Abstract: A hydration system for an indoor gardening appliance includes a pressurized water supply including a pump assembly for pressurizing an accumulator and an auxiliary nozzle in fluid communication with the pressurized water supply. An auxiliary valve assembly is operably coupled to the auxiliary nozzle for selectively directing an auxiliary flow of water from the accumulator onto the plant pods when power is lost to the gardening appliance.

Abstract: A laundry appliance includes a cabinet and a tub mounted within an interior volume of the cabinet. A laundry basket is rotatably mounted within the tub. The laundry basket defines a chamber for the receipt of articles for treatment. The laundry appliance also includes a heating system coupled to the tub. The heating system is in thermal communication with the chamber such that heated air flows from the heating system to the chamber. The laundry appliance further includes a controller. The controller may be configured for, and methods of operating the appliance may include, providing a flow of a liquid into a tub of the laundry appliance, rotating a laundry basket within the tub after providing the flow of the liquid into the tub, and activating the heating system of the laundry appliance during at least a portion of the step of rotating the laundry basket.

Abstract: A method of operating a gardening appliance includes determining one or more isolation sections from a plurality of support sections, determining a lock schedule for isolating the one or more isolation sections, the lock pattern being different from a normal rotation pattern, and operating a motor to rotate a grow module in accordance with the lock pattern such that the one or more isolation sections are obscured from view.

Abstract: An indoor gardening appliance includes a grow module that is rotatably mounted within a grow chamber and that defines pod apertures for receiving a plurality of plant pods. A hydration system includes a discharge nozzle positioned within the grow chamber for selectively discharging a mist of nutrients. An electrostatic charging assembly is coupled to the discharge nozzle for selectively charging the mist of nutrients. By contrast, the plant pods may be electrically coupled to a grounding assembly for selectively grounding the root end of the plant pods. In this manner, the roots of the plants may have an opposing charge relative to the mist of nutrients such that the mist of nutrients are attracted to and deposited on the roots of plants.

Abstract: A hydration system for an indoor gardening appliance includes sump for collecting water used to hydrate plants and a water supply containing fresh water. The sump and the water supply are fluidly coupled to a supply conduit and a pump assembly urges a flow of liquid through the supply conduit. A diverter assembly controls the amount of liquid recirculated from the sump and the flow of fresh water from the water supply. The hydration system further includes a drain valve that selectively discharges liquid from the sump to an external drain.

Abstract: A dryer appliance includes a cabinet. A drum is disposed within the cabinet. The drum is mounted such that the drum is fixed relative to the cabinet. The drum defines a length between a first end portion of the drum and a second end portion of the drum. The dryer appliance also includes an air duct and a fan. The air duct is coupled to the fan. The air duct has an outlet positioned at a bottom portion of the drum. The fan is operable to urge a flow of air through the air duct and into the drum at the outlet of the air duct.

Abstract: A dryer appliance and a method of operating the same are provided. In one aspect, the dryer appliance includes a drum rotatably mounted within a cabinet. The drum defines a chamber that is in fluid communication with a conditioning system of the dryer appliance. The conditioning system heats air circulating therethrough and removes water from the process air. A collection tank collects the water and a drain pump removes water from the collection tank intermittently when the water reaches a predetermined level. The frequency at which the drain pump removes water from the collection tank is utilized to determine the moisture extraction rate indicative of the rate at which moisture is removed from the clothes. The moisture extraction rate is utilized to control the mass flow rate of refrigerant in a heat pump sealed system or the process air flow rate through the closed loop air circuit.

Abstract: An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow module mounted within the grow chamber for receiving a plurality of plant pods. A motor rotates the grow module between a plurality of angular positions and a camera system captures images of the plants at the various positions. The plurality of images are used by the controller to estimate a total plant mass or a total plant volume, or the controller may stitch together the plurality of images to generate a 3D image that may be used to detect abnormal growth conditions or otherwise provide feedback to a user.

Abstract: A dryer appliance and a method of operating the same are provided. In one aspect, the dryer appliance includes a drum rotatably mounted within a cabinet. The drum defines a chamber that is in fluid communication with a conditioning system of the dryer appliance. The conditioning system heats air circulating therethrough. A variable speed blower fan is provided to circulate air between the conditioning system and the chamber. A sensor is positioned at or proximate a drum exit of the drum. A controller of the dryer appliance receives an input indicative of the relative humidity of the air at the drum exit. Based on the received input, the controller determines a control command. The control command can be routed to a blower fan motor operable to drive the blower fan. The blower fan motor receives the control command and adjusts a flow rate of the air exiting the drum exit.

Abstract: A hydration system for an indoor gardening appliance includes a pressurized water supply including a pump assembly for pressurizing an accumulator and an auxiliary nozzle in fluid communication with the pressurized water supply. An auxiliary valve assembly is operably coupled to the auxiliary nozzle for selectively directing an auxiliary flow of water from the accumulator onto the plant pods when power is lost to the gardening appliance.

