Patent Publication Number: US-2013244457-A1

Title: Three-pole adapter set with a plug part and a socket part which may be plugged in the plug part

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/999,982, having a 35 U.S.C. 371(c) date of Dec. 17, 2010, which is the national stage application of International Application No. PCT/CH2009/000204 filed on Jun. 16, 2009, which claims priority to Swiss Patent Application No. 923/08 filed on Jun. 17, 2008, the entirety of each of which is incorporated by this reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to an adapter set with a plug part and a three-pole multi-way mains plug comprising three-pole plug contacts, which is equipped with pins of different mains plug standards and a plug socket, and a plug for plugging into the plug socket. 
     STATE OF THE ART 
     A two-pole multi-way mains plug with pins which can be pushed out is known from WO 02/063722. The latter in each case has, in a housing, two contact pins of a Euro plug contact with a Euro plug-in body which can be pushed out, a US plug contact, an AU plug contact and a UK plug contact with an opener. This known mains plug is provided with a plug socket, in which a plug socket part with a multi-way plug socket can be plugged. The plug socket part has plug-in receptacles for the two pins of a Euro plug, a US plug, an AU plug and three plug-in receptacles for the pins and the opener of a UK plug. The plug socket part is equipped with special pins, which cannot be plugged into any standard plug socket, but only into the plug socket of the multi-way mains plug. 
     The two part nature of the set allows the set to be supplemented by a voltage converter or another additional apparatus, which voltage converter can be plugged into the plug socket of the multi-way mains plug and to a large extent has space within the cavity of the plug socket, and which, under some circumstances, is equipped with a plug socket for the socket part. 
     As the cavity of the plug socket is too small to ensure covering according to specifications of a safety plug, this specification proposes that it be made possible to insert into the plug socket of the multi-way mains plug a safety plug collar which guarantees the covering, specified by the German standard, of a safety plug inserted into this plug socket. As a safety plug may not be plugged into a two-pole plug socket, and is therefore equipped with pins which are too thick for two-pole plug sockets, this suggestion does not achieve the goal. 
     The drawback in the subject matter described is that the set can only produce a transition from two-pole sockets to two-pole plugs. 
     A three-pole adapter is known from the German patent No. 198 45 962 C1. This has plug contacts, which are arranged in a star shape, of different standards with three pins, in each case, and one safety plug socket in the centre of the star. By rotating a contact part, one plug contact after the other is actuated in turn, it only being possible to activate a single plug contact in each case. A development of this adapter is known from EP-A 1 257 018. In the latter, the plug socket itself is rotatably arranged to activate the plug contact of a particular standard. The commercially available version of this development has, in contrast to the version shown in the patent mentioned, no hybrid safety plug, but a plug exclusively of a French standard, which cannot be plugged into a safety socket of a German standard. 
     The drawback in these adapters is that they are only suitable for plugging in safety plugs and two-pole Euro plugs. The plugs, for example, of a US standard, an AU standard, a UK standard, a CH standard or an IT standard cannot be plugged in. 
     An adapter is known from GB-A 2 366 087, which is configured on an end face in such a way that a large number of different end panels with plug contacts of a different standard can be arranged thereon. The rear of the adapter is designed to arrange a large number of different sockets thereon. Various standards of plug contacts can thus be combined with various standards of sockets. As a result, the adapter desired for the specific situation can be assembled from a set of parts. An exemplary embodiment shows an adapter of the type with a safety plug and a multi-way plug socket for the standards of the UK, US, AU, IT and other territories. The drawback in this adapter is that the front panel can be removed from the adapter and can be plugged without protection into a plug socket, whereupon current-carrying parts are bare and accessible. Presumably for this reason, this plug is not available as a kit, but only as an individual adapter, the front panel of which cannot be changed. The drawback in the commercially available adapter is that it can only now be plugged with the hybrid safety plug in safety plug sockets of the German standard and plug sockets of the French standard. 
