Patent ID: 8339539

Claim:
An illumination device comprising: a plurality of light sources; a plurality of light guide plates for causing surface emission of light from the plurality of light sources, respectively; and a diffusing plate for diffusing light from the plurality of light guide plates, the diffusing plate being provided so as to be away, by a predetermined distance, from and face a light-emitting surface formed of the plurality of light guide plates, each of the plurality of light guide plates including: a light-emitting section having a part of the light-emitting surface; and a light guide section for guiding, to the light-emitting section, light from a corresponding one of the plurality of light sources, a light-emitting section of one of any adjacent two of the plurality of light guide plates being provided above a light guide section of the other of any adjacent two of the plurality of light guide plates, at least one maintaining section being provided between the light-emitting surface and the diffusing plate, said maintaining section maintaining the predetermined distance, said at least one maintaining section being provided so that only one maintaining section is provided on an end section of each of the parts forming the light-emitting surface, the end section being an end section far from a corresponding light source.