Review - Scolmore Mode Locating Plug

30-09-2015

Tony Cable (senior marketing and events engineer for NICEIC) reviews the Mode Locating Plug Socket from Scolmore Group

They say that the simplest ideas are the best ones and I must say that the new Mode Locating Plug Socket from Scolmore Group is such a simple but clever concept, that I can’t understand how it hasn’t been developed before now.

The BS1363 13A socket was first introduced back in 1947 some 68 years ago and has hardly gone through any changes since.  There is no problem inserting a plug into it as long as it’s easily accessible, but if it isn’t, then it can be a nightmare locating first the earth pin and then the other two pins.

Under my desk at home I have two sockets and I always have trouble inserting plugs into them.  Despite the fact that they are easily reachable, I need to get down on my knees so that I can actually see where the plug needs to go, rather than being able to feel my way through the process.

The new Mode Locating Plug Socket has been designed to assist people with impaired vision or poor hand to eye coordination to more easily insert a plug into a socket.  The contoured shape of the front plate guides the earth pin into position, and it is this innovative plug guide which gives the product a greater focus on usability and means its use can be extended to situations where a socket isn’t easily accessible. 

The locating plug sockets are available in one and two-gang options, with the two-gang version featuring outboard rockers to further assist with distinguishing between switches, making it less likely to switch the wrong one. 

Although primarily designed for the assisted living sector, I can see that in the future all sockets will adopt this unique but very simple design.