Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 12478181 and analyze which claims it potentially anticipates, I will examine the citations listed on the patent. I'll focus on the "Citations" section of the provided patent text, which lists documents cited by the examiner.

Here's an analysis of the prior art cited in US Patent 12478181:

Prior Art Analysis for US Patent 12478181

The following prior art documents were cited against US Patent 12478181. For each, a brief description and potential anticipation of claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102 are provided.

1. US1746720A - Adjustable tray

• Full Citation: US1746720A, Daniel A Sullivan, published 1930-02-11.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed 1927-09-03, Published 1930-02-11.
• Brief Description: This patent describes an adjustable tray. While the specific details of its adjustability are not fully elaborated in the provided text, the title itself suggests a mechanism for changing its dimensions.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent potentially anticipates the general concept of an "adjustable drawer" or "adjustable tray" as broadly described in the preambles of claims 1, 10, and 17, particularly the aspect of a structure being "expandable or contractible" for adjustment. The details of how the adjustment is achieved would determine closer anticipation.

2. US2627801A - Extensible cake pan

• Full Citation: US2627801A, Danziger Manfred, published 1953-02-10.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed 1949-08-03, Published 1953-02-10.
• Brief Description: This patent describes an extensible cake pan, implying a structure that can change its dimensions, likely its length or width, for baking purposes.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US1746720A, this patent broadly anticipates the concept of an "expandable or contractible" container. It could potentially anticipate the general adjustability aspect in claims 1, 10, and 17, focusing on the ability to change dimensions.

3. US2907487A - Expansible containers

• Full Citation: US2907487A, Harrington Susie, published 1959-10-06.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed 1957-07-01, Published 1959-10-06.
• Brief Description: This patent details expansible containers, which inherently possess the ability to increase in size.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference directly addresses "expansible containers," which could anticipate the "expandable or contractible" feature of the drawer body in claims 1, 10, and 17. The specific mechanisms for expansion would dictate closer relevance to the more detailed features of the claims.

4. US2948624A - Expansible metal foil package

• Full Citation: US2948624A, Dighton L Watson, published 1960-08-09.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed 1954-12-16, Published 1960-08-09.
• Brief Description: This patent describes an expansible metal foil package, indicating a packaging solution that can vary in size.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Like the other "expansible" or "extensible" patents, this patent generally anticipates the concept of an expandable or contractible article, relevant to the broad adjustability stated in claims 1, 10, and 17.

5. US3272583A - Sliding adjustable drawer

• Full Citation: US3272583A, Edward P Averdieck, published 1966-09-13.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed 1964-12-21, Published 1966-09-13.
• Brief Description: This patent directly describes a "sliding adjustable drawer." This title suggests mechanisms for adjustment and the use of sliding components within a drawer context.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is highly relevant as it explicitly covers a "sliding adjustable drawer." It likely anticipates the core concept of an adjustable drawer that uses sliding mechanisms for adjustment, as described in the preambles of claims 1, 10, and 17. Depending on its specific structural details, it could potentially anticipate the "slidably received" aspects of claims 1 and 17, and possibly the general idea of movable connecting elements.

6. US3463343A - Adjustable circuit board box

• Full Citation: US3463343A, Shell Oil Co, published 1969-08-26.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed 1967-08-28, Published 1969-08-26.
• Brief Description: This patent describes an adjustable circuit board box, implying a container with changeable dimensions to accommodate different circuit board sizes.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent anticipates the concept of an "adjustable" container or box. Its relevance to claims 1, 10, and 17 would depend on whether its adjustment mechanisms align with the specific "connecting elements" and "openings" claimed in US12478181.

7. US5016772A - Collapsible receptacle assembly and related method

• Full Citation: US5016772A, Wilk Peter J, published 1991-05-21.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed 1990-03-02, Published 1991-05-21.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a collapsible receptacle assembly, indicating a container that can be folded or reduced in size.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): While focusing on "collapsible" rather than "expandable," the underlying principle of changing container dimensions is present. It could broadly anticipate the "expandable or contractible" aspect in claims 1, 10, and 17.

