# US 11,304,562 B2 · Cooking device and components thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,304,562 B2 - Document ID: US11304562B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/219,238 - Filed: 2021-03-31 - Published: 2021-07-15 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-31 - Assignees: SharkNinja Operating LLC - Applicants: Sharkninja Operating LLC - Inventors: Christopher T. Martin; Thomas Guerin; Roger Neil Jackson; Joshua D. Anthony; Kerry Schwarz; Michaela Dubeau - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11304562B2 ## CPC - A47J 37/0641: {with forced air circulation, e.g. air fryers} - A47J 27/004: {with integral electrical heating means (drinking cups with integral heating means A47J36/2466)} - A47J 27/12: Multiple-unit cooking vessels - A47J 37/0664: {Accessories} - A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES ## Abstract A cooking system includes a housing having at first internal compartment and a second internal compartment. At least one cooking container is receivable within one of the first internal compartment and the second internal compartment. At least one cooking volume is defined within an interior of the at least one cooking container. At least one heating element is disposed in said housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cooking system comprising: a housing having a first internal compartment and a second internal compartment; a first cooking container defining a first cooking volume, said first cooking container being removably receivable within said first internal compartment to close off an opening to said first internal compartment when inserted therein, and a second cooking container defining a second cooking volume, said second cooking container being removably receivable within said second internal compartment to close off an opening to said second internal compartment when inserted therein; a first heating element and a second heating element disposed in said housing, said first heating element being in thermal communication with said first cooking volume and said second heating element being in thermal communication with said second cooking volume, the first and second heating elements being independently operable to independently cook food contained within the first and second cooking containers; and a first fan and a second fan disposed in said housing, said first fan being in fluid communication with said first cooking volume and said second fan being in fluid communication with said second cooking volume. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cooking system of claim 1, wherein said first cooking container and said second cooking container are individually insertable into said first cooking compartment and said second cooking compartment respectively. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cooking system of claim 1, wherein said first internal compartment and said second internal compartment are fluidly separate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cooking system of claim 1, wherein said first fan is stacked vertically relative to said first heating element within said housing and said second fan is stacked vertically relative to said second heating element within said housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cooking system of claim 1, wherein said first fan includes a first inlet, a second inlet, and an outlet, said first inlet and said second inlet being arranged in fluid communication with said outlet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cooking system of claim 1, wherein said first fan has a first axially oriented inlet and a first radially oriented outlet and said second fan has a second axially oriented inlet and a second radially oriented outlet. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cooking system of claim 1, wherein said first cooking container includes a first handle and said second cooking container includes a second handle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The cooking system of claim 1, further comprising a motor operably coupled to each of said first fan and said second fan. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The cooking system of claim 8, wherein said motor is located externally from said first internal compartment and said second internal compartment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The cooking system of claim 8, wherein said motor is positioned between said first internal compartment and said second internal compartment. ### Claim 11 A cooking system, comprising: a housing having a first internal cooking compartment with a first cooking container removably disposed therein and a second internal compartment with a second cooking container removably disposed therein, the first internal compartment including a first heating assembly comprising a first fan and a first heating element configured to cook food disposed in the first cooking container, and the second internal cooking compartment including a second heating assembly comprising a second fan and a second heating element configured to cook food disposed in the second cooking container, the first and second heating assemblies being independently operable to independently cook food contained within the first and second cooking containers, and the first and second heating assemblies being programmable to simultaneously cook food in separate cooking modes, wherein the first and second cooking containers are substantially horizontally coplanar when disposed in the first and second internal cooking compartments respectively, and wherein the first and second cooking containers have respective first and second perforated bases. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The cooking system of claim 11, wherein the first cooking container includes a first external handle attached thereto and the second cooking container includes a second external handle attached thereto. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The cooking system of claim 11, wherein the first internal cooking compartment and the second internal cooking compartment are independently operable to cook food using at least one of conduction, convection, radiation, and induction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The cooking system of claim 11, further comprising a control system configured to operate the first and second cooking assemblies, the control system being configured to receive inputs corresponding to at least one of a temperature, a cook time, and a food type. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The cooking system of claim 11, further comprising a motor operably coupled to each of the first and second fans, the motor configured to operate the first and second fans at the same speed or at different speeds. ### Claim 16 A cooking system, comprising: a housing having first and second internal independently removable cooking containers disposed therein, each of the first and second cooking containers defining a cooking volume therein, the first and second cooking containers being configured to engage with first and second respective channels inside the housing to define first and second respective air ducts therein; first and second heating elements disposed in the housing adjacent the cooking volume of the first and second cooking containers, respectively, the first and second heating elements being independently operable; and first and second fans disposed in the housing adjacent the first and second heating elements, respectively, the first and second fans being independently operable, and the first and second fans being configured to circulate air through the first and second cooking volumes, respectively. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The cooking system of claim 16, further comprising a control system configured to operate cooking processes of food contained in the first and second cooking containers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The cooking system of claim 17, wherein the control system is configured to independently operate the first and second heating elements and the first and second fans. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The cooking system of claim 17, wherein the control system is configured to receive inputs corresponding to at least one of a temperature, a cook time, and a food type. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The cooking system of claim 17, wherein the control system is configured to adjust cooking parameters based on sensed data without user input.