Overmolded Closure with Taggant Segmentation for Anti-Counterfeiting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plastic closures with taggant elements are vulnerable to counterfeiting, as recovered authentic material can be reused to create counterfeit closures that produce false authentic signals due to the retention of taggant material and separation of taggant-containing components.
Innovation Solution
A plastic closure design where a first part and a second part are overmolded together to form a single body, with the second part containing a controlled amount of taggants, ensuring that even if the material is ground and reused, the resulting closure emits a signal below the authenticity threshold, preventing false positive authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If taggant elements are embedded in plastic material for authenticity verification, then authentication capability is improved, but vulnerability to counterfeiting increases due to material recovery and reuse
Solution Approach 1:
The closure is divided into two distinct parts: a first part containing the majority of taggant elements and a second part containing a controlled, lower amount of taggant elements. This segmentation ensures that even if the second part is separated and reused by counterfeiters, the resulting counterfeit closure will emit a signal below the authenticity threshold, while the complete authentic closure emits a signal above the threshold.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the closure have different taggant concentrations. The first part has a high concentration of taggant elements, while the second part has a controlled, lower concentration. This local quality differentiation ensures that the overall authentic closure produces a valid authentication signal, but any closure made solely from recovered material (which would only contain the second part's taggant amount) produces a false signal below the threshold.
2Ease of manufacture
If taggant-containing components are made separable for manufacturing flexibility, then ease of manufacture is improved, but risk of component isolation and counterfeiting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameter of taggant concentration distribution between different parts. By controlling the amount of taggant elements in the second part to be below the authentication threshold when separated, the design allows manufacturing flexibility (parts can be made separately and overmolded) while preventing counterfeiting through parameter control rather than physical inseparability.
3Productivity
If recovered plastic material retains all taggant material, then material recovery efficiency is improved, but false authentic signals are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs a preliminary action during the design stage by distributing taggant elements unevenly between the first and second parts, with the second part containing a controlled amount. This preliminary distribution ensures that when counterfeiters recover and reuse material from the second part, the authentication system can already predict and reject the counterfeit closure before it is even manufactured, maintaining authentication accuracy despite high material recovery efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design effectively prevents false authentic signals from counterfeit closures made from recovered plastic material, ensuring accurate authentication by maintaining a higher taggant concentration in the original closure and reducing the risk of counterfeiting.
Implementation Method 1
When such taggant materials are hit by an electromagnetic ray emitted by a detection and control device, they are excited and emit a light signal or, more generally, an electromagnetic signal
Data Source
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AI summary
A container closure (1) comprising a first part (2) and a second part (3) overmolded on the first part (2). The closure has a tubular band (4) open at one end (20) and closed at the opposite end by a flat wall (5), transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tubular band. The second part (3) is formed with a volume of plastic material that is smaller than the volume of plastic material that is used to form the first part (2) and comprises taggant elements embedded in its material.