4 ms·

The shuko os such a good plug design.

ars 4y ago
No it is not. It's way too big and it has a fuse inside the plug because of historical copper shortages during war. If I were designing a global plug it would not be based on that. I like the layout of Switzerland, but it needs to be smaller - there's no need for that much space around the plug. Something the size of a US plug, with the Switzerland layout, and shielded prongs instead of a recessed outlet.
- gattilorenz 4y ago
  > it has a fuse inside the plug because of historical copper shortages during war That’s the UK plug, Shuko doesn’t have a fuse I still prefer the Italian plug design due to compact size tho
  - asddubs 4y ago
    the italian plug is nice, and you can rotate it 180°. Some people don't like that because it makes it ambiguous which lead is neutral, but IMO in the real world you can't rely on stuff like that anyway because as long as it works both ways, people will wire outlets inconsistently
    - gattilorenz 4y ago
      I agree about relying on rotation and not trusting sockets. The only thing I dislike is that there are actually two sizes, with different current ratings, and while most receptacles will accept both, some (or some extension cord) won’t. This is a safety feature, sure, but still annoying. The Shuko plugs are also ok, easier to insert without looking, but very bulky. It’s in theory nice that they have “bent” (i.e. the cable protrudes at a 90 deg angle) and “straight” plugs, but in practice in most cases you can’t choose which plug to use where.
- Akronymus 4y ago
  > No it is not. It's way too big and it has a fuse inside the plug because of historical copper shortages during war. thats the british one. > Something the size of a US plug, with the Switzerland layout, and shielded prongs instead of a recessed outlet. Sounds like the europlug, which is compatible with shuko outlets. Also, IMO a recessed outlet is superior, because it provides some additional support, both against slipping out and breaking off.
  - ars 4y ago
    The Europlug is decent, but unnecessarily expensive. The pins are not parallel, in order to provide a better electrical contact. I would use flat pins (blades) because they are cheaper to manufacture, and make better electrical contact. Also the Europlug is too large, my ideal plug would be smaller. > IMO a recessed outlet is superior, because it provides some additional support It does that, yes, but it's not necessary for it to do that - it's an unneeded complication. And if that was your goal, just have one blade perpendicular to the other, then it can't slip out (it can only go straight back, it can't tip downward or sideways). Extra resistance to breaking off is simply not needed, it's not a problem that occurs in the real world.

ars 4y ago

No it is not. It's way too big and it has a fuse inside the plug because of historical copper shortages during war. If I were designing a global plug it would not be based on that. I like the layout of Switzerland, but it needs to be smaller - there's no need for that much space around the plug. Something the size of a US plug, with the Switzerland layout, and shielded prongs instead of a recessed outlet.

gattilorenz 4y ago
> it has a fuse inside the plug because of historical copper shortages during war That’s the UK plug, Shuko doesn’t have a fuse I still prefer the Italian plug design due to compact size tho
- asddubs 4y ago
  the italian plug is nice, and you can rotate it 180°. Some people don't like that because it makes it ambiguous which lead is neutral, but IMO in the real world you can't rely on stuff like that anyway because as long as it works both ways, people will wire outlets inconsistently
  - gattilorenz 4y ago
    I agree about relying on rotation and not trusting sockets. The only thing I dislike is that there are actually two sizes, with different current ratings, and while most receptacles will accept both, some (or some extension cord) won’t. This is a safety feature, sure, but still annoying. The Shuko plugs are also ok, easier to insert without looking, but very bulky. It’s in theory nice that they have “bent” (i.e. the cable protrudes at a 90 deg angle) and “straight” plugs, but in practice in most cases you can’t choose which plug to use where.
Akronymus 4y ago
> No it is not. It's way too big and it has a fuse inside the plug because of historical copper shortages during war. thats the british one. > Something the size of a US plug, with the Switzerland layout, and shielded prongs instead of a recessed outlet. Sounds like the europlug, which is compatible with shuko outlets. Also, IMO a recessed outlet is superior, because it provides some additional support, both against slipping out and breaking off.
- ars 4y ago
  The Europlug is decent, but unnecessarily expensive. The pins are not parallel, in order to provide a better electrical contact. I would use flat pins (blades) because they are cheaper to manufacture, and make better electrical contact. Also the Europlug is too large, my ideal plug would be smaller. > IMO a recessed outlet is superior, because it provides some additional support It does that, yes, but it's not necessary for it to do that - it's an unneeded complication. And if that was your goal, just have one blade perpendicular to the other, then it can't slip out (it can only go straight back, it can't tip downward or sideways). Extra resistance to breaking off is simply not needed, it's not a problem that occurs in the real world.