A plastic liquid container and dispensing system includes a plastic bottle with first and second detachable bottle parts, a bladder for holding liquid including a bladder top, a bladder base and a bladder lock-nut positioned in the bladder inner volume and a spout having a spout body with a connecting end, an internal liquid flow path extending from the connecting end to a liquid outflow port and a release button for enabling liquid flow through the internal liquid flow path and out the liquid outflow port. The bladder opening is covered by a covering that is pierced by a blade at the spout connecting end to create a liquid flow path from the bladder to and through the spout (when the release button is pressed).

Flavor and additive delivery systems and methods for beverage dispensers are disclosed. An example beverage dispenser includes flavor containers configured to contain flavor mixtures, flavor tags each of which is fixed to a respective one of the flavor containers, flavor sensors each of which is positioned to read tag information from a respective one of the flavor tags to monitor the respective one of the flavor containers, memory configured to store instructions related to dispensing water and the flavor mixtures, and a processor. The processor is configured to detect, based on the tag information collected by the flavor sensors, whether any of the flavor containers is at least one of expired, counterfeit, or out-of-position. The processor is configured to disable use of each of the flavor containers that are detected to be at least one of expired, counterfeit, or out-of-position.

Beverage dispensing assembly, comprising a dispenser and a beverage container, wherein the beverage container has a neck portion and a shoulder portion adjacent the neck portion, wherein the neck portion is provided with at least an outflow opening and at least one gas inlet opening and wherein the dispenser comprises a housing, wherein the housing is provided with a receptacle for receiving at least part of the container, wherein the container is positioned in the dispenser with the neck and shoulder portion facing downward, such that the neck portion and at least part of the shoulder portion are received in the receptacle, wherein part of the shoulder portion extends close to and/or is in contact with a wall of the receptacle, wherein preferably a lid is provided over the container, enclosing a part of the container extending outside the receptacle.

A cartridge and an associated beverage mixture dispensing system are disclosed. The cartridge is detachable from the associated beverage mixture dispensing system. The cartridge includes a casing and at least twenty ingredient reservoirs located within the casing and storing at least twenty respective ingredients. The cartridge also includes a dispensing interface for dispensing the at least twenty ingredients into the beverage mixture dispensing system. The at least twenty ingredient reservoirs include a first reservoir of a concentrated salt and a second reservoir of a concentrated food grade acid. The remaining ingredient reservoirs include additional concentrated ingredients. The beverage mixture dispensing system includes a solvent reservoir and a receiving interface for receiving the at least twenty ingredients from the cartridge. The beverage mixture dispensing system also includes a mixing area fluidly connected to the solvent reservoir and the at least twenty ingredient reservoirs.

Systems and methods for sanitizing a fluid mixture dispensing system are disclosed. One system comprises at least one reservoir for storing a substance, a mixing area, and a controller. The controller is programmed to cause the system to execute a mixing cycle and a cleaning cycle. During the mixing cycle the substance is dispensed from the at least one reservoir to the mixing area to prepare an ingestible fluid mixture. During the cleaning cycle, the substance is dispensed from the at least one reservoir to the mixing area to sanitize the mixing area.

A fluid mixture dispensing system using a membrane to seal multiple reservoirs is disclosed. The multiple reservoirs each contain a respective ingredient. The reservoirs are coupled to respective orifices in a plate. The respective ingredients are dispensable via the respective orifices. The membrane seals the respective orifices. The ingredients are dispensed into one or more channels formed between the membrane and the plate. In specific embodiments, the membrane is an integral part of a cartridge which contains the multiple reservoirs. In specific embodiments, the cartridge includes an inlet and an outlet. A solvent flows from the inlet to the outlet through the one or more channels, and the ingredients are dispensed into the solvent in the one or more channels.

A fluid mixture dispensing system using a membrane to seal multiple reservoirs is disclosed. The multiple reservoirs each contain a respective ingredient. The reservoirs are coupled to respective orifices in a plate. The respective ingredients are dispensable via the respective orifices. The membrane seals the respective orifices. The ingredients are dispensed into one or more channels formed between the membrane and the plate. In specific embodiments, the membrane is an integral part of a cartridge which contains the multiple reservoirs. In specific embodiments, the cartridge includes an inlet and an outlet. A solvent flows from the inlet to the outlet through the one or more channels, and the ingredients are dispensed into the solvent in the one or more channels.

Fluid mixture dispensing systems, devices and methods are disclosed. A device includes a set of pressurized ingredient reservoirs, a mixing area configured to receive at least one ingredient from the set of pressurized ingredient reservoirs, a pressure source, an accumulator chamber, a set of valves, and a controller. The controller is programmed to operate the set of valves to pressurize the accumulator chamber using the pressure source. The controller is further programmed to operate the set of valves to set a pressure in at least one of the set of pressurized ingredient reservoirs using the accumulator chamber.

Beverage dispensing assembly, comprising a dispenser and a beverage container, wherein the beverage container has a neck portion and a shoulder portion adjacent the neck portion, wherein the neck portion is provided with at least an outflow opening and at least one gas inlet opening and wherein the dispenser comprises a housing, wherein the housing is provided with a receptacle for receiving at least part of the container, wherein the container is positioned in the dispenser with the neck and shoulder portion facing downward, such that the neck portion and at least part of the shoulder portion are received in the receptacle, wherein part of the shoulder portion extends close to and/or is in contact with a wall of the receptacle, wherein preferably a lid is provided over the container, enclosing a part of the container extending outside the receptacle.

The invention relates to a cartridge system (1) for producing a bever-age (70), wherein the cartridge system (1) can be introduced into a beverage preparation machine (3). The invention also relates to a cartridge (2) which comprises a reservoir (6) filled with a beverage substance (7) and to a cartridge receiving region (10) connected to the cartridge (2). The cartridge receiving region (10) has a mixing chamber (8) which can be fluidically connected to the reservoir (6) and a fluid feed line (12) which opens into the mixing chamber (8). The mixing chamber (8) has a beverage discharge (11), through which the beverage (70) made of the mixture of the beverage substance (7) and the fluid supplied by the fluid feed line (12) in the mixing chamber (8) is dispensed, said beverage discharge (11) comprising a tubular line piece (30). The invention is characterized in that the line piece (30) is designed such that the main extension direction (31) of the line piece (30) runs at an angle α (33) to the longitudinal axis (32) of the cartridge (2).