A refill station for refillable carbonation containers is disclosed. Exemplary implementations may include a refill station housing, a refill tank, a control interface, a conduit, a controllable refill valve, and/or other components. The refill tank of the refill station holds a pressurized liquid, such as CO.sub.2. The refill station housing holds a carbonation container, such as a bottle, which includes a container tank. A user can control filling or refilling the container tank from the refill tank.

A gas dispensing system for a beverage system is disclosed herein. The gas dispensing system can releasably secure a gas canister or other gas source for release of pressurized gas therein to the beverage system. In an embodiment, the gas dispensing system includes a distribution body that can articulate between a loading position and a dispensing position. In the loading position, a gas canister can be releasably secured within the system. As the distribution body is moved into the dispensing position, a puncture mechanism can be moved further into the distribution body, puncturing the gas canister for release of pressurized gas. The distribution body can be fluidically coupled with a valve or other flow control element of the beverage machine, allowing for controlled entry of the pressurized gas into the system.

Water dispensing apparatus comprises modular components including but not limited to an easily accessible water heating module, and a water carbonation module including an easily accessible carbonation tank bracket for holding a carbonation tank. The water dispensing apparatus further comprises a water dispensing faucet comprising an easily adjustable back pressure implement for adjusting the back pressure and, therefore, controlling mixing of carbon dioxide and water and the flow rate thereof for sparkling water dispensed therefrom.

Closures for use with ingredient containers are provided. The closures include a cap body having a base and a sidewall. The base has an inlet port and an outlet port formed therein, and the sidewall extends around the base and define an outer perimeter of the cap body. The sidewall includes first and second shoulders extending upward from the base on opposed sides of the inlet and outlet ports. The first shoulder has a first inner surface and the second shoulder has a second inner surface, and the first and second inner surfaces each have a detent therein configured to receive a corresponding protrusion in a carriage assembly of a beverage carbonation system.

Water dispensing apparatus comprises modular components including but not limited to an easily accessible water heating module, and a water carbonation module including an easily accessible carbonation tank bracket for holding a carbonation tank. The water dispensing apparatus further comprises a water dispensing faucet comprising an easily adjustable back pressure implement for adjusting the back pressure and, therefore, controlling mixing of carbon dioxide and water and the flow rate thereof for sparkling water dispensed therefrom.

The invention relates to a metering device for adjusting and/or controlling a gas flow, characterised in that the metering device comprises an electrically controllable valve, wherein the gas flow through the metering device can be adjusted and/or controlled by means of the electrically controllable valve, wherein the metering device has a pressure sensor, wherein a gas pressure difference across a gas-outlet opening in the metering device can be measured by means of the pressure sensor, wherein the electrically controllable valve can be adjusted according to the measured gas pressure difference; and/orwherein the metering device comprises an adjustable pressure-control device, wherein a maximum gas pressure difference between an inlet region of the metering device and an outlet region of the metering device can be set by means of the adjustable pressure-control device, wherein the gas flow through the metering device, which gas flow can be adjusted by means of the electrically controllable valve, is limited by the maximum gas pressure difference between the inlet region of the metering device and the outlet region of the metering device which is set by means of the adjustable pressure-control device.

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator and a control method thereof. The refrigerator includes a purified water tank to store water, a flow sensor to detect an amount of water supplied to the purified water tank, a purified water supply valve to open/close a purified water supply flow path to guide water stored in the purified water tank to the carbonated water tank, a carbonated water discharge valve to open/close a carbonated water discharge flow path to guide the carbonated water to the outside of the refrigerator, and a controller to detect a position where water leakage occurs by sequentially opening the purified water supply valve and the carbonated water discharge valve in a water leakage mode.

A flavorant container for use in a beverage system is provided. The flavorant container can be retained by a beverage system to dispense flavorant, which can be mixed with carbonated and/or uncarbonated water. In one embodiment, the flavorant container includes a container, a cap, and one or more features located on the cap. The features can include an inlet that is able to receive pressurized air, and an outlet that is able to dispense a flavorant when the inlet receives the pressurized air. The features can also include at least one raised protrusion that is capable of being retained by a complimentary pattern located on a beverage system in order to properly seat the flavorant container in the beverage system.

A beverage dispensing system includes an infusion unit and a dispensing station. The infusion unit is to mix a liquid beverage product and a gas to produce a gas-infused liquid beverage product. The infusion unit includes a first infusion unit inlet to receive the liquid beverage product, a second infusion unit inlet to receive the gas, and a first infusion unit outlet to output the gas-infused liquid beverage product. The dispensing station includes a first valve, coupled to the first outlet of the infusion unit, to receive and dispense the gas-infused liquid beverage product. The dispensing station further includes a second valve to receive and dispense the liquid beverage product.

Carbonation packets, beverage carbonation systems, and methods of generating carbon dioxide gas for a beverage are disclosed. The carbonation packet comprises a packet body defining a single compartment, a granular carbonate material sealed within the single compartment, a granular acid material sealed within the single compartment, and a granular desiccant material sealed within the single compartment. The granular desiccant material prevents the granular carbonate material from reacting with the granular acid material while sealed in the single compartment. Each of the granular carbonate material, the granular acid material and the granular desiccant material are water-dissolvable.