KR20040005902A - Header for use in heat exchangers, heat exchanger and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The header for use in the heat exchanger includes a base wall 20 having a plurality of tube insertion holes 23, an opposing wall 30 positioned opposite the base wall 20, and the base wall 20. A pair of side walls 40a and 40b disposed on both sides of the opposing wall 30 and connecting the side walls, and between the base wall 20 and the opposing wall 30 along their longitudinal direction and being disposed in the base wall And reinforcing walls 50a and 50b connecting the 20 and the opposing walls 30 to each other. The side walls 40a and 40b are integrally formed on both side surfaces of the base wall 20 by a bending process. The first half 30a of the opposing wall 30 is integrally formed on one side of the side wall 40a by a bending process, and the second half 30b of the opposing wall 30 is formed by the sidewall ( 40b) is formed integrally with the other side of the other. The reinforcing walls 50a and 50b are integrally formed on the first half portion 30a and the second half portion 30b of the opposing wall 30 by a bending process. By the header for use in this heat exchanger, high pressure resistance can be obtained, and the number of parts and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Description

HEADER FOR USE IN HEAT EXCHANGERS, HEAT EXCHANGER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME}

A condenser for use in an automotive air conditioning system, the so-called header type having a pair of headers and a plurality of heat exchange tubes disposed parallel to each other between the headers with their opposite ends in communication with the headers. Heat exchangers are widely used.

In this header type heat exchanger, a pipe having a circular cross section is widely used as a header. However, in order to reduce size and weight and improve performance, it has recently been considered to use a header having a flat cross section such as an elliptical cross section, an oval cross section or a rectangular cross section.

In the header of this kind, it is known to use a header having a flat cross section as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-39288. The schematic structure of the header is shown in FIG. The header 1 comprises two members, a first peripheral wall member 2 and a second peripheral wall member 3. The first peripheral wall member 2 is provided on the base wall 2a on which the plurality of insertion holes 2c are formed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the base wall 2a and on the side surfaces of the base wall 2a. It includes a pair of joints 2b and 2b. The second peripheral wall member 3 includes an opposing wall 3a formed to face the base wall 2a and a pair of side walls 3b and 3b formed along the side of the opposing wall 3a.

The first circumferential wall member 2 and the second circumferential wall member 3 are joined together, and the side walls 3b and 3b are joined to the joining portions 2b and 2b by a pinching process or a soldering process, thereby forming a header ( To form 1).

In the above-described header 1 for use in a heat exchanger, a plurality of heat exchange tubes 5 arranged in parallel with each other are inserted into and fixed in the corresponding tube inserting holes 2c to produce a header type heat exchanger. .

However, in the header 1 described above, the thicknesses of the peripheral wall members 2 and 3 become smaller in accordance with the demand for miniaturization and weight reduction of the header. Therefore, it is difficult to ensure the predetermined pressure resistance only by the peripheral wall members 2 and 3. In order to cope with this problem, it is considered to provide the reinforcement partition 4 to the header 1 as shown by the phantom line.

However, the header 1 having the above-described structure cannot be manufactured using an electric resistance welded pipe and therefore must be manufactured by welding or pinching the wall members 2 and 3. This results in an increased component count as well as a complicated structure, leading to complex assembly work and increased manufacturing costs. In particular, when the reinforcing partition 4 is assembled in the header 1, a plurality of cutouts in the partition 4 by machining or the like so as not to interfere with the insertion of the heat exchange tube 5 into the header 1. It is necessary to form (4a). This requires the adoption of cumbersome machining and increases the number of process steps, thus increasing the manufacturing cost.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a header for use in a heat exchanger, which is capable of obtaining sufficient pressure resistance, reducing the number of parts and manufacturing costs, and facilitating assembly work.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a header for use in the heat exchanger described above.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a heat exchanger using the aforementioned headers and a method of manufacturing these headers and heat exchangers.

Related Applications

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2001-95242 filed March 29, 2001 and US Provisional Application No. 60 / 302,691, filed July 5, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. do.

This application is directed to US 35 U.S.C. 35 U.S.C. of the date of filing of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 302,691, filed July 5, 2001, pursuant to § 111 (b). 35 U.S.C. Claiming Benefits Under §119 (e) (1) Corresponds to US application filed under § 111 (a).

The present invention relates to a header suitable for use in heat exchangers such as condensers and evaporators for use in refrigeration systems for automotive air conditioners, and also to a method for manufacturing a header.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing a header and a peripheral portion thereof applied to a heat exchanger according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

2A is a front view of a header for use in a heat exchanger, and FIG. 2B is a side view thereof.

3 is a sectional view of a header for use in a heat exchanger;

4 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing the tube insertion hole and its periphery of the header;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG.

FIG. 6A is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged sectional view of a portion enclosed by the dashed line in FIG. 6A.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a press-molded plate for producing the header of the first embodiment.

8 is a plan view showing a press-molded plate.

Fig. 9 is a side view showing the header and its periphery applied to the heat exchanger according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing a header for use in the heat exchanger according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 11A is a sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 10, and FIG. 11B is an enlarged sectional view of a portion enclosed by dashed lines in FIG. 11A.

12 is a perspective view showing a press-molded plate for producing the header of the second embodiment;

Fig. 13 is a plan view showing the pressure forming plate of the second embodiment.

14A to 14E are enlarged cross-sectional views showing connections between the reinforcement wall and the base wall of the header for use in a heat exchanger according to a modification of the present invention, and the periphery thereof;

15A and 15B are enlarged cross-sectional views showing connections between the reinforcing wall and the base wall of a header for use in a heat exchanger according to another modification of the present invention, and peripheral portions thereof;

Fig. 16 is an exploded perspective view showing a rectangular header for a conventional heat exchanger and its peripheral portion.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a header for use in a heat exchanger includes a base wall having a plurality of tube insertion holes for inserting heat exchange tubes formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base wall, and the base wall. A facing wall positioned towards the base wall, a pair of side walls disposed on both sides of the base wall and the opposing wall, and connecting the side walls, and disposed along the longitudinal direction between the base wall and the opposing wall and extending the base wall; It includes a reinforcing wall connected to the opposing wall. The side walls are integrally formed on both sides of the base wall by a bending process. The first half of the opposing wall, which constitutes one half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on one side of the side wall by a bending process. The second half of the opposing wall, which constitutes the other half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on the other side of the side wall by a bending process. The reinforcing wall is integrally formed on at least one of the side surfaces of the first half of the opposing wall and the second half of the opposing wall by a bending process.

