Patent ID: 7973479

Claim:
A discharge lamp for a vehicle comprising: a ceramic luminous tube made of ceramic; a front side electrode and a rear side electrode held by the ceramic luminous tube and separately arranged in a front and rear direction; a first lead wire connected to the front side electrode and located in a front side of the front side electrode; a second lead wire connected to the rear side electrode and located in a rear side of the rear side electrode; a third lead wire having a front end portion connected to the first lead wire; an outer tube that is made of glass and covers and accommodates the ceramic luminous tube, the first lead wire, the second lead wire and the third lead wire; and a socket having a first connection terminal to which a rear end portion of the second lead wire is connected and also having a second connection terminal to which a rear end portion of the third lead wire is connected, wherein the ceramic luminous tube includes a luminous portion and a pair of small diameter tube portions, outer diameters of the small diameter tube portions are smaller than an outer diameter of the luminous portion, and the small diameter tube portions are respectively continued to both end portions of the luminous portion in the front and rear direction, wherein the luminous portion is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the front and rear direction, wherein the third lead wire includes a horizontal portion extending in the front and rear direction above the luminous portion, wherein the outer tube is formed into a shape extending in the front and rear direction, and wherein a central axis extending in the front and rear direction of the luminous portion is offset from a central axis extending in the front and rear direction of the outer tube.