Patent ID: 6979115

Claim:
A surface emitting device having a bar-shaped light source, a light guiding plate for entering a light of the light source from a lateral end surface and emitting the light from an emissive surface, and a cover for supporting the bar-shaped light source and the light guiding plate, wherein the cover is made of a metal plate having a spring characteristic, a substantially bracket-shaped cross sectional shape, a width of the bracket-shaped cover tapers toward an opening portion, and the cover covers the bar-shaped light source and the light guiding plate and pinches the light guiding plate by the opening portion of the bracket-shaped cover, so as to make the bar-shaped light source and the light guiding plate into close contact and support the bar-shaped light source and the light guide plate, wherein a protrudent portion is provided on an upper inner surface of the bracket-shaped cover at a position corresponding to a top of the bar-shaped light source, so as to pinch the bar-shaped light source, and the opening portion of the bracket-shaped cover pinches the light guiding plate, thereby making the bar-shaped light source and the light guiding plate into close contact and supporting the bar-shaped light source and the light guide plate.