In one example, a adapter element is provide that is suitable for use with a water filter cartridge. The adapter element includes a support structure, and a lower contact portion that is connected to the support structure and releasably engageable with an upper portion of a water filter cartridge. In addition, an upper contact portion is connected to the support structure and arranged for contact with a portion of a pitcher when the adapter element is disposed in the pitcher.

According to one example, a beverage dispensing device includes a beverage vessel configured to hold a beverage within the beverage vessel. The beverage vessel has a hole that extends entirely through a bottom portion of the beverage vessel. The beverage dispensing device further includes a plug seat located within the beverage vessel and positioned around the hole, and a weighted plug located within the beverage vessel and positioned against the opening in the plug seat. The weighted plug and plug seat are configured to prevent the beverage from draining through the hole by creating a liquid-tight seal. The beverage dispensing device further includes a lever coupled, at least indirectly, to the beverage vessel. The lever is configured, when activated, to move the weighted plug in relation to the plug seat so as to break the liquid-tight seal. The weighted plug is securely coupled to the lever.

A ruler for mixing the ingredients of a selected beverage is slidably received in a vertical slot formed on the inside wall of a pitcher. The beverage ingredients for mixing are listed on each side of the ruler. The list of ingredients for each beverage is color coded to distinguish one beverage from another. The amount and order for mixing the ingredients in the pitcher are identified by parallel spaced measuring lines extending from the bottom to the top of the ruler. The lowermost measuring line on the ruler identifies the first ingredient added to the pitcher. The remaining ingredients are sequentially added to the pitcher to the level of the measuring line identifying each ingredient. The ingredients for mixing are added to the pitcher without requiring the volume of each ingredient to be separately measured and added. With the mixing ruler being releasably attached to the pitcher a set of mixing rulers for a collection of beverage recipes is available for use in mixing beverages in the pitcher.

A ruler for mixing the ingredients of a selected beverage is slidably received in a vertical slot formed on the inside wall of a pitcher. The beverage ingredients for mixing are listed on each side of the ruler. The list of ingredients for each beverage is color coded to distinguish one beverage from another. The amount and order for mixing the ingredients in the pitcher are identified by parallel spaced measuring lines extending from the bottom to the top of the ruler. The lowermost measuring line on the ruler identifies the first ingredient added to the pitcher. The remaining ingredients are sequentially added to the pitcher to the level of the measuring line identifying each ingredient. The ingredients for mixing are added to the pitcher without requiring the volume of each ingredient to be separately measured and added. With the mixing ruler being releasably attached to the pitcher a set of mixing rulers for a collection of beverage recipes is available for use in mixing beverages in the pitcher.

A system and method transporting fluids with a pitcher. The pitcher includes one or more pitcher walls disposed about a void having a floor at a base region and an open top at a rim. The pitcher has a handle mounted on the wall or one of the walls. The pitcher also has a hollow shoe set into the base region which includes a sole plate at a base. It further includes one or more spaced-apart shoe walls an open rim, the sole plate disposed at an angle to drain water it a shoe drain which is configured to extend through one of the shoe walls.

A system and method transporting fluids with a pitcher. The pitcher includes one or more pitcher walls disposed about a void having a floor at a base region and an open top at a rim. The pitcher has a handle mounted on the wall or one of the walls. The pitcher also has a hollow shoe set into the base region which includes a sole plate at a base. It further includes one or more spaced-apart shoe walls an open rim, the sole plate disposed at an angle to drain water it a shoe drain which is configured to extend through one of the shoe walls.

A collapsible jug includes an upper member defining an opening and having a spout at a first side of the upper member. The jug has a lower member defining a base, and a collapsible side wall extending between the upper and lower members. The jug has a link that has a first end pivotally attached to the upper member at a second side of the upper member. The container is alterable between a collapsed configuration wherein the side wall is collapsed and a second end of the link is releasably attached to the spout such that the lower member is releasably retained between the link and the upper member and an in-use configuration wherein the side wall is extended and the second end of the link is releasably attached to the lower member such that the upper and lower members are releasably retained in a spaced apart configuration.

A collapsible jug includes an upper member defining an opening and having a spout at a first side of the upper member. The jug has a lower member defining a base, and a collapsible side wall extending between the upper and lower members. The jug has a link that has a first end pivotally attached to the upper member at a second side of the upper member. The container is alterable between a collapsed configuration wherein the side wall is collapsed and a second end of the link is releasably attached to the spout such that the lower member is releasably retained between the link and the upper member and an in-use configuration wherein the side wall is extended and the second end of the link is releasably attached to the lower member such that the upper and lower members are releasably retained in a spaced apart configuration.

A self charging mug that is capable of charging or discharging an energy storage system thereof to charge a phone and heat or cool a liquid therein. The self charging mug includes an outer shell and an inner shell nested within the outer shell. The self charging mug also includes a thermal interface member in contact with the inner shell and a thermal electric plate engaged with the thermal interface member. The self charging mug further includes a component fixture assembly and an energy storage system arranged within the component fixture assembly. The self charging mug also includes a bidirectional power supply and a seal connector secured to the bidirectional power supply. The self charging mug also includes a battery management system in contact with the component fixture assembly and a charge and discharge controller arranged on a surface of the battery management system in order to control the charging and discharging of the battery according to the present invention.

The invention discloses a method of filling beverage into a beverage vessel, comprising the following steps: selecting at least one beverage by a program running on a personal electronic device having a personal electronic device processor by a user, wherein the at least one beverage is represented by at least one beverage parameter set and wherein the at least one beverage parameter set is stored in beverage data; positioning the beverage vessel in the proximity of the personal electronic device by the user; emitting an RF field by an antenna of the personal electronic device; transmitting the beverage data from an the antenna of the personal electronic device in a radio message to an antenna of the beverage vessel by near field communication controlled by the personal electronic device processor after presence of the beverage vessel in the proximity of the personal electronic device has been detected by the personal electronic device by near field communication; extracting electric energy from the RF field by the vessel antenna; storing the beverage data in a memory of the beverage vessel controlled by a vessel processor after receiving the beverage data by the antenna of the beverage vessel; positioning the beverage vessel in the proximity of a beverage dispenser by a user; transmitting a RF field from an antenna of the beverage dispenser; after detecting the beverage vessel in the proximity of the beverage dispenser by near field communication, transmitting by near field communication under control of a dispenser controller by the beverage dispenser a request command from an the antenna of the beverage dispenser to the antenna of the beverage vessel requesting to transmit beverage data in a radio message; extracting electric energy from the RF field by the vessel antenna; in response to receiving the request command by the beverage vessel, reading the beverage data from the memory of the beverage vessel and transmitting the beverage data by the antenna of the beverage vessel to the antenna of the beverage dispenser by near field communication under control of the vessel processor; and in response to receiving the beverage data by the antenna of the beverage dispenser outputting one of the at least one beverage defined by the beverage parameter set in the beverage data into the beverage vessel under control of the dispenser controller, wherein the portable beverage vessel comprises a container comprising a bottom portion forming the lower end of the container and a wall extending from the bottom portion in an essentially vertical direction; a magnetic coupling element arranged at the container; and a control device having a complementary magnetic coupli