In the header for use in the heat exchanger described above, since the base wall, the side wall, the opposing wall and the reinforcing wall are integrally formed by the bending process, there is no need to perform a joining process of these members such as a soldering process or a pinching process. It is possible to reduce the number of parts. Moreover, since the reinforcing wall is disposed between the base wall and the opposing wall, it is possible to surely obtain sufficient strength against internal pressure.

The reinforcing wall is preferably formed on each side of the first half of the opposing wall and the second half of the opposing wall. In this case, since there are two reinforcing walls, it is possible to further improve the pressure resistance.

The side edge of the reinforcing wall opposite the base wall is preferably soldered integrally to the base wall.

The reinforcing wall has a tube joining cutout formed at a position corresponding to the plurality of tube inserting holes, whereby each end of the plurality of heat exchange tubes inserted into the tube inserting hole engages with the tube joining cutout in a positioning manner. It is desirable to be. In this case, since it is possible to position the heat exchange tube by engaging each end of the plurality of heat exchange tubes to the tube joining cutout, the tube insertion amount adjustment can be performed more easily and accurately, and the tube insertion operation can be performed. It can be performed smoothly.

Furthermore, the reinforcement wall has an insertion ledge at the side edge opposite the base wall, the base wall has an insertion ledge engaging hole at a position corresponding to the insertion ledge, and the insertion ledge is inserted into and engaged with the insertion ledge engaging hole. . In this case, since the insertion ledge of the reinforcing wall is engaged with the insertion ledge engaging hole and fixed, it becomes possible to avoid problems such as springback. Thus, the temporary assembly can be kept stable until the soldering process after the bending process, which makes it possible to maintain high dimensional accuracy.

The insertion ledge is preferably soldered integrally to the base wall with the insertion ledge inserted into the insertion ledge engaging hole.

The peripheral edge of the tube insertion hole is preferably curved inwardly. In this case, the heat exchange tube is smoothly guided by the peripheral edge of the tube insertion hole upon insertion of the tube into the tube insertion hole. Thus, the tube insertion operation can be performed more easily. Moreover, the joint area between the tube and the tube insertion hole can be kept larger, thus making it possible to obtain reliable airtightness of the joint.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a header for use in a heat exchanger,

A base wall having a plurality of tube insertion holes for inserting heat exchange tubes formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base wall;

An opposite wall positioned opposite the base wall,

A pair of side walls disposed on both sides of the base wall and the opposing wall and connecting the side walls;

A reinforcement wall disposed between the base wall and the opposing wall along their longitudinal direction and connecting the base wall to the opposing wall,

The side wall is integrally formed on both sides of the base wall by a bending process,

The first half of the opposing wall, which constitutes one half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on one side of one of the sidewalls by a bending process,

The second half of the opposing wall, which constitutes the other half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on the other side of the side wall by a bending process,

The reinforcing wall is integrally formed on each side of the first half of the opposing wall and the second half of the opposing wall by a bending process,

Insertion ledges are formed at edges of the reinforcement wall opposite the base wall at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the header,

An insertion ledge of one of the reinforcement walls and an insertion ledge of the other of the reinforcement walls are alternately disposed along the longitudinal direction of the header,

The base wall has an insertion ledge engaging hole at a position corresponding to the insertion ledge,

The insertion ledge is inserted into and coupled to the corresponding insertion ledge engaging hole.

The insertion ledge coupling hole is preferably formed along the longitudinal direction of the header in a zigzag manner.

Preferably, the tip portion of the insertion ledge is inserted into the insertion ledge engaging hole, and the tip portion of the insertion ledge is bent to engage the outer surface of the base wall.

The bent portion is preferably formed by bending the tip portion of the insertion ledge by a caulking process.

The header for use in the heat exchanger described above can be manufactured by the following method.

That is, according to the third aspect of the present invention, a base wall having a plurality of tube insertion holes for inserting heat exchange tubes formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base wall, and an opposing wall located opposite the base wall, A pair of side walls arranged on both sides of the base wall and the opposing wall and connecting the side walls, and a reinforcement arranged along their longitudinal direction between the base wall and the opposing wall and connecting the base wall to the opposing wall; A method of making a header for use in a heat exchanger, comprising a wall,

A base wall region having the plurality of tube insertion holes extending in a longitudinal direction of the forming plate, a pair of side wall regions formed on both sides of the base wall region and extending in the longitudinal direction, and a side of the base wall region A first half region of the opposing wall formed in one of and extending in the longitudinal direction, a second half region of the opposing wall formed in the other of the side of the base wall region and extending in the longitudinal direction, and the opposing wall Preparing a forming plate comprising a reinforcing wall region formed in at least one of the first and second half regions of said reinforcing wall,

Bending the reinforcement wall region with respect to the first half region of the opposing wall and / or the second half region of the opposing wall;

Bending the first half region of the opposing wall and / or the second half region of the opposing wall with respect to the sidewall region;

Bending the side wall area with respect to the base wall area, thereby obtaining a header in which the base wall, the side wall, the opposing wall, and the reinforcing wall are respectively constituted by the base wall area, the side wall area, the opposing wall area, and the reinforcing wall area. A header manufacturing method is provided.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the forming plate preparation step, the reinforcing wall region is preferably formed on each side of the first half region and the second half region of the opposing wall.

In the forming plate preparation step, a tube joining cutout is formed in a portion of the reinforcing wall corresponding to the plurality of tube inserting holes such that the ends of the heat exchange tube inserted into the tube inserting hole are joined to the joining cutout in a positioning manner. It is desirable to be.

In the forming plate preparation step, an inserting ledge is formed at the base wall side edge of the reinforcing wall and an inserting ledge engaging hole is formed at a position of the base wall corresponding to the inserting ledge, and inserting the inserting ledge into the inserting ledge engaging hole. It is preferable to further include.

Moreover, in the forming plate preparation step, the forming plate is preferably formed by die cutting and pressing a brazing sheet having a brazing layer clad on one or more surfaces.

A fourth aspect of the invention relates to a heat exchanger using a header according to the first aspect of the invention.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the heat exchanger is

A pair of headers for use in heat exchangers,

A plurality of heat exchange tubes disposed parallel to each other between the pair of headers with their opposite ends in communication with the header,

At least one of the pair of headers,

A base wall having a plurality of tube insertion holes for inserting heat exchange tubes formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base wall;

An opposite wall positioned opposite the base wall,

A pair of side walls disposed on both sides of the base wall and the opposing wall and connecting the side walls;

A reinforcement wall disposed between the base wall and the opposing wall along their longitudinal direction and connecting the base wall to the opposing wall,

The side wall is integrally formed on both sides of the base wall by a bending process,

The first half of the opposing wall, which constitutes one half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on one side of one of the sidewalls by a bending process,

The second half of the opposing wall, which constitutes the other half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on the other side of the side wall by a bending process,

The reinforcing wall is integrally formed on at least one of the side surfaces of the first half of the opposing wall and the second half of the opposing wall by a bending process.

