International Appliance Manufacturing 2008 - (Page 70) PROFILES IN POWER The safety lock not yet assembled (left) and assembled (below). Photo: Quail Some plugs are made to be easily removed from the outlet. Photo: Quail Power cord plugs provide innovative design options. T by larry adams 70 he plug. That simple device affixed to the end of a power cord that moves power from the outlet or power strip to the appliance. The plug is often overlooked as a mere commodity component, but smart designers know that it can play a pivotal role in the overall design of a product and serve as a product differentiator. Cord and plug suppliers now have a multitude of standard options, and can offer a plethora of customized products. Greg Ruppert, president of Quail Electronics, a Livermore, Calif.-based manufacturer of plugs, cords and cordsets, says that plugs are often one of the last things that designers think about in the design phase, but the market is filled with many new and innovative plug products. In fact, while amperages and voltages don’t change that much, the market place offers a burgeoning array of options. Today plugs come in more than just right angles and left angles, suppliers now offer something for everyone — slim profiles, locking plugs, quick-release plugs, even plugs that go around and around. Because product designers often do not know where and into what type of outlet the equipment will be plugged, Quail, and other companies, offer plugs that rotate. Quail’s Rotating Plug can be turned 360-degrees in either direction so that the user can find the most appropriate angle for the application. The plug is NEMA 5-15P rated, meaning it can handle up to 15 amps. The other advantage to the plug is that it has a profile of 1/2-in. Because space is often a consideration, a number of companies offer slim profile plugs that can give as much as an inch of additional room in which to work. Lock in the power Most plugs used in North America are standardized under a system of patterns and numbers created by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) that relate to the amperage and voltage. Depending on the power requirements and applications, plugs can be configured in a variety of ways. Some of the newest plug products center around ensuring that the plug is not acciden- International Appliance Manufacturing 2008
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