A fluid material dispensing apparatus includes: a material outlet chamber extended outward from a main body of the fluid material dispensing apparatus; multiple pumps arranged to respectively extract multiple fluid materials stored in multiple material containers, and to operably push corresponding fluid materials forward; a fluid output device positioned on a bottom of the material outlet chamber and comprising multiple fluid outlets, wherein the multiple fluid outlets are respectively coupled with the multiple pumps through multiple material transmission paths; and a cold air tunnel coupled with the material outlet chamber and arranged to operably introduce cold air into the material outlet chamber, so as to maintain an internal temperature of the material outlet chamber to be lower than a predetermined temperature.

A filter manifold is provided for processing fluid being provided to a fluid dispenser, featuring a new and unique combination of a mounting bracket, a filter cartridge and an accumulator cartridge. The mounting bracket is configured with porting connections. The filter cartridge may include a filter cartridge porting connection configured to plumb into one of the porting connections on the mounting bracket and also configured to filter the fluid being provided to the fluid dispenser. The accumulator cartridge includes an accumulator cartridge porting connection configured to plumb into another one of the porting connections on the mounting bracket and also configured to receive, accumulate and provide the fluid to the filter cartridge to be filtered before being provided to the fluid dispenser.

A material dispensing device, a material output volume detecting device, and a related damper device for use in an automated beverage preparation apparatus are disclosed. The material output volume detecting device includes: a damper device arranged to operably buffer liquid material flowing therethrough; and a flowmeter arranged to operably measure the flow of liquid material outputted from the damper device. The damper device includes: a damper base having a material entrance hole, a material exit hole, and a material buffer chamber positioned between the material entrance hole and the material exit hole; a diaphragm covered on the material buffer chamber; and a fastening element positioned on the diaphragm and having a hollow portion. When the volume of liquid material within the material buffer chamber exceeds a predetermined amount, the diaphragm deforms to protrude outward, so that a part of the diaphragm enters the hollow portion of the fastening element.

An example system includes an incompressible, airtight pressurized container operable to maintain a pressure level in an internal pressurized environment, a transport system including at least two liquid transport conduits, and a mixing component, the two liquid conduits each being releasably coupled to a pressurized container interface coupled to the pressurized container and a dispensing interface, each liquid transport conduit including a controllable valve to enable or disable a flow of the liquid volume, the pressurized container interface capable of maintaining the pressure level, the mixing component being coupled to the at least two liquid transport conduits and the dispensing interface, a pressure regulation system connected to the pressurized container, the pressure regulation system operable to exert and maintain the pressure level within the pressurized container to enable compression of the first compressible liquid volume, and a control system operable to control the controllable valves and the pressure regulation system.

A stand-alone ice and beverage dispenser is provided. Appliance includes a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, a bottom portion and a countertop. Appliance includes an ice maker assembly mounted on the countertop, a liquid dispenser assembly mounted on the countertop, and a sealed refrigeration system. Sealed refrigeration system includes a compressor, condenser, chamber evaporator, and an ice maker assembly evaporator fluidly coupled through a refrigerant conduit. The compressor is operably coupled to the refrigerant conduit for circulating a flow of refrigerant through the refrigerant conduit. Appliance also includes refrigerant valve assembly including one or more valves. Refrigerant valve assembly is configured to selectively provide refrigerant to chamber evaporator to refrigerate chilled chamber and selectively provide refrigerant to the ice maker assembly evaporator for ice production.

A method and computer program product for defining a PWM drive signal having a defined voltage potential. The PWM drive signal has a plurality of “on” portions and a plurality of “off” portions that define a first duty cycle for regulating, at least in part, a flow rate of a pump assembly. At least a portion of the “on” portions of the PWM drive signal are pulse width modulated to define a second duty cycle for the at least a portion of the “on” portions of the PWM drive signal. The second duty cycle regulates, at least in part, the percentage of the defined voltage potential applied to the pump assembly.

The present invention is directed to a beverage dispenser connector (1) comprising a dispenser body (2) defining a cavity (3) with an opening (4) to be open at a side of the dispenser body (2), a connection section (6) to attached the dispenser body (2) with the open cavity (3) over a delivery section (102) of a container (100) to close the cavity (3) with the delivery section (102), an inlet (7) to deliver a fluid into the cavity (3), an outlet (8) to discharge the fluid out of the cavity (3), and a needle (9) with a piercing tip (90), the needle (9) being associated with the dispenser body (2) so as to be moveable between a retracted position in which the piercing tip (90) is positioned within the cavity (3) and an extended position in which the piercing tip (90) protrudes out of the cavity (3) via the opening (4). The invention is further directed to a beverage production device comprising the beverage dispenser connector (1), a liquid supply (201), a gas supply (202), and a discharge section (203). Further, the present invention is directed to a method for beverage production with the beverage production device (200).

A liquid dispenser adapted to dispense liquid from a beverage container. The liquid dispenser includes a top portion and a bottom portion. The liquid dispenser includes an electric powered pump that is configured to cause fluid to flow into the bottom portion when the electric powered pump is activated. The bottom portion is fluidly connected or interconnected to the top portion such that fluid which flows into the bottom portion is configured to flow out of the bottom portion and to the top portion.

A method and computer program product for defining a PWM drive signal having a defined voltage potential. The PWM drive signal has a plurality of “on” portions and a plurality of “off” portions that define a first duty cycle for regulating, at least in part, a flow rate of a pump assembly. At least a portion of the “on” portions of the PWM drive signal are pulse width modulated to define a second duty cycle for the at least a portion of the “on” portions of the PWM drive signal. The second duty cycle regulates, at least in part, the percentage of the defined voltage potential applied to the pump assembly.

An example system includes an incompressible, airtight pressurized container operable to maintain a pressure level in an internal pressurized environment, a transport system including at least two liquid transport conduits, and a mixing component, the two liquid conduits each being releasably coupled to a pressurized container interface coupled to the pressurized container and a dispensing interface, each liquid transport conduit including a controllable valve to enable or disable a flow of the liquid volume, the pressurized container interface capable of maintaining the pressure level, the mixing component being coupled to the at least two liquid transport conduits and the dispensing interface, a pressure regulation system connected to the pressurized container, the pressure regulation system operable to exert and maintain the pressure level within the pressurized container to enable compression of the first compressible liquid volume, and a control system operable to control the controllable valves and the pressure regulation system.