Patent ID: 7206040
Filing Date: 2007-04-17
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. An illuminator adjacent to a surface of an object, comprising: a light guide plate having a reflection surface side and an exit surface side; an intermediate light guide disposed along an end surface of one side of the light guide plate; a light source disposed adjacent to the intermediate light guide; and a cover member attached so as to cover at least the intermediate light guide and an end portion of the light guide plate, the cover member having at least a reflection surface side cover portion that covers an end portion on a reflection surface side of the light guide plate; a light guide cover portion that covers the intermediate light guide; and an exit surface side cover portion that covers an end portion on the exit surface side of the light guide plate, wherein a portion of the reflection surface side of the light guide plate comprises a reflection surface having a concavoconvex shape so as to reflect light propagating inside thereof; a portion of the exit surface side of the light guide plate comprises an exit surface that outputs the light reflected by the reflection surface; the reflection surface having a plurality of grooves formed of a gentle slope portion and a steep slope portion, the steep slope portion having an angle of inclination steeper than that of the gentle slope portion; and the object to be illuminated is disposed outside of the exit surface, the reflection surface side cover portion extending further towards the reflection surface of the light guide plate from the intermediate light guide than the exit surface cover portion.