     It is therefore an advantage of the invention to provide an adapter conforming with standards, which connects between most three-pole plug sockets, including the safety socket, and most three-pole plugs, including the safety plug. This adapter is moreover to have a small overall size. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, an adapter in which, of the various available plug contacts, the safety plug is exclusively formed on the socket part and the safety plug socket is exclusively formed on the plug part. This arrangement has the great advantage that an adapter set of this type can be very compactly constructed as both the safety plug socket and the safety plug are, in each case, only present once on the adapter set. This has the advantage that the plug contacts of the plug part do not have to have a safety plug, as the safety plug is already present in the separate socket part. If a safety plug is required, only the socket part is therefore used. The socket part—as can be seen from the figures—can be configured as a very compact attachment, as the bulky safety plug has a great deal of space to receive the plug contacts of various other standards in the interior. The compact mode of construction of the adapter set is therefore achieved in other words in that, 
     the three-pole plug contacts of the plug part may correspond to one or more different plug standards but do not contain a safety plug, and 
     different plug standards are formed or are present on the socket part—but no safety plug socket, and in that the socket part can be connected to the plug part by means of a safety plug socket formed on the plug part and a safety plug formed on the socket part. The safety plug and safety plug socket may in this case contain both the German and the French safety plug standard. In the adapter set according to the invention, only a single plug is therefore present, which is compatible with safety plug sockets or plug sockets of the French standard, and which is configured as a hybrid safety plug on the socket part. 
     The adapter set according to the invention therefore has in common with the prior art according to WO 02/063722 that it is two-part, and is therefore an adapter set which is formed from a plug part with a plug socket and a plug, which fits this plug socket, with a multi-way plug socket. It has in common with the prior art according to DE 198 45 962 C1, that the multi-way plug is equipped with three-pole plug contacts and has a safety socket. It has in common with the prior art according to GB 2 366 087 that the multi-way plug socket has a hybrid safety plug. 
     Beyond the teachings of this prior art, the invention, however, teaches that a set is to be formed from a (multi-way) plug of this type, which does not have a safety plug or a plug of a French standard, and a multi-way plug socket of this type with a hybrid safety plug. This set formation allows, in contrast to the cited prior art, this adapter plug to be produced with a small overall size, because no safety plug is formed on the plug part. The safety plug of the socket part is hybrid for compatibility with the safety plug sockets of the German standard and plug sockets of the French standard. This means that a safety plug does not have to be formed on the plug part nor does a safety socket have to be formed on the socket part, and yet with the aid of this set, the most varied mains plugs, including safety plugs, can be inserted in the most varied sockets, including safety sockets. The safety socket and the safety plug are in addition, arranged in a very space-saving and invisible manner despite their size and their striking appearance, when the set components are in the assembled state. 
     It is advantageous to take at least one precautionary measure in the adapter set, so the hybrid safety plug can only be plugged in one position into the safety plug socket. Correct polarisation of the plug receptacles and plug contacts with pins arranged in the triangle can thus be achieved. 
     If a star-shaped arrangement of the different plugs is also possible, so the pins project approximately radially from the plug housing, it is desirable that the plug contacts of different standards are displaceably mounted relative to the housing of the plug part. All the pins are expediently displaceably mounted parallel to one another. They can be pushed into a passive position into the housing and pushed out from the housing into an active position. This has the known effect that the plug part has a small overall size, because the plug contacts can be arranged nested in one another thanks to this displaceability. The displaceability in each case allows the pins of a plug contact of a standard to be pushed forward, while the pins of the other plug contacts lie within the housing. 
     A CH plug contact with a CH plug-in body is provided, which CH plug-in body can be pushed into the housing and pushed out from this housing, and the pins of the CH plug contact can be pushed along a displacement path into the CH plug-in body into a passive position and pushed out from the CH plug-in body into an active position. The CH plug contact, because of the displacement path for the plug-in body and the displacement path for the pins, has a particularly long displacement path. This is longer than in the other plugs. It would be just as long for a displaceable safety plug. However, one of these is not provided according to the invention. Rather, a safety plug is formed on the plug socket part, which safety plug can be plugged in a safety plug socket in the plug part. This safety plug socket requires a relatively large depth, which extends in the same direction as the displacement path of the CH plug contact. 