In this heat exchanger, since the heat exchanger uses the header according to the first aspect of the present invention, the same functions and effects as described above can be obtained.

In the heat exchanger according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the reinforcing wall has a tube coupling cutout formed at a position corresponding to the plurality of tube insertion holes, whereby each of the plurality of heat exchange tubes inserted into the tube insertion hole is provided. It is preferred that the end is joined to the tube joining notch in a positioning manner.

Moreover, each end of the plurality of heat exchange tubes is preferably soldered to the header.

A fifth aspect of the invention relates to a heat exchanger using a header according to the second aspect of the invention.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, a heat exchanger is

A pair of headers for use in heat exchangers,

A plurality of heat exchange tubes disposed parallel to each other between the pair of headers with their opposite ends in communication with the header,

At least one of the pair of headers,

A base wall having a plurality of tube insertion holes for inserting heat exchange tubes formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base wall;

An opposite wall positioned opposite the base wall,

A pair of side walls disposed on both sides of the base wall and the opposing wall and connecting the side walls;

A reinforcement wall disposed between the base wall and the opposing wall along their longitudinal direction and connecting the base wall to the opposing wall,

The side wall is integrally formed on both sides of the base wall by a bending process,

The first half of the opposing wall, which constitutes one half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on one side of one of the sidewalls by a bending process,

The second half of the opposing wall, which constitutes the other half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on the other side of the side wall by a bending process,

Each of the reinforcing walls is integrally formed on each side surface of the first half of the opposing wall and the second half of the opposing wall by a bending process,

Each of the reinforcement walls has an insertion ledge at the base wall side edge of the reinforcement wall opposite the base wall at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the header,

An insertion ledge of one of the reinforcement walls and an insertion ledge of the other of the reinforcement walls are alternately disposed in the longitudinal direction of the header,

The base wall has an insertion ledge engaging hole at a position corresponding to the insertion ledge,

The insertion ledges are respectively inserted into and engaged with the insertion ledge engaging holes.

In the heat exchanger, since the heat exchanger uses the header according to the second aspect of the present invention, the same functions and effects as described above can be obtained.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the reinforcing wall has a tube engaging cutout formed at a position corresponding to the plurality of tube insertion holes, whereby each end of the plurality of heat exchange tubes inserted into the tube insertion hole is positioned. It is preferable to be coupled to the tube joining cutout in a set manner.

Moreover, each end of the plurality of heat exchange tubes is preferably soldered to the header.

Moreover, the insertion ledge engaging hole is preferably formed zigzag in the longitudinal direction of the header.

A sixth aspect of the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a heat exchanger using a header according to the first aspect of the invention.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a heat exchanger manufacturing method is

Preparing a pair of headers for use in a heat exchanger,

Preparing a plurality of heat exchange tubes,

Disposing the plurality of heat exchange tubes parallel to each other between the pair of headers with their opposite ends in communication with the header,

At least one of the pair of headers,

A base wall having a plurality of tube insertion holes for inserting heat exchange tubes formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base wall;

An opposite wall positioned opposite the base wall,

A pair of side walls disposed on both sides of the base wall and the opposing wall and connecting the side walls;

A reinforcement wall disposed between the base wall and the opposing wall along their longitudinal direction and connecting the base wall to the opposing wall,

The side wall is integrally formed on both sides of the base wall by a bending process,

The first half of the opposing wall, which constitutes one half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on one side of one of the sidewalls by a bending process,

The second half of the opposing wall, which constitutes the other half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on the other side of the side wall by a bending process,

The reinforcing wall is integrally formed on at least one of the side surfaces of the first half of the opposing wall and the second half of the opposing wall by a bending process.

In the heat exchanger manufacturing method, since the header according to the first aspect of the present invention is used, the same functions and effects as described above can be obtained.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the header preparation step includes:

A base wall region having the plurality of tube insertion holes extending in a longitudinal direction of the forming plate, a pair of side wall regions formed on both sides of the base wall region and extending in the longitudinal direction, and a side of the base wall region A first half region of the opposing wall formed in one of and extending in the longitudinal direction, a second half region of the opposing wall formed in the other of the side of the base wall region and extending in the longitudinal direction; Preparing a forming plate comprising a reinforcing wall region formed in at least one of the first and second half regions and extending in the longitudinal direction;

Bending the reinforcement wall region with respect to the first half region of the opposing wall and / or the second half region of the opposing wall;

Bending the first half region of the opposing wall and / or the second half region of the opposing wall with respect to the sidewall region;

Bending the side wall area with respect to the base wall area.

Moreover, each end of the plurality of heat exchange tubes is preferably soldered to the header.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, a heat exchanger manufacturing method is

Preparing a pair of headers for use in a heat exchanger,

Preparing a plurality of heat exchange tubes,

Arranging a plurality of heat exchange tubes parallel to each other between the pair of headers with their opposite ends in communication with the header,

At least one of the pair of headers,

A base wall having a plurality of tube insertion holes for inserting heat exchange tubes formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base wall;

An opposite wall positioned opposite the base wall,

A pair of side walls disposed on both sides of the base wall and the opposing wall and connecting the side walls;

A reinforcement wall disposed between the base wall and the opposing wall along their longitudinal direction and connecting the base wall and the opposing wall;

The side wall is integrally formed on both sides of the base wall by a bending process,

The first half of the opposing wall, which constitutes one half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on one side of one of the sidewalls by a bending process,

The second half of the opposing wall, which constitutes the other half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on the other side of the side wall by a bending process,

Each of the reinforcing walls is integrally formed on each side of the first half of the opposing wall and the second half of the opposing wall by a bending process,

Each of the reinforcement walls has an insertion ledge at the base wall side edge of the reinforcement wall opposite the base wall at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the header,

An insertion ledge of one of the reinforcement walls and an insertion ledge of the other of the reinforcement walls are alternately disposed in the longitudinal direction of the header,

The base wall has an insertion ledge engaging hole at a position corresponding to the insertion ledge,

The insertion ledges are respectively inserted into and engaged with the insertion ledge engaging holes.

In the heat exchanger manufacturing method, since the header according to the second aspect of the present invention is used, the same functions and effects as described above can be obtained.

