Why does the plug need a hole and a few more interesting facts about sockets

  • Dec 14, 2020
Why does the plug need a hole and a few more interesting facts about sockets
Why does the plug need a hole and a few more interesting facts about sockets

In everyday life, few people think about how important and at the same time ingenious invention the electrical connector is! It sounds scary, but in reality we are talking about a regular plug and socket. As a rule, we absolutely do not think about that, and do not appreciate what we use every day since childhood. Now is the time to correct this glaring injustice.

1. Why does the plug have a hole

Not just like that. | Photo: sibmama.ru.
Not just like that. | Photo: sibmama.ru.

In fact, everything is very simple. The fact is that the well-known fork does not always work only as a “dad”. In some countries, there are hybrid outlets from which an additional conductive pin sticks out. It is for him that this hole is intended. However, in most cases, energy is transported only through the petals.

2. As old as the world

We use it every day and don't know. | Photo: listelist.com.

Familiar to all of us from childhood, the plug connection for electrical networks was patented in 1904 in the name of engineer Harvey Hubbell. Prior to this, the lamp socket connection method created by Thomas Edison was used. The widespread introduction of modern-type sockets began in the 1920s, after the First World War.

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3. Why different countries have different plugs

For example, Italian. | Photo: olmar.tourister.ru.

Here, too, everything is simple. The electrification of states took place very unevenly and, moreover, not centralized. Each country was forced to create its own standards for electronic networks and equipment for them (or acquire these standards and equipment from others). As a result, today we have American, Asian, British, Danish, Australian, European, Swiss, Italian and many other types of outlets.
Of course, since the second half of the 20th century, equipment standardization has been gaining momentum around the world.

4. Is the equipment really called "mom" and "dad"

No Freud. | Photo: wallbox.ru.

An interesting feature. Electricians in almost all countries of the world call plug and socket designations "dad" and "mom" (who has not yet understood, guess why). In English-speaking countries, the words "male" and "female" (man and woman) are used, but in general the essence does not change. One would think that similar terms were introduced in electrical engineering officially. But this is not so, just electricians in all countries think more or less the same way.

5. There are no sockets for children

Strange, but true. | Photo: versiya.info.

Surely everyone from childhood remembers how his parents forbade him to stick his fingers into the outlet (as well as any foreign objects). Amazingly, in the entire history of the development of electrical engineering, people have not created child-proof outlets. Even furniture with "safe corners" exists, but protection from 220V is still provided by "wise parenting." This is probably all a good startup idea!

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6. Unpleasant incidents

Also plugs and sockets. | Photo: qna.center.

We so often use conventional sockets that we often forget about the variety of this radio-electronic equipment that is around us. For example, USB connectors are a socket too! It is noteworthy that the development of new plugs is a very difficult and responsible business. First of all, from the standpoint of the issue of equipment compatibility. For example, some RF plugs are compatible with regular power outlets. History knows unpleasant incidents when engineers mistakenly connected communication systems to a regular power grid, which caused expensive equipment to break down.

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7. The outdoor socket is not just a socket

Not just an outlet. ¦ Photo: jurga.el43.ru.

People uninitiated into the industry usually do not even think about the fact that the equipment of the type in question, despite the general external similarity, can have very strong differences. For example, outlets for outdoor use have a much higher level of protection against external factors than those that are installed indoors.

If you want to know even more interesting things, read about why the socket is falling out of the walland how to fix the situation.
A source:
https://novate.ru/blogs/200120/53156/