Patent Number: 040452875
Section: summary

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fuel assembly with easily detachable components, which assembly comprises a bundle of fuel rods with a plurality of substantially parallel, vertical fuel rods, which are provided with extended upper and lower end plugs, a bottom plate and a grid-formed top plate provided with attachment holes for said upper end plugs, a predominant number of upper end plugs being each surrounded by a compressible spring, a number of fuel rods being screwed by their lower end plugs in threaded holes in said bottom plate, the upper end plugs of these fuel rods having a portion, located above said top plate, which is provided with a nut. 2. The Prior Art A fuel assembly of this type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,868. The fuel rods shown in this patent, which are passed through the top plate and provided with nuts on the upper side of said top plate, have no locking device for the nuts which is suitable when slacking off the nut by a remote-controlled tool. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This deficiency is remedied by a fuel assembly according to the invention. According to the invention, nuts on the top plate have downward projections which can engage against the side of the grid of the top plate. The length of the projection is such that, when the top plate is pressed down by a downwardly directed spring compressing force, the projection is cleared so that the nut can be unscrewed.