     The displacement path of the CH plug contact therefore advantageously extends to next to the safety plug socket. This overlap of displacement path of the CH plug contact and the plug-in depth of the safety socket is the reason for the surprisingly small dimension of the plug set in the displacement direction. 
     A further contribution to the shortness of the plug set in the direction of the displacement paths is provided by the arrangement of all the plug receptacles of the multi-way plug socket within the safety plug-in body. Thanks to the size of the plug-in body of the safety plug contact, it is possible to receive the plug sockets for the pins of plugs of different standards. 
     The safety socket, apart from the peripheral ground contacts according to the German standard, may be configured with a ground pin of the French standard. The FR ground pin is advantageous, in particular for the inner structure of the plug part, as will be shown below. The safety socket may be configured with or without the FR ground pin. A short, non-projecting pin or a long, projecting pin merely has to be inserted in the plug part in order to produce these two sets to be supplied differently for Germany and France. 
     In certain countries, care has to be taken about the correct polarisation in three-pole plugs. In the plug socket of the French standard, the polarisation is given. The safety plug of the German standard is meanwhile not defined with regard to its polarisation. Without suitable measure, in a safety plug of the German standard, all the plug-in receptacles present in the socket part are undefined with regard to their polarisation, although the plug contacts (all except IT and safety) are defined with respect to their polarisation. So that the polarisation between plug contacts of the plug part and plug-in receptacles of the socket part cannot be confused, either, in the adapter set with the safety socket of the German standard, a protrusion is formed on the plug part and a recess receiving the protrusion is formed on the socket part, so the socket part can only be plugged in in one position into the plug part. However, this cannot prevent the safety plug contact of the socket part being plugged into a safety socket wrongly with regard to the polarisation. Apparatuses with safety plugs may also not in any way be sensitive with regard to the polarity. However, in the case of standards with unambiguous polarisation, the plug can therefore not be plugged in incorrectly polarised. 
     The prerequisite for the continuously correct polarisation is that the plug contacts defined with regard to polarisation, which all have a triangle pin arrangement with the ground pin on a plane of symmetry, are correspondingly correctly connected. It is advantageous for a simple contact guidance in the interior of the housing that the pins for the phase are in each case arranged on the same side of this plane of symmetry. If therefore a UK plug contact, a US plug contact and an AU plug contact are provided with a common plane of symmetry through the ground pins, the ground pin in the AU plug contact and in the UK plug contact is in each case arranged on the same side, but, in the US plug contact, in comparison to this, it is arranged on the other side of its pins for phase and neutral conductor. 
     If an FR ground pin is present in the safety socket of the plug part, the polarisation is maintained if it is located in the common plane of symmetry and, with regard to the two receptacles for phase and neutral conductor, on the same side as the ground pin of the US plug contact is located with regard to its pins for phase and neutral conductor. 
     Overall, care is taken that each plug standard present is configured on the plug part and on the plug socket part in such a way that the plug-in receptacles in the socket part are arranged the same with regard to the orientation of phase, neutral conductor and ground as the corresponding pins of the plug contacts of this standard on the plug side. 
     The FR ground pin can also only be present within the housing, and be missing outside the housing. The part within the housing namely advantageously forms a sliding bearing. This allows the establishing of a sliding contact between the ground pin of a plug contact which can be pushed out and the sliding bearing, which is formed by the ground pin. The sliding bearing can also be configured independently of the ground pin of the FR socket. However, it is advantageously formed on an extension of the ground pin of the FR socket, which extends through the housing. This configuration of the FR ground pin is used for its stabilisation and simultaneously grounding of an extendable ground pin of a plug contact of another standard. 
