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". Pin temperature is measured where the pin projects from the engagement surface. The maximum permitted pin temperatures, are 70°C (158°F), 120°C (248°F), and 155°C (311°F), respectively (the higher temperatures are not applicable to interconnection couplers). The pin temperature is determined by the design of the appliance, and its interior temperature, rather than by its ambient temperature. Typical applications with increased pin temperatures include appliances with heating coils such as ovens or electric grills. It is generally possible to use a connector with a higher rated temperature with a lower rated appliance inlet, but the keying feature of the inlet prevents use of a connector with a lower temperature rating.

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". IEC 60320-1 defines a cord set as an "assembly consisting of one cable or cord fitted with one plug and one connector, intended for the connection of an electrical appliance or equipment to the electrical supply". It also defines an interconnection cord set as an "assembly consisting of one cable or cord fitted with one plug connector and one connector, intended for the interconnection between two electrical appliances".

The IBM Wheelwriter series of electronic typewriters are one common application. Three-wire cords with C13 connectors, which are easier to find, are sometimes used in place of the two-wire cords for replacement. In this case, the ground wire will not be connected. Very common on personal computers and peripherals. Commonly referred to as a "kettle cord" or "kettle lead", [17] [18] but kettles in countries using 120V require the C15/C16. The C15 is very similar to the C13 connector but has a groove between the 2 pins, this is known as a hot condition connector. Rated for higher temperatures than the C13. C5 Cloverleaf Power Cables Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 60320.1:2004, Appliance couplers for household and similar general purposes Part 1: General Requirements (IEC 60320-1, Ed. 2.0 (2001) MOD). This is the Australian version of the IEC standard with national variations shown. This kind of coupler is used by Roland Corporation for a couple of synthesizer and drum-computer models (for example: TR-909, D-50) and by Revox for many older models of their hi-fi equipment (for example, A76, A77, A78, B77, B225). Was also used heavily on Marantz hi-fi equipment in the 1980s and 1990s.

You have 3 units that have "built-in" mains cords (i.e. the mains cables cannot be disconnected from the units) and you want to connect them to your power distributor/monitor ? North American rating agencies ( CSA, NOM-ANCE, and UL) will certify IEC 60320 connectors for higher currents than are specified in the IEC standard itself. In particular, UL will certify:Earthed, 16A, polarized. This coupler is used for supplying power in IT applications where higher currents are required, for instance on high-power workstations and servers, power to uninterruptible power supplies, power to some power distribution units, large network routers, switches, blade enclosures, and similar equipment. This connector can also be found on high-current medical equipment. It is rectangular and has pins parallel to the long axis of the coupler face.

The C13 connector and C14 inlet are also commonly found on servers, routers, and switches. Power cord sets utilizing a C13 connector and an E interconnection plug are commonplace in data centers to provide power from a PDU (power distribution unit) to a server. These data-center power cables are now offered in many colors. Colored power cables are used to color-code installations. [25] C15/C16 coupler [ edit ] Standard sheet C25 shows retaining device dimensions. Sheet C26 shows detail dimensions for pillar-type terminals, where the end of the screw bears on a wire directly or through a pressure plate. Sheet 27 shows details for screw terminals, where the wire is held by wrapping it around the head of a screw. This is exploited by high-powered computer power supplies, up to 1200W output, and even some particularly efficient 1500W output models [16] to use the more popular C14 input on products sold worldwide.

C13 to C15 Power Adapter Leads

Some electric kettles and similar hot household appliances like home stills use a supply cord with a C15 connector and a matching C16 inlet on the appliance; their temperature rating is 120°C (248°F) rather than the 70°C (158°F) of the similar C13/C14 combination. The official designation in Europe for the C15/C16 coupler is a "hot-condition" coupler.