Abstract: A liquid crystal display device (1) of the present invention includes a display panel (3) and a backlight (2) (an illumination device). The backlight (2) includes a light-emitting layer (20) in which a plurality of light sources (5) are scattered and a diffuser (7) (a diffusion layer) that is formed on the light-emitting layer and diffuses light from the light-emitting layer. The light sources (5) that are present within the light-emitting layer (20) emit light in a direction (a direction of an arrow) substantially parallel to a boundary surface between the light-emitting layer (20) and the diffuser (7). In the diffuser (7), a transmittance of light in an area (7c) close to each of the light sources is smaller than a transmittance of light in an area that is far from each of the light sources.

Abstract: A light guide element (7) including a light-emitting section (7b) having a light-emitting surface (7a) which allows light emitted from a dot-like light source (6) to produce a surface emission; an light guide section (7c) for guiding the light emitted from the light source (6) to the light-emitting section (7b); and diffusing means (9) for diffusing incident light, wherein the diffusing means (9) is provided in at least part of a region extending from (i) a boundary surface (8) between the light-emitting section (7b) and the light guide section (7c) to (ii) a halfway point between the boundary surface (8) and that end of the light guide section (7c) which is closer to the light source (6).

Abstract: An illumination device (L) includes a plurality of light source units (20) each having a light guide plate (1) and a plurality of light sources (21). The light guide plate (1) has an illumination region (4) through which incident beams of light from the light sources (21) are emitted outward and a light guide region (3) through which the incident beams of light from the light sources (21) are guided toward the illumination region (4), with the light guide region (3) and the illumination region (4) laid side-by-side. The illumination region (4) is divided into a plurality of light-emitting sections (9) by slit sections (8), provided in such a way as to extend along directions of optical axes of the light sources (21), which restrict transmission of light. At least one of the light sources (21) is provided to each of the light-emitting sections (9) in such a way as to be placed side-by-side along the light guide region (3).

Abstract: A backlight (illumination device) of this invention includes a plurality of light source units (12) each including (i) at least one light source (5) and (ii) a light guide body (7) for surface-emitting light which has come from the at least one light source. In the light source unit (12), the light source is disposed at one end portion of the light guide body (7), and another end portion of the light guide body (7), opposite to the one end portion, has a thickness from 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm. As a result, it is possible to further improve luminance uniformity in an illumination device including a plurality of light guide bodies.

Abstract: A backlight (illumination device) 2 of the present invention includes light sources 5, optical guides 7 and 17 for causing a surface emission of light from the light sources 5, and a diffusing plate 8 for diffusing the light emitted via the optical guides 7 and 17. The diffusing plate 8 faces light-emitting surfaces of the optical guides 7 and 17, and is provided with a light-amount adjusting section 11 made from a transflective material and for causing a reduction in amount of light transmitted therethrough. The light-amount adjusting section 11 is provided to correspond to a region which causes a bright line due to the light from the light sources 5, i.e., so that its orthogonal projection to a light-emitting region defined by the light-emitting surfaces covers a boundary between the optical guides 7 and 17. By the above, an illumination device providing high luminance uniformity can be obtained.

Abstract: A light-emitting element (11) of the present invention includes: a light source (5a); a light guide (7) having a light-emitting surface (7a); and a maintaining section (10), the light source (5a) having directivity which causes components of the light travel in a first direction, which is parallel to the light-emitting surface (7a), to be more than those in a direction perpendicular to the light-emitting surface (7a), the light guide (7) having a light-receiving surface for receiving the components of the light traveling in the first direction, the maintaining section (10) being provided in a first region, indicative of a lowest level of luminance, on the light-emitting surface (7a) in a case where luminance over the light-emitting surface (7) is divided into a plurality of levels between a low luminance and a high luminance. This makes it possible to produce a light-emitting element and an illumination device each of which has improved uniformity of the luminance over the light-emitting surface.

Abstract: A backlight (2; illumination device) includes multiple light guide units (11) each including: a light source (5); and a light guide plate (7) for diffusing, for surface emission, light from the light source (5). Each light guide plate (7, 7 . . . ) includes: a light-emitting section (7b) having a light-emitting surface (7a); and a light guide section (7c) for guiding, to the light-emitting section, light from the light source (5), a light-emitting section (7b) of one of any adjacent two of the light guide plates (7) being provided above a light guide section (7c) of the other light guide plate (7).

