Universal Plug Socket - News Story

[OnOff]

A bit light on the detail but you'll get the gist. Not seen this before:

BBC News - A universal plug socket... at last?

 

[NozSpark]

It wouldn't comply with our regs though, where he earth pin opens the L&N shutters. You could also have a problem with a fused neutral when used with 2 pin plugs (as you could have now when using adaptors).

IMHO if we went with these sockets then we'd have to use DP MCB's/RCBO's as well.

 

[gavindrummond]

Nice

 

[Phoenix]

It wouldn't comply with our regs though, where he earth pin opens the L&N shutters.

IIRC BS1363 allows the shutters to also be opened by equal presure on the live and neutral pins simultaniously, MK use this method, or did, I think they might now us a hybrid of both schemes. I think the standards were actually changed to reflect MKs original product!

You could also have a problem with a fused neutral when used with 2 pin plugs (as you could have now when using adaptors).IMHO if we went with these sockets then we'd have to use DP MCB's/RCBO's as well.

Not really, it would still be the live thats fused back at the DB, what you could have is that the appliance itself could be connected with either polarity, not that the neutral would be the fused conductor. DP MCBs would not change this. The answer is appliances designed to be safe with either polarity, which is the case any way with a lot of DI appliances from the continent.

 

[Socketman]

See www.universalsocket.org.uk for why these things are unsafe.

 

[Doc Hudson]

A bit light on the detail but you'll get the gist. Not seen this before:

BBC News - A universal plug socket... at last?

"1st June 2012", not very new for a news story.

Doc H.

 

[Evans Electric]

These things crop up all the time TBH.     It was  once announced that the day of the  13A  plug was over as it restricted manufacturers to 3KW  appliances and the future was with 16A sockets.

As I remember , this was condemned as a manufacturer's ploy beging flooding the UK with the "new" sockets.   

 

[kerching]

There already exists a universal plug

IT IS THE UK 13 A JOBBY, END OF,!

It is not our fault that the rest of the world, YES including YOU USA !, is so backwards!

Make all the fuffers comply with OUR rules for a fricking change

Just.....the voice of reason

 

[Home emergency cover]

Well there's gonna be universal phone adaptors in the immediate future, this seems like the next logical step

 

[UK-Fire]

that monstrosity just LOOKS unsafe.

the additional article/site posted by Onoff pretty much describes it all. everything such as incorrect polarity, earthing not present for some plugs, and no protection against overvoltage for plugs from lower voltage countries (110V for example).

itll just be easier if everybody uses the uk plug........