Plug sockets

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According to Part 2.
A plug is:
An accessory having pins designed to engage with the contacts of a socket outlet and incorporating means for the electrical connection and mechanical retention of a flexible cable or cord.

A socket outlet:
A device provided with female contacts (a bit saucy there!), which is intended to be installed with the fixed wiring and intended to receive a plug.

Here are the definitions from the Wiring Regs. 14th edition:

Plug. A device intended for the connection to a flexible cord or flexible cable which can be engaged manually with a socket-outlet or connector or adaptor and which has current-carrying pins which may be exposed when not engaged.

Socket-outlet. A device with protected current-carrying contacts intended to be mounted in a fixed position and permanently connected to the fixed wiring of the installation, to enable the connection to it of a flexible cord or flexible cable by means of a plug.

And going back a little further, here's the combined definition from the 13th edition:

Socket-outlet and plug. A device consisting of two portions for easily connecting to the supply portable lighting fittings and other current-using appliances, normally by means of flexible cords or cables. The socket-outlet is designed to be the fixed member, and the plug portion carries metal contacts which connect with corresponding metal contacts in the socket portion.

The definitions from the American NEC, 1971:

Attachment plug: An attachment plug is a device which, by insertion in a receptacle, establishes connection between the conductors of the attached flexible cord and the conductors connected permanently to the receptacle.

Receptacle. A receptacle is a contact device installed at an outlet for the connection of a single attachment plug.

The 2002 NEC has very slightly different wording, but nothing which changes the meaning.
 
According to Part 2.
A plug is:
An accessory having pins designed to engage with the contacts of a socket outlet and incorporating means for the electrical connection and mechanical retention of a flexible cable or cord.
So does this:

888-6236.jpg


meet that definition?

If not, it's not a plug.

A socket outlet:
A device provided with female contacts (a bit saucy there!), which is intended to be installed with the fixed wiring and intended to receive a plug.
Does whatever connects to the item above meet that definition?

If not it's not a socket.


Here are the definitions from the Wiring Regs. 14th edition:
.
.
.
Ditto problems - the panel mounted accessory shown does not meet the definition of a plug, and whatever connects to it does not meet the definition of a socket.

And going back a little further, here's the combined definition from the 13th edition:

Socket-outlet and plug. A device consisting of two portions for easily connecting to the supply portable lighting fittings and other current-using appliances, normally by means of flexible cords or cables. The socket-outlet is designed to be the fixed member, and the plug portion carries metal contacts which connect with corresponding metal contacts in the socket portion.
So the item shown above is now a socket, is it?



The definitions from the American NEC, 1971:

Attachment plug: An attachment plug is a device which, by insertion in a receptacle, establishes connection between the conductors of the attached flexible cord and the conductors connected permanently to the receptacle.

Receptacle. A receptacle is a contact device installed at an outlet for the connection of a single attachment plug.
So is the item shown above an outlet?
 
Here are the definitions ....
As BAS has demonstrated, I think all these definitions, whilst fine in the most common of situations, can become problematical in the less straightforward situations which BAS and I have discussed above.

Producing exhaustice definitions of 'plug' and 'socket' which covered virtually all possible arrangemengts and which most people were happy with would probably be next-to-impossible.

Kind Regards, John.
 
Indeed, the various combinations of how one can take what we clearly identify in one form as a plug or a socket and then fit that design into some other type of fitting (e.g. the BS4343 plug becoming a fixed inlet on some device as pictured above) shows how some of the various definitions don't make allowance for these variations.
 
Indeed, the various combinations of how one can take what we clearly identify in one form as a plug or a socket and then fit that design into some other type of fitting (e.g. the BS4343 plug becoming a fixed inlet on some device as pictured above) shows how some of the various definitions don't make allowance for these variations.
Quite, but as I said, I don't think one can realistically expect definitions to be able to 'make allowances' for anything like all the possibilities, whilst also remaining sensible, fairly consistent and acceptable to 'users'.

Kind Regards, John.
 
Wow, op asks a simple question and gets a string of patronizing responses of people who clearly have far too much time on their hands.

Did the op get sorted in the end..
 

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