In the manufacturing method according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, preparing a pair of headers,

A base wall region having the plurality of tube insertion holes extending in a longitudinal direction of the forming plate, a pair of side wall regions formed on both sides of the base wall region and extending in the longitudinal direction, and a side of the base wall region A first half region of the opposing wall formed in one of and extending in the longitudinal direction, a second half region of the opposing wall formed in the other of the side of the base wall region and extending in the longitudinal direction, and the opposing wall Preparing a forming plate comprising a reinforcing wall region formed in at least one of the first and second half regions of said reinforcing wall region,

Bending the reinforcement wall region with respect to the first half region of the opposing wall and / or the second half region of the opposing wall;

Bending the first half region of the opposing wall and / or the second half region of the opposing wall with respect to the sidewall region;

Bending the side wall area with respect to the base wall area.

Moreover, each end of the plurality of heat exchange tubes is preferably soldered to the header.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following preferred embodiments.

<First Embodiment>

1 to 6 show a header 10 for use in a heat exchanger according to a first embodiment of the invention. 1 to 6, the header 10 includes a belt-shaped base wall 20, an opposing wall 30 positioned opposite the base wall 20, a base wall 20 and an opposing wall. A pair of side walls 40a and 40b disposed between the sides of the 30 and between their base wall 20 and the opposing wall 30 at their widthwise center positions and in the longitudinal direction of the header 10. It includes a pair of reinforcing walls 50a and 50b that extend.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the header 10 is an integrally molded product obtained by bending the press-molded plate 11 having a predetermined shape formed by die cutting press molding. In detail, the press-molding plate 11 is a wide belt type plate. The plate 11 has a base wall region 21 extending in the longitudinal direction of the plate 11 in the widthwise central region of the plate 11. The base wall region 21 constitutes the base wall 20 described above. On both sides of the base wall region 21, longitudinally extending side wall regions 41a and 41b are integrally provided. These side walls 41a and 41b constitute the above-described side walls 40a and 40b. Moreover, on one side of one of the side wall regions 41a, a first half opposed wall region 31a extending in the longitudinal direction is integrally provided. This first half opposing wall region 31a constitutes the first half 30a of the opposing wall 30 described above. On the side of the other side wall region 41b, a second half opposed wall region 31b extending in the longitudinal direction is integrally provided. This second half opposing wall region 31b constitutes the second half 30b of the opposing wall 30 described above. Further, reinforcing wall regions 51a and 51b extending in the longitudinal direction are integrally provided on the side surfaces of the first half opposed wall region 31a and the second half facing wall region 31b. These reinforcement wall regions 51a and 51b constitute the reinforcement walls 50a and 50b described above.

In Fig. 8, the boundary line (bend line) of each region is shown by broken lines for easy understanding of the present invention.

In the base wall region 21 of the press-molded plate 11, tube insertion holes 23 extending in the width direction of the base wall region 21 are provided at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base wall 21. The perimeter 23a of the tube insertion hole 23 is bent inwardly, ie toward the inside of the header formed by the burring process. Furthermore, along the centerline of the base wall region 21, a plurality of square insertion ledge engaging holes 25 are formed at predetermined intervals so as to be located between adjacent tube insertion holes 23.

Furthermore, at the positions of the side edges of the reinforcement wall regions 51a and 51b corresponding to the tube insertion holes 23 described above, a plurality of tube coupling cutouts 53a and 53b are used to terminate the reinforcement wall regions 51a and 51b. Direction at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, at the side edges of the reinforcing wall regions 51a and 51b between the adjacent tube joining cutouts 53a and 53b, a plurality of rectangular inserting ledges 55a and 55b corresponding to the aforementioned tube inserting ledge engaging holes 25 are provided. Are formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the plate 11.

In this embodiment, a bending process is performed on this press-molded plate 11 along the broken line (bending line) shown in Fig. 8 to obtain the header 10 described above. Specifically, the reinforcing wall regions 51a and 51b are bent inward by 90 ° with respect to the first half opposed wall region 31a and the second half facing wall region 31b, and the first half facing wall region 31a. And the second half opposed wall region 31b is bent inward by 90 ° with respect to the side wall regions 41a and 41b. Next, both sidewall regions 41a and 41b are bent 90 ° with respect to the base wall region 21 to fit the reinforcement wall regions 51a and 51b. Thus, the fitted insertion ledges 55a and 55b of the reinforcement wall regions 51a and 51b are respectively inserted into and coupled to the insertion ledge engaging holes 25 of the base wall region 20.

In the present invention, the order of the bending process is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be arbitrarily changed.

By the bending process described above, as shown in Figs. 1 to 6, a header 10 for use in a heat exchanger is manufactured. In this header 10, the side wall regions 41a and 41b constitute the side walls 40a and 40b, and the first half opposed wall region 31a constitutes one half 30a of the opposing wall 30, The second half opposed wall region 31b constitutes the other half 30b of the opposite wall 30, and the reinforcement wall regions 51a and 51b constitute the reinforcement walls 50a and 50b.

In this assembled state, the tube engaging cutouts 53a and 53b of the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b are arranged to face the corresponding tube insertion holes 23 of the base wall 20.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 5, both side edges of the tube insertion hole 23 formed in the base wall 20 are bent outwards in accordance with the above-described bending process to constitute the tube insertion guide 23b.

When manufacturing a heat exchanger using the above-described header 10, as shown in Figure 1, the ends of the plurality of heat exchange tubes 60 arranged in parallel to each other via the corrugated fins 70, the header ( It is inserted into the corresponding tube insertion hole 23 of 10) and engages with the tube joining notches 53a and 53b of the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b formed in the header 10 in a positioning manner.

At this time, since the tube insertion guides 23b and 23b are formed at both edges of the tube insertion hole 23 formed in the header 10 as described above (see Fig. 5), the tube ends are guides 23b and 23b. It can be guided smoothly into the tube insertion hole 23 by. Thus, insertion of the heat exchange tube 60 into the tube insertion hole 23 can be easily performed. Moreover, the positioning of the tube 60 is completed by engaging the tube ends with the tube joining cutouts 53a and 53b, so that the insertion amount and the like of the tube 60 can be automatically adjusted, which facilitates the ease of the tube 60. Enables one insertion

In this way, a pair of headers 10, a plurality of heat exchange tubes 60 arranged in parallel with each other with their opposite ends in communication with the headers 10, 10, and adjacent heat exchange tubes 60 A heat exchanger with corrugated fins 70 interposed therebetween can be obtained.

In this embodiment, the press-formed plate 11 constituting the header 10 and the heat exchange tube 60 is a solder sheet or powder brazing material in which a solder layer is clad on at least one surface of a bare member. A brazing material such as is made of a plate provided on one or more surfaces of the raw material. Next, as described above, a temporary assembled heat exchanger is obtained by alternately stacking the heat exchange tube 60 and the corrugated fins 70 between the pair of headers 10. The temporary assembled heat exchanger is then soldered in a furnace to obtain a heat exchanger.

