A universal socket is not the answer to try to create one source that will accept the huge variety of plugs that are available throughout the world. Serious safety issues come into play in trying to do so. To summarize a “universal socket” in one word—unsafe!
There are a number of different reasons why a universal socket is unsafe. To begin with, national and international electrical standards have specific requirements for the dimensions of a plug and socket which the construction of a universal socket does not meet. The IEC 60884-1 is an example of an international standard that gives specific dimensional requirements. There are many national standards to consult, including North America UL 498 and CSA C22.2 no. 42, United Kingdom BS 1363, Germany DIN VDE 0620-2-1, and Australia AS/NZS 3112.
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