Europlug

Example of a Europlug

The Europlug (CEE 7/16) is a non-rewirable flat, two-pole domestic AC power plug that must be supplied attached to a power cord. It is rated for voltages up to 250 V and currents up to 2.5 A. It was designed such that it can safely be used in the domestic power sockets of most European countries, except for the BS 1363 system found in Cyprus, Gibraltar, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom.

History

The Europlug design, intended for use with socket-outlets meeting other standards, appeared first in 1963 as Alternative II of Standard Sheet XVI in the second edition of CEE Publication 7. The Europlug is therefore sometimes also referred to as the "CEE 7/16" plug. It was also described in 1975 as plug C5 in IEC Technical Report 83. In 1990 it was defined by Cenelec standard EN 50075 which has national equivalents in most European countries, as described in IEC 60083 which superseded IEC/TR 83 (and no longer uses the C5 designation).

The Europlug is unusual as the standard specifies only a plug, there is no socket-outlet designed specifically for use with it.

Design considerations

The dimensions of the Europlug were chosen for compatibility and safe use, such that with continental European domestic power sockets

• reliable contact is established when the plug is fully inserted;
• no live conductive parts are accessible while the plug is inserted into each type of socket;
• it is not possible to establish a connection between one pin and a live socket contact while the other pin is accessible.

Europlugs are only designed for low-power (less than 2.5 A) Class II (double-insulated) devices that operate at normal room temperature and do not require a protective-earth connection.

Details

The pins of the Europlug are 19 mm long. They consist of a 9 mm long conductive tip of 4 mm diameter with a rounded ending, followed by a 10 mm long flexible insulated shaft of not more than 3.8 mm diameter. The two pins are not exactly parallel and converge slightly; their centres are 17.5 mm apart at the tip and 18.6 mm apart at the base. The elasticity of the converging pins provides sufficient contact force for the Europlug's current rating with a variety of socket-hole arrangements. The entire plug is 35.3 mm wide and 13.7 mm high, and must not exceed these dimensions within 18 mm behind its front plane (this allows for the recesses on many European socket types). The left and right side of the plug are formed by surfaces that are at 45° relative to the horizontal plane.

Incompatibility with UK and Irish sockets

The Europlug is physically not compatible with BS 1363 13 A sockets. The UK wiring regulations permit ring circuits and require a suitable fuse to be fitted in each plug to protect the appliance cable; Europlugs do not contain such fuses. BS 1363 sockets contain a child-safety shutter; clause 13.7.2 of BS 1363-2 requires that Europlugs will not open the shutters. In some types of BS 1363 socket (but not all) the safety mechanism can be tampered with so that a Europlug may then be forced into the open line and neutral ports. The UK Electrical Safety Council has drawn attention to the fire risk associated with forcing Europlugs into BS 1363 sockets. There is also a risk of damage to both the plug and socket.

UK Consumer Protection legislation requires that most domestic electrical goods sold must be provided with fitted plugs to BS 1363-1. The exception is that shavers, electric toothbrushes and similar personal hygiene products may be supplied with a Europlug as an alternative to the BS 4573 shaver plug. The Europlug is compatible with most 2-pin UK shaver sockets, but these are rated for a maximum of 0.2 A.

Fused conversion plugs to BS 1363-5 are available for Europlugs, and equipment fitted with these may be legally sold in the UK.

See also

• AC power plugs and sockets
• IEC 60906-1 – the international standard for 230 V plugs and sockets
• Schuko – the CEE 7/4 system of plugs and sockets

References

• German Standard DIN VDE 0620-1: Plugs and socket-outlets for household and similar purposes - Part 1: General requirements.