Patent ID: 8742382

Claim:
A neutron reflector block assembly, which includes a pair of neutron reflector blocks each of which comprises a first portion having a first end face and oppositely located intermediate shoulders spaced from the first end face, the first end face and the intermediate shoulders being bounded by spaced side faces and spaced upper and lower faces; a second portion, which protrudes from the first portion between the intermediate shoulders and has spaced side faces and spaced upper and lower faces, as well as a second end face located oppositely to the first end face, the second portion side faces being more narrowly spaced relative to the first portion side faces such that, when the neutron reflector block is, in use, arranged adjacent to and in a side-by-side relationship with another such neutron reflector block with adjacent first portion side faces of the neutron reflector blocks abutting each other, a space is defined between adjacent second portion side faces of the neutron reflector blocks; and a recess defined in each of the sides of the second portions of the reflector blocks, adjacent each one of their respective intermediate shoulders, the reflector blocks of the assembly abutting in side-by-side relationship such that their adjacent first portion side faces abut each other and the space is thus defined between their adjacent second portion side faces; and a key block located in the space between the adjacent second portion side faces of the neutron reflector blocks and joining the neutron reflector blocks together, wherein, with respect to the neutron reflector blocks respectively, each first portion side face is located in a first portion side face plane and each second portion side face is located in a second portion side face plane, with the second portion side face planes of the second portion side faces of the neutron reflector block being more narrowly spaced than first portion side face planes of the first portion side faces of the neutron reflector block, with the proviso that the first portion side face planes and second portion side face planes are not co-planar.