Patent ID: 7866167

Claim:
A method of controlling a refrigerator including a cabinet, fresh food and freezer compartments defined within the cabinet, an icemaker arranged in one of the fresh food and freezer compartments, and a refrigeration system for cooling the fresh food and freezer compartments and the icemaker, the refrigeration system including a plurality of refrigeration components, including at least a compressor, a sole evaporator and a condenser, interconnected through a refrigeration loop that carries a flow of refrigerant to the plurality of refrigeration components and includes an icemaker section extending to the icemaker, and a control system operatively coupled to both the refrigeration system and the icemaker, the method comprising: operating the refrigerator in a rapid ice mode, regardless of a need for cooling in the fresh food or freezer compartments, wherein refrigerant flows through the refrigeration loop and the icemaker section to enhance a production rate of ice; and operating the refrigeration system to only cool at least one of the fresh food and freezer compartments by having the refrigerant flow through the refrigeration loop, while bypassing the icemaker section.