Abstract: An oven appliance may include a cabinet, a plurality of chamber walls, a heating element, and a controller. The plurality of chamber walls may be mounted within the cabinet. The plurality of chamber walls may define a cooking chamber. The heating element may be mounted within the cooking chamber. The controller may be in operable communication with the heating element. The controller may be configured to initiate a cooking operation that includes receiving a user selection signal indicating an automatic cooking cycle a food item receivable within the cooking chamber, directing the heating element according to a first slow-cook stage, detecting a first threshold condition of the food item within the cooking chamber during the first slow-cook stage, the first threshold condition corresponding to the user selection signal, and directing the heating element according to a second sear stage in response to detecting the first threshold condition.

Abstract: An oven appliance includes a cooking chamber positioned within a cabinet and a heating assembly for selectively heating the cooking chamber. The cooking chamber has two or more separate regions, and a temperature sensing assembly includes a temperature sensor positioned within each region of the cooking chamber. A switching assembly is coupled to the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor and is adjustable between a first position that connects the first temperature sensor to a controller and a second position that connects the second temperature sensor to the controller.

Abstract: A cooking appliance assembly includes a cooking appliance having a heat source for heating at least one food item, a temperature sensing device, an imaging device for collecting data relating to the temperature sensing device, and a controller communicatively coupled with the cooking appliance assembly, the temperature sensing device, and the imaging device. The controller includes at least one processor for performing one or more operations, including but not limited to determining a type of the temperature sensing device based, at least in part, on the collected data relating to the temperature sensing device from the imaging device.

Abstract: A method and system are provided or determining a fuel or gas type input into a fuel system or a voltage input into an electrical system of a cooking appliance. For instance, the cooking appliance may be a cooktop appliance or an oven appliance. Particularly, a calibration cycle may be performed in which the heating rate of an object or air at or within the cooking appliance is determined. Based on the determined heating rate, the input may be classified. That is, based on the heating rate, the gas type or input voltage into the cooking appliance may be determined. Further, based on the classified input, the settings of the cooking appliance may be selected for optimal cooking performance.

Abstract: An oven appliance and a method of operating the same are provided. The oven appliance includes a heating element such as a gas burner that is provided with a flow of fuel and an ignition element for igniting the flow of fuel. The method includes activating the ignition element by closing an ignitor relay and determining an adjusted flame time based on a target flame time and an ignition delay. The ignition element is deactivated when the adjusted flame time has passed since the activation of the ignition element. The method may further include compensating for the extinction delay of the gas burner to achieve the desired heating time.

Abstract: An oven appliance and a method of operating the same are provided. The oven appliance includes a heating element such as a gas burner that is provided with a flow of fuel and an ignition element for igniting the flow of fuel. The method includes activating the ignition element by closing an ignitor relay and determining an adjusted flame time based on a target flame time and an ignition delay. The ignition element is deactivated when the adjusted flame time has passed since the activation of the ignition element. The method may further include compensating for the extinction delay of the gas burner to achieve the desired heating time.

Abstract: An oven appliance and a method of operating the same are provided. The oven appliance includes a heating element, such as a cooktop gas burner and/or a gas heating element within a cooking chamber, which generate heat by burning a flow of fuel. A fuel regulating device, such as a bimetal or solenoid valve, is operably coupled to the heating element to selectively provide the flow of fuel to the heating element. A controller is configured for obtaining a fuel type of the flow of fuel and adjusting the operation of the fuel regulating device based at least in part on the fuel type of the flow of fuel.

Abstract: A method and system are provided or determining a fuel or gas type input into a fuel system or a voltage input into an electrical system of a cooking appliance. For instance, the cooking appliance may be a cooktop appliance or an oven appliance. Particularly, a calibration cycle may be performed in which the heating rate of an object or air at or within the cooking appliance is determined. Based on the determined heating rate, the input may be classified. That is, based on the heating rate, the gas type or input voltage into the cooking appliance may be determined. Further, based on the classified input, the settings of the cooking appliance may be selected for optimal cooking performance.

Abstract: A method for controlling a gas cooking appliance may generally include preheating an oven cavity of the appliance to a pre-selected temperature and, after preheating the oven cavity, cycling the cooking appliance through a plurality of cooking cycles so as to activate lower and upper burners of the appliance in a manner that provides heating both below and above a food item contained within the oven cavity, wherein the cooking cycles include a plurality of bake cycles within each of which the lower burner is activated for a period of time and a plurality of broil cycles within each of which the upper burner is activated for a period of time. Moreover, a cumulative ratio of the broil cycles to the bake cycles across the various cooking cycles is less than 1.

Abstract: A method for controlling a gas cooking appliance may generally include preheating an oven cavity of the appliance to a pre-selected temperature and, after preheating the oven cavity, cycling the cooking appliance through a plurality of cooking cycles so as to activate lower and upper burners of the appliance in a manner that provides heating both below and above a food item contained within the oven cavity, wherein the cooking cycles include a plurality of bake cycles within each of which the lower burner is activated for a period of time and a plurality of broil cycles within each of which the upper burner is activated for a period of time. Moreover, a cumulative ratio of the broil cycles to the bake cycles across the various cooking cycles is less than 1.