Abstract: A dryer appliance and a method of operating the same are provided. In one aspect, the dryer appliance includes a drum rotatably mounted within a cabinet. The drum defines a chamber that is in fluid communication with a conditioning system of the dryer appliance. The conditioning system heats air circulating therethrough and removes water from the process air. A collection tank collects the water and a drain pump removes water from the collection tank intermittently when the water reaches a predetermined level. The frequency at which the drain pump removes water from the collection tank is utilized to determine the moisture extraction rate indicative of the rate at which moisture is removed from the clothes. The moisture extraction rate is utilized to control the mass flow rate of refrigerant in a heat pump sealed system or the process air flow rate through the closed loop air circuit.

Abstract: An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow module mounted within the grow chamber for receiving a plurality of plant pods. An atmosphere control system includes an air supply source for providing a flow of intake air into the grow chamber. The flow of intake air may pass through an intake duct including permeation membranes for controlling the concentration of gases within the flow of intake air. A gas sensor is used to sense chamber concentrations of various gases and a controller may selectively energize the permeation membranes to control gas concentrations in the flow of intake air, thereby maintaining the chamber concentrations within the desired ranges.

Abstract: A dryer appliance and a method of operating the same are provided. In one aspect, the dryer appliance includes a drum rotatably mounted within a cabinet. The drum defines a chamber that is in fluid communication with a conditioning system of the dryer appliance. The conditioning system heats air circulating therethrough. A variable speed blower fan is provided to circulate air between the conditioning system and the chamber. A sensor is positioned at or proximate a drum exit of the drum. A controller of the dryer appliance receives an input indicative of the relative humidity of the air at the drum exit. Based on the received input, the controller determines a control command. The control command can be routed to a blower fan motor operable to drive the blower fan. The blower fan motor receives the control command and adjusts a flow rate of the air exiting the drum exit.

Abstract: An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow module mounted within the grow chamber for receiving a plurality of plant pods. A hydration assembly is positioned within a root chamber and includes a plurality of nozzles that are independent movable and adjustable. A controller detects an abnormal or undesirable growth condition, e.g., plant roots growing in a single direction, into conflict with each other, toward a pinch point, or in another abnormal direction. The hydration assembly may be adjusted to correct the abnormal or undesirable growth condition, e.g., by modifying a hydration schedule, a nutrient concentration, a spray direction or magnitude, or another hydration parameter.

Abstract: An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow module mounted within the grow chamber for receiving a plurality of plant pods. A nutrient dosing system is positioned within a root chamber and includes a plurality of nozzles. A nutrient cartridge and a water supply are fluidly coupled to a dilution tank and are independently regulated to control the flow rate of nutrients and water that are mixed to create a flow of diluted nutrient mixture. A pump system selectively discharges the flow of diluted nutrient mixture to desired locations within the root chamber.

Abstract: A dryer appliance includes a cabinet. A drum is disposed within the cabinet. The drum is mounted such that the drum is fixed relative to the cabinet. The drum defines a length between a first end portion of the drum and a second end portion of the drum. The dryer appliance also includes an air duct and a fan. The air duct is coupled to the fan. The air duct has an outlet positioned at a bottom portion of the drum. The fan is operable to urge a flow of air through the air duct and into the drum at the outlet of the air duct.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet that defines a chilled chamber. A door is rotatably mounted to the cabinet at a front portion of the chilled chamber. A food storage chamber is defined within the door. The refrigerator appliance also includes a sealed system configured for generating chilled air. The sealed system is in direct fluid communication with the in-door food storage chamber to provide the chilled directly to the in-door food storage chamber.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance is provided having a fresh food chamber, a convertible chamber, and a freezer chamber. A fan urges a flow of cooled air from an evaporator chamber into a freezer supply duct and a secondary supply duct. A damper housing defines an inlet in fluid communication with the secondary supply duct, a first outlet in fluid communication with the convertible chamber, and a second outlet in fluid communication with the fresh food chamber. A rotary damper is mounted within the damper housing and is selectively rotated to block the flow of cooling air or to supply the flow of cooling air to one or both of the convertible chamber and the fresh food chamber.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance is provided including a freezer chamber divided into a first compartment and a second compartment by a removable mullion. A first evaporator cover is positioned within the first compartment to define a first evaporator chamber and a second evaporator cover is positioned within the second compartment to define a second evaporator chamber. A crossover duct is defined in the mullion for providing fluid communication between the first evaporator chamber and the second evaporator chamber.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance is provided including a freezer chamber divided into a first compartment and a second compartment by a removable mullion. An evaporator is positioned within an evaporator chamber and a diverter assembly is configured for selectively directing cooled air from the evaporator chamber into the freezer chamber. The diverter assembly includes a diverter housing defining a plenum chamber and a damper pivotally mounted within the plenum chamber for selectively directing the cooled air through a first outlet into the first compartment and a second outlet into the second compartment. Diverter assembly may further include a fan for urging cooled air through the plenum chamber.