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OT: That UK square pin mains plug

My quibble is he should have added some swept faring to the flex gland/protector to project out over the pins so you can pull a lead through a nest of wires without it jamming - my pet hate about them. Perhaps he can turn his attention to how to eliminate rat's nests of cables.

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Praise for a god of small things

As sensible as it is pretty, could the folding plug be the first in a line of simple revolutions from Min-Kyu Choi?

In another time and another society, Min-Kyu Choi might have been worshipped as a god of small things. The art school graduate's design for a super-slim, folding three-point plug is the stuff of design miracles. Quite why no one has beaten him to it is a mystery.

Although as safe as houses, the sturdy British three-pin plug is incongruous next to the latest digital gizmos, and when travelling it is an encumbrance and a danger to other, more delicate things. It's also downright ugly.

The folding plug isn't just sensible, it's a surprisingly pretty thing to look at. Unfolded, it resembles a butterfly as seen by some happily abstract artist. It is also easy to use, needing just two smooth movements to fold or unfold.

The choice of the plug as the winner of this year's Brit Insurance design of the year is a particularly happy one as popular taste has begun to recoil from the over-the-top, "iconic" design excesses of the past decade

Reply to
N_Cook
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It's designed to handle 3kW. Of course it could be more delicate - but then no use for kettles, heaters, etc.

And I'm willing to bet it can't handle 3 kW. And won't last as long as a good make standard one.

Perhaps 'Brit Insurance' would be better served giving awards to those who improve their own industry - it's much needed.

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    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
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Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

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big discussion on this here:

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Reply to
b

In article , Dave Plowman (News) writes

I agree. I think, if it does appear, it'll only be on low-current devices, things like laptop power adapters.

Wonder how the rotating connection is done inside? Contact on a rotating ring, or a super-flexible bit of wire?

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Reply to
Mike Tomlinson

And of course not much saving if those things become small enough to be a wall wart.

One thing you can be certain of - it *will* break. All these sort of things with moving parts do.

As regards the standard 13 amp plug being too large - I'm old enough to remember when we had 2, 5 and 15 amp outlets in the UK - and in both 2 and three pin. Total nightmare. I suppose you could add a low current outlet to a 13 amp socket which used a smaller plug - but it would take many many years before this became universally in use.

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    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.
Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

And the Wylex, a good design and possibly the first fused plugtop. We still use 15 amp round pin plugs and sockets and rubber cable in theatre lighting, tho the three pin plugs are slowly being phased out in favour of 16amp Cee form. Ron(UK)

Reply to
Ron

How high a power transfer can you go with inductive coupling if the coils can be in the body of the unit and laid straight next to the source, doing away with plugs and sockets all together.

Reply to
N_Cook

In article , Ron writes

Are you _sure_ about that? The fuse was the live pin. Under some circumstances it could be become detached and leave a pin sticking out of the live on the socket.

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Reply to
Mike Tomlinson

That was the Dorman-Smith. The Wylex ones were -o-

Reply to
Martin Crossley

Not the Wylex, the fuse was internal and a slightly smaller size then the modern 20mm

Ron(UK)_

Reply to
Ron

In article , Martin Crossley writes

Thanks for the correction.

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(='.'=)  Bunny says Windows 7 is Vi$ta reloaded.
(")_(")  http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/windows_7.png
Reply to
Mike Tomlinson

Spawn of Satan those D&S plugs. Apart from the fuse coming off the cord grip was just a rubber washer which didn't hold smaller cables. And dropping them often broke off the fuse...

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    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.
Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

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