Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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plugpack

single box to replace multiple power adaptors or plugpacks
  (+4)
(+4)
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Every gadget has their own power adaptor, mobile phone charger, printer, scanner etc. These clog up power boards and get hot. We need a big transformer with multiple outlets and universal adaptor cables for different physical sizes of DC plugs and polarity. Also would probably need a cooling fan as in a PC power supply and the deluxe version would have battery backup i.e. UPS.

A similar project was available as a PCI card for the PC, but of course the PC had to be on. Usefull for scanners/printers/modems.

kernelsandoz, Dec 25 2004

[link]






       Uhm, what's a "power board"?   

       That being said, what you're describing sounds like a power strip/surge protector, which is widely known to already exist. If you mean a consolidated DC adaptor that converts household AC, then I think the net benefit (fewer unsightly DC adapters) will be lost by immense size of the multiple-current contraption that delivers a massive variety of wattage and female jack sizes.   

       And all of that being said, welcome to the HalfBakery. This is a great idea, without regard to the fact that it doesn't seem feasible to me.
contracts, Dec 25 2004
  

       Another advantage: A lot of power waste is due to cheap, inefficient power supplies on DC devices. Many supplies are only 50% efficient while it is possible to get 80% or even 90% efficient.   

       With a standardised DC supply they could be removed altogether in favor of one device bought by the homeowner which would hopefully be reasonably efficient. But you'd have to get one in nearly every home first.
Bad Jim, May 27 2008
  

       //it doesn't seem feasible//
baked for musicians though I've only seen a couple up close (and don't have one myself, since my junk is too old).
Nuances include odd voltages and power draw, differing plugs/connectors, and some are multi-voltage. For computers, etc. I just put everything (powerbars, wallwarts, powercords and leads) into a decorative box with the cords tied to their requisite lengths. Still, that's a better idea [+] ; put an area on the device where you can roll up cords to the length required (without hanging out the sides or getting tangled) an Ill buy one.
FlyingToaster, May 28 2008
  
      
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