Sabmiller Plc

Red Bull Gmbh

Hodges & Drake Design Limited

Abi Sab Group Holding Limited

Daniel Longman

David Mason

Kevin Hodges

Duncan Shea-Simonds

Wolfgang Tosch

Andrew Chapman

Richard Corker

An apparatus () for dispensing an additive into a liquid in a container comprises a support structure () and a container holder (), supported by the support structure (), for holding a container () containing a liquid. The apparatus () also includes a capsule holder () for holding a capsule () containing an additive, for example a liquid, semi-liquid or powder, and a manipulator device () which is operable to manipulate the capsule (), for example by crushing it, to thereby dispense the additive into the liquid in the container ().

Bottle opening and additive dispensing apparatus

According to the invention there is provided a capsule () for delivering flavouring to a beverage, the capsule () defining a closed internal volume () containing a flavouring for a beverage, the capsule comprising at least two frangible regions (), and a piercing member () housed within the internal volume (), the piercing member () adapted to pierce at least one of said frangible regions () of the capsule (). Also according to the invention, there is provided a dispensing apparatus () for dispensing flavouring to a beverage, the apparatus comprising a mount () for receiving a capsule () containing flavouring to be added to the beverage, and an engaging portion () configured to engage with a piercing member () within a capsule () and pierce a frangible region of the capsule (), wherein the apparatus () is configured to provide relative movement of the mount () and engaging portion () between a retracted position and an engaged position in which the engaging portion () is configured to engage with the piercing member () in the capsule ().

Dispensing apparatus and capsule for use therewith

A product transport mechanism is provided for a vending machine which has a product storage area, comprising a plurality of vertically spaced product storage locations, and a product collection area. The product transport mechanism comprises a plurality of vertically arranged product transport carriages. Each product transport carriage is movable in the same vertical plane between: a first position in which it is arranged to receive a product dispensed from a predetermined one of the vertically spaced product storage locations; and a second position below the first position in which the product transport carriage is located in the product collection area to enable collection of the vended product. Each product transport carriage is arranged to nest with the product transport carriage immediately below it so that more than one of the product transport carriages can simultaneously adopt the second position in the product collection area.

Vending machines

Pouring stand

Growing community of inventors

Leicester, United Kingdom

Daniel Longman