Patent ID: 7587905

Claim:
A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet; a fresh food compartment defined within the cabinet; a freezer compartment defined within the cabinet; an icemaker arranged in one of the fresh food and freezer compartments; a refrigeration system for cooling the fresh food and freezer compartments, said refrigeration system having a plurality of refrigeration components, including at least a variable speed compressor, a sole evaporator and a condenser, interconnected through a refrigeration loop that carries a flow of refrigerant to the plurality of refrigeration components, said refrigeration loop including an icemaker section extending to the icemaker; a temperature sensor arranged in one of the fresh food and freezer compartments, said temperature sensor providing a signal to activate the refrigeration system upon detecting a need for cooling; an icemaker bypass connected to the refrigeration loop, said icemaker bypass selectively diverting refrigerant so as to isolate the portion of the refrigeration loop extending to the icemaker; an ice storage bin for retaining a quantity of ice; a sensor for sensing an amount of ice in the ice storage bin, said sensor triggering an ice production cycle if the amount of ice in the ice storage bin falls below a predetermined level; a valve arranged in the portion of the refrigeration loop passing through the icemaker, said valve directing refrigerant to one of the portion of the refrigeration loop extending to the icemaker and the icemaker bypass; a harvest heater arranged in the icemaker, said harvest heater being selectively activated to establish a clear ice making operation; and a control system operatively coupled to each of the refrigeration system and the icemaker, wherein upon sensing a need for an ice production cycle, said control system activates the refrigeration system regardless of a need for cooling in the fresh food or freezer compartments.