Patent ID: 7815359

Claim:
A spread illuminating apparatus comprising: a transparent resin plate including a housing frame portion at outer sides thereof, a light conductor plate portion substantially enclosed by the housing frame portion, an opening for having a light source disposed therein, and a plurality of slits provided with a clearance area between each of the plurality of slits along a border line between the housing frame portion and the light conductor plate portion; a reflector disposed at a bottom of the transparent resin plate, the reflector including a rectangular main body portion and flap portions formed and bent up along sides of the rectangular main body portion; and the light source disposed at a side portion of the transparent resin plate, wherein the plurality of slits include a plurality of first optical path converting portions and a plurality of second optical path converting portions, the flap portions of the reflector are inserted in at least one of the plurality of slits to define the plurality of first optical path converting portions of the plurality of slits, and at least one slit of the plurality of slits, or at least one portion of a slit of the plurality of slits, being devoid of the flap portions of the reflector, thereby defining the plurality of second optical path converting portions, and that the plurality of second optical path converting portions of the plurality of slits are arranged so as to meet hypothetical optical paths which are emitted from the light source to reach directly the housing frame portion without crossing the plurality of first optical path converting portions, and wherein the plurality of slits further include first slits provided toward the side portion with the light source, the first slits including the plurality of second optical path converting portions.