Patent ID: 8459503

Claim:
A dispenser for dispensing a controlled temperature liquid directly from a liquid storage container to a user of the liquid, comprising: a receptacle having bottom and side walls and adapted to receive and hold a liquid storage container of predetermined size and shape therein and to allow liquid to be dispensed by gravity from the liquid storage container when received in the receptacle; at least one thermal conduction pad associated with the receptacle so as to be, without invading the liquid storage container, in direct thermal conductive relationship with a portion of the liquid storage container when received in the receptacle to transfer thermal energy by conduction between the thermal conduction pad and the liquid storage container and liquid contained therein; a temperature regulation unit to control the temperature of the at least one thermal conduction pad; and mechanism for biasing the liquid storage container against one of the at least one thermal conduction pads when the liquid storage container is received in the receptacle to enhance the thermal conductive relationship of the at least one thermal conductive pad and the portion of the liquid storage container when received in the receptacle; wherein the side walls of the receptacle include a side wall having the one of the at least one thermal conduction pads associated therewith and a side wall opposite the side wall having the one of the at least one thermal conduction pads associated therewith, and wherein the mechanism for biasing the liquid storage container against one of the at least one thermal conduction pads biases the side wall opposite the side wall having the one of the at least one thermal conduction pads associated therewith toward the side wall having the one of the at least one thermal conduction pads associated therewith to bias the liquid storage container against the side wall having the one of the at least one thermal conduction pads associated therewith.