Apparatus for dispensing mixed beverages obtained by mixing fresh vegetable products that were previously cut into small pieces, ground and frozen before being inserted into the apparatus and kept frozen until they are ready to be used. This apparatus comprises a beverage pickup compartment accessible from outside, a plurality of distinct and separate containers suitable to contain a specific quantity of frozen product, and to selectively distribute a definite quantity of the product contained therein in a mixing station, in which said containers are associated with a respective collecting means to containers toward a respective path that includes said mixing station and a thawing station; the latter is suitable to be positioned either upstream or downstream of said station.

A water valve, in which a water film is formed when the water valve connected to a water tank provided at a refrigerator door is opened and then closed and thus water film sealing is established downstream of an opening/closing surface of the water valve, thereby preventing dripping of water remaining in the water valve, enabling a clean use, and a refrigerator using the water valve. A valve body structure, in which a tube for guiding a flow of water toward a portion where a water film is to be formed between a nozzle and a valve is provided at the valve and an opening for releasing a water pressure even when the flow of water excessively concentrates, and thus, the water flowing through the opening may join a mainstream of the water discharged through a water passing hole.

Exemplary embodiments are generally directed to beverage chillers for chilling a hot beverage so that the hot beverage can be served as a chilled beverage in real time on demand fashion. The beverage chillers include a beverage collection section, a heat exchanger section, and a dispensing section fluidically connected relative to each other. The beverage collection section receives a beverage in a hot state. The heat exchanger section chills the beverage from the hot state to a predetermined chilled temperature. The dispensing section dispenses the beverage at or near the predetermined chilled temperature. Exemplary embodiments are also directed to methods and systems for chilling a hot beverage in real time on demand fashion.

An apparatus for storing and dispensing a fluid from a flexible portable fluid container is provided. The apparatus includes a bottom surface and at least one sidewall that defining a cavity configured to receive a flexible portable fluid container. A support member extends from the bottom surface of the body into the cavity to help support the flexible portable fluid container. An extruding member extends outwardly from the outside portion of the sidewall and defines a channel that extends from the inside portion of the sidewall through the extruding member. The channel is sized to receive the spout of the flexible portable fluid container.

A refrigerator having a storage unit disposed on the inside of a door and capable of dispensing beverage from a beverage container stored in the storage unit. A supporting unit is disposed on the storage unit for supporting the beverage container downward. The supporting unit has a first mounting hole. A valve is coupled to a mouth of the beverage container for selectively allowing beverage contained in the beverage container to be dispensed. At least a portion of the valve is located in the first mounting hole. A lever is disposed under the supporting unit and coupled to the valve. When an upward external force is applied to the lever, the valve is open and allows the beverage to be supplied to the outside of the beverage container through the mouth of the beverage container.

An apparatus regulates a temperature of a fluid inside a container and dispenses the fluid from the container. The apparatus has a body with an axis, a cavity adjacent a distal end, a bore adjacent a proximal end, and a fluid inlet formed through the body to the bore. The body contacts the fluid inside the container. A second fluid may be located and sealed inside the cavity, and have a freezing point of about 10° C. or less. A nozzle may be mounted to the body. The nozzle has a channel in communication with the fluid inlet through which the fluid flows out of the container through the nozzle. A seal may be mounted to the body. The seal may have a radial seal to seal radially between the body and an interior of the container, and an axial seal to seal axially between the nozzle and the container.

The invention relates to a drink dispensing device which consists of a dividable or single-part cylinder (5), in which stand up bags (7) or bottles (25), (26) are introduced containing beverages that are dispensed through independent taps (10). The device is positioned on a table-top base (3), (4), or on an on-floor base (17), (18), and are connected by a screw (19). The device structure proposed by the present invention may serve in the mounting of one or two stand up bags or even more bags as long as a respective configuration and a respective size are ensured. There is no limitation in size or the type of liquids, which may be alcoholic beverages, juices, oil, vinegar, etc.

A beverage diluting and cooling container includes a floor, a peripheral sidewall, and a divider wall that divides an interior space defined by the peripheral sidewall into a first compartment that receives a cooling medium for cooling and diluting a beverage received into the first compartment. The divider wall also divides the interior space into a second compartment that holds a second quantity of a cooling medium for non-dilutingly cooling the beverage. The second compartment is sealed from the first compartment to prevent flow of liquid from the second compartment into the first compartment. One or more of the floor or a portion of the sidewall bounding the first compartment includes at least one opening therethrough to allow flow of the beverage out of the first compartment while containing the cooling medium in the first compartment.

A filtration cooler system includes a cooler reservoir having a reservoir receiving portion, a lid coupled with the cooler reservoir, a drip tray, a filter bucket, and a filter. The drip tray is received by the cooler reservoir such that the drip tray is disposed over the reservoir receiving portion. The filter bucket has a filter receiving portion operable to receive water. The filter bucket is received by the drip tray when the drip tray is disposed over the reservoir receiving portion. The filter is received in the filter bucket. The filter filters the water in the filter bucket such that the water passes from the filter bucket into the reservoir receiving portion. The drip tray and the filter bucket can be nested such that the drip tray and the filter bucket fit within the reservoir receiving portion when the lid is closed over the cooler reservoir.

A dispenser is provided to receive and hold a bag-in-box container on top of a conventional type water cooler and to control the flow of water from the bag-in-box container into a water reservoir of the water cooler to maintain a desired level of water in the water reservoir. Level control of water in the reservoir is provided by controlling the venting of the sealed reservoir to the atmosphere and/or by controlling the flow of water into the reservoir from the water supply line. Venting control can be through use of a hydrophobic membrane or through use of float valves in the vent, and control of flow of liquid into the reservoir from the water supply line can be by a special float valve that allows high flow capacity at low pressures or through discharge of water from the reservoir. The reservoir can be formed as a flow through passage through a mass of temperature adjusting material.