Plug sockets are male connectors used for electrical connections, ranging from household appliances to industrial equipment. They can be cable or flush mounted and rated for various voltages. Plugs for receptacles come in lead or surface-mounted designs and feature male pins with enclosed female pins for safety. They are used in extension cords, power tools, and machines. Examples include two and three-pin mains power, low-voltage DC wiring, and heavy-duty three-phase plugs. Integral plug types include charging connectors and plugs on garden and hand tools, with safety features to prevent electric shock.
A plug socket is the male half of a push-in, plug and socket electrical connection. The term is a fairly broad description for a wide selection of connections ranging from the garden variety plug on a vacuum cleaner cord to specialized high voltage industrial plugs. The socket plug typically has a set of male pins that insert into corresponding female pins enclosed in a socket. These plugs can be cable mounted or flush mounted as an integral part of an appliance and can be rated for small direct current (DC) voltages or high load, single phase or multi phase mains power. Plugs for receptacles generally contain an insulating housing or a metal housing with an internal insulating insert to prevent short circuits and electric shock.
Plug and socket connections are the most common non-permanent electrical connections that supply power to appliances and machines. They are also widely used as splices in electrical wiring. Plugs for receptacles are available in a wide variety of application specific and general purpose retrofit designs, suitable for an equally extensive list of power ratings. They are also included as standard parts of extension cords and power cords for household and garden appliances, power tools and machines. It’s actually hard to think of an appliance or piece of equipment that doesn’t use an outlet to access its power source.
Plugs for receptacles and related receptacles fall into two broad categories: lead-mounted and surface-mounted. Both plug types adhere to a common design concept in that they will typically feature male pins with the female pins enclosed within the powered female socket. This design trend is a safety feature to ensure that the pins are not energized when the plug is exposed, thus offering protection from short circuits and electric shock. Where polarity or phasing is an issue, both types will also include a key feature which ensures that the plug is always inserted in the correct orientation to the socket pins.
Common units of cable mounted socket outlets include the two and three pin mains power examples which are standard on most equipment and appliance cables. Other examples include low-voltage DC wiring variants such as Molex and AMP plugs or heavy-duty three-phase plugs for welding machines and heavy shop equipment. These plugs usually have power and ground pins; however, some applications such as double insulated appliances do not have a connection to earth.
Integral plug types include charging connectors for battery-powered tools and appliances and integral plugs found on some garden and hand tools. In addition to the unpowered bare pin safety feature of the socket design, most feature housings designed to offer protection during use. These include molded insulating materials on the outer casings, recessed mating surfaces, and locks that prevent plugs from being inadvertently pulled out of the socket. Plugs with aluminum or steel housings have an insulating internal housing that isolates the pins from the housing.
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