Patent ID: 8136954

Claim:
A backlight system comprising: a light source; a light guide plate arranged to guide light from the light source so as to surface-emit the light; wherein the light source includes a linear light source member arranged close to a side edge of the light guide plate; the linear light source member includes a linear member body including a plurality of accommodation spaces defined side-by-side therein in a direction extending along longer sides thereof such that individual partitions are arranged between the side-by-side accommodation spaces; each of the plurality of the side-by-side accommodation spaces including an opening at a side thereof facing the light guide plate and housing only one light-emitting element, and a distance between adjacent ones of the light-emitting elements is two times or more greater than a distance from a display region of a module to the side edge of the light guide plate that the linear light source is arranged close to; each light-emitting element being arranged on a surface of the respective accommodation space directly opposed to the opening, the linear member body being arranged such that light which is emitted by each light-emitting element includes at least a first portion of light which travels in a direction directly toward and out through the openings and a second portion of light which travels toward a surface of the linear member body such that the second portion of light will be reflected out through the openings; the light guide plate includes a light-deflecting sheet arranged on a light-exit surface thereof; and the light-deflecting sheet includes, located on a surface thereof facing the light-exit surface of the light guide plate, a plurality of projecting stripe members arranged substantially parallel to a direction of longer sides of the linear light source member.