Contour plug
The contour plug or profile plug (type designation: CEE 7/17) was developed in order to be able to use it - similar to the Euro plug - in most countries in Europe. It is used when a device does not need a protective contact , but needs a current greater than 2.5 A, because the Euro plug may only be loaded with a maximum of 2.5 A.
The higher current carrying capacity makes contact pins made of conductive material in full thickness necessary. The contact safety when inserting the plug into a Schuko socket is ensured by protruding material. When using a socket that is not recessed, the protruding material provides relative protection. For comparison: With the Euro plug, the contact pins are insulated so far that the conductive part can no longer be reached with the finger when it touches the live contacts of the socket - the conductor lying in the insulation is relatively thin and the contact pressure is relatively low, which is why the current carrying capacity is comparatively low. The protrusion of the contour plug has recesses so that the plug is not obstructed by the protective contacts of the various socket types into which it can be plugged. If a cable is rolled up, in some cases the contour plug can be easily stuck over the cable by clipping it with the deeper slot ending in a circular hole and thus fixed.
Typical areas of application for the contour plug are double-insulated devices of medium power, i.e. around 500 to 2000 watts, such as hair dryers, vacuum cleaners or drills.
properties
Mechanical properties
Like the Schuko plug and the CEE 7/5 plug, the contour plug also has two contact pins 19 mm long and 4.8 mm thick, the centers of which are 19 mm apart. In order to be able to accommodate the French grounding pin, the plug has a hole about 10 mm above as well as at the same distance below the axis on which the two contact pins lie, which is about 5 mm larger than the said grounding pin. Towards the edge of the connector, these holes merge into rectangular recesses for the grounding terminals.
Electrical Properties
The contour plug can be loaded with currents of up to 16 A and voltages of maximum 250 V. With the usual mains voltage of 230 V, this results in a maximum device power of around 3.7 kW. Due to the two holes for one of the earthing pins for sockets of the type CEE 7/5, as used in France or Poland, the plug cannot be used in either Schuko sockets or in the CEE 7/5 socket, which is mechanically reverse polarity protected. There are connector variants with only one hole, but they are less common. When used with a CEE 7/5 socket, these are mechanically protected against polarity reversal, but reverse polarity protection only actually exists if the standards of the respective country specify the polarity for the wiring, which is not the case in Poland, for example.
compatibility
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Contour plugs fit into earthed sockets of the type Schuko (including Germany, Austria), CEE 7/5 (including France, Belgium) and connector type K (including Denmark), but unlike the Euro plug, they are incompatible with sockets of the type SEV 1011 (Switzerland , Liechtenstein). They can also be used with the BS-546 system with some restrictions .
Contour plugs in type D sockets
Mechanically, the contour plug fits into these sockets, but it must be ensured that these sockets are normally fused with 5 amps, but the contour plug is also designed for devices up to 16 A.
The plug is not compatible with the smaller 2-amp version of the BS 546 because it has a smaller pin spacing.
Plug type D 5 A
The 2-pin version of the 5-amp version of the BS-546 connector has two pins that are approximately 5 mm thick and approximately 19 mm apart. This is very similar to the contour plug, but cannot be used in Schuko sockets (type F). In the case of French type E sockets, the grounding pin of the socket prevents use. This could fit into Danish sockets (type K) alone. There used to be two-pin sockets in these countries without a contour or pin into which this plug fit, or there were comparable plugs.
The 3-pin version of the type D connector has a grounding pin itself, which prevents it from being plugged in.
The sockets today are usually fused with 10 to 16 amps, while this plug is designed for up to 5 amps.
Plugs / sockets type M 15 A
The larger type M version of the BS-546 series is designed for these higher currents, but has a pin spacing of 25.4 mm, so it is mechanically incompatible. An adapter can help.
British Shaver Socket
British bathrooms often have a so-called shaver socket for razors and electric toothbrushes. This consists of two round 4 mm contacts 19 mm apart. Since the contour plug has 5 mm pins, it does not fit. This connection is also switched via a transformer and supplies a maximum of 1 amp without earthing or zeroing. A 115 V / 230 V switchover is usually integrated there.
GOST-7396
The Soviet / Russian GOST-7396 system is similar to European ungrounded sockets, but uses contact pins only 4mm thick. The corresponding holes in the receptacle can be large enough for 4.8mm pens, but they don't have to be. An adapter is recommended. New installations use Schuko sockets or the mechanically compatible unearthed variant (only in residential buildings). No adapter is required for either.
See also Russian (Soviet) plugs .
SEV 1011 (Switzerland)
In contrast to the Euro plug, the contour plug cannot be used in Switzerland due to the diameter of the contact pins , since the input openings of the sockets there are 4.5 mm (+0.2 mm) wide according to the SEV 1011 standard and are intended for pins with a diameter of 4 mm (± 0.06 mm).
The Swiss counterpart to the contour plug is the plug type 11 (up to 10 A) and type 21 (up to 16 A).
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original dated May 31, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
