Car Cigarette Lighter Socket and Cigarette Lighter Receptacle

Car Cigarette Lighter Socket is a socket and designed to work as coil lighter. Now the wide usage of Car Cigarette Lighter Socket is to use it as a power port. Car Cigarette Lighter Socket has a standard (SAE J563) which specifies the polarity and determine the exact dimensions. That results in universal sized Car Cigarette Lighter Socket, regardless of manufacturer. Before USB ports were available, in fact USB port is not fitted for this purpose on all cars till now, Car Cigarette Lighter Socket however are almost always present. Even if the hardware (real functioning socket) part is not fitted in Car Cigarette Lighter Socket, there is usually a hole with removable plastic cover for setup of Car Cigarette Lighter Socket by the car owner later. Previously we wrote about Connectors, Car Cigarette Lighter Socket and Cigarette Lighter Receptacle are a special kind of socket and connectors.

Basics about Car Cigarette Lighter Socket

The history of Car Cigarette Lighter Socket dates back to 1880. So for over a century Car Cigarette Lighter Socket is being in use, although usage as a power supply probably started around 1925. Car Cigarette Lighter Socket consists of a metal socket, the positive pole is in the middle, the housing is connected to the vehicle body. Pressing a button on the back of the lighter completes the circuit and a metal coil is heated by electric current which basically was designed to lit up a cigar and later cigarette.

Car Cigarette Lighter Socket can be designed for operating at 6 volts, 12 Volts (two standard sizes available). Before the IC system became the standard cut off mechanism for recharge and cycle of sealed lead car battery, usually a dynamo was used to charge up the battery and dynamo was infamous for malfunction. Fluctuation of voltage was “normal” from Car Cigarette Lighter Socket. Although even today a minute fluctuation of voltage can be expected from a Car Cigarette Lighter Socket, the Cigarette Lighter Receptacle part, which actually inserted in this Car Cigarette Lighter Socket, can regulate the voltage to some extent, depending upon the quality and model of Car Cigarette Lighter Socket receptacle. Digital voltmeters are available to be inserted in these Car Cigarette Lighter Socket by the owners to check the fluctuation of voltage.

Car Cigarette Lighter Socket and Cigarette Lighter Receptacle

Cigarette Lighter Receptacle is actually like a plug, which is inserted in these Car Cigarette Lighter Socket. These can work as power cable, fancy lights or even to increase the number of Car Cigarette Lighter socket to multiple outlet. Fans practically is not used now, the need has shifted towards mobile phone chargers.

There are USB convertible sets are available for Car Cigarette Lighter Socket as well. Before using a Car Cigarette Lighter Socket for charging a sophisticated electronic consumer product, monitoring of the output voltage is important and the Cigarette Lighter Receptacle plus the intended set, must have a electronic or electrical mechanism for regulating the voltage and protect from Power surge.