Provided is a portable, self-contained beverage apparatus. The beverage apparatus includes a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid, and a dispensing assembly disposed within the container assembly that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of additives into the consumable liquid. The dispensing assembly includes multiple apertures structured and arranged to retain vessels containing the additives to be dispensed into the consumable liquid. The beverage apparatus also includes a level sensor disposed within the container assembly that determines a consumable liquid level of the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly.

A liquid dispensing device for use with a flexible bag containing a liquid and having a spigot connected thereto includes a housing, a valve assembly and a member. The housing includes an upper part having a receiver configured to receive the spigot. The valve assembly is housed within the receiver and includes a liquid channel and a valve. The liquid channel has an inner end configured to connect to the spigot, and an outer end opposite the inner end. The valve, which is positioned closer to the outer end than the inner end, includes a closed position, in which a flow of the liquid through the liquid channel is prevented, and an open position for dispensing the liquid through the liquid channel. The member is configured to keep the spigot in a permanent open position when the spigot is connected to the inner end of the liquid channel.

A liquid container comprises an outer casing, a flexible inner bag disposed in the outer casing, and a liquid outlet valve. The inner bag is fixedly connected to the valve and a bag opening of the inner bag forms a seal with the liquid outlet valve. The outer casing forms a seal with the valve and one end of the outer casing connected to the valve is further connected with a ventilation structure. A flexible separation bag is further sleevely disposed between the inner bag and the outer casing, and has a plurality of convex portions protruding from a surface of the separation bag, and each of the convex portions extends from a bag opening of the separation bag toward a direction away from the bag opening of the separation bag. A first auxiliary air passage is formed between the two adjacent convex portions.

A dispenser cartridge (10) which comprises a first and a second cartridge shell (11, 12). The two cartridge shells (11, 12) are connected via a hinge (14). The two cartridge shells delimit a receiving space (25) for tubular bags. Each cartridge shell has a cooling trough (30) which, apart from an inlet port (26) and ventilation openings (33), is closed to the receiving space (25) for the tubular bags by a thermally conductive plate (18). The receiving volume of the cooling trough (30) is kept as low as possible. The depth of the cooling trough (30) corresponds to a maximum of twice the thickness of the thermally conductive plate (18). The greater the volume of the receiving space (25) for corresponding tubular bags, the greater the thickness of the thermally conductive plate (18).

A beer tap improvement system for adding an additive to a beer made with a three-way connection component to connect to an outlet nozzle and the three-way connection component configured as (1) a three-way tee with threaded apertures; (2) a removable threaded connection from the three-way tee to an to existing common tap outlet nozzle; (3) a removable threaded connection and aperture from the three-way tee to an outlet nozzle for a mixture of additive and beer; (4) a removable threaded connection from the three-way tee to an additive container and an additive nozzle; (b) the outlet nozzle for a mixture of additive and beer; and (c) the additive container and the additive nozzle where a color or flavor additive can be manually combined with the beer by an operator squeezing the additive container that results in a mixture of the additive and a single beer.

The present disclosure describes a system, apparatus, and method for storing, transporting, delivering, and dispensing carbonated beverages that maintains a high degree of carbonation and extends the shelf life of the beverage. The system includes a container that includes an outlet for dispensing the beverage. Disposed within the container is a first bladder that contains a fluid and an apparatus for exerting a constant pressure on the first bladder. The fluid is dispensed from the first bladder through the outlet, in response to the apparatus exerting pressure on the first bladder.

The present invention relates to a partially collapsible dispensing container (100) extending along a longitudinal axis (110) between a first end and second end, the container comprising an opening (20) for dispensing fluid at said second end, wherein the container (100) comprises a collapsible part (102) and a retaining part (101), wherein the collapsible part and the retaining part are arranged successively along the longitudinal axis (110) and the collapsible part (102) is configured to collapse at least partially inside the retaining part (101) by the application of pressure substantially in a direction of the container longitudinal axis (110). The invention further relates to a system comprising a partially collapsible dispensing container and further comprising a mechanical actuation device (10) configured to apply a pressure on the collapsible part (102) of the container (100) substantially parallel to the container longitudinal axis (110) in order to allow dispensing of the fluid inside.

Systems and methods for preparing and dispensing food contents, typically molten chocolate. In one aspect, a method for treating chocolate includes placing a quantity of chocolate defining a chocolate surface in a vacuum chamber, heating the quantity of chocolate to a temperature sufficient to substantially liquefy the quantity of chocolate, decreasing the pressure of the vacuum chamber to a predetermined pressure, wherein the chocolate surface is subjected to a partial vacuum and wherein substantially all trapped gases are outgassed from the quantity of chocolate, holding the pressure of the vacuum chamber at the predetermined pressure for a predetermined period of time, and increasing the pressure of the vacuum chamber to room pressure. The chocolate comprises cacao, cacao butter, and sugar. During treatment, the temperature of the chocolate is maintained sufficiently high to maintain the chocolate as a liquid.

Provided is a portable, self-contained beverage apparatus. The beverage apparatus includes a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid, and a dispensing assembly disposed within the container assembly that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of additives into the consumable liquid. The dispensing assembly includes multiple apertures structured and arranged to retain vessels containing the additives to be dispensed into the consumable liquid. The beverage apparatus also includes a level sensor disposed within the container assembly that determines a consumable liquid level of the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly.

The inventive system and method advantageously enable superior preserved storage and selective dispensation of liquids by storing wine (or other liquids) in a pressurized environment to ensure that the stored liquid does not come into contact with air, and then by selectively dispensing a portion of the stored liquid, in accordance with a desired dispensing regime, by utilizing a controlled source of pressure force to apply a sufficient pressure to the pressurized environment to expel the desired volume of the liquid in a pressurized stream directed to a dispensing/pouring interface through a conduit or equivalent delivery system. In at least several novel embodiments thereof, the system and method of the present invention are configured for use with wine-in-bag (WinB) products.