Abstract: A backlight (illumination device; 2) of the present invention includes: multiple light sources (5); and multiple light guides (7, 17, . . . ) for causing surface emission of light from the light sources (5). Each of the light guides (7, 17, . . . ) includes: a light-emitting section (7b, 17b, . . . ) having a light-emitting surface (7a); and a light guide section (7c) for guiding, to the light-emitting section (7b, 17b, . . . ), light from the light sources (5), a light-emitting section (7b) of a first light guide (7) being provided above a light guide section (17c) of a second light guide (17) adjacent to the first light guide (7). A light amount adjusting section (11) for reducing the amount of light incident on it is provided between the light-emitting section (7b) of the first light guide (7) and the light-emitting section (17b) of the second light guide. This allows for production of an illumination device having further improved luminance uniformity.

Abstract: An illumination device includes a plurality of light source units (20) each having a light guide plate and at least one light source. The light guide plate is provided with an illumination region (4) through which an incident beam of light from the at least one light source is emitted outward and a light guide region (3) through which the incident beam of light from the at least one light source is guided toward the illumination region (4), with the illumination region (4) and the light guide region (3) laid side-by-side. Light source units (20) adjacent to each other along a direction of an optical axis of the at least one light source are disposed so that the illumination region (4) of one of the light source units (20) covers at least a part of the light guide region (3) of the other light source unit (20).

Abstract: An illumination device (30) includes a plurality of light source units (BLU) each having a light guide plate (1) and a plurality of light sources (21). The light guide plate (1) has an illumination region (4) through which incident beams of light from the light sources (21) are emitted outward and a light guide region (3) through which the incident beams of light from the light sources (21) are guided toward the illumination region (4), with the light guide region (3) and the illumination region (4) laid side-by-side. The illumination region (4) is divided into a plurality of light-emitting sections by slit sections (8), provided in such a way as to extend along directions of optical axes of the light sources (21), which restrict transmission of light. At least one of the light sources (21) is provided to each of the light-emitting sections in such a way as to be placed side-by-side along the light guide region (3).

Abstract: A backlight includes a spot-shaped light source and a light guide unit including a light guide arranged to diffuse and surface emit light from the light source. The light guide unit includes a substrate to dispose and fixate the light source and the light guide. Protruding sections are provided on an incident surface of the light guide upon which light from the light source is incident, so as to protrude in a direction opposite to an incident direction of the light from the light source. Further, the light guide is fixedly disposed on the substrate by connecting the protruding sections to the substrate. As a result, with the illumination device including the light source and the light guide, it is possible to achieve an illumination device with a higher light use efficiency and higher luminance homogeneity.

Abstract: A backlight (illuminating device) of the present invention is a tandem type backlight including a plurality of light-emitting units (11) including at least one point light source (5) and a light guide plate (7) for causing light from the at least one point light source to be diffused and surface-emitted. In each of the light-emitting units (11), a length X of a light guide area (9) is set so that an area, on a boundary surface between a light-emitting area (10) and the light guide area (9), of a cross-section of a light beam that is emitted from the at least one point light source (5) and is diffused in the light guide plate (7) is equal to or larger than an area of the boundary surface (interface). Moreover, a length X, in a length direction D1, of the light guide area is smaller than a length Y, in the length direction D1, of the light-emitting area, the length direction being a direction pointing from the at least one point light source (5) toward the light-emitting area (10).

Abstract: A first light guide plate of a light-emitting element is formed by a plurality of strip-shaped light guide bodies arranged in parallel with each other, where each strip-shaped light guide body has a light incident surface on which light from a light source is incident, and a light-emitting surface from which light from the light incident surface is emitted, and on which a plurality of prisms are formed. A second light guide plate of the light-emitting element is positioned so as to face the light-emitting surface side of the first light guide plate, has prisms formed on a surface of the first light guide plate side in a shape that meshes with a shape of the prisms of the first light guide plate, and is formed by a fewer number of light guide bodies arranged in parallel than the strip-shaped light guide bodies.

