Assembly comprising a first conduit and a second conduit connected through a connecting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9695969-B2
Application number	US-201313774067-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2013
Priority date	Feb 24, 2012
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

An assembly is provided that includes at least one first conduit and at least one second conduit connected together through a connecting device. The connecting device includes an exteriorly threaded tube; a connecting part attached to one end of the tube and including an orifice; a holding nut screwed onto the tube and axially maintaining the connecting part relative to a tube; and a retaining member attached on the holding nut and engaging with the first conduit so as to axially retain the first conduit fitted into the orifice, the retaining member cooperating with the first conduit so as to oppose the unscrewing of the holding nut.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nuclear reactor comprising:
an assembly comprising:
at least one first conduit and at least one second conduit; and
a connecting device connecting the at least one first conduit and one second conduit together, the connecting device comprising:
an exteriorly threaded tube extending along a tube axis, the second conduit extending inside the tube;
a connecting part attached to one end of the tube, the connecting part extending along the tube axis and being angularly indexed relative to the tube, the first conduit being fitted into an orifice which axially passes through the connecting part;
a holding nut screwed onto the tube and axially holding the connecting part relative to the tube, the holding nut comprising a tapped annular nut body; and
a retaining member removably attached on the nut body and engaging with the first conduit so as to axially retain the first conduit fitted into the orifice, the retaining member cooperating with the first conduit so as to oppose the unlocking of the holding nut.

2. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 1 wherein the orifice is off-centered relative to the tube axis.

3. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 1 wherein the second conduit is fitted into the orifice, the first conduit and the second conduit being each fitted at one respective end of the orifice.

4. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 1 wherein the connecting device comprises a plug closing the tube, the second conduit axially passing through the plug while being off-centered relative to the axis of the tube.

5. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one first conduit includes multiple first conduits and the at least second conduit includes multiple second conduits, the connecting part comprising a respective orifice for each first conduit, each orifice being off-centered relative to the tube axis.

6. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 5 wherein the multiple first conduits include three first conduits and the orifices include three orifices which, in an axial view, are angularly distributed uniformly around the tube axis.

7. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 1 wherein the retaining member is set, by screwing, in an attachment hole made in the nut body.

8. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 7 wherein the nut body comprises multiple angularly distributed attachment holes.

9. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 1 wherein the retaining member comprises a base attached on the nut body and at least one arm extending from the base radially inwards relative to the tube axis and directly engaging with the first conduit so as to axially retain the first conduit and to cooperate with the first conduit so as to oppose the unscrewing of the holding nut.

10. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 9 wherein the retaining member comprises two arms.

11. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 10 wherein the arms in an axial view, pass on either side of the at least one first conduit, the at least one first conduit being received between both arms.

12. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 1 wherein the first conduit comprises a flange protruding radially outwards, the retaining member cooperating with the flange for axially retaining the first conduit fitted into the orifice.

13. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 1 wherein the assembly forms a thermocouple guiding device for a nuclear reactor, each conduit defining a thermocouple guiding conduit.

14. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 1 wherein the tube is a spacer column of a nuclear reactor.

15. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 1 wherein the retaining member is removably attached on the nut body by a fastener passing through the retaining member and into the holding nut.

16. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 5 wherein at least one arm of the retaining member contacts a partial circumferential extent of an outer diameter surface of each of the first conduits.

17. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 1 wherein the connecting part is held axially between at least one arm of the retaining member and the end of the tube.

18. The nuclear reactor as recited in claim 1 where a base of the retaining member is axially aligned with a portion of the holding nut and is offset radially outward with respect to the connecting part.

19. A nuclear reactor comprising:
an assembly comprising:
at least one first conduit and at least one second conduit; and
a connecting device connecting the at least one first conduit and one second conduit together, the connecting device comprising:
an exteriorly threaded tube extending along a tube axis, the second conduit extending inside the tube;
a connecting part attached to one end of the tube, the connecting part extending along the tube axis and being angularly indexed relative to the tube, the first conduit being fitted into an orifice which axially passes through the connecting part;
a holding nut screwed onto the tube and axially holding the connecting part relative to the tube, the holding nut comprising a tapped annular nut body; and
a retaining member attached on the nut body and engaging with the first conduit so as to axially retain the first conduit fitted into the orifice, the retaining member cooperating with the first conduit so as to oppose the unlocking of the holding nut, the retaining member being axially offset from the holding nut and the tube.

20. A nuclear reactor comprising:
an assembly comprising:
at least one first conduit and at least one second conduit; and
a connecting device connecting the at least one first conduit and one second conduit together, the connecting device comprising:
an exteriorly threaded tube extending along a tube axis, the second conduit extending inside the tube;
a connecting part attached to one end of the tube, the connecting part extending along the tube axis and being angularly indexed relative to the tube, the first conduit being fitted into an orifice which axially passes through the connecting part;
a holding nut screwed onto the tube and axially holding the connecting part relative to the tube, the holding nut comprising a tapped annular nut body; and
a retaining member attached on the nut body and engaging with the first conduit so as to axially retain the first conduit fitted into the orifice, the retaining member cooperating with the first conduit so as to oppose the unlocking of the holding nut,
wherein the retaining member comprises a base attached on the nut body and at least one arm extending from the base radially inwards relative to the tube axis to be partially axially aligned with an interior of the tube and engaging with the first conduit so as to axially retain the first conduit, the engagement of the at least one arm with the first conduit preventing the unscrewing of the holding nut.

Assignees

• Areva Np

Inventors

• Cahouet Laurent
• Buchot Frederic

Classifications

• F16L19/005 Primary

  comprising locking means for the threaded member · CPC title

• F16L39/06

  of the multiline swivel type, e.g. comprising a plurality of axially mounted modules · CPC title

• F16L39/00 Primary

  Joints or fittings for double-walled or multi-channel pipes or pipe assemblies {(quick-acting joints for double-walled or multi-channel pipes or pipe assemblies F16L37/56)} · CPC title

• G21C19/16

  Articulated or telescopic chutes or tubes for connection to channels in the reactor core · CPC title

• G21C17/112

  Measuring temperature · CPC title