ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades A world standard plug system???

Hutch, is your helmet in place?

What you ask for is (with my comments):

1.) Shutters for child-safety.

2.) Firm fit in socket. Recessed sockets offer this.

3.) Pins should not bend. This means thick blades/pins, like the UK, South African or Schuko.

4.) Compact. A double sockets should fit in one box.

5.) Non bypassable earth. This means placing the earth pin in line or nearly in line with the other pins to make it hard to saw off.

6.) Earthing up or down doesn't matter if you cannot touch the hot pins/blades.

7.) Polarized: Not for the equipment (try to polarize the US 240V ), but for safety with present UK plugs. (Small .5 mm2 wires used. Thus you need the fuse.) Then only the grounded plugs need to be polarized.

8.) 3 kW kettle: 3000/230V = 13A. As 15/16A plugs are standard in many countries, 16A would seem to be the right choice.

Now you are in for a shock: Such a plug exist! It has been the world standard since 1986! Yet, no country has adopted it.

There is also a official 115V standard plug since 1997: The US 15A plug.

I have bought the standard for the 230V plug (IEC 60906-1) (something like $70, 36 pages long) and have reproduced some drawings below. (Without permission, so I have to remove them if IEC complains.)




Ignore the protective surface: It's only an option to a recessed socket.

[This message has been edited by C-H (edited 12-20-2002).]