An
appliance plug is a three-conductor
power connectorA power connector is an electrical connector designed to carry a significant amount of electrical power, usually as DC or low-frequency AC. Some types of RF connector may also carry large amounts of power, but are considered as a separate category...
originally developed for electric jugs and similar
small applianceSmall appliance refers to a class of home appliances that are portable or semi-portable or which are used on tabletops, countertops, or other platforms. Such items are contrasted with major appliances, which are typically fixtures that cannot be easily moved...
s. It was common in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
,
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
and
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
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It has largely been made obsolete and replaced by C15 and C16
IEC connectorIEC connector is the common name for the set of thirteen mains electricity line sockets and thirteen panel plugs defined by International Electrotechnical Commission specification IEC 60320...
s or proprietary connectors to base plates for cordless models. It still occurs on some traditional ceramic electric jugs. It is also used for some laboratory water stills.
On a classical ceramic electric jug, the appliance plug prevents the lid from being raised while the connector is inserted.
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An
appliance plug is a three-conductor
power connectorA power connector is an electrical connector designed to carry a significant amount of electrical power, usually as DC or low-frequency AC. Some types of RF connector may also carry large amounts of power, but are considered as a separate category...
originally developed for electric jugs and similar
small applianceSmall appliance refers to a class of home appliances that are portable or semi-portable or which are used on tabletops, countertops, or other platforms. Such items are contrasted with major appliances, which are typically fixtures that cannot be easily moved...
s. It was common in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
,
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
and
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
.
It has largely been made obsolete and replaced by C15 and C16
IEC connectorIEC connector is the common name for the set of thirteen mains electricity line sockets and thirteen panel plugs defined by International Electrotechnical Commission specification IEC 60320...
s or proprietary connectors to base plates for cordless models. It still occurs on some traditional ceramic electric jugs. It is also used for some laboratory water stills.
On a classical ceramic electric jug, the appliance plug prevents the lid from being raised while the connector is inserted. This is important as during operation of the jug, the water it contains is connected to the electric
mainsMains may mean or refer to, or be a subject of:* Mains electricity * Electricity transmission* Public utility, about "mains services", including electricity, natural gas, water, and sewage disposal...
and is an
electric shockAn electric shock can occur upon contact of a human body with any source of voltage high enough to cause sufficient current through the muscles or hair. The minimum current a human can feel is thought to be about 1 milliampere ....
risk.
Appliance plugs were also used to supply power to electric toasters, electric coffee percolators, electric frypans, and many other appliances. An appliance plug is to some degree heat resistant, but the maximum working temperature varied from manufacturer to manufacturer and even from batch to batch.
The mains connectors of the appliance plug are two rounded sockets that accept two rounded pins from the appliance. They are unpolarised. The third connection, earth, is a large metal contact on each side of the plug body which makes contact with the sides of the plug receptacle, grounding the appliance body. Many appliances using these connectors incorporate a spring and plunger mechanism with a temperature-sensitive release system; if the temperature rises significantly above a preset limit - for example, if a kettle boils dry - the spring is released and (if all goes well) the plunger pushes the plug and socket apart. It must then be allowed to cool and reset manually by forcing the connector back into the appliance.
Manufacturers included Ring Grip,
WilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois.Its name comes from the voice procedure term "wilco" meaning "will comply."...
and
ClipsalClipsal is an Australian brand of electrical accessories. The main factory is located in Bowden, with smaller factories in Nuriootpa, Strathalbyn and Wingfield in South Australia, and Bayswater in Victoria which employ over 2300 workers. They have offices worldwide and sponsor the Adelaide Clipsal...
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