Patent ID: 7426958

Claim:
A header for a heat exchanger, comprising: a substantially planar base portion extending laterally defining a width and longitudinally defining a length; and a pair of step portions, each step portion extending longitudinally along a respective side of the base portion and extending laterally at an angle between about 15 and 75 degrees as a straight segment from the plane of the base portion; wherein, the base portion forms at least part of an outer wall surrounding an interior volume in fluid communication with a plurality of tube ends, the header being provided with a plurality of substantially parallel slots spaced apart along the length of the header, each slot having an elongate section extending across the width of the base portion and end sections extending from the elongate section into the step portions of the header, each elongate section and each end section of each slot being engaged with a single tube such that the tube extends through the slot and the header structurally supports the respective tube in the heat exchanger.