When I buy an electrical gadget, it often comes with a moulded plug
protector - three joined-together plastic sleeves that slide over the
pins.

Just out of curiosity, can anybody explain precicely what hazards these
protectors are protecting the plug from ?

It seems to me that the plug is relatively free of hazards while it's
cocooned inside a specially moulded polystyrene shipping crate within a
cardboard box. It only faces hazards once I've taken it out of the box
and the protector has been chucked away - and even then it seems to
withstand all that it's subjected to and keeps on working.

On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 23:04:05 GMT, (Roly)
wrote:

When I buy an electrical gadget, it often comes with a moulded plug
protector - three joined-together plastic sleeves that slide over the
pins.

Just out of curiosity, can anybody explain precicely what hazards these
protectors are protecting the plug from ?


Scratching the goods they are connected to mainly.


It seems to me that the plug is relatively free of hazards while it's
cocooned inside a specially moulded polystyrene shipping crate within a
cardboard box. It only faces hazards once I've taken it out of the box
and the protector has been chucked away - and even then it seems to
withstand all that it's subjected to and keeps on working.

In message , EricP
writes
On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 23:04:05 GMT, (Roly)
wrote:

When I buy an electrical gadget, it often comes with a moulded plug
protector - three joined-together plastic sleeves that slide over the
pins.

Just out of curiosity, can anybody explain precicely what hazards these
protectors are protecting the plug from ?


Scratching the goods they are connected to mainly.

And useful for keeping a few for when you go on holiday

--
geoff

raden wrote:

And useful for keeping a few for when you go on holiday

Yes - I do that, too!

On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 23:04:05 GMT, (Roly) wrote:

Just out of curiosity, can anybody explain precicely what hazards these
protectors are protecting the plug from ?

Allegedly there was once a Chinese plug factory that received a
complaint about tarnished brasswork on plug pins. So ever after, they
covered them with this superfluous plastic widget.

The David Brent who complained about discoloured plug pins is paid
around 3x what you get, and a silver company Merc.

Roly wrote:
When I buy an electrical gadget, it often comes with a moulded plug
protector - three joined-together plastic sleeves that slide over the
pins.

Just out of curiosity, can anybody explain precicely what hazards
these protectors are protecting the plug from ?


I've often wondered that myself. The brass pins are much tougher than the
plastic protector.

Mind you, I once had a machine part delivered in a box crammed full of
polystyrene packaging chips - the part was entirely made of rubber :-)

Dave

On Sun, 01 Jan 2006 01:32:24 +0000, Andy Dingley wrote:

Allegedly there was once a Chinese plug factory that received a
complaint about tarnished brasswork on plug pins. So ever after,
they covered them with this superfluous plastic widget.

I'd have thought it more likely that it's to stop the sharp corners of
the pins damaging the product during packing, transit or unpacking.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sun, 01 Jan 2006 01:32:24 +0000, Andy Dingley wrote:


Allegedly there was once a Chinese plug factory that received a
complaint about tarnished brasswork on plug pins. So ever after,
they covered them with this superfluous plastic widget.


I'd have thought it more likely that it's to stop the sharp corners of
the pins damaging the product during packing, transit or unpacking....

.....and falling onto a nice laminate floor and chipping it !

(I for one are glad one was fitted to a Christmas presie I carelessly opened
too quickly)

--
Mark
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