You can thank Chen Yinfeng for this innovation, called, appropriately, the Slot-Type Power Outlet. Rather than incorporating holes that you have to jam plugs into (and often, rearrange if there are more than one and they vary in shape), a swipe-in slot design is used. Now the plugs can comfortably rest next to one another, thus allowing more plugs to fit than on a regular strip.
The slots for 3-pin and 2-pin plugs are different (as shown in the pic above), but not difficult to manage. [Yanko Design]
lolsnarfsnarf
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 9:53 AMWonder what is blocking the slots/gaps for when they are not used.
Adam
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 10:08 AMjust use your fingers!
kalarr
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 1:21 PMSimple: just slide in any number of those child safe socket protectors you can get at Bunnings…
Darius
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 10:57 AMDANGER WILL ROBINSON
Dave Jacka
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 12:06 PMWhat would stop you reversing the polarity??
ahiddenfigure
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 12:50 PMMore importantly, why would it matter? It is AC; the “polarity” reverses on its own 50 or 60 times a second depending on where you live.
Jeff
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 1:02 PMIt’s AC the bridge rectifier would rectify the problem ;)
Bernhard de Kok
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 1:28 PMWhat?
StevoTheDevo
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 1:04 PMIt’s AC, there is no Polarity…
Ben
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 7:02 PMOf course there is polarity. With a standard Australian power point the left hole is “active” (which alternates peak-peak between about -330V and +330V (240V RMS) and the right one is “neutral” which should be at 0V – both relative to ground (bottom hole).
Some things actually wire the neutral wire onto the chassis which can be very dangerous if the polarity is reversed. I know personally of a lamp and a TV where this occurs.
But since most things are double insulated and unpolarised these days it doesn’t matter. If it is a “universal” PSU (ie the ones that can handle 100V-240V 50-60Hz) then there is no problem.
StevoTheDevo
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 1:05 PMPerhaps I could say the polarity reverses… 50 times per second..
Good idea, but you wouldn’t want visitors under the age of 10!!
Captain Pajama Shark
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 1:20 PMApes!
Bernhard de Kok
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 1:27 PMIt’s called AC (alternating current). Only DC has the concept of positive and negative. With AC, the polarity is changing 50 times per second (50Hz) in Australia and 60Hz in the US.
Whilst there is the concept of Active and Neutral, it is really just a convention in maintaining which side of the generator is used for grounding (maybe someone can clarify that point).
Sylver
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 2:46 PMIn your standard Australian house, you have the MEB, or main earth bridge, which connects the earth to the neutral line. It’s not vital, but it does help when testing for faults on your active, for example.
wha...
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 6:30 PMEventhough it is AC, you shouldn’t reverse the active and neutral lines. If the earth line becomes detached/damaged in a metal cased appliance the neutral will earth the current safely if you should touch the case. If you reverse the active and netral the case is live = shock hazard.
Ha
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 6:54 PMBut what if you had more than one/two of the plug shown up top? The cable coming out would block space anyway.
ZZap
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 5:06 PMThat slot design will never pass the Australian standards as it greatly exceeds the maximum allowable apeture size of a mains voltage adapter.
Nice design concept (in theory) but a real product will never see the light of day.
beau
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 9:48 PMbecause our pins aren’t parallel the slots are not only dangerously large but the pins only make a minute connection (at the very top and bottom of the pin) with the contacts on the inside – this would mean a larger ohmic resistance meaning voltage drop and where there is current and voltage there is heat (in this case quite considerable for medium appliances). this would be so unsafe. why don’t the sockets we already have slide on a rack system? this would also limit the total amount of appliances (according to standards)
nick
Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at 3:58 AMThis is nothing new they about 50 years agao they made thease not 3 prong but built in to you house but they stoped making i used to have one they are safe but they get loose after time