Comment on What is the purpose of this plastic piece?

Pogogunner@sopuli.xyz ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

• assembly@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  I’m of the opinion that it’s just to improve the perception of package quality. I don’t see those cheap plastic pieces as keeping the prongs from accidentally warping or bending but I guess they could keep moisture away. I’ve never received a corroded set of prongs before their use though so my theory stands as they are upping the packaging visual aesthetics.

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  • Kraven_the_Hunter@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    Yeah this is probably the most likely. We do love to put plastic on everything.

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• bcgm3@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Could it be to protect the rest of the item from getting scratched by the prongs? Especially a screen, or some soft/glossy plastic case that would be prone to scratches.

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• Kraven_the_Hunter@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  I’ve been buying electrical and electronic things for years (okay decades), and the toys and computers I got as a kid never had these. The cords are always nicely cooked in their own cavity of the box too, so already protected well enough.

  All in all it just seems like a solution to a non-existent problem.

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  • lemmyng@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    It could be to protect the cord from being damaged by the prongs - the plastic cover would be softer and less sharp.

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  • otter@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    It looks very easy to produce, what if it’s for the illusion of higher quality? In which case the small overhead increase is worth it for better sales (or allows for a higher price on the item).

    Same idea as the unnecessary packaging on fruits at the store

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• themeatbridge@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  It may also protect against accidental contact. Like if the prongs lay across something metal with a voltage differential, it could be a problem.

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  • Kraven_the_Hunter@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    That’s a reasonable guess, but it suggests that (a lot) of people are unpacking new electronics over bare live electrical wire.

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• 7EP6vuI@feddit.org ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  but a simple plastic bag would be enough for that?

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  • Boozilla@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    The plastic adds enough rigidity overall to help resist bending. The combination of the metal inside and the overall thickness of the added plastic is pretty good. It won’t resist a Hulk smash or a tank rolling over it. But it should, hopefully, resist routine bending forces during packaging and shipping. Goof around with it the next time you receive one, and you’ll see what I mean.

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