Portable system for dispensing controlled quantities of additives into a beverage

A portable, self-contained beverage apparatus, comprising:

• a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid;
• a dispensing assembly disposed within the container assembly, that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of additives into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly;
• a plurality of vessels;
• the dispensing assembly including a plurality of apertures that are each structured and arranged to retain a respective vessel of the plurality of vessels, and each vessel containing an additive, of the additives, to be dispensed into the consumable liquid;
• and
• a level sensor disposed within the container assembly that determines a consumable liquid level of the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly;
• wherein the dispensing assembly includes a pumping mechanism for dispensing contents of a vessel of the plurality of vessels;
• wherein the pumping mechanism includes a reciprocating piston assembly;
• wherein the pumping mechanism is radially bisected such that at least one component of the pumping mechanism is a component of a vessel, of the plurality of vessels, and such vessel can be removed from the dispensing assembly.

A portable, self-contained beverage apparatus, comprising:

• a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid;
• a dispensing assembly, disposed within the container assembly, that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of an additive into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly;
• a vessel;
• the dispensing assembly including an aperture that is structured and arranged to retain the vessel, and the vessel containing the additive to be dispensed into the consumable liquid;
• and
• a level sensor disposed within the container assembly that determines a consumable liquid level of the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly;
• dispensing assembly includes a pumping mechanism for dispensing contents of the vessel;
• the pumping mechanism includes a reciprocating piston assembly;
• the pumping mechanism is radially bisected such that at least one component of the pumping mechanism is a component of the vessel, and the vessel can be removed from the dispensing assembly.