Disclosed herein is a protective housing for carrying a rigid vessel. In use, the vessel will contain liquid. The housing comprises a casing. The casing includes a peripheral wall, a base and a top. The base and top are connected to the peripheral wall to define a volume for containing the vessel. The protective housing further comprises an impact absorber. The impact absorber is disposed, in use, between the vessel and casing to reduce transferral, to the vessel, of a force applied to the casing. There is also an aperture in the casing for accessing a closure section of the vessel while the vessel is in the protective housing.

The invention discloses a portable beverage vessel, comprising: a bottom portion; a wall extending from the bottom portion, wherein a upper portion of the wall forms an opening through which beverage can be poured into or out of the portable beverage vessel; a first container element; a second container element, wherein a cavity is formed between the first container element and the second container element; and a display device positioned in the cavity and having a display element for displaying information; wherein the first container element can be at least a part of the bottom portion and/or at least a part of the wall; wherein the second container element can be at least a part of the bottom portion and/or at least a part of the wall; and wherein the first container element and the second container element comprise at least one of the following: glass; ceramics; SiO.sub.2; wherein the first container element and the second container element are connected by at least one of welding, laser welding, infrared welding, infrared laser welding and welding by an infrared laser emitting pulses of a duration shorter than 1 psec.

The invention discloses a portable beverage vessel, comprising: a bottom portion; a wall extending from the bottom portion, wherein a upper portion of the wall forms an opening through which beverage can be poured into or out of the portable beverage vessel; a first container element; a second container element, wherein a cavity is formed between the first container element and the second container element; and a display device positioned in the cavity and having a display element for displaying information; wherein the first container element can be at least a part of the bottom portion and/or at least a part of the wall; wherein the second container element can be at least a part of the bottom portion and/or at least a part of the wall; and wherein the first container element and the second container element comprise at least one of the following: glass; ceramics; SiO.sub.2; wherein the first container element and the second container element are connected by at least one of welding, laser welding, infrared welding, infrared laser welding and welding by an infrared laser emitting pulses of a duration shorter than 1 psec.

A carbonated water dispenser comprises a carbonator with a water inlet and a carbonated water outlet. A backflow preventer module is fluidically coupled to the water inlet and comprises a check valve and a thermal mass flow meter. The thermal mass flow meter is configured to communicate a first signal based on a measured amount of heat transferred from a heater to a temperature sensor by a flow of a fluid through the backflow preventer module. A shut-off valve is fluidically coupled between the carbonated water outlet and a nozzle. The shut-off valve is configured to allow or prevent fluid flow from the carbonated water outlet to the nozzle base on a control signal. A controller is configured to detect a backflow condition based on the first signal and generate the control signal to configure the shut-off valve to prevent dispensing carbonated water upon detection of the backflow condition.

An ice-making water purifier includes a water tank unit, an instantaneous heating device, an extraction member, an ice-maker, a supply pump, an ice-making water inlet passage, an ice-making water supply valve, a flow rate sensor, and a controller configured to control driving of the supply pump and the opening and closing of the ice-making water supply valve such that purified water corresponding to a predetermined supply amount of ice-making water is supplied to the ice-maker on the basis of a flow rate value measured by the flow rate sensor. The controller controls the opening and closing of the channel such that purified water is preferentially supplied to the instantaneous heating device among the instantaneous heating device and the ice-maker.

The present disclosure relates to liquid dispensing arrangements, and particularly to arrangements for distribution of a dispensed liquid.

A system and method for dispensing a beverage includes the detection of a presence of a cup underneath a nozzle, and in response to the detected presence of the cup, a target fill height is calculated. The controller operates to begin a dispense of a beverage into the cup. A beverage fill height determined and compared to a target fill height. When the beverage fill height exceeds the target fill height, the controller operates to stop dispensing the beverage into the cup.

The invention relates to a disposable cartridge filled with a single serve portion of a liquid ingredient to be combined with a base liquid for the preparation of a liquid product, e.g. a beverage concentrate to be combined with water, e.g. carbonated water, for the preparation of a beverage suitable for human consumption. The cartridge comprises a vertically extending channel that extends to a dispensing aperture in the bottom of the cartridge and one or more dispensing passages extending between a reservoir and the outside of the cartridge. The dispensing passages are provided with outlet openings located adjacent the aperture such that the base liquid and the liquid ingredient are dispensed in parallel flows, the liquid ingredient subsequently coating the exterior of the stream of base liquid, such that actual mixing of the liquid ingredient and base liquid only takes place after both have been dispensed.

A beverage dispensing apparatus may include a beverage dispenser and associated stopper. The stopper may be used to replace a cork, cap or other closure of a beverage container, such as a wine bottle. A needle of the beverage dispenser may be inserted through a passageway of the stopper so that pressurized gas can be introduced into the container to force beverage liquid to exit the container via the needle. The stopper may suitably seal the container after dispensing is complete, e.g., to resist exposing the beverage to oxygen.

The present application provides a beverage dispensing system for combining a number of ingredients. The beverage dispensing system may include an ingredient pouch, an ingredient storage tank, a pump, a nozzle, an inlet diverter valve upstream of the pump, and an outlet diverter valve downstream of the pump.