Strengthened glass articles with separation features

1. A method of forming a strengthened glass article, the method comprising:

providing a strengthened glass article, the strengthened glass article being in the form of a container comprising a sidewall having an exterior surface and an interior surface that encloses an interior volume, the sidewall having an exterior strengthened surface layer that includes the exterior surface, an interior strengthened surface layer that includes the interior surface and a central layer between the exterior strengthened surface layer and the interior strengthened surface layer that is under a tensile stress; and

forming a laser-induced intended line of separation in the central layer at a predetermined depth between the exterior strengthened surface layer and the interior strengthened surface layer by irradiating the sidewall with a laser without separating the glass article,

wherein the intended line of separation forms a spiral shape that comprises a single turn and is open ended having overlapping first and second end portions, and

wherein a gap is provided between the first end portion and the second end portion, wherein the gap has an axial distance of no more than 1 mm.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intended line of separation extends completely about a perimeter of the sidewall.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising forming multiple laser-induced intended lines of separation in the central layer at a predetermined depth between the exterior strengthened surface layer and the interior strengthened surface layer by irradiating the sidewall with a laser without separating the glass article.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laser is a nanosecond pulsed laser operated at a power of less than 3 W.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the central layer has a tensile stress of at least about 13 MPa.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a thickness of the sidewall at the intended line of separation is between 0.6 mm and 1 mm.