     The subject matter of the present invention is also a socket part in which at least two, at least three or at least four different plug sockets are formed on the socket panel. This socket part has the advantage that it can be economically produced and allows three-pole plugs of a plurality of country standards to be equally received. The plug socket part advantageously has at least three plug sockets or at least four plug sockets of the country standards CH, IT, UK, US and AU. In combination with an adapter plug, which has a plug of any country&#39;s standard (apart from a safety plug) and a safety plug socket, the socket part can provide the plug sockets of the economically most significant countries of the world. 
     According to one embodiment, the ground contacts are arranged in a common plane and the phase pins and neutral conductor pins are arranged symmetrically thereto. This has the advantage that the plug part can be constructed with a minimum number of different parts. A common plug-in opening is expediently provided in the socket panel for the ground pins of the CH, IT, US and AU standard. This has the advantage that the socket part can be particularly compact. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, the plug socket part may have at least any two plug sockets of the country standards Israel (IL), India (IN) or Denmark (DK). All three aforementioned country standards are implemented in a single socket part. Since the plug sockets are housed in the safety plug housing, the socket part is relatively small and compact. 
     In order to stabilise the FR ground pin, this sliding bearing pin is fixed both at the front in the housing of the plug part and also at the rear in the base of the safety socket. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described in detail with the aid of the figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows an assembled adapter set according to the invention, with a plug part with a pushed out AU plug contact and a first exemplary embodiment of a socket part; 
         FIG. 2  shows an adapter set, in which the plug part and socket part are released from one another, with a view of the hybrid safety plug of the socket part; 
         FIG. 3  shows the adapter set according to  FIG. 2  with a view into the safety socket of the plug part and a plan view of the socket part; 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the safety plug with a recess for the safely correct polarisation; 
         FIG. 5  shows an assembled set without a housing of the plug part; 
         FIG. 6  shows an assembled set according to  FIG. 5  after additional removal of some sliding plug contacts and a locking part and an AU plug contact in the active position; 
         FIG. 7  shows a set according to  FIG. 6  with an AU plug contact in the passive position; 
         FIG. 8  shows a first example of a plug part with a plug of the Swiss (CH) standard and a safety socket in a perspective view; 
         FIG. 9  shows a second example of a plug part with a plug of an Italian (IT) standard and a safety socket in a perspective view; 
         FIG. 10  shows the plug part of  FIG. 9  with a plugged-in socket part in a perspective view; 
         FIG. 11  shows a third example of a plug part with a plug of the African standard and a safety socket in a perspective view; 
         FIG. 12  shows the first exemplary embodiment of a socket part in an exploded view; 
         FIGS. 13 and 14  show a second embodiment of a socket part with a plurality of different plug socket standards in two different perspective views; and 
         FIG. 15  shows the socket part of  FIG. 13 ,  14  in an exploded view. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS 
     The adapter plug set  11  in  FIG. 1  has three-pole plug contacts in a plug part  13  and three-pole plug receptacles in a plug socket part  15 . The plug receptacles together form a multi-way plug socket  16  ( FIG. 3 ). The pins of the plug contacts and clamps of the plug receptacles are arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane  10  of symmetry through the ground pins and ground terminals. The plug contacts  20  (CH/IT),  30  (AU),  40  (UK),  50  (US) can be displaced between a passive position, in which the plug contacts  20  are pushed into the housing of the plug part  13 , and an active position, in which the plug contacts  20  project out of the housing. The displacement from the passive into the active position and back takes place by actuating buttons  27 ,  37 ,  47 ,  57 , which are visible in  FIG. 3 . The plug contacts  20 ,  30 ,  40 ,  50  are arranged polarised in conformity with the standards. The polarisation can only not be unambiguously established in the CH/IT plug contact  20  with the ground pin in the position for Italy. In  FIG. 1 , the phase pins  21 ,  31 ,  41 ,  51  are arranged on the left-hand side, the neutral conductor pins  22 ,  32 ,  42 ,  52  on the right-hand side of the figure and the ground pins  23 ,  33 ,  43 ,  53  are arranged in between on the plane of symmetry. 
