A liquid dispenser is provided that includes a housing configured to dispense liquid into a container, the housing having an outlet for dispensing liquid into the container. The liquid dispenser includes a proximity sensor disposed proximate to the outlet and configured to detect the container when the container is disposed proximate to the outlet; a light source disposed proximate to the outlet and configured to emit a beam of light to identify a location of liquid to be dispensed from the outlet; and a processor configured to determine whether the container is disposed proximate to the outlet based on an output signal from the proximity sensor; and illuminate the light source to project the beam of light towards an opening of the container based on the output signal from the proximity sensor, to inform a user of a location of liquid to be dispensed from the housing.

An automatic animal watering assembly includes a base that has a bowl section therein and a receiver section. A container is removably inserted into the receiver section of the base. The container contains water and the container releases the water into the bowl section. The container has an opening extending through a top end of the container for filling the container. A plug is movably positioned within the container. The plug is positionable in a closed position and an open position. A lid is hingedly coupled to the top end of the container. A lever is pivotally coupled to the container and the plug rests on the lever. The lever lifts the plug when the lever is lifted and the lever lowers the plug when the lever is lowered. The lever is in mechanical communication with the lid such that the lid lowers and lifts the lever.

Fill stations, cup dispensers and faucet clips configured for robotic interaction and associated methods and systems are disclosed herein. One disclosed system includes a robot with a visible light sensor and an end effector, a mechanical scale for weighing a vessel, and a visual flag translated by the mechanical scale. The visual flag is hidden when the vessel is below a target weight and is revealed when the vessel is above a target weight. The robot is programmed to detect the visual flag using the visible light sensor and disengage a dispenser of the fill station in response to the detecting of the visual flag.

Some embodiments disclosed herein related to a device for transferring precise amounts of fluid from at least one source container to at least one target container. In some embodiments, the fluid is first transferred from the source container (e.g., a vial) through a connector to an intermediate measuring container (e.g., a syringe). In some embodiments air can pass through an air inlet and enter the vial to compensate for the volume of fluid withdrawn from the vial. An air check valve or a bag or a filter can prevent the fluid from escaping through the air inlet. The precisely measured amount of fluid can then be transferred from the intermediate measuring container to the target container (e.g., an IV bag). In some embodiments the connector can include a source check valve and a target check valve to direct fluid first from the source container to the intermediate measuring container and then from the intermediate measuring container to the target container. Some embodiments of the device can include a motor and a controller for automatically actuating a plunger of the syringe to transfer the desired amount of fluid.

A laundry system for dispensing one or more ingredient compositions from ingredient reservoirs for supplying to a washing machine drum, the laundry system comprising: (i) an apparatus which comprises a dispensing device and multiple ingredient reservoirs; (ii) said multiple ingredient reservoirs comprising a recycled material and containing the various ingredient compositions in controllable fluid communication with the dispensing device and each ingredient reservoir comprising at least one ingredient reservoir identifier; (iii) said dispensing device being operable to selectively dispense portions of the ingredient compositions from respective ingredient reservoirs as a result of commands by the user to provide a dose of laundry product, and further comprising (iv) an ingredient reservoir control system for controlling said selective dispensing of respective ingredient compositions from specific ingredient reservoirs identified by respective ingredient reservoir identifiers such that the device can selectively dispense ingredient compositions from one or more identified ingredient reservoirs wherein the or each ingredient reservoir identifier comprises a data carrier for storing data regarding the condition of the ingredient reservoir and the ingredient reservoir control system is operative to modify the data stored on the data carrier.

A method for dispensing a beverage from a bottle that includes communicating a dispensing authorization message from a control unit to at least one of a server interface carried by a beverage server and a pour spout secured to a bottle, wherein the dispensing authorization message at least one of includes or initiates a dispensing command, and wherein the pour spout responds to the dispensing command by opening a spout valve through which a beverage flows from the bottle and out of the pour spout.

A chemical mixture dispensing assembly for automatically filling a fluid containment with a predetermined ratio of chemicals and water includes a housing that is mountable on a support surface such that the housing is positioned proximate a fluid containment. The housing is fluid coupled to a water source, a first chemical source and a second chemical source. A mixing unit is positioned in the housing and the mixing unit mixes a predetermined volume of fluid from the first chemical source and the second chemical source with a predetermined volume of water from the water source to produce a fluid mixture. The mixing unit dispenses a predetermined volume of the fluid mixture from the mixture outlet to fill the fluid containment with the fluid mixture.

A liquid dispenser is provided that includes a housing configured to dispense liquid into a container, the housing having an outlet for dispensing liquid into the container. The liquid dispenser includes a proximity sensor disposed proximate to the outlet and configured to detect the container when the container is disposed proximate to the outlet; a light source disposed proximate to the outlet and configured to emit a beam of light to identify a location of liquid to be dispensed from the outlet; and a processor configured to determine whether the container is disposed proximate to the outlet based on an output signal from the proximity sensor; and illuminate the light source to project the beam of light towards an opening of the container based on the output signal from the proximity sensor, to inform a user of a location of liquid to be dispensed from the housing.

A controlled pourer that may include a locking mechanism for locking the controlled pourer to a bottle; a communication module; a flow control mechanism that is configured to control an output of fluid, during a liquid consumption iteration, from the bottle under a control of one or more commands received by the communication module; and a flow meter for monitoring an amount of fluid outputted by the flow control mechanism during the fluid consumption iteration. The communication module is configured to output information regarding the amount of fluid consumed during the fluid consumption operation. Once locked to the bottle the controller pourer prevents a bypass of the fluid control mechanism.

Introduced here are systems for customized formulation and production of cleaning products and associated methods for using those systems. A system may include a computer-implemented platform (also referred to as a formulation platform or production platform) that is communicatively connected to an interactive dispensing machine responsible for making cleaning products. An individual or company may be permitted to select, create, or modify formulas via the production platform, while the interactive dispensing machine can produce cleaning products in accordance with those formulas.