Method and apparatus for reducing water usage during a washing cycle

Abstract

A washing machine including a wash tub, a basket rotatably coupled within the wash tub, an agitator coupled within the basket, and a controller is provided. The controller is configured to receive user defined settings for a wash cycle, send a signal to add, to the wash tub, a first quantity of water based on the user defined settings, send a signal to execute a wash agitation for a predefined period of time based on the user defined settings, send a signal to drain water from the wash tub, and initiate a rinse cycle by sending a signal to add, to the wash tub, a second predefined quantity of water that is less than the first predefined quantity of water.

1 . A washing machine comprising:
 a wash tub:   a basket rotatably coupled within the wash tub;   an agitator coupled within the basket; and   a controller configured to:
 receive user defined settings for a wash cycle, 
 send a signal to add, to the wash tub, a first quantity of water based on the user defined settings; 
 send a signal to execute a wash agitation for a predefined period of time based on the user defined settings; 
 send a signal to drain water from the wash tub; and 
 initiate a rinse cycle by sending a signal to add, to the wash tub, a second predefined quantity of water that is less than the first predefined quantity of water. 
   
     
     
         2 . The washing machine in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to send a signal to initiate the rinse cycle without performing a spin cycle prior to initiating the rinse cycle. 
     
     
         3 . The washing machine in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the predefined second quantity of water is added at a substantially constant flow rate for a predefined period of time. 
     
     
         4 . The washing machine in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the predefined second quantity of water is not based on the user defined settings. 
     
     
         5 . The washing machine in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The washing machine in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive, from the pressure sensor, an indication that a first water level indicative of the first predefined quantity of water is reached, and send a signal to stop adding water to the wash tub upon receiving the indication that the water level has reached the first water level. 
     
     
         7 . The washing machine in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute a rinse agitation for a predefined period of time that is less than the predefined period of time for the wash agitation and would be for a time period shorter than the shortest entire timer interval of the electromechanical timer. 
     
     
         8 . The washing machine in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive, from the pressure sensor, an indication that a water level has reached a second water level after the rinse cycle has been initiated; and   send a signal to stop adding water to the wash tub upon receiving the indication that the water level has reached the second water level.   
     
     
         9 . A method to facilitate reducing an amount of water usage during a wash cycle of a washing machine, wherein the washing machine includes a rotatable basket coupled within a wash tub, the method comprising:
 receiving user defined settings for a washing cycle;   adding, to the wash tub, a first quantity of water based on the user defined settings;   executing a wash agitation for a predefined period of time based on the user defined settings;   draining water from the wash tub; and   adding, at a substantially constant water flow rate, a second predefined quantity of water that is less than the first predefined quantity of water.   
     
     
         10 . The method in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the second predefined quantity of water is not based on the user defined settings. 
     
     
         11 . The method in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein a spin is not executed prior to adding the second predefined quantity of water. 
     
     
         12 . The method in accordance with  claim 9 , further comprising executing a rinse agitation. 
     
     
         13 . The method in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the rinse agitation is not based on the user defined settings. 
     
     
         14 . The method in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the rinse agitation is executed for a predefined period of time that is less than the predefined period of time for executing the wash agitation and for a time period shorter than the shortest entire timer interval of the electromechanical timer. 
     
     
         15 . One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable components, the components comprising:
 an interface component that causes at least one processor to receive user defined settings for a washing cycle;   a wash cycle component that causes at least one processor to send a signal to add, to a wash tub, a first quantity of water based on the user defined settings;   an agitation component that causes at least one processor to send a signal to execute a wash agitation for a predefined period of time based on the user defined settings, the wash cycle component further causes the at least one processor to send a signal to drain the water from the wash tub; and   a rinse cycle component that causes at least one processor to initiate a rinse cycle by sending a signal to add, to the wash tub, a second predefined quantity of water that is less than the first predefined quantity of water.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable medium in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein the second predefined quantity of water is supplied at a substantially constant flow rate for a predefined period of time, and wherein a spin is not executed prior to initiating the rinse cycle. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable medium in accordance with  claim 15 , further comprising a water pressure component that causes at least one processor to identify when a water level has reached a first water level indicative of the first predefined quantity of water, and send, to the wash cycle component, instructions to stop adding water to the wash tub upon identifying that the water level indicative of the first predefined quantity of water is reached. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium in accordance with  claim 15 , further comprising an agitation component that causes at least one processor to send a signal to execute a rinse agitation for a predefined period of time that is less than the predefined period of time for the wash agitation. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable medium in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein the period of time for executing the rinse agitation is not based on the user defined settings. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable medium in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein the period of time for executing the rinse agitation is ten seconds