The disclosure provides a filling adapter for filling vehicles with various operating materials which are fed from filling systems via connecting lines and filling adapters into circuits and containers of the vehicles. The disclosure provides a mechanical clamping element for such a filling adapter that has a lower mechanical load on the filling port than the known clamping claws or balls. The clamping element has a partially circular contour with a cross-section which, starting from a lower and flat base surface, merges upwards into two side surfaces which are arranged at right angles to the base surface and run parallel to one another, wherein the two side surfaces each merge at their end section arranged opposite the base surface into an actuating surface that runs obliquely upwards and inwards.

A flow sensor includes a fluid chamber configured to receive a fluid. A diaphragm assembly is configured to be displaced whenever the fluid within the fluid chamber is displaced. A transducer assembly is configured to monitor the displacement of the diaphragm assembly and generate a signal based, at least in part, upon the quantity of fluid displaced within the fluid chamber.

A backblock includes a body with a cavity connected to an inlet and an outlet. A spindle is positioned with a first end within the cavity and a second end with a tab exterior of the body. A latching plate is configured for translative movement relative to the body. The latching plate includes a keyhole with a bore and a channel. The bore is dimensioned to receive the spindle and the channel is dimensioned to receive the tab. The latching plate has a first latch position proximate to the body and a second latch position spaced apart from the body. When the tab is in alignment with the channel, the latching plate can translate to the second latch position about the tab. When the tab is out of alignment with the channel, the tab retains the latching plate in the first latch position.

The invention relates to an appliance for the automated preparation of beverages, comprising a dispensing element (1), which comprises a plurality of dispensing openings (2) for dispensing individual beverage ingredients, and also comprising a washing device (3) for dispensing a washing fluid, wherein the washing device (3) is arranged in a retaining region (5) at a location remote from the dispensing element (1), wherein the washing device (3) can be removed from the retaining region (5), and wherein an accommodating region (4), which is designed to accommodate at least part of the washing device (3), is provided on the dispensing element (1), wherein a valve element (2) is provided, said valve element comprising a flushing-fluid inlet (23), an ingredients inlet (24) and a fluid outlet (25), which is connected to at least one dispensing opening (2), wherein the flushing-fluid inlet (23) opens out into a flushing-fluid channel and the ingredients inlet (24) opens out into an ingredients channel, and wherein the flushing-fluid channel and the ingredients channel come together to form a common fluid channel, which opens out into the fluid outlet (25).

A gas liquid absorption device (GLAD), featuring a gas inlet manifold, a liquid inlet manifold and a gas/liquid mixing foamer. The gas inlet manifold has a gas inlet configured to receive and provide an inlet gas, and also has a gas foamer cavity formed therein and coupled fluidically to the gas inlet to receive the inlet gas. The liquid inlet manifold has a liquid inlet configured to receive and provide a non-infused liquid, and also has a liquid foamer cavity formed therein and coupled fluidically to the liquid inlet to receive the non-infused liquid. The gas/liquid mixing foamer is configured between the gas inlet manifold and the liquid inlet manifold and arranged in the gas foamer cavity and the liquid foamer cavity. The gas/liquid mixing foamer has a gas foamer wall configured to form a gas receiving foamer chamber that is fluidically coupled to the gas foamer cavity. The gas foamer wall has gas provisioning holes formed therein to provide dispersed inlet gas from the gas receiving foamer chamber. The gas/liquid mixing foamer has a liquid foamer wall configured to form a liquid receiving foamer chamber that is fluidically coupled to the liquid foamer cavity. The liquid foamer wall having liquid provisioning holes formed therein to provide dispersed non-infused liquid from the liquid receiving foamer chamber. The mixing chamber is configured to receive the dispersed inlet gas and the dispersed non-infused liquid, infuse the dispersed inlet gas and the dispersed non-infused liquid, and provide a foamed gas/liquid mixture from the mixing chamber.

A system for controlling selection and distribution of a product in a product dispensing system. The system includes a user interface for prompting a selection and selecting the product, a machine control processor in communication with the user interface, a power distribution module connected to the machine control processor, and a power supply unit for supplying power to the system through the power distribution module.

The invention relates to a flow separation device (100), which may be provided in a beverage preparation device (1). The flow separation device (100) in particular effects an easier separation (redirection) of a flow. The flow separation device (100) comprises a first delivery line (30) to drain water from a buffer tank (2), a branching section (29) provided downstream the first delivery line (30), wherein the branching section (29) branches the first delivery line (30) into a second delivery line (28) and a third delivery line (23), each of the second and third delivery line (28, 23) leading to a respective discharge outlet (22; 24), and a flow rate control device (26) for delivering water through the flow separation device (100) and for adjusting the flow rate of the water. Each of the second delivery line (28) and third delivery line (23) comprises a respective section (281; 231), wherein said sections (281, 231) are arranged such that if water is delivered by the flow rate control device (26) at a flow rate below a defined threshold value the water is delivered beyond the section (281) of the second delivery line (28) but not beyond the section (231) of the third delivery line (23), thereby discharging the water via the discharge outlet (22) of the second delivery line (28), and if water is delivered by the flow rate control device (26) at a flow rate at or above the defined threshold value the water is at least partially delivered beyond the section (231) of the third delivery line (23), thereby discharging the water at least partially via the discharge outlet (24) of the third delivery line (23).

Methods and systems for accurately and securely dispensing high value beverages are presented herein. A beverage distribution system includes one or more replaceable beverage cartridges mounted to a beverage dispensing device. Each of the beverage cartridges includes a fluid reservoir with an output port, an output control valve, a flowmeter, and a local controller. The local controller receives signals from the flow meter and determines a cumulative amount of beverage fluid dispensed from the beverage cartridge based on the received signals. In one embodiment, the beverage dispensing device includes a fluid pump and a master controller. The master controller also estimates the cumulative amount of beverage fluid dispensed from each beverage cartridge based on control commands communicated to each beverage cartridge. If a difference between the estimated cumulative amounts of fluid dispensed from a beverage cartridge exceeds a predetermined threshold value, an alert is generated.

A flow sensor includes a fluid chamber configured to receive a fluid. A diaphragm assembly is configured to be displaced whenever the fluid within the fluid chamber is displaced. A transducer assembly is configured to monitor the displacement of the diaphragm assembly and generate a signal based, at least in part, upon the quantity of fluid displaced within the fluid chamber.

A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet with a food storage chamber defined in the cabinet. The refrigerator appliance also includes a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet. The door includes an outer surface and an opposing inner surface, wherein the inner surface faces towards the food storage chamber when the door is in the closed position and the outer surface faces away from the food storage chamber when the door is in the closed position. The refrigerator appliance also includes a dispenser assembly with a plurality of liquid sources fluidly coupled to the dispenser assembly and a multi-fluid tube. Each liquid source of the plurality of liquid sources is fluidly coupled to the dispenser assembly through the multi-fluid tube.