I'm working on a project that requires saving as much space as possible (making an ammo box that holds & powers a soldering iron + battery charger from either an internal battery or wall power).

I have two power supplies that will need to go to three mounted 120v AC U.S. power sockets. I need a way to switch between these two power supplies (being wall power & an inverted 12v DC battery) and saving as much space as possible. Are there U.S. power sockets that come with switches on them, while also fitting in a small form factor? What about other socket types such as IEC 15 & 16 that come with switches on them? How about safe mounting hardware?

What about using a single switch instead? Will I need to only break the power wires to each individual socket, while leaving ground and neutral constantly connected? Apologies if this is a stupid question, I only really work with DC and small electronics.

 

Sounds like you may have to make a custom switching method, there are PVC conduit outlet boxes for making custom switch enclosures if you can get everything in.
Home Depot is a source.
Max.

 

Sounds like you may have to make a custom switching method, there are PVC conduit outlet boxes for making custom switch enclosures if you can get everything in.
Home Depot is a source.
Max.

What would a custom switching method look like? Are you talking about using a more specialized switch rather than a basic SPDT automotive switch?

 

I assume you meant you want to operate some kind of change over system switching the 120v supplies, not completely sure of your objective?
Max.

 

That's pretty much my goal, here's a simplified diagram of what I'm trying to do (Apologies for the lack of rotation).

 

The switch you show is a SPDT (Single Pole-Double Throw) type.
But you are opting for either a battery supply or a mains socket outlet?
More info is needed as to exactly what you are trying to achieve?
Also the various voltage levels and type, i.e. AC/DC voltage etc.
Max.

 

The switch you show is a SPDT (Single Pole-Double Throw) type.
But you are opting for either a battery supply or a mains socket outlet?
More info is needed as to exactly what you are trying to achieve?
Also the various voltage levels and type, i.e. AC/DC voltage etc.
Max.

I am making a system that is capable of supplying power to multiple electronic devices, even when not connected to wall power (being 120v AC @ 60Hz in my area). This is going to be achieved by building a battery pack into the box the system is contained in (12v DC battery built from 16 21700 Lithium Ion cells) that is connected to an inverter that converts the 12v DC into 120v AC @ 60Hz, which will then be connected to 3 mounted outlets to provide power to the devices within the box. These three devices will be a soldering station, battery charger, and one spare outlet for misc purposes.

I want this system to also allow for power input that comes from a normal house power outlet, so I can give the internal battery time to charge/tend when needed. This raises the issue of needing a way to switch power input to the three internal outlets between external house power, and the internal inverted battery power. I'm not sure what components I will need to act as a switch for these two power sources.

Would a SPDT automotive switch do the job properly, by only breaking the hot wire to the outlets, while leaving the unbroken wires (being the neutral and ground wires) constantly connected to them?