Load bearing spacer for skylight installations

A spacer frame, for creating an insulating glass unit with a structural glass panel and a thermal glass panel, comprising:

• four spacer members, each spacer member having:
• a top surface, a bottom surface, an inner edge, and an outer edge, a first end and a second end, the top surface is adapted to support the structural glass panel, and the bottom surface is adapted to rest upon the thermal glass panel;
• a slab part, the slab part extending from the inner edge, having an upper edge that both coincides and is coplanar with the top surface, a lower edge that both coincides and is coplanar with the bottom surface, the slab part elongated from the inner edge and substantially solid between the upper edge and lower edge, the slab part is adapted to carry the weight of the structural glass panel;
• a tube part, the tube part having an outer wall at the outer edge, the tube part having an upper wall that both coincides and is coplanar with the top surface, a lower wall that both coincides and is coplanar with the bottom surface, the tube part adjoining the slab part, and having a tube hollow between the upper wall, lower wall, and outer wall;
• and
• wherein for each spacer member the slab part has a slab thickness, the slab thickness being a constant thickness from the inner edge to the tube part
• desiccant material, contained within the tube part, for absorbing moisture in air adjacent to the inner edge;
• and
• wherein the spacer members are joined together, with the first end of each of the spacer members joined to the second end of another of the spacer members, the inner edges of the spacer members together creating an inner rectangular region.

A spacer for creating an insulating glass unit using a structural glass panel and a thermal glass panel, comprising:

• a top surface, a bottom surface, an inner edge, and an outer edge, the top surface is adapted to support the structural glass panel, and the bottom surface is adapted to rest upon the thermal glass panel;
• a slab part, the slab part extending from the inner edge, having an upper edge that both coincides and is coplanar with the top surface, a lower edge that both coincides and is coplanar with the bottom surface, the slab part is substantially solid between the upper edge and lower edge and has a slab thickness therebetween the slab thickness being a constant thickness from the inner edge to a tube part, the slab part is adapted to carry the weight of the structural glass panel;
• the tube part having an outer wall at the outer edge, the tube part having an upper wall that both coincides and is coplanar with the top surface, a lower wall that both coincides and is coplanar with the bottom surface, and a tube thickness therebetween wherein the slab thickness and the tube thickness are the same, the tube part adjoining the slab part, and having a tube hollow between the upper wall, lower wall, and outer wall, wherein the slab part is elongated from the inner edge toward the tube part;
• and
• desiccant material, contained within the tube part, for absorbing moisture in air adjacent to the inner edge.