US 12,029,177 B2
System and method for detecting a tower positioning fault using a drive assembly in an indoor garden center
Kira Lynn Hartlage, Crestwood, KY (US); Brian Allgeier, Louisville, KY (US); Jordan Andrew Waymeyer, Louisville, KY (US); and Erik DeAndre Stennis, Louisville, KY (US)
Assigned to Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc., Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed by Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc., Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed on Jul. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/365,907.
Prior Publication US 2023/0000024 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. A01G 9/02 (2018.01); A01G 31/00 (2018.01); A01G 31/04 (2006.01)
CPC A01G 9/023 (2013.01) [A01G 2031/006 (2013.01); A01G 31/04 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gardening appliance defining a vertical direction, the gardening appliance, comprising:
a liner positioned within a cabinet and defining a grow chamber;
a grow module mounted within the liner and defining a plurality of apertures for receiving one or more plant pods;
a sump positioned proximate a bottom of the cabinet;
a turntable rotatably mounted to the sump and being configured for supporting the grow module;
a position sensing assembly operably coupled to the sump and the turntable for monitoring an angular position of the turntable relative to the sump, wherein the position sensing assembly comprises a proximity sensor assembly mounted on the sump at a hub alignment position along a circumferential direction and a proximity indicator assembly that is mounted to the turntable such that the proximity indicator assembly is detectable by the proximity sensor assembly when the turntable is rotated to the first angular position or the second angular position, and wherein the proximity sensor assembly comprises a first proximity sensor mounted to the sump at a first radial position and a second proximity sensor mounted to the sump at a second radial position, and wherein the proximity indicator assembly comprises a plurality of proximity indicators positioned at the first angular position and the second angular position and at different radiuses to define a unique radial configuration at each of the first angular position and the second angular position, the unique radial configuration of the plurality of proximity sensors at each of the first angular position and the second angular position being detectable by the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor;
a drive assembly for selectively rotating the turntable within the grow chamber; and
a controller in operative communication with the positioning sensing assembly and the drive assembly, the controller being configured to:
operate the drive assembly to initiate rotation of the turntable from a first angular position toward a second angular position;
determine that the turntable should have reached the second angular position based at least in part on the operation of the drive assembly;
determine that the turntable has not reached the second angular position using the position sensing assembly; and
identify a drive assembly fault in response to determining that the turntable has not reached the second angular position.