A needle for accessing a container having a closure, such as a cork of a wine bottle. The needle includes first and second lumens each having a D-shaped cross section and a flat surface. The first and second lumens are attached with the flat surfaces in contact, and each lumen may have an outlet opening at a distal end. The needle may be used with a beverage dispenser that operates by introducing gas into a container via one lumen, and receives beverage from the container via another one of the lumens.

A cartridge is disclosed for containing and dispensing a fluid. The cartridge includes an outer housing enclosing an inner volume, an output spout, a plunger, and a first rib. The plunger is positioned within the internal volume and engages with the internal diameter of the outer housing. The first rib is positioned along at least a portion of the outer housing, and includes at least one identifier. The identifier includes the presence or absence of a recess at a plurality of locations along the first rib. Movement of the plunger within the internal volume forces a fluid from the internal volume out through the output spout.

The invention relates to a cartridge housing comprising a diluting means, especially a water supply, a mixing chamber in which the diluting means and a beverage and/or food substrate are mixed, and an outlet. The cartridge housing is fitted with a hollow rod such that the sealing film of the cartridge is pierced as soon as the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge housing, thereby creating the flow connection between the cartridge and a mixing chamber.

Described herein is a beverage system that is configured to produce beverages having different characteristics, such as different levels of carbonation including producing substantially non-carbonated beverages and carbonated beverages with a single machine. The beverage system includes a beverage appliance and a beverage container. The beverage container includes a beverage material, which can include a flavoring ingredient for a target beverage. The beverage appliance is used to access the beverage material from the beverage container and produce the target beverage. The beverage appliance and beverage container are adaptable to produce the target beverage having any of a range of carbonation levels or other characteristics.

An apparatus for dispensing a first liquid comprising a second liquid, the apparatus comprising: a male coupling configured to enter and establish a friction seal with a female coupling of a container containing the second liquid by inserting the male coupling into the female coupling and applying a load to the male coupling, the load being provided by the weight of a portion of the apparatus; a spout; and a pump for causing the second liquid to exit the container and the first liquid to be dispensed via the spout after the friction seal is established between the female and male couplings.

An apparatus for dispensing a first liquid comprising a second liquid, the apparatus having: a male coupling configured to enter and establish a friction seal with a female coupling of a container containing the second liquid by inserting the male coupling into the female coupling and applying a load to the male coupling, the load being provided by the weight of a portion of the apparatus; a spout; and a pump for causing the second liquid to exit the container and the first liquid to be dispensed via the spout after the friction seal is established between the female and male couplings.

A system and method for dispensing beverage from a container, such as wine from a wine bottle. Dispensing may be automatically controlled based on a detected orientation of the container, e.g., dispensing may occur when a bottle is tilted as if to pour from the bottle and stopped when the bottle is oriented upright. Dispensing may be stopped when the container is rotated about its longitudinal axis even while in a pour orientation. A remaining amount of beverage in the container and/or an amount of pressurized gas used to drive dispensing may be detected and beverage dispensing controlled accordingly.

A machine for mixing and dispensing beverages includes a single manifold, a bottle restraining unit and a randomizing beverage activator. The manifold is connectable to a plurality of separate, pre-filled beverage holders of already prepared beverages and provides pre-defined portions of selected said beverages to a dispensing outlet. The bottle restraining unit restrains the pre-filled bottles, which are either plastic bottles or glass bottles. The activator dispenses at least two beverages from the set of the beverage holders by randomizing an attribute of a drink. The attribute is chosen from an amount of the beverages and the beverage holders.

The invention relates to a cartridge housing comprising a diluting means, especially a water supply, a mixing chamber in which the diluting means and a beverage and/or food substrate are mixed, and an outlet. The cartridge housing is fitted with a hollow rod such that the sealing film of the cartridge is pierced as soon as the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge housing, thereby creating the flow connection between the cartridge and a mixing chamber.

The present invention is directed to a beverage dispensing system including at least one beverage dispensing container, a computing device and a base unit upon or within which, in use, the at least one container is positioned. The at least one container includes a reservoir of beverage, a communication element for storing data indicative of contents of the beverage dispensing container, a manually actuatable dispensing valve selectively controlling flow of beverage from the reservoir to a container outlet, and pressurizing means for pressurizing beverage against the dispensing valve such that when the dispensing valve is opened beverage flows from the reservoir and out the container outlet. The base unit includes at least one base-container transceiver for wirelessly reading data from and writing data to the communication element, at least one base-device transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the computing device, and a control unit controlling communication of data from the computing device to the communication element and vice-versa.