Patent ID: 7086768

Claim:
An illumination device comprising: a planar light guiding element having a first face and a second face, which are substantially parallel to each other; and an even number of light sources for emitting light from a light emitting side along a main light emission axis, wherein: the planar light guiding element has apertures into which each of the light sources is inserted separately so that the main light emission axis is substantially parallel to and between the first face and the second face, substantially parallel to a first direction, and substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the planar light guiding element, the even number of light sources being divided into: a first group of the light sources including light sources arranged so that a light emitting side of each of the light sources of the first group is oriented in the first direction; and a second group of the light sources including light sources arranged so that a light emitting side of each of the light sources of the second group is oriented in a second direction opposite the first direction, the number of light sources of the first group being equal to the number of light sources of the second group, and the light sources of the first group and the light sources of the second group are each located inside an outer contour of the planar light guiding element at a position located a predetermined distance from a center of the planar light guiding element in a longitudinal direction of the planar light guiding element.