Guide thimble captured locking tube in a reconstitutable fuel assembly
This patent describes a reconstitutable fuel assembly including a top nozzle with an adapter plate having at least one passageway, at least one guide thimble with an upper end portion, and an attaching structure for mounting the top nozzle adapter plate in releasable locking engagement upon the guide thimble upper end portion. The attaching structure includes a groove defined in the adapter plate passageway, a bulge defined in the guide thimble upper end portion and at least one slot axially defined in the guide thimble upper end portion so as to allow inward elastic collapse of the upper end portion to permit insertion and withdrawal of the bulge into and from a locking relation with the groove in the adapter plate passageway. The improvement which comprises: (a) a locking tube mounted within the guide thimble upper end portion for movement between an upper locking position where the adapter plate and guide thimble upper end portion are maintained in the locking engagement and a lower unlocking position where the adapter plate is releasable from the guide thimble upper end portion; and (b) at least one protrusion attached on the locking tube to extend outward and through the slot in the guide thimble upper end portion. The protrusion is yieldable for engaging the passageway groove of the adapter plate to retain the locking tube at its upper locking position and for releasing from the passageway groove to allow movement of the locking tube to its lower unlocking position.
- Assignee:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4684500
- Application Number:
- TRN: 87-033387
- OSTI ID:
- 6143791
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 12 Sep 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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