Why Do Electrical Plugs Have Holes?

- Advertisement -

Have you recently examined an electrical plug? You might have noticed that plugs have holes in them if you reside in the United States or another nation that employs identical electrical sockets. These holes have a purpose beyond mere beauty; they are functional. Continue reading to learn more if you want to know what this is.

Holes In Electrical Plugs Are Used For Gripping

Plugs have holes that are used to hold them in place inside of sockets. Historically, sockets contained bumps. The purpose of these bumps was to fit into the perforations. It would have been quite simple to simply take the plug out of the socket if there weren’t any bumps and holes. It was feasible to disconnect with some resistance thanks to the holes and bumps, but it wasn’t impossible. Modern designs have mainly abandoned using the bumps inside sockets in favour of other holding mechanisms like friction or even the usage of rods.

How Do Electrical Plug Holes Work?

The holes on electrical plugs have many uses than just to allow for gripping. Because plugs may be made without using entire metal sheets, the holes help conserve metal resources. Long-term, this may result in material and cost savings.

Additionally, holes might be used as a safety measure. Some manufacturers add tags to the holes, making it impossible to use the plug without taking the tags off.

Last but not least, according to some electricians, adding holes to the plugs makes it simpler to connect the plugs to live wires in the event that a socket is not accessible. For instance, installing electric clamps in the holes would enable electricity to be sent straight from a source to the socket.

Also Read – Hot water will freeze faster than cold water

Who Invented Plug Holes?

Harvey Hubbell Jr., an inventor who sought to find a technique to make plugs grip into sockets more easily, is credited with the creation of holes in prongs. He came up with the idea of making tiny indentations inside the prongs so that they would make touch with socket bumps. The essential concept remained the same, but eventually the indents would be replaced by holes.

Do All Electrical Plugs Have Holes?

In a strict sense, electrical plugs do not require holes. The Type A and Type B plugs can be distinguished by their plug holes. The United States, Canada, Japan, and a few other nations primarily utilise these. The NEMA standard is another name for this specification. Plugs meeting this criterion frequently lack holes, while holes are nevertheless common. The additional pin on Type B plugs, known as a ground pin, is the primary distinction between Type A and Type B plugs.

Many other regions of the world, particularly Europe, employ plugs with small, rounded prongs. There are numerous variations of this plug model, including the Type F standard and the Type E standard that are frequently used in France (which is similar to Type E except the socket does not have a ground pin). They do not have holes in their prongs, as seen in the image above. There are some other plug standards that use flat prongs like the Type A and B standards, including the Type G standard used in the UK and the Type I standard used in Australia. The Type G standard, however, does not use holes and has thicker prongs. Like Type A and Type B plugs, Type I plugs have flat prongs.

Also Read – What Are Escalator Brushes For?

- Advertisement -
Share this
Tags

Recent articles