Patent ID: 7712273

Claim:
A thermal breaker assembly, for connecting roofing panels to joist members of a roofing substructure so as to effectively prevent the transmission of thermal gradients between the roofing panels and the joist members, comprising: a clip member; an axially oriented slot defined within said clip member; tab structure connected to said clip member and adapted to be connected to side edge portions of adjacent roofing panels so as to connect the side edge portions of the adjacent roofing panels together, said tab structure having a lug member projecting through said slot defined within said clip member so as to permit said tab structure to be movably mounted upon said clip member; a thermal breaker, having a predetermined axial extent, fabricated from thermal insulation material, having a base portion for seating upon and connection to at least one of the joist members of the roofing substructure, and adapted to be connected to said clip member so as to effectively prevent the transmission of thermal gradients between the roofing panels and the at least one of the joist members of the roofing substructure; and first structure integrally incorporated upon an undersurface portion of said thermal breaker for rendering said undersurface portion of said thermal breaker non-planar so as to minimize the surface-to-surface contact defined between said thermal breaker and the at least one of the joist members of the roofing substructure and thereby minimize the transmission of thermal gradients between the at least one of the joist members of the roofing substructure and the roofing panels.