An apparatus for making a beverage includes a housing, a first receptacle, a second receptacle, a cutting assembly, a water source, and at least one water outlet. The first receptacle is positioned in the housing for accepting a first beverage container containing a liquid. The second receptacle is positioned in the housing for accepting a second beverage container containing a liquid. The cutting assembly has a cutting blade that is movable relative to the first and second receptacles for opening the first and second containers substantially simultaneously so that liquid stored therein can be at least in part evacuated. The water source is coupled to the housing The at least one water outlet is associated with one or more of the first and second receptacles for adding water to the liquid from the first and second beverage containers from the water source.

An exemplary dispenser includes a housing and a refill unit. The refill unit being removable and replaceable. The dispenser also includes a processor, memory, a dose count stored in memory that is indicative of the number of doses in a full refill unit, a level sensor for detecting a predetermined level the refill unit and a dispense count indicative of the number doses of product dispensed from the refill unit. In addition, the dispenser includes memory and has logic stored in the memory for recalibrating the number of doses remaining in the refill unit as a function of the dose count, the number of doses of product dispensed and the predetermined level of product. The number of doses of product remaining in the refill unit may be displayed on the dispenser, on a remote station, or on both the dispenser and a remote station.

Techniques for monitoring dispensed liquid include an intelligent spout that incorporates an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) for tracking its own orientation and movement in three-dimensional space. The spout has its own processor, memory, and wireless networking components, which support local data processing, data logging, and bi-directional wireless communication. Communication may be carried out with a server, with other spouts of like kind, and/or with other devices.

A liquid dispenser is provided that includes a housing configured to dispense liquid into a container, the housing having an outlet for dispensing liquid into the container. The liquid dispenser includes a proximity sensor disposed proximate to the outlet and configured to detect the container when the container is disposed proximate to the outlet; a light source disposed proximate to the outlet and configured to emit a beam of light to identify a location of liquid to be dispensed from the outlet; and a processor configured to determine whether the container is disposed proximate to the outlet based on an output signal from the proximity sensor; and illuminate the light source to project the beam of light towards an opening of the container based on the output signal from the proximity sensor, to inform a user of a location of liquid to be dispensed from the housing.

This disclosure includes devices, systems, apparatuses, and implementations associated with a wall-mounted beverage dispensing system. The beverage dispensing system is configured to fit between standard space between studs. In some implementations, the studs may provide the sole support for the beverage dispensing system. The beverage dispensing system may include a filter that is accessible for replacement without the use for tools.

Fill stations, cup dispensers and faucet clips configured for robotic interaction and associated methods and systems are disclosed herein. One disclosed system includes a robot with a visible light sensor and an end effector, a mechanical scale for weighing a vessel, and a visual flag translated by the mechanical scale. The visual flag is hidden when the vessel is below a target weight and is revealed when the vessel is above a target weight. The robot is programmed to detect the visual flag using the visible light sensor and disengage a dispenser of the fill station in response to the detecting of the visual flag.

An apparatus for making a beverage includes a housing, a first receptacle, a second receptacle, a cutting assembly, a water source, and at least one water outlet. The first receptacle is positioned in the housing for accepting a first beverage container containing a liquid. The second receptacle is positioned in the housing for accepting a second beverage container containing a liquid. The cutting assembly has a cutting blade that is movable relative to the first and second receptacles for opening the first and second containers substantially simultaneously so that liquid stored therein can be at least in part evacuated. The water source is coupled to the housing The at least one water outlet is associated with one or more of the first and second receptacles for adding water to the liquid from the first and second beverage containers from the water source.

A method for dispensing a beverage from a bottle that includes communicating a dispensing authorization message from a control unit to at least one of a server interface carried by a beverage server and a pour spout secured to a bottle, wherein the dispensing authorization message at least one of includes or initiates a dispensing command, and wherein the pour spout responds to the dispensing command by opening a spout valve through which a beverage flows from the bottle and out of the pour spout.

A chemical mixture dispensing assembly for automatically filling a fluid containment with a predetermined ratio of chemicals and water includes a housing that is mountable on a support surface such that the housing is positioned proximate a fluid containment. The housing is fluid coupled to a water source, a first chemical source and a second chemical source. A mixing unit is positioned in the housing and the mixing unit mixes a predetermined volume of fluid from the first chemical source and the second chemical source with a predetermined volume of water from the water source to produce a fluid mixture. The mixing unit dispenses a predetermined volume of the fluid mixture from the mixture outlet to fill the fluid containment with the fluid mixture.

A beverage supplying apparatus having a beverage supplying unit, for making a beverage and supplying the beverage into a container placed in the beverage supplying unit. The beverage supplying apparatus includes a supply instruction button configured to be pressable for giving an instruction for making and supplying the beverage, a presenting operation unit configured to present a plurality of pieces of information and to receive an operation, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to, responsive to a pressing operation of the supply instruction button, cause the presenting operation unit to present a message for placing the container in the beverage supplying unit, and to present an input unit for confirming that the container has been placed in the beverage supplying unit, and responsive to receipt of the operation by the presenting operation unit after presenting the input unit, control the beverage supplying apparatus to dispense the beverage into the container.