Abstract:
A production method for a closed glass container containing at least one solid body is disclosed. The method includes providing a tube tapering toward one end, the inner diameter of which is smaller at a tapered end than an inner diameter at an opposite first end. The tube is connected at the tapered end to a first end of a straight bar tube. The tapered tube is charged with at least one solid body.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This Utility Patent Application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §371 to International Application Serial No. PCT/EP2012/061367, filed Jun. 14, 2012, which claims the benefit of German Patent Application No. DE 10 2011 051 143.1, filed Jun. 17, 2011; which are both incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to a method for the production of a closed glass container filled with a fluid, said glass container being in the form of a stirring rod which contains at least one solid body. 
     The glass container comprises a voluminous basal part and a tubular segment of smaller diameter fitted thereon. The basal part and the tubular segment are in fluid communication with one another. The use of the glass container as a stirring rod provides for the arrangement of the at least one solid body and a substantial part of the fluid present overall in the glass container in said widened end of the glass vessel, i.e. in its voluminous basal part. 
     Problems with the stability of the connection between the voluminous basal part and the tubular segment of smaller diameter fitted thereon can result from the solid body disposed freely mobile in the basal part and the desired almost complete filling of the glass container with a fluid, said problems requiring a special design solution. On the other hand, there are production-related problems. 
     The problem underlying the invention is to provide a production method for a glass container in the form of a stirring rod. 
     A production method is described according to claim  1 , which solve the aforementioned problems. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is explained below by way of example with the aid of figures. In the figures: 
         FIG. 1  shows work steps for the production of a tube tapered towards one end for the assembly of a glass container; 
         FIG. 2  shows the connection of the tapered tube to a rod tube; 
         FIG. 3  shows the formation of toroidal rings on the rod tube; 
         FIG. 4  shows the filling of a tapered tube with solid bodies; 
         FIG. 5  shows the closing of a tapered portion filled with solid bodies; 
         FIG. 6  shows the filling of the obtained vial with a liquid through the opening of the vial (rod tube); 
         FIG. 7  shows the closing of a flared formation at the opening of the vial; 
         FIG. 8  shows the view of a glass container after completion; 
         FIG. 9  shows the holding of a stirring rod with the right hand when the rod is picked up. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows diagrammatically how a tube  1  tapered on one side for the assembly of a glass container can be produced from a rod tube having internal diameter  10   d . Tapered tube  1  has two openings of differing inside width or differing internal diameter d. It is produced from a tube in a manner commonly known to the person skilled in the art. Tube  1  tapered on one side at a first end  11  comprises an opening  10  at its base, i.e. at its second end, and has a second inside width  10   d  at this base which is larger than inside width  11   d  at first end  11  of tapered tube  1 . 
     A tube  1  thus tapered on one side can be produced from glass or transparent plastic material. It is produced in a manner known to the person skilled in the art. For example, a glass tube is uniformly fused over flame  3  of a suitable burner, drawn out, cooled, scored and the tapered end snapped off. In a subsequent work step, the region of the one-sided tapered portion thus obtained is severed from the remaining, non-tapered glass tube (see grey arrow in  FIG. 1 ). 
     In a subsequent process step, obtained tube  1  essentially having the external shape of a paraboloid is connected on one side at its first end  11  over flame  3  of a suitable burner to a first end of a rod tube  2  (see  FIG. 2 ). Internal diameter  2   d  of rod tube  2  is equal to or similar to internal diameter  11   d  of tapered tube  1 . A glass tube which more or less has the typical shape of a funnel thus arises. The open end of tapered tube  1  corresponding to the upper wide part of a funnel and the narrow part of tube rod  2  corresponding to a spout of a funnel are thus formed. 
     Both can be transparent and made of the same or similar materials. Both can also be made of completely different materials. For example, the materials can have a different surface structure, a different degree of transparency and a different colouring. 
     Mineral glasses are typically used to produce described glass container  125 . It is a particular advantage of the use of mineral glasses such as quartz glass or borosilicate glass that both the inner and the outer surface of obtained glass vessel  125  is smooth and pore-free and can be selected such that the liquid coming into contact with it runs away free from cords. 