As described above, according to the header 10 for use in the heat exchanger, since the header 10 is obtained by bending the press-molded plate 11, the header 10 only performs a series of bending press operations. Can be produced effectively.

Moreover, since the header 10 of the present embodiment is manufactured using only one sheet of the press-molded plate 11, there is no need to perform an annoying joining process such as a soldering process and / or a pinching process. This provides for a reduction in the number of parts, simplification of assembly work and reduction of manufacturing costs.

Moreover, in the header 10 of this embodiment, since the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b are disposed between the base wall 20 and the opposing wall 30, sufficient strength against internal pressure can be obtained. Accordingly, the header 10 can be applied to a refrigeration cycle using CO ₂ refrigerant, which strictly requires high pressure resistance.

Furthermore, the tube joining cutouts 53a and 53b of the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b can be formed by die cutting press forming when obtaining the press forming plate 11, such as machining to form the cutout. There is no need to perform cumbersome work, which allows for easy manufacture of the header.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, insertion ledges 55a and 55b are formed at the side edges of the reinforcement wall regions 51a and 51b of the press-molded plate 11 and the insertion ledge engaging holes 25 are formed in the base wall region 21. The insertion ledges 55a and 55b are then inserted into the insertion ledge engaging holes 25 in a positioning manner during the bending process of the press-molded plate 11. Thus, defects such as elastic restoration due to bending of the plate can be prevented, thereby stabilizing the shape of the temporary assembled product. Thus, a stabilized form of the assembled product can be maintained from the completion of the bending process until the soldering process, thereby providing improved dimensional accuracy and high quality.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the periphery 23a of the tube insertion hole 23 of the header 10 is curved inward by the burring process, so that the tube 60 is a hole. It can be guided smoothly upon insertion of the tube 60 into 23. Thus, tube insertion can be easily performed. In addition, the inwardly curved periphery 23a of the tube insertion hole 23 increases the joint area between the periphery 23a and the tube 60, thereby improving airtightness therebetween, thus further improving the quality and reliability of the header. Let's do it.

Second Embodiment

9-13 show a header 10 for use in a heat exchanger according to a second embodiment of the invention. 9 to 13, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the press-molded plate 11 constituting the header 10 includes the base wall regions 21, the side wall regions 41a, 41b, and the like. And a first half opposed wall region 31a, a second half opposed wall region 31b, and first and second reinforcement wall regions 51a and 51b. In the base wall region 21, tube insertion holes 23 are provided at predetermined intervals.

Furthermore, in the press-molded plate 11, insertion ridges 55a and 55b are alternately formed in the longitudinal direction of the plate 11 at the side edges of the first and second reinforcement wall regions 51a and 51b. Furthermore, between the adjacent tube insertion holes 23 of the base wall region 21, the first insertion ledge engagement holes 25a and the second insertion ledge engagement holes 25b corresponding to the insertion ridges 55a and 55b are zigzag. Formed alternately in a manner.

Each of the regions 31a, 31b, 41a, 41b, 51a, 51b of the press-molded plate 11 is bent to engage the reinforcement regions 51a, 51b. In this state, the insertion ledges 55a, 55b of the reinforcement regions 51a, 51b are inserted into the corresponding insertion ledge engaging holes 25a, 25b. Moreover, the tip portions of the inserting ledges 55a and 55b are bent outwardly by the coking process, whereby the bent portions 80a and 80b are coupled to the outer surface of the base wall 20. Thus, a header 10 for use in a heat exchanger is manufactured.

Since other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding parts, and the description thereof is omitted.

In the header 10 for use in the heat exchanger according to the second embodiment, an effect similar to that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

Moreover, in the header 10 for use in the heat exchanger according to the second embodiment, the inserting ledges 55a and 55b formed at the side edges of the reinforcement regions 51a and 51b of the press-molded plate 11 have a first reinforcement. Alternately formed along the longitudinal direction of the header between the region 51a and the second reinforcement region 51b, and the insertion ledge engaging holes 25a and 25b are formed in a zigzag manner corresponding to the insertion ledges 55a and 55b. do. Therefore, when the first reinforcing wall region 51a and the second reinforcing wall region 51b are bent, the insertion ridges 55a and 55b are prevented from interfering with each other. Therefore, the inserting operation of the insertion ledges 55a and 55b into the engagement holes 25a and 25b can be performed smoothly, making the manufacture of the header 10 easier.

Moreover, in the second embodiment, the tip portions of the inserting ledges 55a and 55b are bent outwardly by the caulking process so that the bent portions 80a and 80b are coupled to the outer surface of the base wall 20, thereby making them stronger. The engagement state can be obtained and the number of insertion ledges 55a and 55b can be reduced, thereby reducing the amount of material. Therefore, manufacturing cost can be reduced. Moreover, since the tip portion of the insertion ledge is caulked and fixed, defects such as elastic restoration due to the bending process can be more reliably prevented, and the shape can be stabilized. Thus, the dimensional accuracy can be further improved, and thus a high quality header product can be obtained.

When the structure in which the tip portions of the insertion ledges 55a and 55b are cocked and engaged with the outer surface of the base wall 20 is applied to the first embodiment, a similar effect to that of the second embodiment can be obtained.

Now, in the above-described embodiments, as shown in Figs. 6B and 11B, the tip portions of the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b are inserted into and joined to the base wall 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

For example, as shown in Fig. 14A, the tip ends of the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b may be soldered to the inner surface of the base wall 20 with the tip ends in contact therewith.

Moreover, as shown in Fig. 14B, the outward bending tip portions of the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b may be soldered to the inner surface of the base wall 20. In this case, a larger bonding area between the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b and the base wall 20 can be ensured, which can reliably prevent the occurrence of defects such as poor soldering.

Moreover, in the present invention, the two tip portions of the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b may be fixed to the base wall 20 by a method other than the above-described method.

For example, as shown in Fig. 14C, the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b have a tip end portion of the first reinforcing wall 50a in contact with the inner surface of the base wall 20 and the second reinforcing wall 50b. The insertion ledge 55b may be soldered to the base wall 20 while being inserted into the base wall 20.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 14D, the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b have a tip end portion of the first reinforcing wall 50a in contact with the inner surface of the base wall 20 and a bending tip of the second reinforcing wall 50b. Portion 81b may be soldered to base wall 20 in contact with base wall 20.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 14E, the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b have a bending tip portion 81a of the first reinforcing wall 50a in contact with the inner surface of the base wall 20 and the second reinforcing wall 50b. ), The insertion ledge 55b may be soldered to the base wall 20 while being in contact with the base wall 20.

Moreover, in the present invention, the tip portions of the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b do not need to extend continuously along the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing walls.