Abstract: A backlight (illumination device) according to the present invention includes a plurality of light sources, and a light guiding body for causing light emitted from the light sources to be emitted from a light emitting surface. The light sources are provided inside the light guiding body, and emit light in directions which are substantially parallel to a light emitting surface of the light guiding body. At least two of the plurality of light sources emit the light in directions which are different from each other. More specifically, at least two of the plurality of light sources are provided so as to face each other, and provided so that one of the plurality of light sources emits light toward the other one of the plurality of light sources, and vice versa.

Abstract: A light emitting element (1) includes: a plurality of light emitting diodes [3 (R1, G11, . . . )] of two or more colors; and a light guide plate (4) for causing light from the respective plurality of light emitting diodes [3 (R1, G11, . . . )] to surface-emit. The light emitting diodes are provided along the light guide plate (4) in a given order. The light guide plate (4) includes: a color mixing section (5) for mixing colors of light from the respective plurality of light emitting diodes [3 (R1, G11, . . . )]; and a display section (6) for causing the light, which has been subjected to a color mixture by the color mixing section (5), to surface-emit. The plurality of light emitting diodes [3 (R1, G11, . . . )] decrease in their respective luminous intensities from a center toward ends of the light guide plate (4).

Abstract: A backlight (2; illumination device) includes multiple light guide units (11) each including: a light source (5); and a light guide plate (7) for diffusing, for surface emission, light from the light source (5). Each light guide plate (7, 7 . . . ) includes: a light-emitting section (7b) having a light-emitting surface (7a); and a light guide section (7c) for guiding, to the light-emitting section, light from the light source (5), a light-emitting section (7b) of one of any adjacent two of the light guide plates (7) being provided above a light guide section (7c) of the other light guide plate (7).

Abstract: A light-emitting element (1) includes a plurality of light-emitting diodes [3(R1, G11, . . . )] of two or more different colors, and a light-guiding member (4) for emitting, in the form of plane emission, light emitted by the plurality of light-emitting diodes [3(R1, G11, . . . )]. The plurality of light-emitting diodes are arranged in a predetermined order along the light-guiding member (4). A scattering member (31) for scattering light is provided on that side surface of the light-guiding member (4) which faces in a width direction (i.e., a direction along the direction that the light-emitting diodes (3) are arranged). Thus obtained is a white light source, free from coloration attributed to the color of a light-emitting diode disposed next to a side edge surface, whose colors have been sufficiently mixed.

Abstract: A backlight (illumination device; 2) of the present invention includes: multiple light sources (5); multiple light guide plates (7, 17, . . . ) for causing surface emission of light from the light sources (5); and a diffusing plate (8) for diffusing light from the light guide plates (7, 17, . . . ), the diffusing plate (8) being provided so as to be separate from and face the light guide plates (7, 17, . . . ). Each of the light guide plates (7, 17, . . . ) includes: a light-emitting section (7b) having a light-emitting surface (7a); and a light guide section (7c) for guiding, to the light-emitting section (7b), light from the light sources (5), a light-emitting section (17b) of the first light guide plate (17) being provided above a light guide section (7c) of the second light guide plate (7) adjacent to the first light guide plate (17).

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device (1) of the present invention includes a display panel (3) and a backlight (2) (an illumination device). The backlight (2) includes a light-emitting layer (20) in which a plurality of light sources (5) are scattered and a diffuser (7) (a diffusion layer) that is formed on the light-emitting layer and diffuses light from the light-emitting layer. The light sources (5) that are present within the light-emitting layer (20) emit light in a direction (a direction of an arrow) substantially parallel to a boundary surface between the light-emitting layer (20) and the diffuser (7). In the diffuser (7), a transmittance of light in an area (7c) close to each of the light sources is smaller than a transmittance of light in an area that is far from each of the light sources.

Abstract: A large liquid crystal display (100) comprises a light guide plate (3) arranged on the back side of a liquid crystal panel (1). The front surface of the light guide plate (3) is flat, while the back surface thereof is concave. The upper and lower end faces of the light guide plate (3) respectively facing hot cathode fluorescent lamps (2a, 2b) have a convex shape projecting toward the respective lamps. White light from the fluorescent lamps is incident on the upper and lower end faces of the light guide plate directly or by being reflected by reflectors (4a, 4b), and propagates within the light guide plate while being reflected by the front and back surfaces of the light guide plate. At the front surface of the light guide plate, a part of the white light is directed toward the back side of the liquid crystal panel (1) by a light guide portion (5).