8. US5192019A - Package product display box having adjustable length feature

• Full Citation: US5192019A, The Mike Meehan Company, published 1993-03-09.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed 1992-06-18, Published 1993-03-09.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a display box with an "adjustable length feature," directly addressing adjustability in one dimension.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference directly anticipates the "adjustable length" aspect of US12478181. It could potentially anticipate the "at least one of the plurality of connecting elements is movable along a length direction of the drawer body for adjustment" found in claims 1, 10, and 17. Closer examination of its mechanism would be needed to assess anticipation of the specific "sliding groove" or "array of openings" features.

9. US7594706B2 - Adjustable sliding sink drawer

• Full Citation: US7594706B2, Styka Kimberly A, published 2009-09-29.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed 2005-11-18, Published 2009-09-29.
• Brief Description: This patent describes an "adjustable sliding sink drawer," which combines the concepts of adjustability and a drawer that slides, specifically for a sink application.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is highly relevant as it explicitly refers to an "adjustable sliding sink drawer." It likely anticipates the core concept of an adjustable drawer and the use of sliding elements for adjustment, as broadly described in claims 1, 10, and 17. Depending on its specific construction, it could also potentially anticipate aspects of how connecting elements are made movable or secured.

10. US8608262B1 - Expandable drawer

• Full Citation: US8608262B1, Davide A. Daros, published 2013-12-17.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed 2010-11-15, Published 2013-12-17.
• Brief Description: This patent directly describes an "expandable drawer," indicating a drawer designed to change its dimensions.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is highly relevant as it explicitly covers an "expandable drawer." It likely anticipates the fundamental idea of a drawer that can be expanded or contracted in width and/or length, as described in claims 1, 10, and 17. The specific mechanisms of expansion would determine if it anticipates the detailed interlocking or fastening features of US12478181.

11. US8807355B2 - Expandible container

• Full Citation: US8807355B2, Thomas B. Merey, published 2014-08-19.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed 2011-06-28, Published 2014-08-19.
• Brief Description: This patent describes an "expandible container," a general term for a container capable of increasing its volume or dimensions.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to other "expansible" references, this patent broadly anticipates the "expandable or contractible" characteristic of the drawer body in claims 1, 10, and 17.

12. US9408498B2 - Adjustable liner for use in deep fryers of different widths

• Full Citation: US9408498B2, Donna Eve Radtke Sekora, published 2016-08-09.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed 2012-06-22, Published 2016-08-09.
• Brief Description: This patent describes an "adjustable liner" specifically for deep fryers, with a focus on accommodating "different widths."
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference directly addresses "adjustable widths," which is a key feature of US12478181. It could potentially anticipate the "at least one of the plurality of connecting elements is movable along a width direction of the drawer body for adjustment" in claims 1, 10, and 17, particularly regarding width adjustment mechanisms.

13. US9624000B1 - Article holding tray

• Full Citation: US9624000B1, Sonya McLaughlin, published 2017-04-18.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed 2015-02-18, Published 2017-04-18.
• Brief Description: This patent describes an "article holding tray." While the title doesn't explicitly mention adjustability, it's a general category that could encompass adjustable designs.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Without more specific details about its adjustability, this patent's anticipation is less direct. It could broadly be considered in the context of any "drawer configuration" or "tray" as a receptacle, but its impact on the adjustable features of US12478181 is not immediately clear from the title alone.

Summary of Most Relevant Prior Art:

The most relevant prior art documents appear to be those that explicitly mention "adjustable drawer," "sliding adjustable drawer," "expandable drawer," or similar concepts that directly relate to the core inventive step of US12478181. These include:

• US3272583A - Sliding adjustable drawer: Directly relevant due to the explicit mention of a "sliding adjustable drawer."
• US7594706B2 - Adjustable sliding sink drawer: Highly relevant for combining "adjustable," "sliding," and "drawer."
• US8608262B1 - Expandable drawer: Directly relevant as it claims an "expandable drawer."
• US5192019A - Package product display box having adjustable length feature: Relevant for its focus on adjustable length.
• US9408498B2 - Adjustable liner for use in deep fryers of different widths: Relevant for its focus on adjustable width.

These patents would require a detailed claim-by-claim comparison to determine precise anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102, particularly concerning the specific interlocking mechanisms (first and second bent portions, sliding grooves) and the fastening system (arrays of openings and fasteners) detailed in claims 1, 10, and 17 of US12478181.