Patent ID: 8523399

Claim:
An illumination apparatus including a light source that emits illumination light, an optical member that transmits the illumination light to externally project the illumination light, and a reflector that reflects illumination light from the light source towards the optical member, the device comprising: a drive device to drive the reflector and the light source to advance and retract in a first direction substantially perpendicular to a light projection surface of the optical member, the drive device including: (a) a light source retaining member that retains the light source, (b) a reflector retaining member that retains the reflector, and (c) a cam face that is provided along a path in which the reflector retaining member is driven to advance or retract and has a sloped surface at a portion thereof, the drive device (i) supporting the light source retaining member to be movable in the first direction, and (ii) driving the reflector retaining member to advance or retract in the first direction; and a relative movement device to cause the light source to relatively move relative to the reflector in a process of driving to advance and retract by way of the drive device, the relative movement device including: (1) a depressing member having one end that abuts with the light source retaining member and another end that abuts with the cam face, and (2) a straight guide member that causes the light source to move straight ahead in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the reflector, the relative movement device controlling a position of the light source retaining member in the first direction by way of the depressing member abutting the light source retaining member and the cam face, the relative movement device causing the light source to relatively move relative to the reflector when the drive device performs driving to advance or retract, by way of the depressing device moving while abutting the sloped surface of the cam face.