The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 05, 1991
Filed:
Jan. 27, 1989
Applicant:
Inventor:
John A Rylatt, Columbia, SC (US);
Assignee:
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G21C / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
376434 ; 376439 ; 376254 ; 376450 ; 376240 ; 376242 ;
Abstract
A nuclear fuel assembly has mechanical elements which constrain the flux thimble tube within the instrumentation tube to maintain physical contact with the interior surface of the instrumentation tube at a plurality of points staggered on a single-diametral plane and spaced substantially throughout the length of the instrumentation tube. The staggered mechanical elements induce a controlled elastic sinuous deflection of the inner thimble tube. The mechanical elements can take several different forms, for example, dimples or cantilevered spring fingers formed in the wall of the instrumentation tube and projecting radially inwardly therefrom.