The present invention describes appliances for preparing and dispensing beverages, such as beers, featuring a transparent window that allows a user of the appliance to view the beverage in a chamber of the appliance as that beverage is being prepared. The chamber in which the beverage is prepared can be either an integral part of the appliance or a disposable chamber that can be removed and replaced with a new disposable chamber after one or more servings of a. beverage has been prepared in the disposable chamber. The appliances can have methods for cleaning the chamber, or the chamber can be self-cleaning. If the chamber for preparing the beverage is a disposable container, it may come with a concentrated beverage already prepackaged in the container, and the casing of the container can prevent oxygen and light from penetrating the container and affecting the concentrated beverage contained within.

A liquid dispenser may include a container having an upper opening, a pump provided in the container, a pipe through which liquid discharged from the pump is transferred, a top plate having an upper surface over which liquid flows, a filter assembly provided below the top plate, a base provided below the container, and a thermoelectric element provided in the base to cool the liquid in the container.

Systems, apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture provide for a beverage dispensing system configured to form one of a plurality of available types of carbonated and non-carbonated beverage types in response to a user selection.

A refrigerator provided with a dispenser, wherein a water discharging member that is installed in the dispenser includes: a nozzle pipe; a light source that radiates ultraviolet light from one end of the nozzle pipe to an inner space of the nozzle pipe; and a window that is provided between the one end of the nozzle pipe and the light source, that divides the inner space of the nozzle pipe and an area where the light source is disposed and that transmits ultraviolet light radiated from the light source to the nozzle pipe.

A representative method for producing and dispensing chilled water includes: receiving, by a stand-alone apparatus, a flow of water; filtering, within the stand-alone apparatus, the flow of water to produce filtered water; producing, within the stand-alone apparatus, ice from a first portion of the filtered water; cooling, within the stand-alone apparatus, a second portion of the filtered water with the ice to form chilled water in response to a user input corresponding to a request for chilled water; and dispensing the chilled water from the stand-alone apparatus in accordance with the user input.

A system for mineralizing distilled water includes a splitter for splitting distilled water into primary and secondary portions; first and second conduits for conveying the primary and second portions, respectively; first and second columns comprising including first and second mineral matrices connected to the first and second conduits, respectively, to generate first and second mineralizing concentrate solutions; first and second mixing modules for combining a predefined amount of the mineralizing concentrate solutions with the primary portion of distilled water to form a mineralized water mixture; and a dispensing module for dispensing the mineralizing water mixture. A carbonator is also connected to the secondary conduit for dissolving carbon dioxide in the secondary portion of distilled water upstream of the first and second columns.

A water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing accommodating components for generating cold water and/or hot water; and a water chute which protrudes from a front surface of the housing, in which the water chute includes a water cock through which cold water or hot water flows; and a light emitting element which is mounted on the water cock to emit ultraviolet rays, in which the water cock includes a water inflow part which extends in a transverse direction and has a water inflow passage formed therein; and a water outflow part which extends in a direction intersecting the water inflow part at an end of the water inflow part and has a water outflow passage formed therein, in which the light emitting element is disposed on an upper side of the water outflow part, and in which the water outflow passage is configured to be connected to a plurality of chambers having different diameters from each other to form a stepped longitudinal sectional shape.

An apparatus for autonomously cooking a food product and dispensing said food product into a container, the apparatus comprising: a housing; a plurality of cooling chambers, a plurality of cooking chambers, a plurality of storage chambers, a plurality of primary dispensing chambers, and a plurality of secondary dispensing chambers disposed in a column arrangement within the apparatus; at least one food container disposed within at least one of the plurality of cooling chambers; a plurality of mixer augers disposed within the at least one food container; a series of induction plates adapted to be heated by a series of induction energizers, the series of induction plates and induction energizers being associated with each cooking chamber; and roller conveyor tables disposed throughout the pluralities of primary and secondary dispensing chambers, the roller conveyor tables being adapted to traverse the container such that to receive the cooked food product.

A liquid dispenser may include a container having an upper opening, a pump provided in the container, a pipe through which liquid discharged from the pump is transferred, a top plate having an upper surface over which liquid flows, a filter assembly provided below the top plate, a base provided below the container, and a thermoelectric element provided in the base to cool the liquid in the container.

A device for storing and circulating drinking water with vortex flow includes a base, a tank and an actuator housed in the base and configured to circulate the drinking water stored in the tank with vortex flow. The base includes an inlet port through which the drinking water is received and an outlet port through which the drinking water is dispensed. The tank is mounted on the base with a sealed engagement and is configured to store the drinking water. The tank has spherical or egg shape and includes an air inlet on an upper portion of the tank through which air can flow in and out of the tank.