     The exemplary use of borosilicate glass or quartz glass for glass container  125  described here is based on the chemical and thermal properties of borosilicate glass and quartz glass as well as a plurality of other advantages which distinguish borosilicate glass and quartz glass from other glasses. These include, in particular, properties such as a smooth, pore-free surface; catalytic indifference; physiologically safe; odour and taste neutrality; non-combustibility; transparency. 
     According to one or more embodiments, a peripheral tubular widened portion  22  is formed on glass tube  2  itself, at least at the point of its connection  12  with tapered tube  1 . Toroidal ring  22  thus formed confers greater strength and stability on connection  12  between smaller first opening  11  of tapered tube  1  with the first end of rod tube  2 . A second annular widened portion of equal size and shape or similar size and shape can be formed in the vicinity of second end  21  of rod tube  2 . 
     The formation of toroidal rings  22  takes place for example by uniform fusion of the corresponding tube sections, compression and application of internal pressure, such as is known for example from glass blowing (see  FIG. 3 ). A glass tube thus arises, which more or less has the typical shape of a funnel and whose spout formed by rod tube  2  at its lower end has been compressed thereby forming a peripheral toroidal ring  22 . 
     In a next step, tapered tube  1  fitted with its smaller first opening  11  flush on glass tube  2  with toroidal ring  22  is provided with at least one solid body  50 . For this purpose, the given solid body  50  is introduced from second opening  10  of glass tube  1 . According to an exemplary embodiment, tapered tube  1  is filled roughly up to a third with a plurality of solid bodies  50 . For this purpose, the approximately funnel-shaped tube is held upright or at least inclined and solid body  50  is placed into its upper part, i.e. into the tapered tube. The average diameter of solid bodies  50  typically used lies above the size of inner diameter  11   d  of the first opening of the tapered tube, i.e. above internal diameter  2   d  of rod tube  2 . This thus ensures that the beaker formed by tapered tube  1  can readily be filled up to the desired level with introduced solid bodies  50  (see  FIG. 4 ). 
     Optionally, it is also possible for just a single solid body  50 , for example a crystal, a piece of mineral or a chip of mineral or a precious stone or a semiprecious stone to be introduced into tapering tube  1 . 
     According to one or more embodiments, the at least one solid body  50  that is introduced into the glass container can be selected from: agate, amazonite, aquamarine, aventurine, rock crystal, calcite, chalcedony, diamond, garnet, halite salt, jasper, lapis lazuli, magnesite, white opal, mossy agate, opal, orange calcite, ocean jasper, pistachio opal, quartz, rough diamond, rose quartz, red jasper, rutile quartz, emerald, sodalite and petrified wood. 
     According to further exemplary embodiments, a plurality of solid bodies  50  such as a mineral, such as pieces or chips of mineral and/or precious stones or pieces or chips of precious stones in rough and/or partially and/or completely ground and/or partially and/or completely polished form can be introduced together into a glass container. 
     Typical combinations relate to combinations of the following materials: pistachio opal, rock crystal; or amethyst, chalcedony, ocean jasper, petrified wood, rose quartz; or rough diamond, rock crystal; or garnet, rock crystal; or red jasper, magnesite, rock crystal; or rose quartz, amethyst, avenurine; or white opal, chalcedony, mossy agate; or aquamarine, rock crystal; or lapis lazuli, rutile quartz; or red jasper, sodalite, orange calcite, brown agate, aventurine; or rock crystal, garnet, amethyst; or emerald, rock crystal; or orange calcite, rock crystal; or amethyst, rock crystal; or sodalite, rock crystal; or rose quartz, amethyst, rock crystal. 
     The upper edge of tapered tube  1  can be narrowed by careful fusion and wide opening  10  of tube  1  can thus be gradually closed. For this purpose, the upper part of tapered tube  1  is fused uniformly at and beneath its second opening  10 , pressed inwards and closed while being constantly rotated over flame  3  of a suitably adjusted burner (see  FIG. 5 ) and thereby smoothed. A detailed description of the details known to the person skilled in the art will not be given here. 
     After the cooling, vial  120  thus obtained from the tapered tube and the rod tube is filled with a fluid  40  (see  FIG. 6 ). As fluid  40  introduced in the glass container, use may be made of any essentially transparent fluid that does not react chemically with the at least one solid body. Exemplary fluids  40  are either pure liquids or solvents such as for example water, aqueous solutions, in particular saturated salt solutions and/or colloidal solutions, sols or gels, ionic liquids, salt liquid at room temperature and/or molten salt. Further exemplary fluids can be selected from: organic liquids, in particular alcohols, polyols, silicones, silicone oils as well as any liquid polymers or polymer solutions, mineral oils and/or gases and their mixtures. 
