A dispensing apparatus for dispensing substances, such as cleaning, washing, or dishwashing agents, in household appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers, or the like, having a dispensing unit having control means to control dispensing of the substances, and a tank receptacle, a tank for stocking the substances, the tank being embodied as a replaceable unit connectable to the tank receptacle, at least one connection for data transmission between the dispensing unit and the tank, at least one connection for data transmission between the household appliance and the tank and/or the dispensing unit.

Among other things, one or more systems and/or techniques for labeling a refill contain and/or for enabling operation of the refill container by a dispensing system based upon one or more indicia of the label satisfying a dispensing key are provided. In an example, a label may be applied to a refill container. The label may comprise a first region having a first indicia that may correspond to a shape, color, and/or texture (e.g., a yellow star indicia). A dispensing system may enable operation of the refill container (e.g., installation and/or dispensing of material from the refill container) based upon the first indicia satisfying a dispensing key (e.g., a yellow key component and/or a star shape component). Otherwise, the dispensing system does not enable operation of the refill container (e.g., the refill container is not genuine or is not an appropriate refill container type).

A system and method prevent product-type contamination in a bulk liquid storage tank. A control unit receives an indication of a storage product type in the bulk storage and a delivery product type in the tanker truck. The control unit compares the delivery product type with the storage product type and controls delivery based on a result of the comparison.

A dispensing apparatus for dispensing substances, such as cleaning, washing, or dishwashing agents, in household appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers, or the like, having a dispensing unit having control means to control dispensing of the substances, and a tank receptacle, a tank for stocking the substances, the tank being embodied as a replaceable unit connectable to the tank receptacle, at least one connection for data transmission between the dispensing unit and the tank, at least one connection for data transmission between the household appliance and the tank and/or the dispensing unit.

Among other things, one or more systems and/or techniques for labeling a refill contain and/or for enabling operation of the refill container by a dispensing system based upon one or more indicia of the label satisfying a dispensing key are provided. In an example, a label may be applied to a refill container. The label may comprise a first region having a first indicia that may correspond to a shape, color, and/or texture (e.g., a yellow star indicia). A dispensing system may enable operation of the refill container (e.g., installation and/or dispensing of material from the refill container) based upon the first indicia satisfying a dispensing key (e.g., a yellow key component and/or a star shape component). Otherwise, the dispensing system does not enable operation of the refill container (e.g., the refill container is not genuine or is not an appropriate refill container type).

A system and method prevent product-type contamination in a bulk liquid storage tank. A control unit receives an indication of a storage product type in the bulk storage and a delivery product type in the tanker truck. The control unit compares the delivery product type with the storage product type and controls delivery based on a result of the comparison.

A system for verifying a container of a material before the material is transferred to a process. The system includes a conduit that extends through a mouth of the container. The conduit is supported by an arm that moves between a first position in which the conduit extends through the mouth, and a second position in which the conduit is removed and moved away from the mouth. A reading device extracts information about the container from an information storage element. A computer program receives input regarding the extracted information, receives input regarding the process, and determining whether the container is correct for the process. The program prevents the arm from moving to the first position, and only if the container is determined to be correct does the program allow the arm to move to the first position so that the material can be transferred.

An electronic cigarette vaporiser is not dis-assembled for filling with e-liquid, but is instead filled from a user-replaceable e-liquid cartridge. The vaporiser includes a front section comprising a wick and heating assembly but no e-liquid cartridge, the front section being removably fitted to a body of the vaporiser to enable a replacement front section to be used once the original wick or heating element starts to degrade, that replacement front section being supplied to the end-user with no e-liquid in it.

An electronic cigarette vaporiser that includes a heating element and further includes or co-operates with an electronics module that (i) detects characteristics of the delivery of power, current or voltage to the heating element and (ii) determines if those characteristics are associated with degradation of the heating element. A characteristic that is associated with degradation of the heating element is an increase or other change in the heating element resistance. The heating element resistance can be established by the electronics module sending a test current through the heating element that is sufficient to enable a measurement of resistance to be made.

An electronic cigarette vaporiser that includes a heating element and further includes or co-operates with an electronics module that (i) detects characteristics of the resistance of the heating element and (ii) uses an inference of temperature derived from that resistance as a control input. The temperature of the heating element may be inferred from data stored in the electronics module that has been empirically obtained for a specific heating element design. The electronics module controls the power delivered to the heating element to ensure that it is no higher than approximately 130 C., plus an error tolerance.