Abstract: A backlight apparatus has a light guide plate with a side surface through which the light from a light source enters The light source extends longitudinally in a specific direction. The light guide plate has a light emitting surface and a back surface opposed to the emitting surface. Horizontal grooves are formed on the back surface parallel to the longitudinal direction of the light source. A width of a flat portion defined between the grooves decreases as goes away form the light source.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus including a polarization plane rotary unit arranged between a semiconductor laser and an objective lens, and a polarizing film arranged between the polarization plane rotary unit and the objective lens. The polarization plane rotary unit includes liquid crystal, two glass plates sandwiching the liquid crystal, and transparent electrodes patterned to a predetermined configuration on an inner face of these glass planes. The polarization plane rotary unit permits passage of the laser beam without rotating the plane of polarization of the entire laser beam at the time of recording, and permits passage of the laser beam with the plane of polarization of the center portion of the laser beam rotated and the plane of polarization of the remaining outer portion of the laser beam not rotated at the time of reproduction. Only the outer portion of the laser beam is focused on a magneto-optical disk in a reproduction mode, so that a main beam of a small spot is formed by mutual interference.

Abstract: A light guide plate is provided including a first lens portion comprising a plurality of recessed or projected lenticular unit lenses formed of the same resin as that of the light guide plate on a light emission surface. The plurality of lenticular unit lenses in the first lens portion are triangular prism portions whose respective vertexes have an angle of 125.degree. to 165.degree. and are so arranged that their respective ridge lines are nearly parallel to each other. Such construction makes it possible to set the number of lenticular lens sheets used to one or to further eliminate the necessity of the lenticular lens sheets, so that the cost of parts and the fabrication cost of the light guide plate can be reduced.

Abstract: An optical disc readout apparatus is disclosured. The apparatus adjusts an optical system which leads the laser beam output from the laser diode to the objective according to the board thickness of the optical disc, and focuses the laser beam onto the information-bearing surface of the disc by the collaboration of the adjusted optical system with the objective. The adjustment can be achieved by, for example, advancing the correction lens to the optical path of the optical system or retreating the correction lens from such optical path. An another apparatus is disclosured. The another apparatus is provided with a first optical system which leads the laser beam output from the first laser diode to the common optical system and a second optical system which leads the laser beam output from the second laser diode to the common optical system. Either the first optical system or the second optical system includes a correction lens. One of the systems is selected according to a type of the loaded disc.

Abstract: An optical pick-up comprising a laser source (laser diode), a plurality of optical elements, beam splitter, focusing means (microlens) and detecting means (photo diode) is disclosed. The plurality of optical elements focuses a laser beam which is emitted from the laser diode onto a magneto-optic disc, and focuses a laser beam which is reflected from the magneto-optic disc onto a photo detector. The beam splitter splits the laser beam, which is emitted from the laser diode, by reflecting a part of the laser beam at a first surface and by refracting the other part of the laser beam at the first surface. The reflected part is entered into the optical elements and the refracted part is passed through the beam splitter and then emerged from a second surface. The microlens is integrally formed on the second surface of the beam splitter by the ion exchanging method. And the microlens focuses the beam which is emerged from the second surface. The photo diode detects the beam which is focused by the microlens.