Dispensing assembly for dispensing a flowable food product, comprising: a bag-in-box type container for holding a product concentrate, the container having a concentrate outlet for releasing product concentrate from the container; a mixing unit spaced apart from the concentrate outlet, the mixing unit being configured for mixing the product concentrate with a liquid, the mixing unit having a concentrate inlet for receiving product concentrate released from the container, a liquid inlet for receiving the liquid, and a spout for dispensing as a flowable food product the product concentrate mixed with the liquid; and a duct arranged for guiding a flow of product concentrate along a flow path from the concentrate outlet of the container to the concentrate inlet of the mixing unit, wherein at least a section of the duct is flexible for flexibly adjusting the flow path.

Flavor and additive delivery systems and methods for beverage dispensers are disclosed. An example beverage dispenser includes flavor containers configured to contain flavor mixtures, a manifold configured to blend water with flavor mixtures, a flowrate sensor configured to detect a current flowrate of the water flowing to the manifold, memory configured to store instructions related to dispensing the water and the flavor mixtures, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive a request for a selected beverage, identify a ratio between the water and one or more of the flavor mixtures for the selected beverage, transmit a water control signal to cause the water to flow at a requested water flowrate, and transmit one or more first flavor control signals to cause one or more of the flavor mixtures to flow from the flavor containers based on the ratio.

A liquid dispenser may include a container having an upper opening, a pump provided in the container, a pipe through which liquid discharged from the pump is transferred, a top plate having an upper surface over which liquid flows, a filter assembly provided below the top plate, a base provided below the container, and a thermoelectric element provided in the base to cool the liquid in the container.

A liquid product distribution network includes a keg distribution monitoring and reporting apparatus associated with a keg. The apparatus includes a radio transmitter device and sensing circuitry for sensing and communicating physical properties associating with the keg. A top or bottom chime of keg physically protects the sensing circuitry during keg distribution in the keg distribution network. The apparatus also includes a battery power supply unit fitted within and protected by the top or bottom chime. The apparatus further includes a unique identifier associated with the sensing and reporting device. The apparatus further includes a mobile communications device is configured to identify the keg based on the unique identifier associated with the sensing and reporting device embedded therein, and receive and process the radiofrequency signals from the radiofrequency signal transmission circuitry of the identified keg passively and without user interaction, for monitoring the physical properties and location of the keg.

Flavor and additive delivery systems and methods for beverage dispensers are disclosed. An example manifold of a beverage dispenser includes a base defining a base cavity and configured to extend through an opening defined by an outer wall. The manifold includes a first housing coupled to the base and defining a housing cavity. The base cavity and the housing cavity are adjacent to each other to form a chamber. The manifold includes a body coupled to the first housing and defining a body cavity and angled apertures. The manifold includes an insert housing that is coupled to the body and extends at least partially through the body cavity. The manifold includes an insert housed within the insert housing and defining a water outlet for spraying water downward into the chamber. The angled apertures are configured to receive nozzles that extend at least partially into the chamber at the predefined angle.

Disclosed is a smart device housing configured to fixably attach to a beverage vessel comprising a domed surface at a distal end, the domed surface adjacent a wall terminating at a lip, the smart device housing comprising an exterior configured as a transformable shape enabling a locking fit between the lip and the domed surface of the beverage vessel. Also disclosed is a system wherein a smart device comprises at least one proximity, image or distance sensor having a beam of detection with a path, the sensor located and directed such the beam of detection covers a location where a coupler can be attached to the beverage vessel, the smart device configured to determine whether the coupler is attached to the beverage vessel by measuring whether the path is obstructed by the coupler. Also disclosed is a method of determining the fill status of a beverage container.

A device for providing a disposable liner or bag and valve inside of a keg. An example device includes a valve assembly connected to a spear assembly. The disposable liner or bag is wrapped around the spear assembly to fit through a top opening in the keg and the valve assembly is connected to the top opening of the keg. A series of valves and passages enable an inert gas to flow into and expand or inflate the disposable liner or bag inside of the keg, and the valve then enables filling the disposable liner or bag inside of the keg with beer or other liquid to be dispensed from the keg. When the keg is empty, the spear assembly may be disconnected and withdrawn, thus removing both the disposable liner or bag and disposable valve assembly from the keg.

A smart inventory management system is described for a dispensing and blend-in-cup beverage platform including a container having an information tag that is configured to store unique information specific to a particular product, a reader configured to read the stored information from the information tag, a control board configured to host a software based decision engine which is configured to interpret the information specific to a particular product and to control one or more system components based at least in part on the information, a pump controlled by the control board and configured to pump beverage concentrates out of the containers in order to dispense the beverage concentrate into a beverage holder, and a check valve located between an opening on the container and the pump, the check valve configured to provide backflush prevention of foreign solutions into the container.

Proposed is a cartridge system for making a beverage, the cartridge system being insertable into a beverage preparation machine and comprising: a cartridge that includes a reservoir filled with a beverage substance; and a cartridge receptacle that is connected to the cartridge; the cartridge receptacle includes a mixing chamber fluidically connectable to the reservoir, and a fluid feed line extending into the mixing chamber; the cartridge has a cartridge wall; characterized in that the cartridge wall includes a flange for attaching a sealing element.

Flavor and additive delivery systems and methods for beverage dispensers are disclosed. An example beverage dispenser includes flavor containers configured to contain flavor mixtures, flavor tags each of which is fixed to a respective one of the flavor containers, flavor sensors each of which is positioned to read tag information from a respective one of the flavor tags to monitor the respective one of the flavor containers, memory configured to store instructions related to dispensing water and the flavor mixtures, and a processor. The processor is configured to detect, based on the tag information collected by the flavor sensors, whether any of the flavor containers is at least one of expired, counterfeit, or out-of-position. The processor is configured to disable use of each of the flavor containers that are detected to be at least one of expired, counterfeit, or out-of-position.