Type F Socket And Plug

The Type F plug and socket, commonly known as the German standard plug and socket, is the standard plug and socket in Germany, Austria, and many other continental European countries, and has also been adopted by many African and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.

The Type F plug (CEE 7/4 standard) was designed in Germany shortly after the end of World War I. It is often referred to abroad as the Schuko plug, derived from its German name "Schutzkontakt," meaning "protective contact."

The Type F plug is somewhat similar to the Type C plug, but it has a round shape with grooves on the top and bottom of the outer sides to connect with the grounding clips on German standard sockets, allowing the appliance to be grounded. The plug also has ridges on the left and right sides to ensure a secure connection between the plug and socket. The Type F plug has two round pins that are 19 mm long, 4.8 mm in diameter, and spaced 19 mm apart. Since the Type F plug can be inserted either way, it has no polarity. The Type F plug is rated for 16 amperes.

Old-style Type F plug and Type F socket

In the past, Type F plugs were not compatible with Type E sockets (commonly known as French standard sockets). To eliminate the inconvenience caused by the incompatibility between Type E and Type F plugs and sockets, the Type E/F hybrid plug (CEE 7/7 standard), which is now commonly used throughout continental Europe, was developed. The Type E/F hybrid plug combines features of both plug types: it has a grounding hole to connect with the protruding grounding pin on Type E sockets; it has grooves on the top and bottom of the outer sides to connect with the grounding clips on Type F sockets; and it has ridges on the left and right sides to ensure proper connection with Type F sockets. Today, the old-style Type F plug without a grounding hole has been completely phased out.

Type E/F hybrid plug

The Type F socket has a circular recess 15 mm deep in the center, so even if the plug is not fully inserted into the socket, there is no risk of electric shock. Type F sockets are well compatible with Type C plugs, although since the pins of Type C plugs have a diameter of 4 mm, which is slightly smaller than the 4.8 mm of Type F plugs, they may be slightly loose when inserted into Type F sockets.