The invention relates to an installation (1) for preparing a beverage, in particular a wine, for tasting, said installation (1) including a liquid flow pipe (2) equipped with at least one feed inlet (3) for feeding in beverage for preparation, and a with at least one dispensing outlet (4) for dispensing the prepared beverage. Said pipe (2) is provided with Peltier-effect cooling and/or heating means (5) and with aeration means (6) for cooling and/or heating and for aerating the inside of the pipe (2), the two means being disposed along the pipe over different segments of said pipe that are referred to respectively as the cooling and/or heating segment (7) and as the aeration segment (8).

A bottled water dispenser is disclosed that includes a water bottle, a cold tank, and an ozone generator, which is fluidly coupled to a Y-connector. The dispenser includes a first tube that is fluidly coupled to a first port of the Y-connector, with the first tube being configured to deliver ozone gas to the cold tank. The dispenser further includes a second tube that is fluidly coupled to a second port of the Y-connector, with the second tube being configured to deliver ozone gas to the water bottle. The ozone gas is effective to sterilize and prevent biofilm formation within the interior areas of the cold tank and water bottle. The dispensers further include an in-line flow restrictor positioned in-line with either the first tube or second tube, which helps balance the flow of ozone that is delivered to the cold tank and water bottle.

An aerator and an associated method and system are provided. The aerator includes an elongate body having a central bore that extends between proximal and distal ends of the body, and a plurality of channels formed in an outer surface of the body, the plurality of channels extending between the proximal and distal ends, and including at least two bends along their lengths. The bends in the channels help to provide a smoother flow of liquids passing through the aerator.

Provided is a refrigerator including: a main body; a storage compartment formed in the main body; a door that opens/closes the storage compartment; a general water tank in which general water supplied from an external water supply source is stored; a mixing tank in which general water supplied from the general water tank is mixed with carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) so that carbonated water is made and stored; a dispenser that provides general water supplied from the general water tank to an outside and provides carbonated water supplied from the mixing tank to the outside of the refrigerator; and an ice-making machine that makes general ice by receiving general water from the external water supply source or the general water tank and makes carbonated ice by receiving carbonated water from the mixing tank, thereby providing general water, carbonated water, general ice, and carbonated ice through the dispenser.

Systems, methods and cartridges for carbonating or otherwise dissolving gas in a precursor liquid, such as water, to form a beverage. A gas source can be provided in a cartridge which is used to generate gas that is dissolved into the precursor liquid. A beverage medium, such as a powdered drink mix or liquid syrup, may be provided in the same, or a separate cartridge as the gas source and mixed with the precursor liquid to form a beverage. The use of one or more cartridges for the gas source and/or beverage medium may make for an easy to use and mess-free system for making sparkling beverages, e.g., in the consumer's home.

A variable pressure device to solubilize carbon dioxide (CO2) in a beverage includes: a carbonation tank, a CO2 inlet valve and a venting valve attached to the tank's top part; a discharge valve attached to the tank's bottom part; a booster pump arranged immediately after the discharge valve; a recycling valve arranged immediately after the booster pump, which is connected to a recycling inlet at the top part of the tank; an outlet between the pump and the recycling valve; a level sensor arranged on the lid of the tank; a CO2 inlet valve attached to a tank side near its top part; a modulating valve arranged after the CO2 inlet valve; a Venturi attached immediately after the modulating valve; a control point arranged between the modulating valve and the Venturi; and a beverage inlet valve into the tank attached immediately after the Venturi, which is formed by a pipeline.

A carbonator tank assembly is disclosed for use in a beverage machine that dispenses a carbonated beverage therefrom. The carbonator tank includes walls defining a carbonator tank interior. A probe assembly is provided for coupling in a gaseous and fluid-type manner to the walls of the carbonator tank. The probe assembly has no floats but includes electrical, elongated probes having removed ends configured to extend into the interior of the carbonator tank and near ends exposed exteriorly. An electronics module is adapt to fluidly enclose an electronics assembly therein and to receive an electrical cable carrying electrical energy from a remote source. Elements within the electronics module receive the electrical energy from the cable and provide it to the electrodes extending from the walls of the electronics module into the carbonator tank. The electrodes and the electronics module are adapted to removably couple to the probe assembly.

A drink producing apparatus includes a dispensing unit for dispensing liquid, a dispensing container for receiving a liquid addable to a drink by the drink producing apparatus in a first liquid state, a conditioning container, in which the liquid can be conditioned into a second liquid state different from the first liquid state, a line device with a first line connection, wherein this first line connection is connected to the dispensing container and the dispensing unit, a second line connection connected to the dispensing container and the conditioning container, and comprises a recirculation line connection, wherein this recirculation line connection is connected to an input of the conditioning container and to an output of the conditioning container, wherein the line device comprises a line section, wherein this line section is a constituent of the first line connection and the second line connection and the recirculation line connection.

A quick disconnect pump assembly is disclosed. The pump assembly includes a housing with inlet and outlet ports, an elongate slot, and a retainer channel. A sliding lock moves within the slot between a locked position and an unlocked position. The sliding lock includes inlet and outlet port openings and a sliding lock retainer opening. The inlet and outlet port openings each engage and retain a removable fitting when the sliding lock is in the locked position, but do not engage or retain the removable fitting when the sliding lock is in the unlocked position. The pump assembly also includes a sliding lock retainer which passes through the sliding lock retainer opening to prevent removal of the sliding lock from the elongate slot. A fluid pump and a beverage dispenser utilizing the pump assembly are also disclosed.

A system for the preparation of carbon-neutral carbonated beverages utilizing carbon-neutral carbon dioxide, comprising a storage vessel of pressurized (of at least about 120 psi) purified carbon dioxide, captured from ambient air or a mixture of ambient air with a minor proportion of flue gas effluent, by a process of adsorbing the carbon dioxide on a solid sorbent and separating and the carbon dioxide from the adsorbent using waste process heat, while regenerating the sorbent for further adsorption; a source of flowing potable aqueous liquid at a lower pressure than the storage vessel of carbon dioxide; a carbonator vessel in fluid flow connection with the source of flowing aqueous liquid and the storage vessel of pressurized, purified carbon dioxide, through suitable regulating valves to set the pressure in the carbonator dependent upon the temperature of the potable water; and dispensing means for passing carbonated liquid from the carbonator to a container for immediate consumption or to a sealed container for storage and subsequent use.