Patent ID: 7517125

Claim:
A backlight unit comprising: a light source that irradiates light; and a diffusing plate that diffuses light irradiated from the light source, wherein the diffusing plate is provided with a plurality of microlenses, wherein all of the plurality of microlenses of the diffusing plate have an ellipsoid form, wherein the plurality of microlenses includes a plurality of first microlenses and a plurality of second microlenses, wherein the plurality of first and second microlenses are disposed so that long axes of the plurality of first microlenses and long axes of the plurality of second microlenses are approximately perpendicular to each other and such that the plurality of first and second microlenses are arranged in a plurality of substantially aligned rows and a plurality of substantially aligned columns, and wherein the plurality of first and second microlenses are alternatingly arranged within each row and column, and a long axis direction of the plurality of first microlenses and a long axis direction of the light source are arranged approximately parallel to each other, and a long axis direction of the plurality of second microlenses and the long axis direction of the light source are arranged approximately perpendicular to each other.