Spacer for fuel assemblies

In a fuel assembly having rods in a bundle, a gridlike spacer, comprising:

• a) polygonal grid meshes formed by ribs intersecting at corners and extending approximately transversely to the rod bundle between the rods of the rod bundle;
• b) at least one of said ribs being a first rib separating two adjacent ones of said meshes and having an opening connecting said two meshes, one corner of each said two meshes being formed by said first rib and a second rib having an inner side facing toward said two meshes;
• and
• c) two springs at said corners protruding roughly diagonally into said two meshes, each of said springs having a middle part for laterally supporting a given rod genetrating the respective one of said two meshes, said middle part being an approximately cylindrical segment curved convexly about an axis of curvature at roughly right angles to the rod bundle;
• d) two first legs and two second legs, each middle part of said two springs changing over with a convex curvature into one of said first legs at one of its ends and one of said second legs at its other end;
• e) each leg extending approximately parallel to the rod bundle and having an inner border facing towards said second rib and an outer border facing toward said first rib;
• f) four lateral tabs, each joining said inner border of one of said legs and resting on the inner side of said second rib;
• g) two connecting parts extending through said opening of said first rib and joining the outer border of the first and second legs, respectively;
• and
• h) the majority of said grid meshes having only one spring point diagonally inward, and two of said ribs facing said diagonally inwardly pointing spring in each of said meshes having at least one stop knob for a rod.