Apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to open and discharge the contents of a packet or sachet. In some embodiments, a portable dispensing device includes a housing, an opening mechanism, and a discharging mechanism. In some configurations, the device includes a rotatable axle, a rotatable cap disposed at an end of the housing, and a roller element (coupled to the axle) that is configured to rotate with manual rotation of the rotatable cap, and a slot in the housing that permits at least a portion of the packet to advance through, wherein the slot and housing assists with pressing opposing packet walls together to discharge the contents of the packet. In some configurations, the opening mechanism also includes another housing slot where a corner of the packet may be fed and a knife element disposed to facilitate removal of the corner to thereby open the packet.

A hydration system including a fluid reservoir, a fluid path in communication with the reservoir, and a magnetic quick connect interposed in the fluid path is disclosed. A fluid delivery system for a hydration system is also disclosed that includes a magnetic quick connect interposed in a fluid delivery path of the delivery system. The magnetic quick connect can also be used in a wide variety of fluid delivery systems. A kit for forming a fluid delivery system for a hydration system is also disclosed, as are various components of a hydration system.

System for dispensing a liquid to a user, comprising: a container, a liquid, a dispenser, arranged to receive and hold the container in a dispensing position, and comprising a control unit user, a valve connected to the container, and connected to the control unit to selectively release or stop a flow of the liquid out of the container, characterized in that: upon releasing at least a part of the liquid, the container is deformable, the valve releasing a flow of the liquid out of the container, and upon releasing at least another part of the liquid, the valve releases a flow of liquid out of the container, and allows a flow of gas into the container.

A roving beverage dispensing device has a beverage container in a cooled compartment and a flexible beverage dispensing line with connecting means coupling its inlet end to the container. A pressure line is releasably connected to the container and to a source of pressurized gas. An elongated tapping column fixed to the top of the compartment comprises elongated inner channel bringing in communication the interior of the compartment with tapping valve element suitable for receiving a portion of the outlet end of the dispensing line and for controlling the flow of liquid therethrough. The largest diameters of the dispensing line and the connecting means are sufficiently small so that the dispensing line can be introduced from the top end of the tapping column through the elongated channel into the compartment and connected to the container.

A machine (1) for dispensing a beverage (100) has: a beverage directing guide (10) for directing by the directing guide (10) beverage (100) to an area (2) for placing a user-recipient; and a beverage processing unit (5) having a unit outlet (51) via which liquid (100,101) is passed from the beverage guide (50) to the directing guide (10) that is located below the unit outlet (51). The directing guide (10) has a flow cavity (10a), a bottom (10b) and sidewalls (10c) such that the bottom (10b) and the sidewalls (10c) delimit the flow cavity (10a). The directing guide (10) has an inflow penetrator (12) for acting on a flow of beverage (100) delivered by the unit outlet (51) onto the penetrator (12) prior to reaching the bottom (10b) of the flow cavity (10a).

A plastic liquid container and dispensing system includes a plastic bottle with first and second detachable bottle parts, a bladder for holding liquid including a bladder top, a bladder base and a bladder lock-nut positioned in the bladder inner volume and a spout having a spout body with a connecting end, an internal liquid flow path extending from the connecting end to a liquid outflow port and a release button for enabling liquid flow through the internal liquid flow path and out the liquid outflow port. The bladder opening is covered by a covering that is pierced by a blade at the spout connecting end to create a liquid flow path from the bladder to and through the spout (when the release button is pressed).

Devices and methods for extraction of a beverage from a beverage bottle, such as a wine bottle, using an extraction device. An aeration nozzle may be used to generate one or more jets of beverage arranged to expose the beverage to ambient air or other surrounding gas.

A management apparatus MA includes a pressure sensor 12 configured to detect a pressure of a gas cylinder 110 that supplies carbon dioxide gas to a beverage barrel 120 so as to supply the beverage from the beverage barrel 120 to the beverage server 150, and a control unit 20 configured to notify exchange of the gas cylinder 110 based on an output from the pressure sensor 12.

A method for controlling sterilization of a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing accommodating components for generating cold water and/or hot water; a water chute which protrudes from a front surface of the housing and includes a water outflow part extending downward; and a light emitting element which is mounted inside the water chute corresponding to an upper end of the water outflow part and emits ultraviolet rays for sterilization, and the method includes when a sterilization mode is started, turning on the light emitting element for a first set time and to emit ultraviolet rays through the water outflow part; and after the lapse of the first set time, turning off the light emitting element for a second set time to stop emission of ultraviolet rays, in which a sterilization cycle is defined as a sum of the first set time and the second set time, in which the sterilization mode is started at the same time when the water purifier is powered on, and in which the first set time is set such that the sterilization mode is performed for one day so that the amount of ultraviolet rays emitted to the outside of the water outflow part is less than 3 mJ/cm.sup.2 during the accumulated on time of the light emitting element.

A liquid dispenser may include a water tank having a wall opened at an upper side, a pump provided inside the water tank, a water supply pipe connected to the pump to transfer water, a water supply plate provided at a position higher than the wall of the water tank and having a water supply hole communicating with the water supply pipe and an upper surface over which water supplied from the water supply hole flows, and a water guide formed within the opening of the wall of the water tank and spaced apart from and below the water supply plate. The water guide may have a hole to discharge the water dropped from the water supply plate to the water tank and to filter the water.