Topic: Design of mains sockets acrosss Europe

[broadstairs]

I read with interest the discussion about the new IOT  smart plug AC1100 and sockets used in Europe and am frankly completely surprised about how backwards in safety terms sockets across Europe are still. I just don't understand why the sockets do not have automatic shutters to prevent both inadvertent improper use or worse still sticky little fingers poking around! In the UK it is a legal requirement that all electrical sockets meet the UK standard and that all electrical items are supplied with a pre-installed and sealed plug.

Stuart

[zoomx]

In Italy there is such shutter since more than 25 years

Anyway there is also a system named differential who measure the difference of energy between live and neutral and if it is over a threshold it cut the current. It is usually at the beginning of circuit in the house.

[broadstairs]

Yes  we've had those shutters for a very long time. Also the RCD or Residual Current Device is also installed in newer installations for some considerable time now and most people upgrade to one if none already exists in the house, it's a life saver.

The site I looked at did not show this Italian type of shutter 

Stuart

[zoomx]

The round plug/socket is called Schuko and there are some multistandard socket to allow it with shutter


The shutter was a patent by italian Vimar filed 1968 (under the name of Sicury) but the company decided to allow it to be used free of charge by all operators in the sector.
https://www.vimar.com/en/int/the-quest-for-safety-1064122.html