For example, as shown in FIG. 15A, the reinforcement walls 50a and 50b are formed by bending base portions 81a and 81b formed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the reinforcement walls 50a and 50b. ) And the ends between the bent tip portions may be soldered to the base wall 20 in contact with the base wall 20.

Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 15B, the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b may be formed by bending base portions 81a and 81b formed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing walls 50a and 50b. ) End 55b between the bent tip portions may be soldered to the center base wall 20 that is inserted into the base wall 20.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the tip fixing method of the aforementioned reinforcing walls 50a and 50b, that is, the insertion method, the insertion and caulking method, the joining method, the bending method and the fixing method may be arbitrarily combined.

In the above embodiment, two reinforcing walls 50a and 50b are provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the reinforcing wall region may be provided in the first half opposed wall region 31a or the second half facing wall region 31b. In other words, one of the aforementioned reinforcement walls 50a and 50b may be omitted.

As mentioned above, in the header for use in the heat exchanger according to the present invention, the base wall, the side wall, the opposing wall and the reinforcing wall are integrally formed by the bending process, thereby performing an annoying joining process such as a soldering process or a pinching process. There is no need to do it. Moreover, it is possible to reduce the number of parts. Therefore, the assembling work can be easily performed and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Moreover, since the reinforcing wall is disposed between the base wall and the opposing wall, sufficient pressure resistance can be reliably obtained.

If two reinforcing walls are provided, it is possible to further improve the pressure resistance.

Moreover, when the tube joining cutout is provided in the reinforcing wall, positioning of the tube can be performed by engaging the cutout with the end of the tube. As a result, there is an advantage that the insertion of the tube can be performed smoothly and the assembly work can be easily performed.

Moreover, when the insertion ledge formed in the reinforcing wall is inserted into and fixed in the insertion ledge engaging hole of the base wall, defects such as elastic restoration due to the bending process can be prevented and the shape of the temporary assembled product can be stabilized. Thus, dimensional accuracy can be improved and quality can be improved.

Moreover, when the insertion ledge formed in the reinforcement wall is inserted into the insertion ledge engagement hole and the insertion tip portion is bent by the caulking process to engage with the outer surface of the base wall, the reinforcement wall can be more securely fixed to the base wall. Therefore, defects such as elastic restoration can be reliably prevented, and the shape of the temporary header can be stabilized. Therefore, there is an advantage that high quality can be obtained.

Moreover, when the tip portion of the reinforcing wall is bent and fixed to the inner surface of the base wall, the joining area of the reinforcing wall to the base wall can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent a fixing defect such as a soldering defect.

Moreover, when the periphery of the tube insertion hole is curved inwardly, the periphery guides the tube upon insertion of the tube into the tube insertion hole. Thus, the tube can be easily inserted. Moreover, a larger bond area between the tube and the periphery of the tube insertion hole can be obtained, providing improved airtight therebetween, thus improving quality and reliability.

On the other hand, according to the header manufacturing method according to the present invention, since the method relates to one of the above-described manufacturing steps of the header, the same effects as described above can be obtained.

Moreover, according to the heat exchanger according to the present invention, since the heat exchanger uses a header for use in the heat exchanger described above, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

Furthermore, according to the header manufacturing method according to the present invention, since the method uses the header for use in the heat exchanger described above, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

The terminology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and the use of such terms and expressions is not intended to exclude the equivalents or portions of the features shown and described, and are intended to be within the scope of the claimed invention. It is recognized that in the various variations are possible.

The header of the present invention can be suitably used in heat exchangers such as condensers and evaporators for use in refrigeration systems for automotive air conditioners.

Claims (48)