     Fluid  40  is advantageously selected such that no chemical reaction takes place between introduced solid bodies  50  with one another or with the fluid or any substances that may be additionally dissolved therein. An advantage of this selection consists in the fact that the fluid introduced in the glass container remains transparent and does not become discoloured even with lengthy exposure to light. Furthermore, fine structures, for example ground surfaces or polished faces or facets, formed on solid body  50  are not changed by the selection of fluid  40  taking place as described. 
     A toroidal ring  22  in abutting region  12  between openings  11  and  20  corresponding to one another advantageously confers greater stability on the connection between tapered tube  1  and rod tube  2  than would be able to be obtained without this toroidal ring  22 . Finished glass container  125  has on one side, at its—when in use—lower bulbous end, a much greater mass than at its—when in use—upper rod-shaped end. The formation of rod-shaped tube  2  at the transition between rod-shaped tube  2  and the bulbous end formed from tapered tube  1  proved to be stabilising and prevents breakage of the joint connection in abutting region  12  and in its vicinity when glass container  125  is being used in the intended manner. 
     In a next step, the initially still straight second end  21  of rod tube  2  is widened above a second toroidal ring  22  before remaining open end  21  of vial  120 . When use is made of glass, for example, the again executed gradual tapering of widened portion  25  over a flame  3  of a suitably adjusted burner  3  can be used to close vial  120  with a spherical or drop-shaped closure  25  (see  FIG. 7 ). 
       FIG. 8  shows a glass container  125  with an essentially elongated shape, which is obtained in the manner described above and is closed in a fluidically sealed manner. Glass container  125  comprises a curved lower container part U with at least one solid body  50  and a straight upper part O provided with a smaller thickened portion  25  and is filled almost completely with a liquid  40 . 
     The position of meniscus  41  of fluid  40  used to fill the glass container typically lies in the region of upper part O of glass container  125  when glass container  125  is essentially in an upright position. An essentially upright position is understood to mean the spatial orientation of the glass container in which lower part U is located beneath an imaginary horizontal plane and upper part O is located above this imaginary horizontal plane. Such an essentially upright position arises under terrestrial conditions when, for example, upper part O of glass container  125  is fixed or held rotatably at its upper end O. 
     The toroidal ring in upper part O of glass container  125  offers the advantage, when glass container  125  is being gripped and held with the hand, of ensuring a good grip in the interaction of the fingers of the gripping and holding hand with closure  25  and ring  22  adjacent thereto (see  FIG. 9 ). 
     Advantages of the combinations of individual process steps described above consist in the provision of a glass container  125  which on the one hand can easily be fixed and/or can easily be held in a suitable holding fixture and which is therefore well suited for use as a stirring rod when used in the intended manner. On the other hand, the stirring rod produced in the manner described withstands the shear loads arising during use in the intended manner, in particular at the connection of basal part U of glass vessel  125  with tubular rod-shaped upper segment O fitted thereto. Glass vessel  125  is stable especially at and in the vicinity of toroidal annular widened portions  22  of rod tube  2  and exhibits a reduced tendency towards breakage compared with the conventional direct connection of a rod tube without toroidal ring  22 . 
     A particular advantage of the arrangement of a toroidal ring  22  directly before caudal widened portion  25  of upper part O of glass vessel  125  consists in the formation of an engagement. This engagement offers a secure hold or permits reliable fixing of the glass vessel in a suitable holding fixture. Furthermore, further elements can be reliably attached in a movable manner as a result of the constricted region formed between toroidal ring  22  and caudal widened portion  25  of rod tube  2  in upper part O of vessel  125 . Examples of this are the permanent, but axially mobile fixing of an eyelet, a ring or a loop or a sling. This permits such glass vessels to be provided, for example, with individual markings. 
     The present invention has been explained with the aid of examples of embodiment. These examples of embodiment are on no account to be understood as limiting for the present invention. The following claims represent a first, non-binding attempt at defining the invention in general.