     The CH/IT plug contact  20  has a plug-in body  25  which can be pushed out. In this plug-in body  25 , the pins  21 ,  22 ,  23  are displaceably mounted. They can therefore be pushed out into the active position and pushed into the passive position shown, the plug-in body  25  also being moved out from the housing in the active position by the length specified by the standard. The pins of the CH/IT plug contact which are displaceable in the plug-in body  25  are in this case pushed further out of the plug-in body by their pin length in the active position. The CH/IT ground pin  23 , in the active position, can be pushed into an IT-conforming position (on a line with the pins  21  and  22 ) or into a CH-conforming position (triangle arrangement). This displacement of the ground pin  23  in the active position takes place perpendicular to the displacement direction of the plug contact. The ground pin  23  is displaced manually. 
     A safety socket  17  (visible in  FIG. 3 ), in which the socket part  15  can be plugged, is now formed in this adapter set  11  in the plug part  13 , according to the invention. The socket part  15  for this purpose has a hybrid safety plug  19 . Hybrid means that the safety plug  19  can be plugged into safety sockets of the French standard and also of the German standard. The hybrid safety plug  19  is configured conventionally. Following the plug-in body  18  of the safety plug  19  is a collar  61 , which can rest on the rear  63  of the plug part  13 . 
     The safety socket  17  is configured with an ground contact  71  according to the German standard and with an ground pin  73  according to the French standard. However, in particular for use in Germany, where non-hybrid safety plugs are frequently present, the ground pin  73  may be missing. The safety plug  19  of the socket part  15  fits into the safety socket  17  in both cases. 
     On the socket side of the socket part  15  opposing the safety plug, plug receptacles  29 ,  39 ,  49  and  59  are present for the plug standard corresponding to the plug contacts  20 ,  30 ,  40 ,  50  of the plug part  13 . These plug receptacles together from a multi-way plug socket  16 . The socket side has a plurality of plug-in holes, which correspond to the plug contacts of different country standards. Arranged behind the holes are metal terminals, in which the plug contacts can be plugged. The terminal for the CH ground pin in this case is the same as for the US ground pin. The plug-in holes in the housing for the ground pins of the Italian, Swiss, US and Australian standard are connected. The plug-in holes for the phase and neutral conductor pins of the UK and AU plugs are also connected. 
     So that the polarisation of the unambiguously polarised plug contacts  20 ,  30 ,  40 ,  50  and plug receptacles  29 ,  39 ,  49 ,  59  coincide, they are oriented in the same direction. If in UK and AU plugs or receptacles the ground contact points are above the other two pins or receptacles, in the CH and US plugs and receptacles, these ground contact positions are located under the other two pins or receptacles. 
     If the safety plug  19  on the socket part  15  and the safety socket  17  on the plug part  13  are both hybrid, the connection with the correct pole between the plug contacts and plug socket is certain. However, if the safety socket  17  on the plug part  13  does not have an ground pin  73 , a safety plug can be plugged in in two positions. In order to prevent this in the safety plug  19  on the socket part  15 , a protrusion  65  is formed on the rear  63  of the plug part  13 . This protrusion  65  cooperates with a recess  67  on the collar  61  of the socket part  15  when the socket part  15  is placed in the correct orientation. If the socket part  15  is rotated through  180 ° , it cannot be plugged into the safety socket. As a result, the socket part  15  can only be plugged into the plug part  13  in one position, in which the contours of the plug part and of the socket part fit together. Safety plugs of electrical apparatuses may, however, be plugged in any orientation into the safety socket  17  on the plug part  15 . 
       FIG. 5  shows the adapter set  11  without the housing of the plug part  13 . As a result, the displacement parts of the plug contacts  20 ,  30 ,  40 ,  50  are visible. The socket part  15  is plugged into the plug part  13 . It can be seen that the safety socket  17 , which comprises the plug-in body  18  of the safety plug  19 , and the displacement region for the CH/IT plug  20  are arranged next to one another. The rear region of the plug-in body  25  and the slides  26  of the pins  21 ,  22 ,  23  of this plug contact  20  are arranged laterally next to the socket  17 . 
