Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
238 words
A fuel assembly grid for supporting a rectangular array of nuclear fuel elements intermediate their ends, comprising: four substantially solid perimeter plates forming a rigid quadrangle surrounding the fuel elements and having stop surfaces formed on the internal surfaces thereof for contacting each adjacent fuel element; a plurality of interlaced strips attached to and extending from each plate to the oppositely facing plate, forming a lattice of regularly spaced openings through which the fuel elements traverse the grid, said strips being of two types; the first type of said interlace strips consisting of two perpendicular center strips that divide the grid into four symmetric quadrants, each center strip having a spring tab projecting into each opening contiguous to the center strip; the second type of said interlaced strips consisting of a plurality of interior strips, half of said interior strips oriented parallelly to one center strip and the other half oriented parallelly to the other center strip, each interior strip having a generally undulating bent stop surface such that one bend projects into each adjacent contiguous opening on the side of the interior strip facing the respective parallel center strip, and wherein each interior strip has a spring tab projecting into each adjacent contiguous opening on the side of the interior strip opposite the respective parallel center strip; whereby every fuel element is resiliently supported within the grid, by two spring tabs and at least two stop surfaces.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
238 words
A fuel assembly grid for supporting a rectangular array of nuclear fuel elements intermediate their ends, comprising: four substantially solid perimeter plates forming a rigid quadrangle surrounding the fuel elements and having stop surfaces formed on the internal surfaces thereof for contacting each adjacent fuel element; a plurality of interlaced strips attached to and extending from each plate to the oppositely facing plate, forming a lattice of regularly spaced openings through which the fuel elements traverse the grid, said strips being of two types; the first type of said interlace strips consisting of two perpendicular center strips that divide the grid into four symmetric quadrants, each center strip having a spring tab projecting into each opening contiguous to the center strip; the second type of said interlaced strips consisting of a plurality of interior strips, half of said interior strips oriented parallelly to one center strip and the other half oriented parallelly to the other center strip, each interior strip having a generally undulating bent stop surface such that one bend projects into each adjacent contiguous opening on the side of the interior strip facing the respective parallel center strip, and wherein each interior strip has a spring tab projecting into each adjacent contiguous opening on the side of the interior strip opposite the respective parallel center strip; whereby every fuel element is resiliently supported within the grid, by two spring tabs and at least two stop surfaces.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The fuel assembly of claim 1 wherein each center strip is flat.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The fuel assembly of claim 2 wherein the stop surfaces on the perimeter plate are pairs of vertically spaced dimples.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The fuel assembly of claim 2 wherein the center strip has similarly formed spring tabs in pairs, one above the other, projecting out of opposite sides of the center strip.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The fuel assembly of claim 2 wherein the spring tabs on one half of the interior strip are oriented from left to right and the spring tabs on the other half of the interior strip are oriented from right to left.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
The fuel assembly of claim 2 wherein the spring tabs on one half of each center strip are oriented from left to right and the spring tabs on the other half on the center strip are oriented from right to left.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The fuel assembly of claim 1 wherein the perimeter plates are totally solid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
The fuel assembly of claim 7 wherein each center strip is flat.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The fuel assembly grid of claim 8 wherein the stop surfaces on the perimeter plates are pairs of vertically spaced dimples.