An approach for treating a fluid transport conduit with ultraviolet radiation is disclosed. A light guiding unit, operatively coupled to a set of ultraviolet radiation sources, encloses the fluid transport conduit. The light guiding unit directs ultraviolet radiation emitted from the ultraviolet radiation sources to ultraviolet transparent sections on an outer surface of the fluid transport conduit. The emitted ultraviolet radiation passes through the ultraviolet transparent sections, penetrates the fluid transport conduit and irradiates the internal walls. A control unit adjusts a set of operating parameters of the ultraviolet radiation sources as a function of the removal of contaminants from the internal walls of the fluid transport conduit.

The disclosure concerns a system including a multi-tower modular dispensing system including at least a first dispensing head and a second dispensing head at a counter, a transfer unit located remotely from the counter, piping extending from the transfer unit to the counter, the transfer unit including a centralized ingredient system having a plurality of beverage ingredient sources, the centralized ingredient system configured to supply beverage ingredients to the piping for the dispensing of a first beverage at the counter, the piping including a main micro bundle, the main micro bundle including at least two separate beverage ingredient lines.

A beverage-making apparatus includes a fermentation tank assembly including a fermentation tank having an opening formed therein and a fermentation tank cover configured to open and close the opening. The beverage-making apparatus also includes a refrigeration cycle apparatus including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator. The refrigeration cycle apparatus is configured to circulate a refrigerant therethrough and to control a temperature of the fermentation tank as the evaporator is disposed at the fermentation tank. The beverage-making apparatus further includes a heat insulating wall surrounding both the fermentation tank and the evaporator.

A liquid sales management device is to be added to a liquid supply system supplying a liquid within a storage container to a dispensing device through a supply pipe with the liquid pressurized in order to cool the liquid in the dispensing device, and dispensing the cooled liquid to a drinking container. The liquid sales management device includes an actual flow rate determining unit that determines an actual measured flow rate of the liquid dispensed into the drinking container from the dispensing device, a cleaning mode detection unit that detects a cleaning mode in the liquid supply system, and a consumption flow rate acquisition unit that determines an actual consumption of the liquid based on the number of cycles of the cleaning mode, a known liquid amount consumed in one cycle of the cleaning mode in the liquid supply system, and the actual measured flow rate.

The present invention is directed to a beverage dispenser connector (1) comprising a dispenser body (2) defining a cavity (3) with an opening (4) to be open at a side of the dispenser body (2), a connection section (6) to attached the dispenser body (2) with the open cavity (3) over a delivery section (102) of a container (100) to close the cavity (3) with the delivery section (102), an inlet (7) to deliver a fluid into the cavity (3), an outlet (8) to discharge the fluid out of the cavity (3), and a needle (9) with a piercing tip (90), the needle (9) being associated with the dispenser body (2) so as to be moveable between a retracted position in which the piercing tip (90) is positioned within the cavity (3) and an extended position in which the piercing tip (90) protrudes out of the cavity (3) via the opening (4). The invention is further directed to a beverage production device comprising the beverage dispenser connector (1), a liquid supply (201), a gas supply (202), and a discharge section (203). Further, the present invention is directed to a method for beverage production with the beverage production device (200).

A beverage dispensing device can comprise a housing configured to house a fluid; a feed spout coupled to the housing; and an ultraviolet light emitter coupled to the feed spout, the ultraviolet light emitter oriented in a downward direction during operation, the ultraviolet light emitter configured to emit ultraviolet radiation having an average wavelength between 100 nm and 400 nm.

A liquid dispensing system comprises a container enclosing a chamber. A flexible bag in the chamber contains a first liquid. First and second conduits are contained in the chamber. The first conduit connects the chamber to an outlet port in the container were the second conduit connects the bag to the first conduit. A supply source introduces a pressurized second liquid into the chamber. The first conduit serves to direct an exiting flow of the second liquid from the chamber to the outlet port, with the pressurized second liquid serving to collapse the bag and expel the first liquid contained therein via the second conduit to the first conduit for mixture with the exiting flow of the second liquid. The second conduit lacks flow restrictions, such as metering orifices or the like.

A beverage-making apparatus includes a fermentation tank assembly including a fermentation tank having an opening formed therein and a fermentation tank cover configured to open and close the opening. The beverage-making apparatus also includes a refrigeration cycle apparatus including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator. The refrigeration cycle apparatus is configured to circulate a refrigerant therethrough and to control a temperature of the fermentation tank as the evaporator is disposed at the fermentation tank. The beverage-making apparatus further includes a heat insulating wall surrounding both the fermentation tank and the evaporator.

A water-dispensing device includes a cold water tank and a fill valve. The tank is in selective fluid communication with a water intake via the fill valve. The device further includes a cold dispensing valve, a spigot in selective fluid communication with the tank via the cold dispensing valve, an ozone generator in fluid communication with the tank, and a drip tray positioned beneath the spigot. The drip tray is in fluid communication with a drain via a drain hose. A controller is configured to perform a cleaning operation by: (i) activating the ozone generator to ozonate water stored in the tank, (ii) opening the cold dispensing valve to empty the tank by dispensing the ozonated water from the tank through the spigot and into the drip tray, and (iii) upon determining the tank is empty, opening the fill valve to refill the tank.

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.