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US 5,268,948 AGranted
Locking assembly for nuclear fuel bundles
AssigneeDuke Power Company
InventorsKenneth D. Church, Michael R. Austin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a locking assembly for locking in place an upper support plate above a nuclear fuel bundle. The locking assembly includes several different components, including one rotatable member that is movable between a first position for locking the support plate in place and an unlocked position for releasing the support plate so that it can be removed from the guide tubes in the fuel bundle assembly. The rotatable member is resiliently maintained at its locked and released positions, and the entire locking assembly is an integral unit without any loose parts regardless of the position of the rotatable member.
Claims19
A locking assembly for permitting the easy removal of fuel rods from a nuclear power reactor fuel bundle, said locking assembly including:
- (a) a plurality of guide tubes extending upwardly from the fuel bundle;
- (b) a support plate removably mounted on said guide tubes to permit removal of said fuel rods when said support plate is removed from said guide tubes, said support plate being formed with an opening and being formed with a slot extending outwardly from said opening;
- (c) a collar assembly mounted at the upper extending end of each said guide tube for permitting selective removal of said support plate from said guide tubes, said collar assembly including a base portion and first and second locking portions mounted on said base portion for movement relative to one another, one of said locking portions having a projection formed thereon corresponding generally in shape to said support plate slot, and one of said locking portions being movable between a first position at which said projection is openly aligned with said slot to permit removal of said support plate and a second position at which said projection is not openly aligned with said slot whereby said plate is locked in place on said guide tubes;
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- (d) resilient means associated with said collar assembly, said resilient means being located on one of said locking portions for resiliently engaging a surface of the collar assembly with sufficient force to maintain said movable locking portion at said second locking position thereof, and for releasing said engaged surface when a predetermined torsional force is applied to said movable locking portion, thereby permitting movement of said movable locking portion to said first aligned position thereof at which said support plate can be removed from said guide tubes.
2 more elements
A locking assembly for permitting the easy removal of fuel rods from a nuclear power reactor fuel bundle, said locking assembly including:
- (a) a plurality of guide tubes extending upwardly from the fuel bundle;
- (b) a support plate removably mounted on said guide tubes to permit removal of said fuel rods when said support plate is removed from said guide tubes, said support plate being formed with an opening and being formed with a slot extending outwardly from said opening;
- (c) a collar assembly mounted at said extending end of said guide tube for permitting selective removal of said support plate from said guide tubes, said collar assembly including a base portion, a first locking portion arranged for rotational movement with respect to said base portion and having a body portion formed with a slot which corresponds in shape to said slot in said support plate, and a second locking portion fixed to said base portion and including a projection extending outwardly therefrom, said first locking portion being disposed intermediate said projection and said support plate and being rotatable between a first position at which said slot therein is openly aligned with said slot in said support plate to permit said support plate to pass over said projection for removal, and a second position at which said slot therein is out of alignment with said slot in said support plate and said body portion is disposed between said projection and said support plate to prevent removal of said support plate over said projection;
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- (d) resilient means for resiliently maintaining said first locking portion at said second position thereof and for permitting movement of said first locking portion to said first position thereof when a predetermined torsional force is applied to said first locking portion.
2 more elements
A locking assembly for permitting the easy removal of fuel rods from a nuclear power reactor fuel bundle, said locking assembly including:
- (a) a plurality of guide tubes extending upwardly from the fuel bundle;
- (b) a support plate removably mounted o said guide tubes to permit removal of said fuel rods when said support plate is removed from said guide tubes, said support plate being formed with an opening and being formed with a slot extending outwardly from said opening;
- (c) a collar assembly mounted at said extending end of each said guide tube for permitting selective removal of said support plate from said guide tubes, said collar assembly including a base portion fixed to said guide tube, and a locking portion rotationally mounted o said base portion and including a projection corresponding generally in shape to said slot in said support plate, said locking portion being rotatable between a first position at which said projection is openly aligned with said support plate slot to permit removal of said support plate and a second position at which said projection overlies said support plate to prevent removal thereof, and said locking portion being formed with an interior annular surface;
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- (d) resilient means associated with said collar assembly for resiliently locking said locking portion against movement when it is at said second position thereof, said resilient means including a spring biased element disposed within and adjacent said interior engagement surface of said locking portion for resiliently engaging said fixed base portion with a sufficient force to normally maintain said locking portion at said first position thereof and for releasing said locking portion when a predetermined torsional force is applied thereto.
2 more elements
A locking assembly for permitting the easy removal of fuel rods from a nuclear power reactor fuel bundle, said locking assembly including:
- (a) a plurality of guide tubes extending upwardly from the fuel bundle;
- (b) a support plate removably mounted on said guide tubes to permit removal of said fuel rods when said support plate is removed from said guide tubes, said support plate being formed with an opening and being formed with a slot extending outwardly from said opening;
- (c) a collar assembly mounted at the extending end of each said guide tube for permitting selective removal of said support plate from said guide tubes, said collar assembly including a base portion, a movable locking portion rotatably mounted on said base portion and being formed with a projection corresponding generally in shape to said support plate slot, and a retaining member fixed to said guide tube maintaining said movable locking portion in place on said base portion, said movable locking portion being movable between a first position at which said projection is aligned with said support plate slot to permit removal of said support plate and a second position at which said projection overlies said support plate to prevent removal thereof;
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- (d) resilient means for resiliently maintaining said movable locking portion at said second position thereof and for permitting movement of said movable locking portion to said first position thereof when a predetermined torsional force is applied thereto, said resilient means including cooperating portions of both said movable locking portion and said retaining member.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.