Patent Number: 046844996
Section: abstract

A fuel assembly with a top nozzle having an adapter plate, at least one guide thimble connected to the adapter plate, and a burnable absorber rod disposed within the guide thimble, includes a releasable latching structure for releasably interconnecting an end of the absorber rod to the adapter plate. The latching structure includes a recess defined in the adapter plate within a passageway through the plate, a mounting body attached to the end of the absorber rod and extending axially upward therefrom through the passageway and above the adapter plate, and a spring latch disposed about the mounting body above the adapter plate. The spring latch has circumferentially spaced latch fingers extending downwardly toward the adapter plate. Each latch finger is deflectible toward and away from the mounting body between an outer latching position in which the finger engages the recess in the adapter plate and retains the absorber rod disposed in the guide thimble and an inner unlatching position in which the finger disengages from the recess in the adapter plate and allows removal of the absorber rod from the guide thimble. The latch finger extends into the adapter plate passageway for engaging with and disengaging from the passageway recess when the finger is deflected between its respective latching and unlatching positions. The latch finger has a latching key defined on its lower end being configured to engage the adapter plate within the recess formed in the passageway of the plate. Also, the mounting body has a portion generally coextensive with the latch finger and defining a recessed region surrounding the mounting body. The latch finger is disposed generally outside of the recessed region when in its latching position and generally within the recessed region when in its unlatching position.