A container faucet assembly includes a locking device disposed on a container and having a locking knob. A tubular member has a through-hole, an insertion section, a coupling section, and a front section. The insertion section is coupled with the container. The coupling section includes an outer periphery having at least one guiding groove with a transverse section. A seal is disposed around the front section. The faucet further includes a coupling portion having a coupling hole intercommunicating with an outlet of the faucet. An inner periphery of the coupling hole includes at least one protrusion slidably received in the at least one guiding groove. A radial hole extends through the inner periphery of the coupling hole and intercommunicates with the coupling hole. A locking end of the locking knob extends into the radial hole. A sealing portion is disposed on the inner periphery of the coupling hole.

A front pull piercing valve assembly attached to a flexible container, whereby; when the wall of the flexible container is pulled into contact with a piercing element in the assembly, the contents of the container are dispensed by piercing the wall of the container and liquid flows through the valve assembly and directly into a container or through flexible hose or another connection to be dispensed. The valve assembly is configured in such a manner that during use it is filed with the liquid being dispensed thereby preventing the liquid in the flexible container from being exposed to air, namely, oxygen that often causes spoilage of certain liquids, such as wine.

Systems and methods for preparing and dispensing food contents, typically molten chocolate. In one aspect, a method for treating chocolate includes placing a quantity of chocolate in a pressure-controllable environment; heating the quantity of chocolate to a temperature of about 115 degrees Fahrenheit; decreasing the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment to about 5 Torr; and holding the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment at about 5 Torr for a predetermined period of time. Additional steps may include decreasing the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment to about 5 Torr at an average rate of about 8 Torr per minute; heating the quantity of chocolate to a temperature of about 115 degrees Fahrenheit may occur at a rate of about 2 degrees Fahrenheit per minute; and/or heating the quantity of chocolate to a temperature of about 115 degrees Fahrenheit may occur at a rate of no more than 1 degree Fahrenheit per minute.

A delivering tap for delivering liquids from a container includes a main body with a connecting element having fitting means with the container, and a supporting body adapted to be closed by a plug associated with a cam seal, the supporting body comprising a first opening for exiting liquid, and sealing means associated with the first opening and plug, the supporting body comprising external guiding means obtained on its external surface to guide the plug in the opening and closing of the plug cooperating with a cam profile, the plug comprising a central cylinder having lower sealing means obtained at its lower end and adapted to be coupled with the sealing means of the main body to determine the seal of the plug next to the first opening, the cam profile being made of two parts, the first part on the plug and the second part on the cam seal.

A liquid and semi-liquid product dispenser that improves gravity dispensing of product by using a product bottle that slopes downwards towards the feed valve when the bottle is placed for dispensing. This includes a long-sloped portion that extends downwards from the rear of the bottle to the front of the bottle, and a curved and sloped portion proximate to the valve. These slopes feed product to the valve under the force of gravity when the valve is opened. Installation of product bottles is aided by an interior design of the dispenser case that mirrors the bottles contours and ensures that the bottle is positioned for use when placed.

A front push tap dispenser has a flow configuration and a sealed configuration. The tap comprises a tap body, a spring button member and a valve seal member, with the two members connected by a flexible stem having two ends, each end connected to the spring button member and the valve seal member. When in the sealed configuration the spring button holds the flexible stem and the valve seal member so the valve seal member is sealingly engaged to the inner wall of the dispensing port. When in the flow configuration the spring button is depressed, which causes the flexible stem and the valve seal to move downwardly to unseal the dispensing port to allow fluid to be dispensed. When the spring button is released, it elastically springs back to the undepressed position, causing the valve seal member to sealingly engage with the inner wall of the dispensing port.

A dispensing system includes a liquid dispensing tap, an associated measuring cap/cup and a cap adapter or holder which is removably received onto the tap and which in turn removably receives the cap/cup. The dispensing tap, adapter/holder and cap/cup are configured such that the holder and cap/cup are assembled with the tap prior to installation onto a container, and stay assembled with the tap during installation onto the container at the filling line, and which can later be removed for use and then selectively reattached to the tap or container after use by the consumer.

Systems and methods for preparing and dispensing food contents, typically molten chocolate. In one aspect, a method for treating chocolate includes placing a quantity of chocolate in a pressure-controllable environment; heating the quantity of chocolate to a temperature of about 115 degrees Fahrenheit; decreasing the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment to about 5 Torr; and holding the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment at about 5 Torr for a predetermined period of time. Additional steps may include decreasing the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment to about 5 Torr at an average rate of about 8 Torr per minute; heating the quantity of chocolate to a temperature of about 115 degrees Fahrenheit may occur at a rate of about 2 degrees Fahrenheit per minute; and/or heating the quantity of chocolate to a temperature of about 115 degrees Fahrenheit may occur at a rate of no more than 1 degree Fahrenheit per minute.

A tap is described, for delivering liquids from a vessel comprising: an elongated supporting body equipped with an inclined internal contact surface next to its delivery end; an upper closing element and tamper-preventing seal which closes the delivery end of the supporting body; a pin centrally placed inside the supporting body and equipped with an O-ring adapted to sealingly engage the inclined internal contact surface when the tap is closed; a dome-shaped elastic valve element operatively connected to the pin at the opposite end with respect to the delivery end of the supporting body, the dome-shaped elastic valve element performing the automatic closure of the tap; and a plate operatively connected to the dome-shaped elastic valve element.

A delivering tap for delivering liquids from a container includes a main body with a connecting element having fitting means with the container, and a supporting body adapted to be closed by a plug associated with a cam seal, the supporting body comprising a first opening for exiting liquid, and sealing means associated with the first opening and plug, the supporting body comprising external guiding means obtained on its external surface to guide the plug in the opening and closing of the plug cooperating with a cam profile, the plug comprising a central cylinder having lower sealing means obtained at its lower end and adapted to be coupled with the sealing means of the main body to determine the seal of the plug next to the first opening, the cam profile being made of two parts, the first part on the plug and the second part on the cam seal.