     When the slide  26  is pushed forward by means of the actuating lever  27  ( FIG. 3 ) the latter pushes on a stop edge of the plug-in body  25  and also pushes it into the active position. When being pulled back, the slide  26  pushes on a rear entraining lug (not visible in the figures) and pulls the plug-in body into the passive position. 
     In the active position, minipins  28  are plugged into three contact strips  81 ,  82 ,  83 . These minipins  28  are in conductive contact with a respective pin  21 ,  22 ,  23  of the plug contact  20 . The contact strip  81  is in contact with terminals  69  for the pins of the safety plug  19 . 
     The other plug contacts  30 ,  40  and  50  need a smaller displacement path and are arranged in front of the safety socket  17  in the sliding direction. The terminal  69  for the contact with the pins of the safety plug  19  are arranged between the pins of these plug contacts. These other plug contacts  30 ,  40 ,  50  also plug into the contact strips  81 ,  82 ,  83  in the active position with minipins  38 ,  48 ,  58 . 
     The ground pin  33  of the AU plug contact  30  is an exception. The latter slides with a consumer  35  over a pin  75 . This pin  75  is in conductive contact with the ground contact strip  83  and is, if present, the extension of the FR ground pin  73 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the AU plug contact  30  in the active position. The plug contacts  40  and  50  are removed from the view so the latter is clearer. The AU plug contact is in the passive position in  FIG. 7 . The consumer  35  is right at the back on the pin  75 . 
     Shields  85  can be seen in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . These shields  85  are displaceably mounted in a guide and are in each case pushed to the side by the actuating levers  27 ,  37 ,  47  and  57  when these actuating levers  27 ,  37 ,  47 ,  57  are pushed forward into the active position. They then rest without a gap on one another. They thereby prevent a second plug contact being able to be pushed forward into the active position. 
     A locking part  87  is also shown in  FIG. 5 . The latter has an actuating button  89  and can be displaced by pressure on the actuating button  89  counter to the spring force of a spring  91  ( FIG. 6 ). The spring  91  is secured in the plug part  13  on the inner housing wall. Owing to the displacement counter to the spring force, arms  93  of the locking part  87  disengage from the slides  26 ,  36 ,  46 ,  56  of the plug contacts. By displacing the locking part  87  by means of the spring force, its arms  93  engage with the slides  26 ,  36 ,  46 ,  56  of the plug contacts and lock these both in the active position and in the passive position. 
     As can be derived from the thickness of the collar  61 , the terminals of the plug-in receptacles in the socket part are all arranged within the plug-in body  18  of the safety plug  19 . 
     The adapter set is composed of a plug part  13  and a socket part  15 . The plug part  13  is equipped with three-pole plug contacts  20 ,  30 ,  40 ,  50  of different standards and a three-pole safety plug socket  17 . The socket part  15  is equipped with a three-pole safety plug  19  and a three-pole multi-way plug socket  16 . The adapter plug set  11  only comprises a single safety plug  19 , namely the one formed on the socket part  15 . A precautionary measure is taken by means of a ground pin  73  and/or a protrusion  65  on the plug part, which cooperates with a recess  67  on the socket part, which prevents the socket part  15  being able to be plugged into two different positions in the safety plug socket  17 . 
     The adapter set  11  according to the invention may, instead of a multi-way plug, have a plug part  14   a  to  c  with a three-pole plug contact of a first standard and a safety socket  17 . As shown in  FIGS. 8 to 11 , the plug may, for example, be one of a Swiss  14   b,  Italian  14   a,  or African  14   c  or any other country standard with the exception of a safety plug. A safety plug is not required on the plug part as the latter is already formed on the socket part  15 . The adapter set with a plug part  13  with a three-pole plug contact of a first standard and a safety socket  17  and a socket part  15  is particularly advantageous for hotels, which receive travellers from different countries. These hotels can, if necessary, leave the travellers an adapter plug, which has a plug  14   a  to  14   c  of the country standard and a safety socket  17 , and a socket part  15 , which has a safety plug  19  and a plurality of three-pole plug sockets, also including that of the country standard of the traveller. This adapter set allows the hotelier to provide the travellers with the correct plug socket for the electrical apparatuses which they have brought with them. 
