Prior art — US Patent 11490647

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 11490647, I will examine each patent cited as prior art within the US11490647B2 document itself. The Google Patents link provides a list of "Patent Citations" which are explicitly stated as "Cited by examiner" unless otherwise noted. This indicates that the examiner considered these documents during the prosecution of US11490647.

Here's an analysis of the most relevant prior art cited by the examiner for US patent 11490647:

Most Relevant Prior Art for US11490647

1. US6004596A - Sealed crustless sandwich

Full Citation: US6004596A [cite: The provided patent text]
Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: December 21, 1999; Priority date: December 8, 1997 [cite: The provided patent text]
Brief Description: This patent describes a sealed crustless sandwich designed for convenience and extended storage without filling leakage. The sandwich includes lower and upper bread portions with upper, lower, and center fillings, all sealed by a crimped edge along the outer perimeter of the bread. It aims to provide a crustless sandwich that prevents filling from seeping into the bread.
Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): US6004596A is highly relevant to the concept of a "sealed crustless sandwich." Specifically, its description of "a crimped edge along an outer perimeter of the bread portions for sealing the fillings therebetween" could potentially anticipate aspects of:
- Claim 1: The sealing press and sealing edge for creating a sealed sandwich. The claim explicitly mentions a "sealing edge" which is used to form a well-sealed sandwich. While US6004596A does not describe the specific apparatus with an oblique surface, the outcome of a sealed, crustless sandwich with a crimped edge is directly addressed. [cite: The provided patent text]
- Claim 2: If the crimped edge of US6004596A implies any form of pattern or design, it could potentially relate to the "plurality of protrusions" creating an "imprint on the edges." [cite: The provided patent text]

2. US6754965B1 - Integrated sandwich crimping tool

Full Citation: US6754965B1 [cite: The provided patent text]
Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: June 29, 2004; Priority date: November 28, 2000 [cite: The provided patent text]
Brief Description: This patent describes an integrated sandwich crimping tool. The detailed description for this patent is not available in the provided search results.
Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Without a detailed description of the tool, it's difficult to pinpoint specific anticipated claims. However, given its title, it likely pertains to the method and apparatus of crimping sandwiches. This could potentially anticipate elements of:
- Claim 1: The "sealing press" and "sealing edge" components, as a crimping tool would directly perform the sealing function. [cite: The provided patent text]
- Claim 2: If the crimping tool creates any specific edge design, it could relate to the "plurality of protrusions" and their resulting imprint. [cite: The provided patent text]

3. US20080241326A1 - Apparatus, system, and method for a bread cutter and impression devices

Full Citation: US20080241326A1 [cite: The provided patent text]
Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: October 2, 2008; Priority date: December 22, 2006 [cite: The provided patent text]
Brief Description: This patent describes an apparatus, system, and method for a bread cutter and impression devices. The detailed description for this patent is not available in the provided search results.
Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): The title suggests this patent is highly relevant to both the cutting and sealing (impression) aspects of US11490647. It could potentially anticipate elements of:
- Claim 1: The "primary cutting die" and "at least one primary blade," as well as potentially the "sealing press" and its "sealing edge" if the "impression devices" perform a similar function. [cite: The provided patent text]
- Claim 2: The "impression devices" directly relate to the "plurality of protrusions" that create an "imprint on the edges." [cite: The provided patent text]

4. US20150291309A1 - Collapsible container

Full Citation: US20150291309A1 [cite: The provided patent text]
Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: October 15, 2015; Priority date: April 12, 2010 [cite: The provided patent text]
Brief Description: This patent describes a collapsible container. The detailed description for this patent is not available in the provided search results.
Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Given the title, this patent appears to be less directly related to the sandwich-making functionality of US11490647 and more to a container design. However, the nesting feature of US11490647 could potentially be seen as anticipated by general concepts of collapsible or nested designs for compact storage, particularly:
- Claim 3 & 4: These claims describe the "at least one sealing press is nested within the primary cutting die" and the "second rim being pressed against the first rim" for compact storage. General principles of nesting or collapsible designs found in a "collapsible container" could be relevant. [cite: The provided patent text]

5. US20210137317A1 - Sandwich Crimper

Full Citation: US20210137317A1 [cite: The provided patent text]
Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: May 13, 2021; Priority date: November 12, 2019 [cite: The provided patent text]
Brief Description: This patent describes a sandwich crimper. The detailed description for this patent is not available in the provided search results. It shares the same priority date and inventor as US11490647.
Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): As a "Sandwich Crimper" with the same inventor and priority date, this patent is likely very similar or a related application to US11490647. It would almost certainly anticipate many, if not all, of the claims related to the sealing aspect:
- Claim 1: The "sealing press," "sealing edge," and potentially the "oblique surface" if the crimper design incorporates similar features for sealing and shaping. [cite: The provided patent text]
- Claim 2: The "plurality of protrusions" for creating imprints during crimping. [cite: The provided patent text]
- Claim 3 & 4: The nesting functionality, if the crimper is designed to be nested with other components. [cite: The provided patent text]

6. US11412742B2 - Sandwiching device

Full Citation: US11412742B2 [cite: The provided patent text]
Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: August 16, 2022; Priority date: May 11, 2017 [cite: The provided patent text]
Brief Description: This patent describes a sandwiching device. The detailed description for this patent is not available in the provided search results.
Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Without a detailed description, it is difficult to determine precise anticipation. However, a "sandwiching device" would inherently involve elements of assembling and potentially sealing sandwiches. This could broadly anticipate aspects of:
- Claim 1: The overall concept of a "sandwich maker" comprising components for preparing a sandwich, potentially including cutting and sealing elements. [cite: The provided patent text]
- Any claims related to the process of combining bread and filling.

Note: The analysis of "potential anticipation" under 35 U.S.C. § 102 is based on the titles and brief descriptions available. A definitive determination would require a full review of each cited patent's claims and detailed disclosure.