Abstract: A port assembly for use with a refillable storage container of a cleaning device includes a cap assembly having a sensor aperture and an outlet aperture. The cap assembly is configured to couple to a lip of the storage container. A sensor assembly extends through the sensor aperture and is coupled to the cap assembly, and an outlet assembly extends through the outlet aperture and is coupled to the cap assembly. The outlet assembly is coupled in fluid communication with a cleaning cavity of the cleaning device and the storage container.

Abstract: An orifice holder for use with a gas-fueled appliance includes a body, an orifice passage defined in the body, a first tube passage defined in the body, and a second tube passage defined in the body. The orifice passage, the first tube passage, and the second tube passage are in flow communication within the body.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a mechanical refrigeration cycle arrangement having a working fluid and an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, and an expansion device, cooperatively interconnected and containing the working fluid. The apparatus also includes a drum to receive clothes to be dried, a duct and fan arrangement configured to pass air over the condenser and through the drum, a sensor located to sense at least one parameter, and a controller coupled to the sensor and/or the compressor. The parameter(s) includes at least one of temperature of the working fluid, pressure of the working fluid, and power consumption of the compressor. The controller is operative to monitor, as a function of time, the parameter(s), determine whether the parameter(s) reaches a predetermined decision condition; and, if the parameter(s) reaches the predetermined decision condition, power down the mechanical refrigeration cycle at least by causing the compressor to shut off.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a mechanical refrigeration cycle arrangement having a working fluid and an evaporator, a condenser of adjustable surface area, a compressor, and an expansion device, cooperatively interconnected and containing the working fluid. The apparatus also includes a drum to receive clothes to be dried, a duct and fan arrangement configured to pass air over the condenser and through the drum, a sensor located to sense at least one parameter, and a controller coupled to the sensor, condenser and/or the compressor. The controller is operative to adjust the condenser to increase surface area during a steady state drying rate period of the cycle, and adjust the condenser to decrease surface area during a start transient period of the cycle, wherein adjusting the condenser to decrease surface area during a start transient period of the cycle accelerates the start transient period of the cycle.

Abstract: A method of operating a heat pump clothes dryer operating on a mechanical refrigeration cycle is disclosed. The method includes partitioning all energy available in the heat pump clothes dryer into a first amount of energy and a second amount of energy; using the first amount of energy to attain a standard parameter performance for the heat pump clothes dryer; and using the second amount of energy to accelerate a dry cycle of the heat pump clothes dryer, wherein using the second amount of energy to accelerate a dry cycle of the heat pump clothes dryer comprises using the second amount of energy to energize an auxiliary heater during a start transient phase of the dry cycle to decrease the start transient phase.

Abstract: An orifice holder for use with a gas-fueled appliance includes a body, an orifice passage defined in the body, a first tube passage defined in the body, and a second tube passage defined in the body. The orifice passage, the first tube passage, and the second tube passage are in flow communication within the body.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a mechanical refrigeration cycle arrangement in turn including an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, and an expansion device, cooperatively interconnected. A drum is provided to receive clothes to be dried. An auxiliary heater is included, as is a duct and fan arrangement configured to pass air over the condenser and the heater, and through the drum. A sensor is located to sense high side temperature and/or high side pressure of the mechanical refrigeration cycle arrangement. A controller is coupled to the sensor and the auxiliary heater, and is operative to: activate the auxiliary heater during a startup transient of the mechanical refrigeration cycle arrangement; monitor the high side temperature and/or high side pressure, during the startup transient; and de-activate the auxiliary heater in response to the high side temperature and/or high side pressure reaching a first predetermined value.

Abstract: A port assembly for use with a refillable storage container of a cleaning device includes a cap assembly having a sensor aperture and an outlet aperture. The cap assembly is configured to couple to a lip of the storage container. A sensor assembly extends through the sensor aperture and is coupled to the cap assembly, and an outlet assembly extends through the outlet aperture and is coupled to the cap assembly. The outlet assembly is coupled in fluid communication with a cleaning cavity of the cleaning device and the storage container.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a mechanical refrigeration cycle arrangement having a working fluid and an evaporator, a condenser of adjustable surface area, a compressor, and an expansion device, cooperatively interconnected and containing the working fluid. The apparatus also includes a drum to receive clothes to be dried, a duct and fan arrangement configured to pass air over the condenser and through the drum, a sensor located to sense at least one parameter, and a controller coupled to the sensor, condenser and/or the compressor. The controller is operative to adjust the condenser to increase surface area during a steady state drying rate period of the cycle, and adjust the condenser to decrease surface area during a start transient period of the cycle, wherein adjusting the condenser to decrease surface area during a start transient period of the cycle accelerates the start transient period of the cycle.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a mechanical refrigeration cycle arrangement in turn including an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, and an expansion device, cooperatively interconnected. A drum is provided to receive clothes to be dried. An auxiliary heater is included, as is a duct and fan arrangement configured to pass air over the condenser and the heater, and through the drum. A sensor is located to sense high side temperature and/or high side pressure of the mechanical refrigeration cycle arrangement. A controller is coupled to the sensor and the auxiliary heater, and is operative to: activate the auxiliary heater during a startup transient of the mechanical refrigeration cycle arrangement; monitor the high side temperature and/or high side pressure, during the startup transient; and de-activate the auxiliary heater in response to the high side temperature and/or high side pressure reaching a first predetermined value.