Patent ID: 7946139

Claim:
A water height control for a washing machine, the washing machine having a separate cycle timer and further including an electric water valve for controlling water flow into a tub of a washing machine and a motor for agitating clothing within the tub, the water height control comprising: a housing providing a mounting element attaching the housing to a console of the washing machine, a connector system providing connection of a wiring harness between the housing and a separate wash/rinse control and cycle timer; the housing holding: (a) a rotary switch having an operator extending through the housing to pass through a hole in the console for rotation by a user of the washing machine to set water height/usage; (b) a pressure sensor communicating with a port through the housing to receive a multistate pressure signal through a tube communicating with a tub of the washing machine, the multistate pressure signal providing an analog pressure signal indicating one of different multiple water heights greater than two water heights; (c) a water flow sensor measuring a volume of water flowing through the valve into the tub; and (d) electronic circuitry including a microprocessor reading a signal from the rotary switch and the pressure sensor and flow sensor to estimate an amount of clothing in the washing tub to control the water valve according to this estimate.