Fixed systems and method for extinguishing large scale industrial tank fires, with and without fixed roofs, and featuring aerated foam projecting nozzles and including fixed center directed nozzles.

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 refrigerator includes a carbonated water tank in which carbonated water is stored; a water level sensor sensing a water level of carbonated water stored in the carbonated water tank; a water tank supplying filtered water to the carbonated water tank; a carbon dioxide cylinder supplying carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank; and a controller, if the water level of carbonated water sensed by the water level sensor is less than or equal to a predetermined minimum water level, supplying the filtered water to the carbonated water tank, and if supply of the filtered water is completed, supplying the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank so as to produce the carbonated water. If the carbonated water is discharged, the controller controls the water level sensor to sense the water lever of the carbonated water stored in the carbonated water tank.

A dispensing apparatus (20; 300; 400) comprises: a freezing cylinder (40); a water flowpath (526); a first controllable valve (130) along the water flowpath; a syrup flowpath (528), merging with the water flowpath and proceeding as a water/syrup flowpath (552) to the freezing cylinder; and a second controllable valve (132) along the syrup flowpath. The first controllable valve and the second controllable valve each comprise: a valve body (144; 432) having a cartridge compartment (164,166), an inlet (176) to the cartridge compartment, and an outlet (178) from the cartridge compartment; and a valve cartridge (162). The valve cartridge comprises: a cartridge body (200) mounted in the cartridge compartment; a valve element (222) carried by the cartridge body and shiftable between a first condition permitting communication between the inlet and the outlet and a second condition blocking communication between the inlet and the outlet; and a solenoid (224) carried by the cartridge body and coupled to the valve element to drive movement of the valve element.

Fixed systems and method for extinguishing large scale industrial tank fires, with and without fixed roofs, and featuring aerated foam projecting nozzles and including fixed center directed nozzles. The invention includes two connected nozzles, which project aerated foam of between in substantially focused streams and in roughly opposing directions. The two nozzles have a stream shaper in a tip portion of the nozzle with fins which terminate substantially flush with a nozzle tip solid bore discharge orifice. The two nozzles preferably are attached proximally downstream of and in fluid communication with at least one ambient air aeration chamber structure in combination with the two nozzles to produce aerated foam. A third nozzle of the fixed system is structured to discharge in a direction of within 30 of a perpendicular to the discharge axis defined by the two nozzles discharging in the roughly opposing directions.

A rapid water-chilling system for a water dispenser that can quickly replenish cold water in the water dispenser when water has been dispensed or the water rises above a pre-set limit; so that when a user requests cold water, the user does not get ambient or warm water dispensed instead of the requested cold water or has to wait for the water to be chilled back to the requested temperature.

A fluid receptacle filling system may include a filling head with one or more nozzles and a receptacle support shelf configured beneath the filling head. In various embodiments, the filling head and/or the receptacle support shelf may be height adjustable. In some embodiments, a valve disposed inside of the nozzles may control the flow of fluid through the nozzles into the fluid receptacles.

A rapid water-chilling system for a water dispenser that can quickly replenish cold water in the water dispenser when water has been dispensed or the water rises above a pre-set limit; so that when a user requests cold water, the user does not get ambient or warm water dispensed instead of the requested cold water or has to wait for the water to be chilled back to the requested temperature.