Method and system for cleaning of ice maker

Abstract

A method and system for cleaning of an ice maker forcing the ice maker to proceed with a cleaning cycle when cleaning of the ice maker is necessary, the method and system including: a cleaning grace period determination step determining, by a controller, whether a cleaning grace period, which allows the cleaning of the ice maker to be deferred, has elapsed when a time for performing a cleaning cycle of the ice maker comes during operation of the ice maker; an ice-separating determination step determining, by the controller, whether ice-separating operation has completed for current ice-making operation when the cleaning grace period is determined to have elapsed; and an operation stop step controlling, by the controller, the cleaning to proceed by stopping actions related to the ice-making and ice-separating operations of the ice maker when the ice-separating operation is completed.

1 . A method for cleaning of an ice maker, the method comprising:
 determining, by a controller, whether a cleaning grace period, which allows the cleaning of the ice maker to be deferred, has elapsed when a time for performing a cleaning cycle of the ice maker comes during operation of the ice maker;   determining, by the controller, whether an ice-separating operation has completed for a current ice-making operation when the cleaning grace period is determined to have elapsed; and   controlling, by the controller, the cleaning to proceed by stopping actions related to the current ice-making and ice-separating operations of the ice maker when the ice-separating operation is completed.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when the cleaning grace period is determined not to have elapsed in the determining whether the cleaning grace period has elapsed, the ice maker is controlled to normally perform the ice-making and ice-separating operations while notifying that the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker has come. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in the determining whether the ice-separating operation has completed for the current ice-making operation, the ice maker is controlled to be operated normally until the ice-separating operation is completed for the current ice-making operation. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the time for performing the cleaning cycle and the cleaning grace period are set on the basis of operating time of the ice maker or number of ice-making and ice-separating cycles. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 resetting the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker when the cleaning of the ice maker is determined to have been completed; and   starting to count number of the cleaning cycles again when the ice maker is restarted.   
     
     
         6 . A system for cleaning of an ice maker, the system comprising:
 a cleaning time determination unit determining whether cleaning is necessary on the basis of a time for performing a cleaning cycle and a cleaning grace period of the ice maker during operation of the ice maker;   an operation determination unit determining whether ice-separating operation has been completed for current ice-making operation when the cleaning of the ice maker is determined to be necessary because both the time for performing the cleaning cycle and the cleaning grace period have elapsed; and   an operation controller controlling the cleaning to proceed by stopping actions related to the ice-making and ice-separating operations of the ice maker when the ice-separating operation is completed.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein when the cleaning time determination unit determines that the cleaning grace period has not been elapsed, the ice-maker is controlled to normally perform the ice-making and ice-separating operations while notifying that the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker has come. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the ice maker is controlled to be operated normally until the operation determination unit determines that the ice-separating operation is completed for the current ice-making operation. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the time for performing the cleaning cycle and the cleaning grace period are set on the basis of operating time of the ice maker or number of ice-making and ice-separating cycles. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker is reset when the cleaning of the ice maker is determined to have been completed; and number of the cleaning cycles is started to be counted again when the ice maker is restarted.