Patent ID: 6895720

Claim:
A connector for use in making an insulating composite wall structure, the connector comprising a body having a penetrating segment configured to reside within a first structural layer, a wailing segment configured to reside within a second structural layer, and a mesial segment between the penetration and trailing segments configured to reside within an insulating layer when the connector is in use, the body comprising: two sidewalls that are spaced apart and that have a width or diameter; a web portion extending between the two sidewalls, the web portion having a thickness that is less than the width or diameter of the sidewalls; a tapered end configured to facilitate penetration of the connector through an insulating layer and a layer of unhardened structural material adjacent to the insulating layer; orienting means, disposed at or near where the mesial and trailing segments intersect, for limiting penetration of the connector through an insulating layer at a predetermined depth; and anchoring means far anchoring at least one of the penetrating and trailing segments within a corresponding layer of hardened structural material.