The present invention discloses a hot water dispenser comprising a water tank, an expansion chamber, and a Venturi module. The expansion chamber comprises a top shell, a bottom shell connected to the top shell, and a flexible bladder. Wherein, the water tank is connected to a dedicated faucet, the Venturi module is connected to a water source through the faucet, so when the dedicated faucet is closed, the expansion chamber then immediately creates suction and removes a part of the hot water from the water tank and into the expansion chamber to avoid hot water residue dripping from the faucet. In addition, when the water in the water tank is heated to its boiling point, a part of the hot water will be sucked into the expansion chamber to reduce the pressure in the water tank and prevent the hot water from being ejected out of the faucet due to vapour.

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 discharge device includes a case, a microphone, a voice recognition module, a speaker, a first elevation cover connected to the case, a second elevation cover configured to move upward and insert into an inside of the first elevation cover, an elevation motor connected to the second elevation cover, a water discharge nozzle disposed at a lower end of the second elevation cover, a water discharge valve configured to regulate water flow toward the water discharge nozzle, a flow sensor configured to sense a flow rate of the water flow, a sensor disposed at the second elevation cover and configured to, based on the second elevation cover moving downward, sense whether the sensor contacts a container disposed below the second elevation cover, and a controller configured to control operation of the elevation motor and the water discharge valve.

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 method for preparing hot water of variable discharge temperature in a beverage vending machine, wherein the beverage vending machine contains a hot water generating system comprising a cold water supply line, an electrically heatable boiler, which has a boiler-side cold water inlet that can be connected to the cold water supply line for the supply of cold water from the cold water supply line into the boiler and a boiler-side hot water outlet for the discharge of water from the boiler that is heated to a maximum discharge temperature (ϑ.sub.boiler), as well as a hot water outlet line that is connected in terms of flow to the boiler-side hot water outlet and that can be closed by at least one dispensing valve, by way of which the hot water provided with a specified discharge temperature (ϑ.sub.target, ϑ.sub.target1, ϑ.sub.target2, ϑ.sub.target3, ϑ.sub.target4) for the preparation of a hot beverage can be taken from the hot water outlet line, wherein the cold water supply line can be connected alternatively to the boiler-side cold water inlet or to the boiler-side hot water outlet by way of an electrically actuatable 3/2 way valve, which, for the discharge of hot water, can be loaded with a sequence of electrical pulses, whose pulse duration (τ, τ.sub.1, τ.sub.2, τ.sub.3, τ.sub.4) is selected as a function of the specified discharge temperature (ϑ.sub.target, ϑ.sub.target1, ϑ.sub.target2, ϑ.sub.target3, ϑ.sub.target4) of the hot water.

Apparatuses and methods for liquid control are provided. A liquid control apparatus may be for selectively treating and/or substituting a liquid flow from at least one of a plurality of supply lines. The ultimate liquid flow is for dispensing to a user by way of a liquid supply fixture such as a tap. The apparatus comprises a liquid conditioning module for connection in-line with at least one of the plurality of supply lines. The liquid conditioning module receives a diverted liquid flow of the at least one supply line from an upstream portion of the supply line. It then outputs a selectively treated and/or substituted liquid flow for returning to a downstream portion of the supply line for dispensing to the user. The apparatus has at least one flow sensor, each flow sensor associated with one of the plurality of supply lines. It has a controller, the controller configured to receive information indicative of the liquid flow of at least one of the plurality of supply lines from the at least one flow sensor. The controller, upon the occurrence of a predetermined flow characteristic, is operable to activate the liquid conditioning module to treat and/or substitute the liquid flow from one or more of the liquid conditioning module connected supply lines in order to provide a treated and/or substituted liquid flow at the liquid supply fixture.

Various beverage preparation systems and methods are disclosed. The beverage preparation system can include a dispensing unit configured to receive beverage, such as a shot of espresso, from a beverage preparation machine. The dispensing unit can include a dispensing unit with a first end and a second end. The dispensing unit can be rotatable between an upright position and an inverted position. The dispensing unit can be configured to receive the beverage through the second end when the dispensing unit is in the upright position, and can be configured to receive cleansing fluid through the second end when the dispensing unit is in the inverted position. In some embodiments, when the dispensing unit is in an intermediate position between the upright and inverted positions, the dispensing unit is configured to dispense the beverage out of the first end and into a cup or other vessel.

A machine for making liquid or semi-liquid products, including: a processing container for processing a basic liquid or semi-liquid product, defining a processing chamber and provided with a stirrer rotating inside the processing chamber; a thermal treatment system associated with the processing container for heating and/or cooling the processing chamber; a dispensing device which is associated with the processing container to receive therefrom the processed, basic liquid or semi-liquid product, and which is equipped with controls for delivering the processed, basic liquid or semi-liquid product to the outside of the processing container; an electronic control unit for controlling at least one actuator of the machine, a plurality of syrup containers, at least one heating and/or cooling device connectable to one or more of the syrup containers and/or connecting pipes and/or pumps in order to thermally treat the syrups.

An individual frozen drink dispenser includes a housing having a base configured to support a blender cup, a dispensing chamber disposed above the blender cup and configured to support a frozen beverage container containing frozen ingredients suitable for preparing a frozen drink, at least one dispensing mechanism configured to move from a pre-dispense position to a dispense position in which the dispensing mechanism drives the frozen ingredients from the frozen beverage container into the blender cup, and a drive mechanism coupled to the housing and configured to drive the movement of the dispensing mechanism from the pre-dispense position to the dispense position. A method of preparing a frozen drink is further disclosed.

Disclosed is a temperature adjusting method for instant heating or cooling with an energy-saving water dispenser, the method including: installing a water dispenser, which includes a heating device, a control processor, etc.; coupling a water inlet to a tap water pipe and heating the water to 100° C., where the produced boiling water is split into two branches, one flows out from a high-temperature water outlet; the other branch flows through a preheater and performs heat exchange with cold water to achieve a temperature drop thus forming warm boiled water, which enters a refrigeration unit to be cooled to 5° C. When the user sets a single-time output water temperature and amount within an effective range, the control processor automatically matches the corresponding working mode and provides an accurate output according to the user-set single-time output water temperature and amount. There is further disclosed a water dispenser.