A base wall having a plurality of tube insertion holes for inserting heat exchange tubes formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base wall; An opposite wall positioned opposite the base wall, A pair of side walls disposed on both sides of the base wall and the opposing wall and connecting the side walls; A reinforcement wall disposed between the base wall and the opposing wall along their longitudinal direction and connecting the base wall to the opposing wall, The side wall is integrally formed on both sides of the base wall by a bending process, The first half of the opposing wall, which constitutes one half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on one side of one of the sidewalls by a bending process, The second half of the opposing wall, which constitutes the other half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on the other side of the side wall by a bending process, And the reinforcing wall is integrally formed on at least one of the side surfaces of the first half of the opposing wall and the second half of the opposing wall by a bending process. 2. The header of claim 1 wherein the reinforcing wall is integrally formed on each side of the first half of the opposing wall and the second half of the opposing wall. 3. The header of claim 1 or 2, wherein the side edge of the reinforcement wall opposite the base wall is integrally soldered to the base wall. 3. The header of claim 2 wherein the reinforcing walls are fitted together and soldered together integrally. 5. The reinforcing wall according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reinforcing wall has a tube joining cutout portion formed at a position corresponding to the plurality of tube inserting holes, whereby the plurality of the inserted inserts into the tube inserting holes. And a heat exchange tube is engaged with the tube coupling cutout in a positioning manner. 6. The reinforcement wall according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the reinforcement wall has an insertion ledge at a base wall side edge of the reinforcement wall opposite the base wall, the base wall corresponding to the insertion ledge. And an insertion ledge coupling hole in the insertion ledge, each insertion ledge being inserted into and coupled to the insertion ledge coupling hole. 7. The header of claim 6 wherein the insertion ledge is integrally soldered to the base wall with the insertion ledge inserted into the insertion ledge engaging hole. 8. The header of claim 6 or 7, wherein the insertion ledge is intermittently formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the header. The tip portion of the insertion ledge is inserted into the insertion ledge engaging hole, and the tip portion of the insertion ledge is bent and joined to the outer surface of the base wall. Header for use in heat exchangers. 10. The header according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the peripheral edge of the tube insertion hole is curved inwardly. 3. The header of claim 1 or 2, wherein said reinforcement wall has a side edge opposite said base wall, said side edge abutting an inner surface of said base wall. 12. The header of claim 11 wherein the side edges of the reinforcement wall are integrally soldered to the base wall. 13. The header of claim 11 or 12, wherein the side edges of the reinforcing wall abut the base wall continuously along the longitudinal direction of the header. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the side edge portion of the reinforcing wall facing the base wall is bent outward to form a bent portion, and the bent portion is fixed to an inner surface of the base wall. Header to use. 15. The header of claim 14 wherein the bent portion of the reinforcement wall is integrally soldered to the base wall. The header of claim 14 or 15, wherein the bent portion of the reinforcing wall is formed continuously along the longitudinal direction of the header. 16. The header of claim 14 or 15, wherein the bent portion of the reinforcing wall is formed intermittently at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the header. 18. The header of claim 17 wherein a side edge of the reinforcing wall between longitudinally adjacent bent portions of the header abuts the base wall. The reinforcement wall of claim 17, wherein the reinforcement wall has an insertion ledge at a side edge of the reinforcement wall opposite the base wall between the longitudinally adjacent bent portions of the header, the base wall corresponding to the insertion ledge. And an insertion ledge coupling hole in the insertion ledge, the insertion ledge being inserted into and coupled to the insertion ledge coupling hole. 3. The insertion ledge of claim 2, wherein one of the reinforcement walls has an insertion ledge at a side edge opposite the base wall, the base wall has an insertion ledge engaging hole at a position corresponding to the insertion ledge, and the insertion ledge. Is inserted into and coupled to the insertion ledge engaging hole, the side edge of the other of the reinforcing walls facing the base wall abuts on an inner surface of the base wall. 3. The insertion ledge of claim 2, wherein one of the reinforcement walls has an insertion ledge at a side edge opposite the base wall, the base wall has an insertion ledge engaging hole at a position corresponding to the insertion ledge, and the insertion ledge. Is inserted into and coupled to the insertion ledge coupling hole, wherein the other side edge portion of the reinforcement wall facing the base wall has an outwardly bent portion and the bent portion is fixed to an inner surface of the base wall. Header for use with the exchange. 22. The header of claim 21 wherein said insertion ledge of one of said reinforcing walls is formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of said header. 22. The header of claim 21 wherein said bent portion of the other of said reinforcing walls is formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of said header. The reinforcing wall of claim 2, wherein one of the reinforcing walls is disposed such that a side edge of one of the reinforcing walls facing the base wall is in contact with the base wall, and the other of the reinforcing walls is the other of the reinforcing walls. And one side edge portion is arranged to bend outwardly to form a bent portion, wherein the bent portion is fixed to an inner surface of the base wall. 25. The header of claim 24 wherein said bent portion of the other of said reinforcing walls is formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of said header. A base wall having a plurality of tube insertion holes for inserting heat exchange tubes formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base wall; An opposite wall positioned opposite the base wall, A pair of side walls disposed on both sides of the base wall and the opposing wall and connecting the side walls; A reinforcement wall disposed between the base wall and the opposing wall along their longitudinal direction and connecting the base wall to the opposing wall, The side wall is integrally formed on both sides of the base wall by a bending process, The first half of the opposing wall, which constitutes one half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on one side of one of the sidewalls by a bending process, The second half of the opposing wall, which constitutes the other half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on the other side of the side wall by a bending process, The reinforcing wall is integrally formed on each side of the first half of the opposing wall and the second half of the opposing wall by a bending process, Insertion ledges are formed at the side edges of the reinforcement wall opposite the base wall at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the header, An insertion ledge of one of the reinforcement walls and an insertion ledge of the other of the reinforcement walls are alternately disposed along the longitudinal direction of the header, The base wall has an insertion ledge engaging hole at a position corresponding to the insertion ledge, And the insertion ledge is inserted into and coupled to a corresponding insertion ledge engaging hole. 27. The header of claim 26, wherein the insertion ledge engagement hole is formed along the longitudinal direction of the header in a zigzag manner. 28. The method of claim 26 or 27, wherein the tip portion of the insertion ledge is bent to form a bent portion with the insertion ledge inserted into the insertion ledge engaging hole, wherein the bend is coupled to an outer surface of the base wall. Header for use in a heat exchanger, characterized in that. 29. The header of claim 28 wherein the bent portion is formed by bending the tip portion of the insertion ledge by a caulking process. A base wall having a plurality of tube insertion holes for inserting heat exchange tubes formed at predetermined intervals in a longitudinal direction of the base wall, an opposing wall positioned opposite the base wall, and both side surfaces of the base wall and the opposing wall; A pair of side walls disposed in and connecting the side walls, and a reinforcement wall disposed along their longitudinal direction between the base wall and the opposing wall and connecting the base wall to the opposing wall. As a header manufacturing method for use, A base wall region having the plurality of tube insertion holes extending in a longitudinal direction of the forming plate, a pair of side wall regions formed on both sides of the base wall region and extending in the longitudinal direction, and a side of the base wall region A first half region of the opposing wall formed in one of and extending in the longitudinal direction, a second half region of the opposing wall formed in the other of the side of the base wall region and extending in the longitudinal direction, and the opposing wall Preparing a forming plate comprising a reinforcing wall region formed in at least one of the first and second half regions of said reinforcing wall region, Bending the reinforcement wall region with respect to the first half region of the opposing wall and / or the second half region of the opposing wall; Bending the first half region of the opposing wall and / or the second half region of the opposing wall with respect to the sidewall region; By bending the side wall region with respect to the base wall region, the base wall, the side wall, the opposing wall and the reinforcing wall are respectively composed of the base wall region, the side wall region, the opposing wall region and the reinforcing wall region. Obtaining a header, wherein said method comprises the steps of: obtaining a header. 31. The header manufacture of claim 30 wherein in the forming plate preparation step, the reinforcing wall region is formed on each side of the first half region and the second half region of the opposing wall. Way. 31. The method according to claim 30, wherein in the forming plate preparation step, the end of the heat exchange tube inserted into the tube insertion hole of the reinforcing wall corresponding to the plurality of tube insertion holes is joined to the joining notch in a positioning manner. A method for producing a header for use in a heat exchanger, characterized in that a tube joining cutout is formed in the portion. 