Type I Socket And Plug

The Type I plug and socket is primarily used in China, Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina.

The Type I plug has three flat pins and is rated for 10 amperes. The grounding pin in the center is 20 mm long, 6.3 mm wide, and 1.6 mm thick. The other two neutral and live pins are 17.3 mm long, 6.3 mm wide, and 1.6 mm thick, arranged at a 60-degree angle with their centers spaced 13.7 mm apart.

There is a Type I plug rated for 15 amperes with a wider grounding pin measuring 8 mm. Additionally, there is a 20 A version with an even wider grounding pin. Lower-rated plugs can be inserted into higher-rated sockets, but not vice versa. In Australia, there is also an ungrounded Type I plug with only two neutral and live pins arranged in a V-shape.

The Type I plug used in China is manufactured according to the national standards GB1002 and GB2099.1, and differs from the Australian Type I plug in two main ways: the pins of the Chinese standard plug are 1 mm longer than those of the Australian standard plug, and the pin arrangement of the Chinese standard plug is inverted compared to the Australian standard plug, although there is no difference in the neutral and live wire positions. Therefore, Chinese and Australian three-pin Type I plugs and sockets are interchangeable.

However, it should be noted that the Chinese two-pin Type A plug and the Australian two-pin Type I plug are not the same. The two flat pins of the Chinese two-pin Type A plug are parallel, while the two flat pins of the Australian two-pin Type I plug are arranged in a V-shape, essentially equivalent to a three-pin plug without the center ground pin.