Patent ID: 7204601
Filing Date: 2007-04-17
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An illumination apparatus, comprising: a light source; a reflection member which reflects toward an irradiated side a first light flux emerging from the light source and having an emergence angle with respect to an irradiation optical axis which is larger than a predetermined angle; and an optical member which positively refracts the first light flux reflected by the reflection member and causes the first light flux to emerge toward the irradiated side, wherein the reflection member reflects a light ray of the first light flux, whose emergence angle is maximal, in a direction intersecting with the irradiation optical axis, wherein the optical member causes a light ray of the first light flux, whose emergence angle from the light source is smallest and which is reflected by the reflection member, to emerge in a direction that is substantially parallel to the irradiation optical axis by refracting the light ray, and the reflection member satisfies the following condition: where θ 1 and θ 2 are angles defined by, respectively, a first and a second light ray before and after reflection at the reflection member, the first light ray being a light ray of the first light flux whose emergence angle is a first emergence angle, and the second light ray being a light ray of the first light flux whose emergence angle is a second emergence angle that is smaller than the first emergence angle.