Abstract: An illumination unit (11) includes: a lightguide (7) having a light-emitting surface (12); and light sources (5a) and (5b) being respectively provided on a back side with respect to the light-emitting surface, the lightguide (7) including: a light-emitting section (10) whose one surface is the light-emitting surface (12); and lightguide sections (9a) and (9b) each having one end connected to the light-emitting section (10) and each having other end serving as an incident surface of light emitted from the corresponding one of the light sources (5a) and (5b), the lightguide sections (9a) and (9b) being provided on back sides with respect to a first region and a second region of the light-emitting surface (12) so as to guide the light to the second and first regions. This makes it possible to realize an illumination unit which is slim, uniform in light emission, and improved in ease of a rework process.

Abstract: A backlight (illumination device) (22) of the present invention includes: a plurality of light sources (25) which emit light beams of two or more different colors; and a plurality of light guides (27) each of which mixes colored light beams emitted from the light sources and then converts the colored light beams thus mixed into surface emission, wherein the plurality of light guides (27) are arranged so as not to overlap one another, the plurality of light sources (25) are aligned in a given order along first end parts of each of the light guides, and scatterers (scattering means) (34) for scattering light beams are provided on side surfaces of second end parts (27b) of each of the light guide, which second end parts face a direction where the light sources are aligned (d1).

Abstract: A backlight (2) (illumination device) of this invention includes: a plurality of light sources (5), a plurality of light guide bodies (7) for causing surface emission of light emitted from the light sources; a diffusing plate (8) (flat plate) provided so as to face light-emitting surfaces (7a) of the light guide bodies (7) while maintaining a predetermined distance between the diffusing plate (8) and the respective light-emitting surfaces (7a). Maintaining sections (10) (distance maintaining sections) are provided between the respective light guide bodies (7) and the diffusing plate (8) and provided on the side of the diffusing plate (8), the maintaining sections (10) maintaining the predetermined distance between the diffusing plate (8) and the respective light-emitting surfaces (7a) of the respective light guide bodies (7).

Abstract: Each of light guides (2) has: a reflection surface (2e); and a light emitting surface (2c) that is opposite to the reflection surface (2e) and is not covered by a neighboring light guide (2). The light emitting surface (2c) is made up of a first emitting surface (7) and a second emitting surface (8). The first emitting surface (7) is substantially parallel with the reflection surface (2e). The second emitting surface (8) is substantially parallel with an irradiated surface. The each of the light guides (2) is provided with microprisms (9) serving as diffusing means at least in a first emitting surface region (12) in which there is the first emitting surface (7).

Abstract: A backlight (illumination device) of the present invention includes a plurality of light source units (32) each of which includes: a plurality of light sources (25) which emit light beams of two or more different colors; and a light guide (27) which mixes colored light beams emitted from the light sources and then converts the colored light beams thus mixed into surface emission. The plurality of light source units (32) are arranged so as not to overlap one another. In the light source unit (32), the plurality of light sources (25) are aligned in a given order along an end part (27d) of the light guide (27), and a light source disposed at a midsection of the end part (27d) of the light guide (27) has the highest luminance intensity among the plurality of light sources (25), and luminous intensities of the other light sources decrease with distance from the light source disposed at the midsection of the end part (27d) of the light guide (27).

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: 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: 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: 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).