Disclosed is a system for producing a beverage, in particular a cold beverage, comprising a cartridge that has a reservoir filled with a beverage substance, a beverage preparation unit with a cartridge receptacle into which the cartridge can be reversibly inserted, and a cartridge discharge device which causes at least partial transfer of the beverage substance from the reservoir into a mixing chamber; furthermore, the beverage preparation unit comprises a fluid supply which opens into the mixing chamber, or the system includes a movable plunger which is placed inside the reservoir and can be transferred from a starting position into a final position by means of the cartridge discharge device.

A system (10) for providing a stream of water that includes a surfactant, comprising a source (14) of water, means (32) to cause water to flow along a water supply duct (34), and a venturi injector (36) within the water supply duct. The venturi injector (36) communicates with an inlet duct (77) to supply surfactant; and the system comprises a surfactant supply duct (80, 83) that communicates between the inlet duct (77) and a surfactant container (18), the surfactant supply duct comprising a first portion that incorporates an on/off valve (38) and a second portion (83) that incorporates a check valve (84) to control flow. A plurality of surfactant containers (18) may be connected to the inlet duct (77) in this way; and each surfactant container 18 may be mounted within an open-topped chamber (68) to which hot water may be provided to heat the contents of the surfactant container (18).

Apparatus and systems for melting and liquefying chocolate. In one aspect, a system includes a generally fluid-tight exterior housing defining a first volume; a bulkhead positioned within the housing and dividing the first volume into separate second and third volumes; at least one vertical support member operationally connected to the exterior housing; a base support member operationally connected to the vertical support member; a dispenser guiding member disposed within the first volume and operationally connected to the exterior housing; and a heating element in thermal communication with the first volume, wherein energization heats the first volume to 37 to 46 degrees Celsius. Other aspects include where the liquid chocolate contains less than 3% water; where the liquid chocolate is solid at room temperature; a multiple pivot hinge; and a noninterfering interdigitating hinge.

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.

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 point-of-sale custom color system for tinting base paints and stains includes an array of water-only fluid colorants, including at least white, green, blue and red water-only colorants, which can be used to tint water-borne paints and stains. When tinting solvent-borne base paints or stains, a synergist containing one or more surfactants and optional dispersing agents or optional cosolvents is added to or is a part of the solvent-borne base paint or stains, and enables effective tinting using the water-only colorants.

Methods for treating and preparing chocolate. In one aspect, a method includes heating a quantity of chocolate to a temperature of about 46 degrees Celsius; decreasing the pressure of in a pressure-controllable environment to about 25 Torr; holding the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment at about 25 Torr for a first predetermined period of time; decreasing the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment to about 5 Torr; and holding the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment at about 5 Torr for a second predetermined period of time. Other aspects include ceasing heating the quantity of chocolate; decreasing pressure occurs at an average rate of about 150 Torr per minute; decreasing pressure occurs at an average rate of about 4 Torr per minute; and others.

An interface assembly for a frozen dessert machine is disclosed that includes a freezer door having opposed front and rear sides and including at least one recessed mounting pocket formed in the rear side thereof, the at least one recessed mounting pocket including a cornice covering an upper portion thereof, and at least one elongated baffle having opposed proximal and distal end portions, the proximal end portion of the at least one baffle including a retention flange that is dimensioned and configured for detachable reception within the at least one mounting pocket of the freezer door behind the cornice.

A fluid dispenser which enables one or two liquid mixture components to be selectively or simultaneously dispensed via a manually operable selection and actuation means. The said dispenser incorporates a body, one or more fluid storage and delivery channels, a selection and actuation disc operable to cause the release of a quantity of a stored fluid, as well as articulation and clamping means which support the said disc. One or more of the said fluid channels may be urged by said disc via cams to eject a fluid or fluids from corresponding cartridges. The present device provides a scale and pointer system which permits selection of a particular volume of a fluid for ejection in a first mode of operation, or selection of a specified mutual proportion of two fluids for ejection in a second mode of operation.

A dispenser for dispensing a beverage from a beverage bottle, especially for dispensing wine from a wine bottle and facilitating the aeration of the dispensed wine while it is being poured to shorten the time normally devoted to breathing the wine. An open lesser end of the dispenser inserts into the neck of a wine bottle and preferably seals therein. A valve may be closed to temporarily preserve the wine in the bottle for later aeration while dispensing.