticipate aspects of claims 1, 11, and 16 related to general cooking system features, heating elements, and air movement. However, as noted, its publication date raises questions about its eligibility as prior art for anticipation against US11389026.

3. US12075943B2 - Cooking device and components thereof

• Full Citation: US12075943B2
• Publication Date: 2024-09-03 (Note: This publication date is after the filing date of US11389026. Similar to the above, this would typically not be considered prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102 for anticipation unless it claims priority to an earlier application that predates US11389026's priority date.)
• Description: This patent, with a very similar title to US11389026, likely covers related inventions in cooking devices and their components. It's listed as a "Cited by examiner" reference, suggesting it was considered during the examination of US11389026.
• Potential Anticipation for Claims: Given the identical title and assignee (Sharkninja Operating LLC), this patent is highly likely to be a divisional or continuation patent stemming from the same or a related patent family. It could contain disclosures that are highly relevant to, and potentially anticipate, various elements of claims 1, 11, and 16, especially if it shares a common priority date predating US11389026.

4. USD1075406S1 - Stacked air fryer

• Full Citation: USD1075406S1
• Publication Date: 2025-05-20 (Note: This is a design patent, and its publication date is after the filing date of US11389026. Design patents typically protect the ornamental design of an article rather than its functional aspects. While it can be prior art for design patents under § 102, its relevance for utility patent claims (like those in US11389026) for anticipation would be limited to structural features it explicitly discloses.)
• Description: This is a design patent for a "stacked air fryer," indicating a focus on the aesthetic or external configuration of such a device, likely with multiple levels or compartments.
• Potential Anticipation for Claims: While primarily a design patent, any clear disclosure of structural elements of a "stacked air fryer" (e.g., dual compartments, removable containers, placement of heating elements/fans) could potentially anticipate corresponding structural limitations in claims 1, 11, and 16. However, anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102 requires identical disclosure of every element, which is less common for a design patent to fulfill for utility claims.

General Note on Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
For a claim to be anticipated under 35 U.S.C. § 102, a single prior art reference must disclose every element of the claimed invention, either explicitly or inherently, and those elements must be arranged as in the claim. Minor differences prevent anticipation, though they might lead to a rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 103 for obviousness.