     The socket part  15  according to the invention is distinguished in that it in each case has a plurality of at least three, or at least four, different three-pole plug sockets of different country standards. An adapter set according to the invention may therefore have different plug parts on the plug side, in each case combined with a safety socket  17  and different socket parts  15  on the socket side with three-pole plug sockets of different country standards, in each case combined with a safety plug  19 . 
     According to  FIG. 12 , the socket parts according to the invention in each case have a safety plug housing  101  with safety plug contacts  103  and, arranged in the safety plug housing  101 , a plurality of terminals  105 ,  107  for receiving the plug pins of plugs of the different country standards. The socket parts  15  may comprises few parts, namely 
     the safety plug housing  101 , which has the phase pin  103   a  and the neutral conductor pin  103   b  on the end face, 
     a socket panel  111 , which can be placed on the plug housing  101  and in which the plug-in openings  29 ,  39 ,  49 ,  59  are configured for the different plugs of the various country standards, 
     at least three contact parts  105 ,  107 ,  109 , which form the terminal contacts for receiving the individual pins and can be inserted in the housing  101 , and 
     a holding-down device  113  made of plastics material, which can be inserted in the plug housing  101 . 
     A child safety device  115  may also be provided between the socket panel  111  and the holding-down device  113 . The child safety device  115  can be displaced on the holding-down device  113  in a specific displacement direction. The child safety device  115  is prestressed by means of a spring  117  supported on the housing wall into a pushed-forward end position, in which the child safety device at least partially blocks the plug-in holes  29 ,  39 ,  49 ,  59  for the phase and neutral conductor pins. This prevents children being able to come into contact with the current-carrying terminal contacts while playing. If the plug pins of a plug are plugged into the plug-in holes, the child safety device is pushed back against the force of the spring  117 . For this purpose, oblique sliding faces  120 , which come to rest behind the plug-in openings in the rest position, are provided in the panel. 
     A holding-down device  113  is supported at one end on the end face of the plug housing  101  and, at the other end, on the underneath of the socket panel  111 . The holding-down device  113  has arms  116 , which can engage in grooves  114  on the inside of the plug housing  101 . Projections  118  can engage in corresponding recesses  122  at the upper edge of the housing. As a result, the holding-down device  113  is fixed in position in the housing  101 . The holding-down device  113  may, in this case, also have the function of limiting the path of the terminal contacts. 
     Provided on the underneath of the socket panel  111  are two screw-in sleeves  125 , in which two screws  127  can be screwed from the end face of the plug housing in order to fix the socket panel  111  on the plug housing. 
     The socket parts only have three injection-moulded parts, namely the plug housing, in which the pins are directly inserted or injection-moulded around, the socket panel and the holding-down device. In addition, only three contact elements are present, on which terminal elements to receive the pins of the same type are formed. The phase and neutral conductor pins are, in this case, rigidly connected to the contact elements and can be inserted in a recess in the plug housing 
     The exemplary embodiment according to  FIGS. 13 to 15  shows a further socket part which has plug sockets with the country standards Denmark  119 , India  121  and Israel  123 . 
     The adapter set is composed of a plug part  13  and a socket part  15 . The plug part  13  is equipped with at least one three-pole plug contact  20 ,  30 ,  40  or  50  of a particular country standard at one end and a three-pole safety plug socket  17  at the other end of the adapter set  11 . The socket part  15  is equipped with a three-pole safety plug  19  and a three-pole multi-way plug socket  16  of various country standards. The adapter set  11  comprises only a single safety plug  19 , namely the plug formed on the socket part  15 . A precautionary measure is taken that the polarisation of the multi-way plug socket corresponds to the polarisation of the plug contacts.