Electric Shaver Outlet

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Electric Shaver Socket, Electric Shaver Point, Shaver Outlet, Shaver Socket, Razor Socket, Electric Razor Socket, Socket for Electric Razor

Category

Home Utility, Electronic Labeling

Message / Function

To identify socket outlets for electric shavers and similar low-power apparatus

	Source	Description
7)	Ehrenfels	Front view of human face, partially shaved, curved line ending in filled rectangle
5)	IEC 60417	Front view of human face, partially shaved, curved line ending in filled rectangle
4)	Sramek	Front view of human face, partially shaved, electric razor with cable
2)	Simlinger & Falkner	Front view of human face, partially shaved, electric razor with cable
	UIC 413	Electric razor with cable and plug, text 220 V~ below
	UIC 413 b	Electric razor with cable and plug, text 220 V~ below
1)	DSB	Electric razor with cable and plug
3)	ÖBB	Electric razor with cable and plug
	Dreyfuss	Electric razor with cable and plug
	Sand	Electric razor with cable and plug, text 220 V~ inbetween
6)	UIC	Electric razor with cable and plug, text 220 V~ below
	SSRS	AC power plug and power outlet below
	EJP	AC power plug
	BS 8501:2002	Circle with two horizontally aligned disks inside
	ÖBB 2007	Text 230 V ~

Discussion

A look at the image content shows that except for images of electric shavers and faces being shaved also variants showing just a power outlet or a plug are being used.

In our research we discovered that there is only very limited test data available for this referent:

When Brugger (1977 a) examined the seven pictogram variants marked with 1) to 7) for the referent Electric Shaver Outlet using an Appropriateness Ranking Test, a pictogram showing just an electric razor with cable and plug was ranked best, followed by a rendering of a face with an electric razor plus cable. The numbering 1) to 7) in the table above reflects the final rank order.

In a follow-up Comprehension Tests available for the variants marked 1) to 3) (Brugger, 1977 b) the pictograms showing just an electric razor with cable and plug reached better results than the rendering of a face with an electric razor plus cable (96 % and 79 % vs 66 % correct responses applying lenient scoring). 18 % of the repondents probably were not able to identify the pictogram labeled with 3) as shaver.

Practical notes:
For safety reasons shaver socket-outlets are current-limited and therefore are supposed to be used for electric shavers and similar low-power apparatus only. This creates the need for marking such sockets with a specific symbol. As mentioned before some of these pictograms are correctly understood, but many people still do not understand the consequences that no high power apparatus should be attached. Therefore some designers also created variations by adding specific prohibition signs depicting high power apparatus like an immersion heater, an electric iron, and even more, but this measure was not really successful either.

Tests of pictograms of referent Electric Shaver Outlet

Brugger, Ch. (1977 a): Abschlußbericht über den Reihungstest. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute, Vienna, 1977-07-27.

Brugger, Ch. (1977 b): Abschlußbericht über den Erkennungstest. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute, Vienna, 1977-10-04.