v2.4.0.6

Acquisitions of Businesses (Details) (USD $) |  |  |  |  |  |  | 12 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
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Feb. 01, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Nov. 30, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2011 | Dec. 31, 2010 | Jul. 31, 2010 | Dec. 31, 2011 Cooper [Member] | Sep. 30, 2012 Rolec Comercial e Industrial S.A. [Domain] Electrical Americas [Member] | Dec. 31, 2011 Jeil Hydraulics Co. Ltd. [Member] Hydraulics [Member] | Dec. 31, 2011 Polimer Kaucuk Sanayi ve Pazarlama A.S. [Domain] Hydraulics [Member] | Dec. 31, 2011 Gycom Electrical Low-Voltage Power Distribution, Control and Automation [Domain] Electrical Rest of World [Member] | Jun. 30, 2011 E.A. Pedersen Company [Member] Electrical Americas [Member] | Jun. 30, 2011 IE Power, Inc. [Member] Electrical Americas [Member] | Dec. 31, 2010 E. Begerow GmbH & Co. KG [Member] Hydraulics [Member] | May 31, 2011 ACTOM Low Voltage [Member] Electrical Rest of World [Member] | Dec. 31, 2010 C.I. ESI de Colombia S.A. [Member] Electrical Americas [Member] | Dec. 31, 2010 Internormen Technology Group [Member] Hydraulics [Member] | Sep. 30, 2011 Eaton-SAMC (Shanghai) Aircraft Conveyance System Manufacturing Co., Ltd. [Member] Aerospace [Member] | Nov. 30, 2010 Tuthill Coupling Group [Member] Hydraulics [Member] | Sep. 30, 2010 Chloride Phoenixtec Electronics [Member] Electrical Rest of World [Member] | Jun. 30, 2010 Wright Line Holding Inc [Member] Electrical Americas [Member] | Dec. 31, 2009 EMC Engineers Inc [Member] Electrical Americas [Member] | Sep. 30, 2010 Copper Logic Inc Member Electrical Americas [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, cost of acquired entity, purchase price |  | $ 13,796,000,000 |  | $ 325,000,000 | $ 222,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Description of annual sales from acquired entity from previous periods |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue reported for last annual period of acquired entity |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5,409,000,000 | 85,000,000 | 189,000,000 | 335,000,000 | 24,000,000 | 37,000,000 | 5,000,000 | 84,000,000 | 65,000,000 | 8,000,000 | 55,000,000 | 0 | 35,000,000 | 25,000,000 | 101,000,000 | 24,000,000 | 35,000,000
Purchase price of Cooper |  |  | 13,192,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cooper shareholders receipt of cash per ordinary share of Cooper Industries plc |  |  | 39.15 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cooper shareholder % receipt of a New Eaton share for an ordinary share of Copper Industries plc |  | 77.479% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Former Eaton shareholders ownership of New Eaton |  | 73.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Former Copper Industries shareholders ownership of New Eaton |  | 27.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cooper and Danaher joint ownership in Apex |  |  |  |  |  | 50.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cooper and Danaher representation on Apex Board of Directors |  |  |  |  |  | 50.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sale of Apex to Bain Capital by Cooper and Danaher | $ 1,600,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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- Definition Cooper shareholder % receipt of a New Eaton share for an ordinary share of Copper Industries plc + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Former Copper Industries shareholders ownership of New Eaton + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The total cost of the acquired entity including the cash paid to shareholders of acquired entities, fair value of debt and equity securities issued to shareholders of acquired entities, the fair value of the liabilities assumed, and direct costs of the acquisition. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 141 -Paragraph 51 -Subparagraph d -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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