Glass Vessel

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This patent describes a glass vessel (such as a bottle, jar, or drinking glass) made from alkali silicate glass, where at least the surface layer is enriched in potassium and depleted of sodium and/or lithium. The unique treatment process combines thermal and chemical hardening to produce a compressive stress layer on the surface and a non-linear stress profile within the glass wall. This approach significantly increases strength, hardness, and scratch resistance, while allowing production with conventional inexpensive glass and faster processing times compared to traditional methods.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Reusable beverage bottles for water, milk, juice, or soda
• Food jars and packaging for products like yogurt, jam, and preserves
• Lightweight drinking glasses (wine, beer, cocktail glasses) with improved durability
• Returnable bottle systems for commercial beverage distribution
• Tableware for restaurants and catering where break-resistance is essential
• Containers for laboratory, pharmaceutical, or cosmetic applications requiring robust glass vessels

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Significantly increased mechanical strength and resistance to breaking compared to untreated glass
• Allows for thinner glass walls, resulting in lighter containers and reduced material costs
• Uses standard, widely available glass types instead of expensive specialty glass
• Faster and less energy-intensive manufacturing process compared to existing chemical strengthening methods
• Increased scratch resistance and durability, extending the service life of containers
• Enables cost-efficient mass production of highly robust glass vessels
• Facilitates recycling due to compatibility with standard glass recycling streams

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a glass vessel having at least one wall and manufactured from a base material which is an alkali-containing silicate glass. It is a feature of the glass vessel that at least a surface layer is enriched in potassium and depleted of sodium and/or lithium, while an inner layer, especially one directly adjoining the surface layer, is not enriched in potassium and not depleted of sodium and/or lithium, and that the glass vessel has compressive stress up to a compressive stress depth and tensile stress beyond the compressive stress depth, wherein the tensile stress rises with increasing depth up to a tensile stress maximum within the inner layer and/or wherein the progression of the tensile stress as a function of depth does not have a linear section and/or wherein the progression of the tensile stress as a function of depth does not have a section in which tensile stress is constant.