US4047886A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Furnace for the continuous sintering of pellets of ceramic nuclear fuel material
Assignee: Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et Aux Énergies Alternatives
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Filing: 1975-11-24
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Granted: 1977-09-13
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Expires: 1995-11-24
Abstract
Abstract The furnace comprises a hearth for the longitudinal displacement of pellet containers, means for injecting gas at both ends of the furnace, for sucking gas between preheating and sintering zones and for condensing the binder, means for displacing the containers from an introduction lock-chamber to an extraction lock-chamber, a conveyor belt which passes through a glove box and provides a leak-tight connection between the lock-chambers. A station for loading containers with pellet sub-containers prior to sintering and a station for unloading the pellet sub-containers after sintering are juxtaposed within the glove box.
Inventors
- 👤 Jacques Heyraud
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 11:18
CPC Classifications
B; B22; B22F; B22F3/00; B22F3/003; F; F27; F27B; F27B9/00; F27B9/04; F27B9/045; F27B9/047; F27B9/30; F27B9/38; F27D; F27D3/00; F27D5/00; F27D5/0068; F27B9/12; F27B2009/122; F27B9/06; F27B9/062; F27B9/063; F27D2003/0034; F27D2003/0059; F27D2003/006; F27D9/00; F27D2009/0002; F27D19/00; F27D2019/0028; F27D2019/0071; F27D21/00; F27D2021/0057; F27D99/00; F27D99/0073; F27D2099/0078; F27D2099/008; F27D3/04; F27M; F27M2002/00; F27M2002/03; F27M2003/00; F27M2003/04; F27M2003/15; F27M2003/155
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
177 words
A furnace for the continuous sintering of pellets of ceramic nuclear fuel material in a neutral or reducing atmosphere, comprising a tubular enclosure having a longitudinal axis and equipped with heating means located at intervals along said enclosure, a hearth for the longitudinal displacement of pellet containers, means for injecting gas at both ends of the furnace, means for sucking gas in an intermediate zone between the preheating and sintering zones and for condensing a binder for the pellets, and means for displacing said containers along said hearth from a lock-chamber for the introduction of containers which is placed at one end of the furnace to a lock-chamber for the extraction of containers at the other end of the furnace, wherein the two lock-chambers are connected to each other in leak-tight manner by means of a conveyor belt which passes through a glove box, there being juxtaposed within said glove box a station for loading containers with sub-containers which contain the pellets to be sintered and a station for unloading said sub-containers which contain the sintered pellets.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
177 words
A furnace for the continuous sintering of pellets of ceramic nuclear fuel material in a neutral or reducing atmosphere, comprising a tubular enclosure having a longitudinal axis and equipped with heating means located at intervals along said enclosure, a hearth for the longitudinal displacement of pellet containers, means for injecting gas at both ends of the furnace, means for sucking gas in an intermediate zone between the preheating and sintering zones and for condensing a binder for the pellets, and means for displacing said containers along said hearth from a lock-chamber for the introduction of containers which is placed at one end of the furnace to a lock-chamber for the extraction of containers at the other end of the furnace, wherein the two lock-chambers are connected to each other in leak-tight manner by means of a conveyor belt which passes through a glove box, there being juxtaposed within said glove box a station for loading containers with sub-containers which contain the pellets to be sintered and a station for unloading said sub-containers which contain the sintered pellets.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
A sintering furnace according to claim 1, wherein a system for detecting the presence or absence of sub-containers in a container is associated with the unloading station and means for detecting the presence or absence of sub-containers located opposite to the loading station is associated with said loading station.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
A sintering furnace according to claim 1, wherein the furnace and the binder condenser comprise external cooling means constituted by separate coil-tubes which are brazed onto the frame of the furnace elements or onto the frame of the binder condenser.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-09-12 | 1981-03-14 | 1981-09-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-09-12 | 1985-03-14 | 1985-09-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-09-12 | 1989-03-14 | 1989-09-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |