Patent ID: 7546708

Claim:
A glazing panel system providing light transmission therethrough comprising: a first glazing panel of plastic; an upstanding seam flange on an end of the glazing panel and being joined at its lower end to the first glazing panel; a first end on the first glazing panel; a second glazing panel of plastic; a first end on the second glazing panel; an upstanding seam flange joined at its lower end to the first end of the second glazing panel; a retention clip being disposed between adjacent first ends of the first and second glazing panels and being adjacent their respective upstanding seam flanges; a base flange on the retention clip for connection to a lower support and having a first base flange section and a second base flange section; a pair of face-to-face upstanding web sections on the retention clip disposed between the adjacent seam flanges, each upstanding web section joined at its lower end to a respective base flange section; a welded portion joining the face-to-face-upstanding web sections together to form an upstanding central web for the retention clip; a top flange having a top part joined to and substantially parallel to a first bottom part and to a second bottom part, each bottom part joined to an upstanding web section and the top part covering a space defined by the upstanding web sections, the top flange projecting laterally and the bottom parts engaging the seam flanges to hold the same against uplift forces; and a plurality of ribs formed on the top part of the top flange to stiffen the same to resist bending by the upstanding seam flanges experiencing the uplift forces; wherein the ribs extend across the top part of the top flange and are oriented in a generally normal direction to bend lines joining the top flange to the upstanding, central web to stiffen the top flange and resist uplift of the top flange.