US 12,478,697 B2
System and method for sanitizing objects in an indoor gardening appliance
Jose Rafael Padron, Louisville, KY (US); and Kira Lynn Hartlage, Crestwood, KY (US)
Assigned to Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc., Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed by Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc., Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed on Jun. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/829,402.
Prior Publication US 2023/0390434 A1, Dec. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. A61L 2/10 (2006.01); A01G 9/02 (2018.01)
CPC A61L 2/10 (2013.01) [A01G 9/023 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for sanitizing objects within a gardening appliance comprising a cabinet, a sump disposed at the cabinet, a turntable rotatable mounted to the sump, a grow tower positioned on top of the turntable and extending from the sump to a top wall of the cabinet, the grow tower defining a plurality of apertures, a liner positioned within the cabinet to define an enclosed back portion, and an ultraviolet assembly positioned within the enclosed back portion to illuminate one or more objects with ultraviolet rays, the method comprising:
positioning at least one object on a grow tower of the gardening appliance;
during a sanitization cycle, rotating the turntable to rotate the grow tower such that the at least one object on the grow tower is exposed to an ultraviolet assembly within the enclosed back portion;
activating the ultraviolet assembly such that the at least one object on the grow tower is illuminated by ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet assembly; and
after the sanitization cycle, removing the at least one object from the grow tower.