33. The base plate according to any one of claims 30 to 32, wherein in the forming plate preparation step, an insertion ledge is formed at the sidewall side edge of the reinforcement wall, and an insertion ledge coupling hole corresponds to the insertion ledge. And a step of inserting said insertion ledge into said insertion ledge coupling hole. 34. The molding plate according to any one of claims 30 to 33, wherein in the forming plate preparation step, the forming plate is formed by die cutting and pressing a brazing sheet having a brazing layer clad on at least one surface. Header manufacturing method for use in heat exchangers. 35. The method of claim 34, further comprising soldering the assembly obtained by the bending steps in a furnace. A pair of headers for use in heat exchangers, A plurality of heat exchange tubes disposed parallel to each other between the pair of headers with their opposite ends in communication with the header, At least one of the pair of headers, A base wall having a plurality of tube insertion holes for inserting the heat exchange tubes formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base wall; An opposite wall positioned opposite the base wall, A pair of side walls disposed on both sides of the base wall and the opposing wall and connecting the side walls; A reinforcement wall disposed between the base wall and the opposing wall along their longitudinal direction and connecting the base wall to the opposing wall, The side wall is integrally formed on both sides of the base wall by a bending process, The first half of the opposing wall, which constitutes one half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on one side of one of the sidewalls by a bending process, The second half of the opposing wall, which constitutes the other half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on the other side of the side wall by a bending process, And the reinforcing wall is integrally formed on at least one of the side surfaces of the first half of the opposing wall and the second half of the opposing wall by a bending process. 37. The tube of claim 36, wherein the reinforcing wall has a tube engaging cutout formed at a position corresponding to the plurality of tube inserting holes, whereby each end of the plurality of heat exchange tubes inserted into the tube inserting hole is Heat exchanger with the tube coupling cutout in a positioning manner. 38. The heat exchanger of claim 36 or 37, wherein each end of the plurality of heat exchange tubes is soldered to the header. A pair of headers for use in heat exchangers, A plurality of heat exchange tubes disposed parallel to each other between the pair of headers with their opposite ends in communication with the header, At least one of the pair of headers, A base wall having a plurality of tube insertion holes for inserting the heat exchange tubes formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base wall; An opposite wall positioned opposite the base wall, A pair of side walls disposed on both sides of the base wall and the opposing wall and connecting the side walls; A reinforcement wall disposed between the base wall and the opposing wall along their longitudinal direction and connecting the base wall to the opposing wall, The side wall is integrally formed on both sides of the base wall by a bending process, The first half of the opposing wall, which constitutes one half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on one side of one of the sidewalls by a bending process, The second half of the opposing wall, which constitutes the other half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on the other side of the side wall by a bending process, Each of the reinforcing walls is integrally formed on each side surface of the first half of the opposing wall and the second half of the opposing wall by a bending process, Each of the reinforcement walls has an insertion ledge at a base wall side edge of the reinforcement wall opposite the base wall formed at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the header, An insertion ledge of one of the reinforcement walls and an insertion ledge of the other of the reinforcement walls are alternately disposed in the longitudinal direction of the header, The base wall has an insertion ledge engaging hole at a position corresponding to the insertion ledge, The insertion ledges being inserted into and coupled to the insertion ledge coupling holes, respectively. 40. The tube of claim 39, wherein the reinforcing wall has a tube engaging cutout formed at a position corresponding to the plurality of tube inserting holes, whereby each end of the plurality of heat exchange tubes inserted into the tube inserting hole is Heat exchanger with the tube coupling cutout in a positioning manner. 41. The heat exchanger of claim 39 or 40, wherein each end of the plurality of heat exchange tubes is soldered to the header. 42. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 39 to 41, wherein the insertion ledge engagement hole is formed in a zigzag manner in the longitudinal direction of the header. Preparing a pair of headers for use in a heat exchanger, Preparing a plurality of heat exchange tubes, Disposing the plurality of heat exchange tubes parallel to each other between the pair of headers with their opposite ends in communication with the header, At least one of the pair of headers, A base wall having a plurality of tube insertion holes for inserting heat exchange tubes formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base wall; An opposite wall positioned opposite the base wall, A pair of side walls disposed on both sides of the base wall and the opposing wall and connecting the side walls; A reinforcement wall disposed between the base wall and the opposing wall along their longitudinal direction and connecting the base wall to the opposing wall, The side wall is integrally formed on both sides of the base wall by a bending process, The first half of the opposing wall, which constitutes one half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on one side of one of the sidewalls by a bending process, The second half of the opposing wall, which constitutes the other half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on the other side of the side wall by a bending process, And the reinforcing wall is integrally formed on at least one of side surfaces of the first half of the opposing wall and the second half of the opposing wall by a bending process. The method of claim 43, wherein the header preparation step comprises: A base wall region having the plurality of tube insertion holes extending in a longitudinal direction of the forming plate, a pair of side wall regions formed on both sides of the base wall region and extending in the longitudinal direction, and a side of the base wall region A first half region of the opposing wall formed in one of and extending in the longitudinal direction, a second half region of the opposing wall formed in the other of the side of the base wall region and extending in the longitudinal direction, and the opposing wall Preparing a forming plate comprising a reinforcing wall region formed in at least one of the first and second half regions of said reinforcing wall region, Bending the reinforcement wall region with respect to the first half region of the opposing wall and / or the second half region of the opposing wall; Bending the first half region of the opposing wall and / or the second half region of the opposing wall with respect to the sidewall region; Bending the side wall area with respect to the base wall area. 45. The method of claim 43 or 44, wherein each end of the plurality of heat exchange tubes is soldered to the header. Preparing a pair of headers for use in a heat exchanger, Preparing a plurality of heat exchange tubes, Disposing the plurality of heat exchange tubes parallel to each other between the pair of headers with their opposite ends in communication with the header, At least one of the pair of headers, A base wall having a plurality of tube insertion holes for inserting heat exchange tubes formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base wall; An opposite wall positioned opposite the base wall, A pair of side walls disposed on both sides of the base wall and the opposing wall and connecting the side walls; A reinforcement wall disposed between the base wall and the opposing wall along their longitudinal direction and connecting the base wall to the opposing wall, The side wall is integrally formed on both sides of the base wall by a bending process, The first half of the opposing wall, which constitutes one half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on one side of one of the sidewalls by a bending process, The second half of the opposing wall, which constitutes the other half of the opposing wall, is integrally formed on the other side of the side wall by a bending process, Each of the reinforcing walls is integrally formed on each side surface of the first half of the opposing wall and the second half of the opposing wall by a bending process, Each of the reinforcement walls has an insertion ledge at the base wall side edge of the reinforcement wall opposite the base wall at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the header, An insertion ledge of one of the reinforcement walls and an insertion ledge of the other of the reinforcement walls are alternately disposed in the longitudinal direction of the header, The base wall has an insertion ledge engaging hole at a position corresponding to the insertion ledge, And wherein the insertion ledges are respectively inserted into and coupled to the insertion ledge coupling holes. The method of claim 46, wherein the header preparation step, A base wall region having a plurality of tube insertion holes extending in a longitudinal direction of the forming plate, a pair of side wall regions formed on both sides of the base wall region and extending in the longitudinal direction, and a side of the base wall region A first half region of the opposing wall formed in one and extending in the longitudinal direction, a second half region of the opposing wall formed in the other of the side of the base wall region and extending in the longitudinal direction; Preparing a forming plate comprising a reinforcing wall region formed in at least one of the first and second half regions and extending in the longitudinal direction; Bending the reinforcement wall region with respect to the first half region of the opposing wall and / or the second half region of the opposing wall; Bending the first half region of the opposing wall and / or the second half region of the opposing wall with respect to the sidewall region; Bending the side wall area with respect to the base wall area. 48. The method of claim 46 or 47, wherein said plurality of heat exchange tubes are soldered to said header.