Discharge lamps

In high pressure discharge lamps such as Xenon lamps the envelope ends are enclosed in end caps providing electrical connection and support. Existing end caps provide excessively rigid electrical connection with insufficient support allowing the risk of the quartz envelope cracking. Electrical connection of the end cap (23, 24) to the leg (3) of the quartz envelope (2) is provided by a braided wire lead (28) opened out to a wire basket disposed around the end (16) of the leg and electrically connected via a molybdenum wire (26) to the usual foil seals (21). This provides a relatively flexible connection and filling the end cap with saureisen cement (38) then provides relatively rigid support.