Disclosed herein are beverage dispensing apparatuses for selectable gas-infused beverage dispensing. The apparatus may have a faucet assembly, a beverage storage unit, a gas storage unit, a liquid/gas infusion unit, and an infusion valve. The faucet assembly may have a housing, a nozzle, a supply valve, and a dispensing valve, configured to control a flow of beverage through the faucet assembly. The beverage dispensing apparatus may use the infusion valve to selectively infuse a selected level of gas within a dispensed beverage.

A cooling system for use in a beverage dispenser, the cooling system including: a cold plate having a top surface and a side surface; a carbonator arranged in a non-horizontal orientation relative to the cold plate, the carbonator having a sidewall, a lower uninsulated portion of the sidewall of the carbonator being in thermal communication with the side surface of the cold plate; and a fastener coupling the carbonator to the cold plate, the fastener having a lower thermal conductivity as compared to a thermal conductivity of the carbonator.

A beverage dispenser includes a gas infusion device that receives a base fluid and a gas and dispenses a gas infused liquid, a ratio pump that receives the gas infused liquid and a concentrate from a concentrate source and dispenses a predetermined ratio of the gas infused liquid and the concentrate, and a mixing chamber that mixes the predetermined ratio of the gas infused liquid and the concentrate to form a reconstituted beverage. An insulated enclosure has an interior space in which the ratio pump and the mixing chamber are positioned. A cooling heat exchanger is positioned in the insulated enclosure, and a first refrigeration system circulates a cooling media through the cooling heat exchanger to thereby cool the interior space to a suitable temperature such that the gas infused liquid and the concentrate dispensed from the ratio pump and the mixing chamber are cooled to the suitable temperature.

A beverage dispenser includes a gas infusion device that receives a base fluid and a gas and dispenses a gas infused liquid, a ratio pump that receives the gas infused liquid and a concentrate from a concentrate source and dispenses a predetermined ratio of the gas infused liquid and the concentrate, and a mixing chamber that mixes the predetermined ratio of the gas infused liquid and the concentrate to form a reconstituted beverage. An insulated enclosure has an interior space in which the ratio pump and the mixing chamber are positioned. A cooling heat exchanger is positioned in the insulated enclosure, and a first refrigeration system circulates a cooling media through the cooling heat exchanger to thereby cool the interior space to a suitable temperature such that the gas infused liquid and the concentrate dispensed from the ratio pump and the mixing chamber are cooled to the suitable temperature.

A beverage dispensing system including a control unit and a touch screen. Inputs are made to the touch screen to dispense beverages and apply system adjustments. The control unit controls a plurality of beverage dispensing valves according to inputs made to the touch screen.

A refrigerator including a water intake container, in which carbonated water is produced by mixture of carbon dioxide and clean water, a first dispenser assembly, which the water intake container is attached to or detached from, and which supplies carbon dioxide and clean water to the water intake container when the water intake container is attached to the first dispenser, a dispenser lever and a second dispenser assembly which discharges clean water or ice according to manipulation of the dispenser lever, but stops the discharging of clean water or ice if the water intake container is attached to the first dispenser assembly. The refrigerator may include a dispenser lever and a processor to control an ice maker to stop operation if a command is entered through a user interface and to control the ice maker to start operation if the dispenser lever is manipulated while the ice maker stops operation.

A system and method to prepare and dispense a N.sub.2 or N.sub.2/CO.sub.2 gas infused chilled beverage is provided. The beverage may be any non-carbonated liquid and in one embodiment the beverage is coffee. The dispensed N.sub.2 or N.sub.2/CO.sub.2 gas infused chilled coffee has a unique appearance and enhanced flavor and aroma. The system may be provided as a self-contained unit.

A beverage dispensing system including a control unit and a touch screen. Inputs are made to the touch screen to dispense beverages and apply system adjustments. The control unit controls a plurality of beverage dispensing valves according to inputs made to the touch screen.

A system for achieving the sensation of drinking a particular drink, known as the target liquid, when in fact another drink, such as water, is being consumed. The system consists of a glass which contains not only water but also a small amount of the target liquid, in order to provide the true smell and image of the desired drink, as well as an electronic system for generating a series of signals which, by means of electrodes, stimulate the user's tongue to act on a series of nerve cells and provide the brain with a signal as similar as possible to that which the real drink provides to the taste buds of the user. The user of the system thus has the sensation of drinking the target liquid.

The invention relates to a beverage preparation machine (1), in particular a dispenser, for preparing a beverage using a cartridge system consisting of a cartridge (10), which has a beverage substance in a reservoir (11), and a cartridge receiving area (14), which is connected to the cartridge (10) and has at least one liquid supply opening (19), a mixing chamber, and a beverage outlet (15), wherein the beverage preparation machine (1) comprises a cartridge mounting (4), in particular a cartridge mounting which has a balcony-like design, the cartridge system can be inserted into the cartridge mounting (4), and the beverage preparation machine (1) comprises a liquid reservoir (3), a liquid thermal conditioning system for thermally conditioning a liquid from the liquid reservoir (3), a coupling element (21) for selectively coupling between the liquid thermal conditioning system and the liquid supply opening (19) of the cartridge receiving area (14), and a controller for controlling the beverage preparation machine (1). The coupling element (21) has at least one liquid line (22), and the cartridge mounting (4) has at least one locking means (8) which is designed to reversibly lock the cartridge system in the cartridge mounting (4). The locking means (8) can be reversibly converted from an unlocked position into a locked position, and the locking means (8) interacts with the cartridge system in the locked position in a form- and/or force-fitting manner.