A general object of the present disclosure is to provide a molded plastic container having a security feature, preferably a layered security feature, molded into a wall of the container, to provide a method of making such a container, and to provide a security feature insert suitable for molding into a wall of a container.
The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other.
A molded plastic container, in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, includes an insert molded into an exterior surface of a wall of the container. The insert is of plastic construction that includes a UV brightener that is visible under UV light to verify authenticity of the container. The container wall and the insert preferably have identical colors under visible light. The insert preferably is of two-piece construction with an outer portion of the insert being exposed at the exterior surface of the container and an inner portion underlying the outer portion. The inner and outer portions preferably include respective UV brighteners that are visible as different colors under UV light. The outer portion of the insert preferably is removable to expose the inner portion and thereby to provide layered security for which the outer portion is first visible under UV light and, when removed, exposes the inner portion of the insert for illumination under UV light and radiating a different color from the outer portion.
A method of verifying authenticity of a molded plastic container, in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, includes providing an insert of plastic construction that includes a UV brightener such that the insert has a first color under visible light and a second color under UV light. The insert is molded into an exterior surface of a plastic container wall. The container wall is then exposed to UV light to energize the UV brightener and thereby verify authenticity of the container. The container wall and the insert preferably have the same first color under visible light. The insert most preferably is of two-piece construction, having an inner portion and an outer portion overlying the inner portion. The outer portion is exposed at the exterior surface of the container and is removable from the inner portion. The inner and outer portions have UV brighteners that are visible as different colors under UV light. The outer portion of the insert is exposed to UV light and the resulting color of the outer portion is noted. The outer portion then is removed, and the inner portion is exposed to UV light and the resulting color is noted, providing two layers of security for verifying authenticity of the container.
A molded plastic container, in accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, includes an insert molded into an exterior surface of a wall of the container. The insert is of two-piece molded plastic construction, with an outer portion of the insert being exposed at the exterior surface of the container and an inner portion of the insert underlying the outer portion. The outer portion is removable to expose the inner portion. The inner and outer portions of the insert have different security features embedded in or on surfaces of the portions such that the security feature embedded in or on the outer portion is observable and, when the outer portion is removed, the security feature embedded in or on the inner portion becomes observable. This aspect of the disclosure provides layered security with an overt portion associated with the outer portion of the insert and a covert portion associated with the inner portion of the insert. The security features preferably are selected from the group consisting of UV brighteners, microtaggents, chemical tracers, fluorescent agents, and combinations thereof.