A recirculating bath includes a reservoir for receiving a working liquid, a recirculating pump, and at least one thermal element. The recirculating pump and thermal element are located externally to the reservoir so that the reservoir has an unobstructed working space. The thermal element may be thermally coupled to the working liquid through an interior surface of the reservoir, or the working liquid may be circulated over the thermal element by the recirculating pump in a chamber external to the reservoir. The recirculating bath may also include a lid that provides access to the reservoir by pivoting on a latching hinge. When open, the lid may provide a working surface adjacent to the reservoir. The lid may also include a selector that unlatches the hinge so that the lid can be removed. The recirculating pump may be fluidically coupled to the reservoir via a manifold.

A machine and process for providing consumer products may include a set of positions configured to contain consumer products or containers in which ingredients are used to form consumer products. The consumer products or containers may include radiofrequency identification (RFID) tags. A set of antennas, where at least one antenna is disposed at each position, may be configured to output and receive RF signals. A transceiver may be in electrical communication with the antennas, and be configured to generate the RF signals. A processor may be in communication with the transceiver, and be programmed to (i) receive RFID signals from the RFID tags at the set of positions, and (ii) identify locations of the RFID tags to determine that corresponding consumer products or containers of ingredients are in correct positions.

A refrigerator includes a cabinet configured to be formed with a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber, a first door configured to open and close the first storage chamber, a second door configured to open and close the second storage chamber, a first cooler and a heater configured to adjust the temperature of the first storage chamber, a second cooler configured to adjust a temperature of the second storage chamber, and a controller configured to perform a general operation of the first storage chamber in preference to door load response operation of the second storage chamber, of the general operation of adjusting the temperature of the first storage chamber and the door load response operation of the second storage chamber.

A cooling unit has a cold plate extending in a horizontal direction, and a tank and a pump disposed above the cold plate in a first direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction. The tank has a tank chamber which stores a refrigerant. The pump has a pump chamber in which a rotating body that transfers the refrigerant is accommodated, and an upper end of the tank chamber in the first direction is positioned at an upper side than an upper end of the pump chamber in the first direction.

A cooling unit has a cold plate extending in a horizontal direction, and a tank and a pump disposed above the cold plate in a first direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction. The tank has a tank chamber which stores a refrigerant. The pump has a pump chamber in which a rotating body that transfers the refrigerant is accommodated, and an upper end of the tank chamber in the first direction is positioned at an upper side than an upper end of the pump chamber in the first direction.

Apparatus and system for preparing an ice-containing tea or coffee beverage. The apparatus (300) comprising a beverage concentrate reservoir (360), a sweetener concentrate reservoir (361) and a water pre-chiller (312). A first pre-mixer (362) for mixing beverage concentrate supplied from the beverage concentrate reservoir with water supplied from the water pre-chiller, a second pre-mixer (363) for mixing sweetener concentrate supplied from the sweetener concentrate reservoir with water supplied from the water pre-chiller. A mixing chamber (364) for mixing an output from the first pre-mixer with an output from the second pre-mixer to form a beverage liquor, a cooling unit (310). An ice-generating system (311), a beverage product circuit for supplying the beverage liquor from the mixing chamber to the ice-generating system and a cooling circuit for supplying coolant from the cooling unit to the ice-generating system to cool the beverage liquor and to thereby form a plurality of ice crystals within the beverage liquor. A beverage dispensing outlet (303) is also provided.

Apparatus and method for preparing an ice-containing tea or coffee beverage. The apparatus (300) comprising a beverage concentrate reservoir (360), a water pre-chiller (312) and a mixer for mixing beverage concentrate from the beverage concentrate reservoir with water from the water pre-chiller to form a beverage liquor. Further, an ice-generating cooling circuit and a pre-chiller cooling circuit are provided. A single cooling unit (310) provides coolant for both the ice-generating cooling circuit and the pre-chiller cooling circuit.

An ice-generating system (311), method and apparatus for preparing an ice-containing tea or coffee beverage, comprising a product conduit (330) formed as a loop for circulating there through a beverage liquor, a product pump (390) for pumping the beverage liquor around the loop of the product conduit and a cooling conduit (331) for flowing there through a coolant. The cooling conduit is arranged in proximity with the product conduit to permit heat exchange between the coolant in the cooling conduit and the beverage liquor in the product conduit to cool the beverage liquor to thereby form a plurality of ice crystals within the beverage liquor. The product conduit comprises an outlet (393) for discharging the beverage liquor containing the plurality of ice crystals from the product conduit towards a beverage dispensing outlet (303) and two or more beverage liquor inlets (394, 395) for inputting beverage liquor into the product conduit.

A dispenser (1) for dispensing elongate beverage containers (2), in particular beverage cans, having: a housing (3) with a cylindrical housing part (4), a rear-side insertion opening (12) for inserting beverage containers (2) and a front-side removal element (6), open at the top, for removing the frontmost beverage container (2); a guide channel (10) with a sliding surface (11) sloping downwards towards the front for conveying the upright beverage containers (2) from the rear-side receiving opening (12) into the front-side removal element (6); a chiller device (9) for chilling the beverage containers (2); a clamping device (34) for clamping in place an edge region (35) of an advertising film (33) on the exterior of the cylindrical housing part (4), the clamping device (34) having, on a long side of the cylindrical housing part (4), a clamping strip (36) comprising at least one ventilation opening (37) for dissipating heated air from the chiller device (9) to the surroundings.

In accordance with the principals of the present invention, a frozen tube is adapted to securely surround the can, the frozen tube utilizing high heat capacity/thermal mass to wick heat from the beverage in the can. Contained within the frozen tube, a plurality of fins are provided thus acting as a heatsink. The presence of the fins act as a heatsink by increasing convective, conductive, and radiative heat dissipation if used in the absence of the frozen tube and conductive heat dissipation if used with the frozen tube.