IEC 60320 Appliance couplers for household and similar general purposes is a set of standards from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) specifying non-locking connectors for connecting power supply cords to electrical appliances of voltage not exceeding 250 V (a.c.) and rated current not exceeding 16 A. Different types of connector (distinguished by shape and size) are specified for different combinations of current, temperature and earthing requirements. Unlike IEC 60309 connectors, they are not coded for voltage; users must ensure that the voltage rating of the equipment is compatible with the mains supply. The standard uses the term coupler to encompass connectors on power cords and power inlets and outlets built into appliances.
The first edition of IEC 320 was published in 1970 and was renumbered to 60320 in 1994.
Terminology
Appliance couplers enable the use of standard inlets and country-specific cord sets which allow manufacturers to produce the same appliance for many markets, where only the cord set has to be changed for a particular market. Interconnection couplers allow a power supply from a piece of equipment or an appliance to be made available to other equipment or appliances. Couplers described under these standards have standardized current and temperature ratings.
The parts of the couplers are defined in the standard as follows. Connector: "part of the appliance coupler integral with, or intended to be attached to, one cord connected to the supply". Appliance inlet: "part of the appliance coupler integrated as a part of an appliance or incorporated as a separate part in the appliance or equipment or intended to be fixed to it". Plug connector: "part of the interconnection coupler integral with or intended to be attached to one cord". Appliance outlet: "part of the interconnection coupler which is the part integrated or incorporated in the appliance or equipment or intended to be fixed to it and from which the supply is obtained". Cord set: "assembly consisting of one cable or cord fitted with one non-rewirable plug and one non-rewirable connector, intended for the connection of an electrical appliance or equipment to the electrical supply". Interconnection cord set: "assembly consisting of one cable or cord fitted with one non-rewirable plug connector and one non-rewirable connector, intended for the interconnection between two electrical appliances".
Non-rewirable plugs and connectors are typically permanently molded onto cords, and cannot be removed or rewired without cutting the cords.
The standard uses the terms "male" and "female" only for individual pins and socket contacts, but in general usage they are also applied to the complete plugs and connectors. "Connectors" and "appliance outlets" are fitted with socket contacts, and "appliance inlets" and "plug connectors" are fitted with pin contacts.
Each type of coupler is identified by a standard sheet number. For appliance couplers this consists of the letter "C" followed by a number, where the standard sheet for the appliance inlet is 1 higher than the sheet for the corresponding cable connector. Many types of coupler also have common names. The most common ones are "IEC connector" for the common C13 and C14, the "figure-8 connector" for C7 and C8, and "cloverleaf connector" or "Mickey Mouse connector" for the C5/C6. "Kettle plug" (often "jug plug" in Australian or New Zealand English) is a colloquial term used for the high-temperature C16 appliance inlet (and sometimes for C15 connector that the plug goes into). “Kettle/jug plug” is also informally used to refer to regular temperature-rated C13 and C14 connectors. (A high-temperature-rated cord with a C15 connector can be used to power a computer with a C14 plug, but a cord with a low-temperature C13 connector will not fit a high-temperature appliance that has a C16 plug.)
Application
Detachable appliance couplers are used in office equipment, measuring instruments, IT environments, and medical devices, among many types of equipment for worldwide distribution. Each appliance's power system must be adapted to the different plugs used in different regions. An appliance with a permanently-attached plug for use in one country cannot be readily sold in another which uses an incompatible wall socket; this requires keeping track of variations throughout the product's life cycle from assembly and testing to shipping and repairs.