AS 3112
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AS 3112 is an Australian standard for mains power plug. It is also known as a Type I plug.
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[edit] Description
The plug mating the pictured socket, used in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tokelau, has an earthing pin and two flat pins forming an inverted V-shape. There is an unearthed version of this plug as well, with only two flat V-aligned pins. These flat blades measure 6.5 by 1.6 mm and are set 30° to the vertical on a nominal pitch of 13.7 mm. It is easy to bend them straight with pliers to force them into American sockets, although caution is advised due to the differences in both voltage and frequency. The standard 240V 10Amp wall outlets are always switched for extra safety, as in the UK.
[edit] Variants
There are several AS/NZS 3112 plug variants including one with a wider earth pin is used for devices drawing up to 15 A; sockets supporting this pin will also accept 10 A plugs. Additionally, there exists a 20 A variant, in which all three pins are wider.
Other versions include a round earth plug with a rating of 10A & a 110V 10A version that has round active & neutral pins with a flat earth pin.
Although the above plug looks similar to the one used in Israel (type H), the two plug types are not compatible with each other.
[edit] Origins
Australia's standard plug/socket system was originally codified as standard C112 (floated provisionally in 1937, and adopted as a formal standard in 1938), which was superseded by AS 3112 in 1990. A major update AS/NZS 3112:2000 was released in 2000 and mandated insulated pinsby 2005. The current issue of the standard is AS/NZS 3112:2004 which introduced more stringent testing procedures to test for bending of the pins and subtle changes to the radus of the pin tips.
