Patent ID: 7905616

Claim:
An illumination device comprising: a fluorescent tube; a lower frame member, configured to support the fluorescent tube; a light diffusion member disposed opposite to the lower frame member with the fluorescent tube being interposed therebetween, the light diffusion member configured to diffuse light from the fluorescent tube toward an anterior object to be illuminated; a reflection sheet member disposed along a side of the lower frame member that faces the fluorescent tube, the reflection sheet member configured to reflect light from the fluorescent tube toward the light diffusion member; and an upside reflection member, configured to cover an electrode of the fluorescent tube and configured to reflect the light from the fluorescent tube to the light diffusion member, wherein when a horizontal direction is defined as a lengthwise direction of the fluorescent tube, and left end and right end are defined in relation to the horizontal direction, the lower frame member includes at least one of a concave protrusion disposed proximate to a right end of the illumination device and a concave protrusion disposed proximate to a left end of the illumination device, with each of the concave protrusion or protrusions of the lower frame member protruding away from the anterior object to be illuminated; wherein for each of the concave protrusion or protrusions of the lower frame member, the reflection sheet member is disposed thereon, along the side facing the fluorescent tube; and wherein a distance between the fluorescent tube and the reflection sheet member at a concave protrusion is greater than a distance between the fluorescent tube and the reflection sheet member at the central portion of the illumination device.