A portable, self-contained beverage apparatus includes a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid, and a dispensing assembly disposed within the container assembly that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of additives into the consumable liquid. The dispensing assembly includes multiple apertures structured and arranged to retain vessels containing the additives to be dispensed into the consumable liquid. The beverage apparatus also includes a level sensor disposed within the container assembly that determines a consumable liquid level of the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly. In certain embodiments, one or more positive displacement pumping mechanisms are configured to pump additive liquid from additive containers into a beverage chamber.

A portable, self-contained beverage apparatus includes a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid, and a dispensing assembly disposed within the container assembly that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of additives into the consumable liquid. The dispensing assembly includes multiple apertures structured and arranged to retain vessels containing the additives to be dispensed into the consumable liquid. The beverage apparatus also includes a level sensor disposed within the container assembly that determines a consumable liquid level of the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly. In certain embodiments, one or more positive displacement pumping mechanisms are configured to pump additive liquid from additive containers into a beverage chamber.

A portable, self-contained beverage apparatus includes a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid, and a dispensing assembly disposed within the container assembly that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of additives into the consumable liquid. The dispensing assembly includes multiple apertures structured and arranged to retain vessels containing the additives to be dispensed into the consumable liquid. The beverage apparatus also includes a level sensor disposed within the container assembly that determines a consumable liquid level of the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly. In certain embodiments, one or more positive displacement pumping mechanisms are configured to pump additive liquid from additive containers into a beverage chamber.

A dispensing system for dispensing a beverage component from a container may include a dosing collar configured to restrict flow of the beverage component through the tube. The dosing collar may be adjustable to modify a volume of the beverage component dispensed from a pump head when the pump head is actuated.

The invention is based on an oscillating armature pump, in particular for a beverage machine, for conveying a liquid, having a pressure cylinder, a working cylinder, a working piston that has a piston part that is configured to be guided in the pressure cylinder and to delimit a pressure chamber together with the pressure cylinder, and that has a magnet element that is configured to be guided in the working cylinder, the working piston being configured to be set in stroke motion, in particular oscillating stroke motion, along a working axis in order to enlarge and/or reduce a volume of the pressure chamber. It is proposed that the working piston has at least one first connection point that is configured to connect the piston part and the magnet element to one another, in particular directly, and to transmit forces having any direction from the magnet element to the piston part along the working axis.

A method and computer program product for defining a PWM drive signal having a defined voltage potential. The PWM drive signal has a plurality of on portions and a plurality of off portions that define a first duty cycle for regulating, at least in part, a flow rate of a pump assembly. At least a portion of the on portions of the PWM drive signal are pulse width modulated to define a second duty cycle for the at least a portion of the on portions of the PWM drive signal. The second duty cycle regulates, at least in part, the percentage of the defined voltage potential applied to the pump assembly.

The present invention provides an apparatus for dispensing an additive into a beverage including a supply line and a handle. The handle includes an additive dispenser having an additive reservoir and an additive outlet arranged to dispense additive into the beverage container; and an actuator for operating the additive container to dispense a known dose of additive from the additive reservoir out of the additive outlet. The handle can replace conventional beverage dispensing handles, such as beer taps, in order to allow additives to be dispensed into beverages.

A beverage syrup pump system is disclosed including a pump housing having an internal pumping chamber, a pump motor, and a pumping mechanism driven by the motor within the pumping chamber. The pumping mechanism receives a syrup fluid at a first pressure and discharges the fluid at a second pressure which is greater than the first pressure. Connected to the pumping chamber is a cylindrical space with a spring and a plunger having a magnet. The plunger is in contact with a quantity of the fluid at a second pressure and moves along the cylindrical space against the biasing force of the spring. Once the second pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure, the corresponding fluid pressure in the cylindrical space exerts enough force on the plunger to move it past a predetermined point within the cylindrical space such that the magnet causes a reed switch in a first position switch to move to a second position and send a signal to a controller. The controller will immediately stop the pump motor if it receives the signal from the reed switch, or if a timer sends a signal indicating the pump has been running for a predetermined maximum run time.